I was really hesitant about buying this book because I had a strong feeling I’d end up disappointed. The 11th book was such a solid ending—the kids were adopted, and it felt like a natural place to wrap things up. Adding another book didn’t seem necessary. But to my surprise, this one was a little better than expected, and it’s another decent stopping point. It’s where I’ll be finishing the series, anyway, because if what I thought happened really did happen, there’s really no moving past it, I don’t think.
I think it’s a good decision for Casey to step away from her job. After everything that happened with the Doctor and her essentially allowing him into their lives, putting her adopted daughter at risk, it makes sense.
I'm actually glad Tracy stole the D.A. job right out from under Casey. I didn’t know what to make of Tracy at first. Initially, she just seemed like an annoying, doe-eyed girl whose life had been handed to her. She didn’t seem to struggle with anything—until we learned she was Hannah, of course. After that reveal, I felt she started to grow into a more authentic character, but she definitely wasn’t well-developed at the beginning.
What really bothered me, though, was the decision to remove all of Casey’s team. I get that they wanted Casey and Tracy to bond as mother and daughter, but there was no need to strip everything else away, especially not Nichelle. I can see how this is affecting Tracy’s behavior, though, and I think it’s showing in the way her relationship with Casey is dissolving.
One thing that really stood out to me was the timing of Tracy’s behavior shift. After Casey and the Doctor talked, and he asked her if she still blamed Tracy for her kidnapping, it felt like Tracy suddenly changed. I can’t help but wonder if the Doctor somehow contacted Tracy and told her what Casey had said. Before that, they were doing okay, but then Tracy started acting cold, which felt so out of character for her. She’s taking more initiative at work without even consulting Casey, steals a job opportunity from right under her nose, and even skips out on a dinner she’d promised to attend. It felt like something had shifted behind the scenes, and not just simple ‘growing pains’.
Overall, I think this is a good stopping point for the series for several reasons:
1. Jericho is becoming sheriff again.
2. Casey is stepping back from her detective work to be a stay-at-home mom, which she definitely needs after the mess with the Doctor and (in my opinion) the strain it’s caused with Tracy. When Casey admitted to the Doctor in the last book that she blamed Tracy, I just knew that would come back to haunt her, and it seems like it has. The Doctor could easily do something with that info, especially considering his interest in Tracy. It definitely was not a good move for Casey and this book is chalk full of her bad decisions.
3. Tracy is starting to carve out a life of her own, hopefully moving beyond being just “the kidnapped daughter” and finding her own identity—separate from Casey.
This feels like a good place for Casey. She’s finally able to be the mom she’s always wanted to be, and Tabitha is three, conveniently the same age Hannah was when she lost her. It’s almost like she gets a chance to “make up” for lost time with a new daughter. But I also hope that Tracy’s growing independence, her new job and her growing separation from Casey will help Casey move on and see herself as more than just Tracy’s mom. From the start, Casey needed that space to rediscover herself, and hopefully, she’ll find that now. While I’m glad she never gave up on believing Hannah was alive, she had given up on herself in the process. Now, she can finally focus on herself and not be so tied to Tracy.