The Shadow Tracer

by Meg Gardiner

Can a person ever really disappear for good by going off the grid? And what happens when vanishing is no longer an option?
Sarah Keller is a single mother to five-year-old Zoe, living quietly in Oklahoma. She’s also a skip tracer, an expert in tracking people who’ve gone on the lam to avoid arrest, prosecution, or debt—pinpointing their locations to bring them to justice.
When a school bus accident sends Zoe to the ER, their quiet life explodes. Zoe’s medical tests reveal what Sarah has been hiding: Zoe is not her daughter. Zoe’s biological mother—Sarah’s sister, Beth—was murdered shortly after the child’s birth. And Zoe’s father is missing and presumed dead.
With no way to prove her innocence, Sarah must abandon her carefully constructed life and go on the run. Chased by cops, federal agents, and the group responsible for Beth’s murder, Sarah embarks on a desperate journey. Can her knowledge as a skip tracer help her stay off the grid, remain one step ahead of her pursuers, and find a way to save her daughter?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Adult Fiction

358 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Meg Gardiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of seventeen thrillers. Shadowheart, her latest novel, is part of the UNSUB series featuring FBI agent Caitlin Hendrix. The Real Book Spy calls it “A mind-trip of a story.” Booklist says, “As always, the writing is exquisite and the story is perfectly crafted.” UNSUB, the first novel in the series, won the 2018 Barry Award for Best Thriller. The Dark Corners of the Night was bought by Amazon Studios for development as an hour-long television drama.

Heat 2 is a prequel/sequel to the film Heat, co-authored with the film’s writer/director, Michael Mann. Booklist’s starred review calls it “Riveting… the fully fleshed human stories support and even transcend the often-breathtaking action.” The Associated Press says, “Slick as a Neil McCauley heist and as intense as a Vincent Hanna chase, ‘Heat 2’ is just dynamite.” It debuted at #1 on the NYT best seller list.

Meg is the author of the Evan Delaney series, the Jo Beckett novels, and several stand alones. China Lake won the 2009 Edgar award for Best Paperback Original. The Nightmare Thief won the 2012 Audie Award for Thriller/Suspense audiobook of the year. Phantom Instinct was one of O, the Oprah magazine's "Best Books of Summer."

Meg was born in Oklahoma and raised in Santa Barbara, California. A graduate of Stanford Law School, she practiced law in Los Angeles and taught writing at the University of California Santa Barbara. She's also a three-time Jeopardy! champion. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Find Meg on Facebook: Facebook.com/MegGardinerBooks Twitter: @MegGardiner1 and Instagram: @Meggardiner1.




Series:
* UNSUB
* Evan Delaney
* Jo Beckett

Reviews

[Arie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

The Shadow Tracer is M. G. Gardiner’s eleventh crime thriller, and from the very first page it is clear that we are in the hands of a professional. The reader is taken on a nail-biting ride through the Southern States, and, as Sarah’s story gains complexity, the chance of anyone getting out alive becomes doubtful.

The characters are generally well rounded, with clear motivations that fit the plot well. However, a few things are touched on that are never quite explained or developed further. Zoe seems to have a hint of a supernatural ability, or at the very least incredible intuition, but it seems to only be used when the characters need to know something to further the plot, rather than as an interesting plot point on its own. I'm still really curious to know whether this intuitive power is actually going to be utilised in later books, or if it remains a crutch for the author to lean on when fore-shadowing is needed or the character wouldn't get out of a situation without knowing something impossible to know. Luckily none of this gets in the way of the story, and for the most part, The Shadow Tracer is thoroughly enjoyable.

Full review here

**Advanced review copy received from the publisher through Nz Booklovers

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rock solid 4.0/5.0 STARS

My wife read this book and suggested I give it a try, that I might like it ... hell yea I did!

Wow! This book could be the script for a high octane, big screen summertime action adventure. From page one straight through to the end this story is filled with intense, sharp, non-stop action centered on Sarah Keller, a skip tracer for Danisha Helms Legal, and five year old Zoe Keller, the daughter of Sarah’s sister Beth. Sarah has been caring for Zoe since she was just two weeks old. Set in the big sky, big country states of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, Sarah and Zoe find themselves relentlessly pursued by multiple law enforcement agencies and members of a polygamist religious cult after five years of leading a quiet, furtive, innocuous life near Oklahoma City.

Zoe’s class trip to the zoo is interrupted by a dash to the ER at St. Anthony Hospital when the bus transporting the kids is cut off and crashes into a ditch. Zoe is shaken up and upset but suffers no injuries. But during her medical examination and treatment a RFID chip, unbeknownst to Sarah, is discovered embedded between Zoe’s shoulders! The data on the chip indicate Zoe’s real name was Zoe Skye Worthe, daughter of Beth Keller Worthe and Nolan Worthe. With suspicions of child abduction and endangerment, local law enforcement and child protection service officials are called in to investigate.

With Sarah’s identity now headline news flashed across TV screens across the city, she has no choice but to make a run for it. She knows enough about the Worthe clan to understand their pursuit will be relentless now that her identity is public. Using the tricks of the trade she learned tracking people who’ve skipped out on bail bonds, debts, arrest or criminal prosecution, Sarah flees under the radar and off the grid to protect her little girl.

Eldridge Worthe, the self-proclaimed prophet of the Fiery Branch of the New Covenant Church and serving a 30 year prison sentence for meth trafficking, mail fraud and RICO violations, heads up the Worthe family clan of meth cookers, domestic terrorists and polygamists. Ruthlessly intolerant to any challenges within the family ranks, Eldridge wants Zoe and her RFID chip back at all costs!

Special Agent Curtis Hanker, working as a lone wolf within the FBI hierarchy, has his own agenda and personal vendetta against the Worthes and will stop at nothing, even jeopardizing the lives of innocents, to bring down the Worthe family.

And there’s Michael Lawless, agent of the U. S. Marshall Service, who briefly met Sarah five years ago and has been carefully monitoring the Worthe’s activities to ensure Sarah’s safety.

Throw in the OKPD and various local sheriff departments and the stage is set for a wild hide and seek chase through Texas and into Roswell, New Mexico. These competing interests and motivations to secure Sarah and Zoe culminate in a crazy ass pursuit and confrontation in a New Mexico desert aircraft graveyard.

What an outstanding introduction to Meg Gardiner! Fast paced, short chapters bursting with action that leads to one more chapter, then one more chapter, then one more chapter … a pager turner for sure. I’m looking forward to exploring more of Ms. Gardiner’s works.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Sarah Keller has been living in Oklahoma for the past five years with her daughter Zoe. Being a skip tracer, her job is to find people off the grid, which I found ironic, considering that's what she's been doing herself. All that flys out the window when Zoe is involved in a school bus accident that sends her to the ER & it is revealed Sarah is not her biological mother. Furthermore, Zoe's BM- Beth (Sarah's sister), was murdered when Zoe was a baby & her father has been missing for the past half decade, now presumed dead. This obviously paints a bad picture for Sarah & with no genuine way to explain the truth without risking Zoe's future, she decides she needs to go back on the run so she can keep Zoe safe.

But the past always has a funny way catching up with us. We discover that Zoe's father was a prophet for a extremist cult, his father being the ringleader. (Admittedly I did find the 'evil religion' aspect cliched & I was worried Gardiner would butcher the plotline- i.e. provide an easy way out. But not to worry; she didn't.) When he realizes that Zoe is still out there, he plots to get her back. At any cost. Now it's a race against the clock to see who will get to Zoe first- can Sarah use her skills as a skip tracer to keep them out of harm's way?

There's a reason why Gardiner is an Edgar award winner. Her voice is powerful & distinct, penning female characters you can root for. (Can't tell you how tired I get of reading more about a female's looks, romantic relationships, some other petty shit that ruins the entire book, than her actual situation- from ALL sides of the table.) Sarah is determined, never giving up & it was a nail-biting ride to witness just how far she would push to save Zoe. The supporting characters were just as interesting & I liked the way the knowledge Gardiner picked up from books she read about being on the DL was intertwined into the story seamlessly.

I'm giving this 3.5* stars because I didn't enjoy it as much as UNSUB & I also felt some of the things that occur/outcomes were forced to keep the plot running at full speed. I was also slightly disappointed with the twists in the middle, making for an entirely different path for the MCs. In a way, I would have liked for things to be more difficult for Sarah, with higher stakes, but I'm just a sucker for a pulse rate off the charts. This is still a fascinating tale, especially when considering the theory if one can really stay off the grid & I'd recommend this author in a heartbeat for fans of m/c/t.

[Pamela Small · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off with a bang and quickly drew the reader in, but then....

1) plot unraveled, becoming silly

2) events became absolutely nonsensical and implausible

2) characters were one dimensional and their motives remained unclear throughout the book

4) all resulting in an unsatisfying read

[Tanya Eby]

I can't review books I've narrated, but I CAN comment on them. At least I think I can. So. I have a major writer-crush on Meg Gardiner, but for good reason. She just knows how to write stories that suck you in, propel you forward, and sort of give you whiplash...in a good way. What I mean is, she writes tough women characters with deep heart who can also kick a$$. I narrated the Even Delaney series (one of my favorite suspense/action series ever) and so I was thrilled to be able to do this stand-alone title, "The Shadow Tracer". I hope this becomes a series too. Great plot, action, and a new cast of characters to fall a little bit in love with. I hope I did the book justice.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shadow Tracer is a rare stand alone thriller from author Meg Gardiner who is best known for her popular series, one which features Jo Beckett, a forensic psychologist, and the other, Evan Delany a journalist with a law degree.

The protagonist in The Shadow Trace is skip tracer, Sarah Keller. Since the night Sarah sister was murdered and she was forced to flee with her newborn niece, Sarah has been careful to remain off the grid. For five years she has been living under an alias, raising Zoe as her own, staying one step ahead of the violent, criminal cult that want to claim Zoe for the family when a minor accident, which leads to Zoe being hospitalised for treatment, uncovers a shocking secret and with their cover threatened, Sarah is forced to take Zoe and run.

The cult wants Zoe not only because she is family and therefore one of God's 'chosen people' but also because she is unknowingly a key to part of their criminal enterprises. Without the intervention of a rogue FBI agent with vengeance on his mind, Sarah and Zoe may have stood a chance of escaping the clan's assassins but Agent Harker's single minded agenda complicates everything.

Sarah is uniquely placed to avoid the attention of those who are pursuing her and Zoe having spent her years on the run working as a skip tracer. There is just enough character development to make sense of Sarah's motivations. I really liked the way in which she was portrayed as capable, resourceful and fiercely protective of Zoe. Yet despite the burner phones and untraceable pre-paid credit cards, with both the clan and the FBI hunting her, Sarah is forced to reach out to US Marshal Michael Lawless, despite being wary of him and his motives.

Though the plot isn't entirely credible, the breathless pace overrides any real concerns. With the feel of a movie script due to several cinematic action scenes including a brutal murder in an isolated farmhouse during a snow storm, a dangerous car chase along a freeway and a final bloody confrontation in an airplane graveyard, The Shadow Tracer is an action packed thrill ride. The villains are suitably scary given their amoral and relentless, deadly pursuit of a an innocent five year old. And though the focus is firmly on the the frantic action, Gardiner still finds the time to introduce a subtle element of romance, or at least chemistry, between Sarah and Lawless.

This stand alone novel should be welcomed by Gardiner's fans and tempt new readers to delve into her backlist. The Shadow Tracer is an entertaining, action driven thriller from an author Stephen King endorses as a 'suspense superstar'.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarah Keller and her daughter Zoe are not who they seem. After Zoe gets into an accident, things quickly spiral out of control, and Sarah and her daughter start running. Cults, FBI, car chases, shoot outs - the story has them all. On the plus side, it is a fast read and the pace kept me turning the pages. However, the characters have no depth, and a lot of the plot lines just had me shaking my head. You know how a snack can be tasty while you eat it, but after you are done you are left feeling empty? That is how I felt after I was done reading this book. I did however get some good tips on how to stay off the grid if I ever have to go on the lam.

[Michael Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable with unexpected twists coming thick and fast.

[Reading_with_juls · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book pre-publication by getting a galley from Towne Center. It's a plot driven thriller that definitely kept me turning the pages. However, there were things in it that were just not plausible. 1.) The whole FBI agent. What the heck? The writer had plenty of drama with the violent polygamists...we didn't need a crazy FBI agent too. 2.) Lawless: What the heck? I was never sure of the status of their relationship. 3.) I don't want to ruin the plot...but there was another twist I found silly.

I also thought that in some spots the writing/word choice felt forced. Occasionally the word choice actually stopped me and made me think of better words that could have been used. A bit overwritten.

In the end, if you're looking for a thriller with a female protagonist to read on the beach, this is a decent choice.

[Wynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Car chases, shoot-outs, hidden microchips, prepaid credit cards, throwaway phones, bad FBI agents, good FBI agents, polygamists, cult members – It’s been done a thousand times, but better. I would like this all if it were in a Lee Child novel. Other reviewers have described the cult members as “cartoonish”. I agree. With all her years of planning an escape if her real identity was revealed - with the phones and prepaid credit cards- plus changing her and her daughter’s appearances so they would not be recognized, they were tracked down very easily. At least there was not a sappy romantic ending with the good FBI agent. It’s set up for a sequel – I’ll skip it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. There were a couple of things about it that left me confused or disappointed. From the description, I thought we would get a little more insight to being a skip tracer or someone on the run. I don't feel we really got much of either. In fact one point that confused me was the point of Sarah having prepaid credit cards so she couldn't be traced. Yet the "bad guys" got a hold of her regular credit card that magically had expenses while she was on the run. Just didn't get that. Plus for someone with so much experience tracking down others, you'd think Sarah could have gone into better hiding than she did. I think anyone could have found her. It was a lot of non-stop action and some of the past was explained. I couldn't quite buy the FBI agent who managed to constantly work outside of the rules because of the loss he suffered in the past. Really??? Nobody else in the world of law enforcement ever questioned him or caught on to what he was doing? But, it was a good story that had me on the edge of my seat a couple of times.

[Bree T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Keller is a single mother living in Oklahoma, working as a skip tracer. When Sarah’s five year old daughter Zoe is in a bus accident going on a school excursion, the resulting tests turn up not only something very odd but also proof that Sarah cannot be Zoe’s biological mother. What Sarah has been hiding from for the past five years is now going to catch up with her and everything she holds dear is now in grave danger.

Sarah goes on the run with Zoe, an exhausting flee through the south west of the country, avoiding not only the demons on her tail but also the FBI who are willing to use her and Zoe as a means to a very convenient end. Sarah has prepared for this moment for five years but when it happens she finds that she is clueless as well. All her preparations may not be enough – she is fighting enemies that have much greater resources, that are driven and dedicated to finding what she has and bringing it home…or using it.

There’s one person that she might be able to trust to help her, someone that turned a blind eye five years ago But it’s going to require a big leap of faith and that’s not something Sarah has a lot of right now.

The Shadow Tracer is a book that sucks you right in from the very beginning. Sarah works as a bounty hunter/skip tracer, something that allows her to move around and keep off the grid. For five years she’s been looking over her shoulder and now it seems that the moment she has always feared has caught up with her when a relatively minor bus accident leads to the hospital discovering that Sarah cannot possibly be Zoe’s biological mother. They attempt to detain her but Sarah flees, knowing that if word gets out, if her name or Zoe’s name is mentioned anywhere in the press, they will come for her and her safety and Zoe’s will mean absolutely nothing to them.

Zoe is the granddaughter of a self-proclaimed prophet, who although in jail, still rules over his polygamous family with an iron fist. They make their fortune by crime and his eyes and ears are everywhere. They want Zoe – they have always wanted Zoe – but Sarah made a promise years ago that they would never be able to have her and she intends to keep it. She thought she has prepared for this day but it quickly becomes obvious that she’s not even close to ready. She needs an ally, someone she can trust to at least help her get a headstart and she turns to Michael Lawless, a US Marshal who once swore he’d help her.

I really found myself sympathising with Sarah and her desperate plight to keep Zoe safe. She was really just an ordinary person who had to put her life on hold and become something more than ordinary, someone that could sacrifice everything, someone that could flee at a moment’s notice but also someone that could fight as well. A child’s safety and future was at stake because if her father’s family got hold of her then Zoe would be subjected to a very different life than the one she’d been living with Sarah. But the clan have proved they’re willing to do anything to get Zoe back, including kill anyone that stands in their path and Sarah has to wonder what Zoe has that they’re willing to go to such lengths.

I loved the dynamic between Lawless and Sarah. He assisted her once before, years ago, in getting Zoe away as a baby but they haven’t had any contact since. When the clan are hot on Sarah’s tail, she makes a call to a number he told her he’d always be reachable on and he gives her some instructions and says he’ll be with her as soon as he can, going off the grid in this one. I actually had to look up precisely what a US Marshal is/does because I haven’t come across too many before and I could see how Michael might have been conflicted in the past with helping Sarah and how she might not be able to fully trust him now. Sarah also had an FBI agent on her who wanted nothing more than to use her as bait to lure the clan members out so that he could finally collar them for a bombing they carried out that took the life of someone he loved. The FBI agent actually really made me furious reading this book – for a long time you don’t know his motivation and why he’s so desperate to basically hang Sarah out to dry for things that are clearly ambiguous. He puts her in danger and recklessly endangers the lives of others around him, including several other bureau members and local police. He underestimates the clan, which is something that Lawless doesn’t do. I thought Sarah’s wariness was well played against Lawless and his desire to help and I really wanted him to be the ‘good guy’, the one who was left standing at the end so that he and Sarah could so obviously do something with that subtle chemistry!

This book gave me more than I was expecting (in a good way) and I think that’s probably one of the best things you can say when looking back on a novel. I didn’t expect the depth of gritty character in Sarah, the way in which I would really identify with her. It’s a steady paced thriller that really does keep you involved right until the very end – the clan was suitably creepy, some of the so called good guys not particularly so and one of the ‘bad’ guys in particular had a humanising motivation and a moment at the end which called for my sympathy. I will definitely be seeking more from this author.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is wow, what a tremendous book. Continuous non stop excitement that literally kept me on the edge of my seat. Several times I had to set the book down and walk away, just to slow my heart rate.
Kudos to you, Ms Gardiner for an excellent, well written book.

[Tatiana Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this way more than i thought I would. the beginning seemed too exposional but it turned out well. time to find out if there is a sequel

[Tory Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of action and some appealing characters make this a winner.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shadow Tracer takes no time at all to pull you in, and it never lets you go until the end.

Sarah is a shadow tracer. She finds people who are hiding out from the law -- usually to serve them with a subpoena. Her 5-year-old is one of the victims in a school bus accident, and when Sarah goes to the hospital, the doctor finds that Zoe, the 5-year-old, has an identification chip embedded in her neck -- like a dog would have. Sarah knows nothing about the chip, but she knows that secrets that she has been running from are now going to come to the surface.

Thus begins a cross country run from both the authorities and a very powerful crime family -- who want Zoe returned to them at all costs. Sarah's profession helps a lot as she tries to stay hidden and off the radar, but she also has no one she can trust. Sarah isn't really Zoe's mother -- Sarah's sister was the mother, and she entrusted Zoe to Sarah as she was dying.

This is my first Meg Gardiner book, but I will be looking up some of her others. She has a way of making you really care about her characters. I also liked how the line between the good guys and bad guys was somewhat ambiguous -- in particular an FBI agent with his own agenda. Also, the crime family is about as fanatic as I've seen -- and evil to go along with it.

Sarah and Zoe get in one scrape after another, but have some people who are supporting them and trying to help them. In particular, Sarah's boss, Danisha, who is a colorful character. There's also the unlikely nun, Teresa, who I would have liked to see stick around until the end of the book, rather than making a rather quick entrance, then exit.

The ending leaves the possibility of future stories with some of these characters, and I think I would really be interested in reading more about Sarah's adventures. She's tough, but sympathetic, and I really enjoyed getting to know her.

Teens who enjoy crime drama and escape/survival stories will have no problem enjoying The Shadow Tracer, and I look forward to recommending it to them in the fall. I really had difficulty putting this book down when I needed to!

The publisher is allowing me to host a giveaway for a copy of The Shadow Tracer. Please watch for my giveaway post tomorrow! I'll put a link to it here, after I've posted it too.

[Jennifer McLean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, I'd have to give it at least four stars. I say at least, because one isn't allowed to give half stars, like four and a half stars out of five when reviewing book for Goodreads, Amazon or Chapters/Indigo. My usual genre is mystery, as I've said before and this fits the bill. Touted as a thriller, I'd have to also agree, Thriller/Mystery hits the nail right on the head.

Meg Gardiner has written a terrific book about about a main character named Sarah Keller and her young daughter Zoe. Sarah is a skip tracer who tracks down people who have gone on the lam, running from prosecution. The interesting twist here is that Sarah has to choose to grab Zoe and go on the lam herself. Sarah's daughter isn't actually her daughter, Zoe is the daughter of Sarah's murdered sister and when this whole scenario blows up, our main character has to take five year old Zoe and run for their lives. Will her skills as a skip tracer help her evade the people who want her dead?

The Shadow Tracer was a real roller coaster ride. The book is filled with questions about motives, who's good and who's bad. Our main character is put through the ringer trying to find out just what is going on and who she can safely trust. I would have given this a five star (or a four and a half if I could, lol) if there were one or two few car chases. Please don't get me wrong, it's never boring but I did feel once or twice that I wish I'd finally figure out just what was happening. That's probably just what the author intended, to turn the action up to full throttle and throw the reader headlong into a desperate need to know just what the heck was gonna happen already!! I worked, I read The Shadow Tracer into the wee hours of the morning just to finish the last page.

Ms. Gardiner has written many other books and I have to admit I've already chosen the next one I'm going to read. I can't wait to sink my teeth into Ransom River. What a great new author to add to my list!

[Hallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg Gardiner’s “The Shadow Tracer” introduces readers to Sarah Keller, a skip tracer whose prowess tracking down the larcenous girlfriend of a physician comes back to bite her. When Sarah’s 5-year-old adopted daughter, Zoe, is taken to the emergency room after a school bus crash, that same physician/boyfriend turns up in the ER treating Zoe. He recognizes Sarah. He’s not at all sympathetic to Sarah’s attempts to explain why the microchip Zoe has embedded in her doesn’t name Sarah as her mother.

Sarah knows a thing or two about the ins and outs of disappearing because she’s had to disappear herself. The information on the microchip embedded in Zoe threatens to upend the stable life she’s built for herself and the little girl, who is the daughter of her dead sister and a member of a brutal polygamous criminal clan.

Soon Sarah’s cover is blown, and she finds herself pursued by clan members (they feel like characters out of “Kill Bill”), who want Zoe for their own, and rogue FBI agent Curtis Harker, who seems willing to sacrifice Sarah and Zoe to get to “the family.” Harker persuades local police to help him by telling them that Sarah killed her sister and abducted her niece. Sarah has allies, too, including a plucky nun and a hunky US marshal named Mike Lawless, but her biggest asset is sheer nerve and determination.

This is a plot-driven cat-and-mouse game for adrenaline junkies with surprises in every chapter.

Review first published in the Boston Globe 7/6/13

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book. It's no secret that we love Meg Gardiner's books here on the blog. Her writing just pulls you in and doesn't let go. The Shadow Tracer is no different.

This one was hard for me to get into because, knowing the subject matter and knowing Meg Gardiner as an author, I knew what I was in for. She makes you love her characters, but there is no guaranteed safety for anyone in her books. There are very few authors who write thrillers that actually make me anxious, but Meg Gardiner is one of them. Once, she hooked me, though, I couldn't set it down.

In a way this book reminded me of the first Evan Delaney novel, China Lake, with it's crazy religious cults going after children. But that's where the comparison ends. Sarah Keller is much more raw and far more desperate than Evan. This is something that Sarah has been preparing for since the moment she rescued Zoe. I love that she is determined to do things on her own, but knows when she's over her head. I loved Danisha and how she stuck by Sarah and I loved Theresa too, who took it upon herself to help Sarah even when she knew what she was getting into.

No one twists a story like Meg Gardiner and there are plenty of good twists...

READ MORE: http://www.girlsjustreading.blogspot....

[B.G.M. Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gardiner's 11th novel revisits the same themes as her first, China Lake : an aunt races to defend her niece/nephew from fundamentalist religious cultists from the other side of the family.

In this case, Sarah Keller has raised Zoe since the newborn's mother was killed, using how-to-disappear tricks of the trade to stay hidden, while her day job of skip tracer involves finding others who don't want to be found.

A taut thriller that races around the mid-west, including a stint in Roswell, with a tense climax in an aircraft graveyard. My only complaint is that the resolution seemed a little rushed.

Strangely, while the e-book I bought refers to the author as Meg Gardiner in the text, the cover claims to be written by M.G. Gardiner - I'm not sure if this is a mid-career attempt to do a J.K. Rowling and appeal to males, or just a typo by the cover designer that the publisher stuck with!


www.bgmhall.com - thrillers with a tech edge

[P.J. Nunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I enjoyed a book as thoroughly as I enjoyed this one. Working with books all day, I tend to become impatient but this one grabbed my attention on the first page and didn't let go. It kept me up well into the early hours two nights in a row and it was worth it. Kudos to Meg Gardiner. It's the first one of hers I've read but I will definitely read more. It's touted as a standalone but I'd kind of like to see more of this protagonist.

[Lisa Stowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Meg Gardiner's books, and this one didn't let me down. I had to put a lot of trust in the author because of fear for one character. Within a few pages of the book I wasn't sure I wanted to finish it because of the risk to the character. But the trust in Gardiner was well placed. Once again, her pacing and building of tension continue from the first page all the way to the last. At this point I can safely say I'll read anything with Gardiner's name on it.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

As other reviews have said, this book starts off with a rush, but then turns into a series of eye-rolling coincidences and plot details. Here we go again - members of a "religious" cult want one of their own back. And, no surprise, there's a crooked FBI agent! The little girl Zoe is adorable, her aunt Sarah (mostly) capable, the bad guys incredibly bad. Not my favorite suspense author, and this one is not her best.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery is not my preferred genre, but from the first page I couldn't put it down. Terrific story of a mother's love, and the lengths she would go to to protect her child. Meg quickly builds a quick clean suspenseful world, a resourceful and very human lead character in Sarah, and pulls her reader along for the ride. I hope Sarah, Zoe, & Lawless becomes recurring characters for Meg, because I'm fully invested and want more.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters were a bit shallow and one-dimensional, without any depth of transformation. Despite the ending, I don't think I'd read another story about these particular characters. But good for a weekend-type read. *Borrowed from Coe Library.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like Meg Gardiner...., but this at best is a contrived novel. I don't buy into the whole premise and find the writing at best boring. This novel in my opinon does not reflect the talent and skill of Ms. Gardiner. Boring, dull and contrived.

[Stacy McKitrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I finished my writing project on Friday so I didn't have to feel guilty not putting this book down. I loved it!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why have I not read her before?! This book was such a good thriller! So fast paced and well done. Going to search her others now.

[Alma Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

[Meredith VanOordt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edge-of-your-seat read!