This was a very intense book. Jake and Emma married young and have grown apart in the intervening years. Emma misses the old feelings of teamwork, and her bitterness over that loss is expressed in increasingly angry confrontations with Jake. With memories of hard times always at the back of his mind, Jake spends longer hours at work, ensuring that his family never wants for anything, but deprives them of his presence. He tunes out Emma's complaints until she's had enough. Their argument in the book's opening pages is loud, angry, and unproductive. It is also overheard by their teenage daughter, Fenn, who has observed their actions with increasing dismay and blames herself for their problems. She runs away, believing that they will be better off without her, and ends up in a perilous situation.

This book shows how tragically easy it is for runaways to find themselves in situations beyond their control. Fenn's uneasiness at being watched showed she had good instincts, but they weren't enough to protect her. Fenn's fear at her situation leaped off the page and kept me turning the pages as I hoped she would be rescued quickly. The scenes with Fenn and her captors were heartbreaking in their realism.

Jake and Emma must put aside their differences if they are going to work together effectively to find their missing daughter. It isn't easy, and initially, they spend too much time hurling accusations at each other. I wanted to shake them both because neither was listening to the other's point of view. Their desperation to find Fenn was evident in every scene, while their issues created obstacles to true teamwork. Ultimately, they realize their love is still there and are willing to do the work to repair their marriage.

The story's suspense kept me glued to the pages from start to finish, despite some of the issues I had with its plausibility. From the get-go, Jake and Emma ignore everything law enforcement tells them to do, haring off on their investigation. I still rooted for them all the way, as their discoveries led them closer to Fenn. A couple of lucky breaks moved them along and led to them locating Fenn. The final confrontation was a nail-biter, with Jake's spur-of-the-moment plan augmented by Emma creating her backup action. I loved how it ended.

At the same time, there are scenes from Fenn's point of view, and we see her doing her best to fight against her situation. I ached for her when they used threats against her family to force her cooperation. She never gave up hope that she would be found and didn't just sit back and wait for rescue. Her attitude did get her into some rough spots, and I suspect she'll be dealing with those memories for a long time.

I liked the epilogue and seeing that Jake, Emma, and Fenn get the help they need to resolve their issues. I liked seeing the family all together and moving forward in a healthier atmosphere. I liked the bit about Jake and Emma's new crusade to warn young people of the dangers of human trafficking, how to recognize it, and how to avoid it. ( )