A Gardiner and Renner Novel

The investigative team hunts for a possible killer stalking a juvenile detention center in this crime thriller by the New York Times bestselling author.

The body of fifteen-year-old Rachael Donahue—abandoned by society and violently unapproachable—was found at the bottom of a stairwell at Firebird, the secure facility for juvenile offenders in Cleveland. For forensics expert Maggie Gardiner and homicide detective Jack Renner, Rachael’s death comes with a disturbing twist—the girl may have been involved with a much older man.

But Rachael’s not the only resident at the center to come to a dead end. A ten-year-old “wild child” has overdosed in the infirmary. The back-to-back tragedies appear to be accidents. But Maggie and Jack suspect a cold-blooded murderer is carrying out a deadly agenda.

Meanwhile, Maggie’s ex-husband gets nearer to uncovering the secrets that she and Jack must hide—and that makes it even harder for them to protect a new and vulnerable victim from a killer with unfathomable demons.