I really enjoyed this fast-paced novel. The two main characters are Hannah and her 16-year old step-daughter, Bailey. Hannah's husband/Bailey's father, Owen, disappears suddenly one day, leaving Hannah a very short note ("Protect her") and leaving Bailey with a note and a bag full of money. Owen's boss is found to be corrupt and has been taken into custody by the FBI. Then there is the U.S. Marshal (Grady) from the Austin, TX branch showing up at Hannah & Bailey's home (a houseboat docked in Sausalito), in addition to some FBI agents. Pretty much no one knows what's going on, where Owen is - or who Owen really is.
Hannah & Owen have not know each other very long (two plus years) and they have only been married a year or so. I liked how the author shared their short history in flashback chapters. Both the reader and Hannah gets some insight into Owen and what's important to him in the flashbacks. His number one priority is Bailey, who lost her mother when she was really young. That's how Hannah knows that Owen's note refers to Bailey. Hannah knows she needs to protect Bailey, but she doesn't know from what. She also doesn't know who to trust.
Fortunately Hannah has a trusted friend, Jules, that assists her along the way. Hannah also turns to her ex-fiancé, Jake, who is a lawyer. In the end though, Hannah trusts her own instincts and does her own thing to discover who Owen really is and what he wants her to do. There is not necessarily a happy ending to this story, but there is an ending which makes sense. Sometimes in life we need to sacrifice one thing for another.
Wendy's Rating: ****
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