From a New York Times– bestselling author, “this fast-paced thriller features a lot of detailed forensics with a rip-roaring ending” ( Publishers Weekly ). **

Eight months ago, forensic investigator Theresa MacLean lost her fiancé in a bank robbery gone wrong, and she’s had trouble concentrating on her work ever since. But when she investigates the death of a young mother that may have consequences for an innocent child, her attention is riveted by the harrowing case.

Jillian Perry has been found dead in the woods, leaving behind a husband of three weeks and a young daughter. The police can’t determine how she died—her body shows no visible marks, and the autopsy reveals nothing suspicious—and the leading theory is that she purposely wandered into the forest and succumbed to the freezing weather. But something doesn’t feel right to Theresa, and she can’t let it go.

To complicate matters, a former boyfriend of Jillian’s unexpectedly petitions for custody of her daughter. Obsessed with Jillian, he also suspects foul play in Jillian’s death, and now he and Theresa believe Jillian’s daughter may be in danger of meeting a similar fate. With a child’s life at stake, Theresa must search for evidence of murder—evidence that doesn’t seem to exist—before it’s too late.

“Black, a former forensic scientist, knows her stuff and briskly leads readers along the trail of clues behind her likeable, no-nonsense heroine. . . . Smart science propels this intelligent, well-thought out crime thriller.” — Kirkus Reviews

“She is, quite simply, one of the best storytellers around.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times– bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series