In the latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Linwood Barclay, a teacher’s act of heroism inadvertently makes him the target of a dangerous blackmailer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

How would you react in a life-or-death situation?

It’s a question everyone asks themselves, but few have to face in real life. English teacher Richard Boyle certainly never thought he would find himself talking down a former student intent on harming others, but when Mark LeDrew shows up at Richard’s school with a bomb strapped to his chest, Richard immediately jumps into action. Thanks to some quick thinking, he averts a major tragedy and is hailed as a hero, but not all the attention focused on him is positive.

Richard’s brief moment in the spotlight puts him in the sights of a deranged blackmailer with a score to settle. The situation rapidly spirals out of control, drawing Richard into a fraught web of salacious accusations and deadly secrets. As he tries to uncover the truth he discovers that there’s something deeply wrong in the town—something that ties together Mark, the blackmailer, and a gang of ruthless drug dealers, and Richard has landed smack in the middle of it. He’s desperate to find a way out, but everyone in his life seems to be hiding something, and trusting the wrong person could cost him everything he loves.

What price will he pay for one good deed?

The multi-million copy internationally bestselling author and master of the shocking twist, Linwood Barclay, is back with a nail-biting new thriller which will keep you awake all night...

Paul Davis forgets things. Why he walked into a room. Who he spoke to, and what they said. What he promised his wife he'd do. Sometimes it's too much, and the panic takes hold. But he wasn't always like this.

Eight months ago, Paul was attacked - left for dead after seeing something he shouldn't have - and has been piecing his life back together ever since. During the days, therapy helps. But at night, he hears noises that no one else can. That nobody believes. Sometimes he thinks someone is in the house. Other times, the sounds are far stranger.

Either he's losing his mind - or someone wants him to think he is. Or maybe something even darker is waiting downstairs...

In this twisty thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Take Your Breath Away, a man desperately tries to track down his father – who was taken into witness protection years ago – before his enemies can get to him.

"Your dad’s not a good person. Your dad killed people, son." These are some of the last words Jack Givins’s father spoke to him before he was whisked away by witness protection, leaving Jack and his mother to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives.

Years later, Jack is a struggling author, recruited by the U.S. Marshals to create false histories for people in witness protection. Jack realises this may be a chance to find his dad – but then he discovers he’s gone missing, and he could be in serious danger.

Jack knows he has to track him down. But how will he find a man he’s never truly known? And how will he evade his father’s deadly enemies – enemies who wouldn’t think twice about using his own son against him?

Inspired by his decades-long love of cars, internationally bestselling author Linwood Barclay envisions a world in which automotive technology outpaces our wildest dreams—and our darkest nightmares—in a gripping new novel of action and suspense.

The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go and, because the fleet is networked and aware of one another, car travel is now 100% safe. The future, it seems, has arrived.

As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, Sandra Montrose—islander, single mom, and public relations executive—prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. Sandra is more than ready for this new world. Her husband died after falling asleep at the wheel and she’s relieved that her two teens, Archie and Katie, will never need driver’s licenses.

But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter.

Is this all just a tragic accident, a technological malfunction with deadly consequences? Or were the vehicles programmed to act this way in a cruel act of corporate sabotage? Or could it be that the Arrivals have a mind of their own?

Fasten your seatbelts—it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

In the latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Linwood Barclay, a teacher’s act of heroism inadvertently makes him the target of a dangerous blackmailer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

How would you react in a life-or-death situation?

It’s a question everyone asks themselves, but few have to face in real life. English teacher Richard Boyle certainly never thought he would find himself talking down a former student intent on harming others, but when Mark LeDrew shows up at Richard’s school with a bomb strapped to his chest, Richard immediately jumps into action. Thanks to some quick thinking, he averts a major tragedy and is hailed as a hero, but not all the attention focused on him is positive.

Richard’s brief moment in the spotlight puts him in the sights of a deranged blackmailer with a score to settle. The situation rapidly spirals out of control, drawing Richard into a fraught web of salacious accusations and deadly secrets. As he tries to uncover the truth he discovers that there’s something deeply wrong in the town—something that ties together Mark, the blackmailer, and a gang of ruthless drug dealers, and Richard has landed smack in the middle of it. He’s desperate to find a way out, but everyone in his life seems to be hiding something, and trusting the wrong person could cost him everything he loves.

What price will he pay for one good deed?

A missing woman. A husband suspected. The truth will ... Take Your Breath Away Linwood Barclay is... 'A suspense master' Stephen King 'In a class of his own' T.M. Logan 'One of the finest thriller writers in the world' Mark Billingham It's always the husband, isn't it? When his wife Brie vanishes from their home one night, never to be seen again, people assume Andy got away with murder. The police can't build a case against him, but still his friends and neighbours abandon him. Six years later, Andy's life is back on track, and he's settled with a new girlfriend. And when he hears his old house has been bulldozed and rebuilt, he's not bothered. Things are good. But then one day, a woman who looks like Brie shows up at their old address, screaming 'Where's my house? What happened to my house?' before vanishing as quickly as she appeared. And as dark suspicions resurface, Andy's future depends on discovering what the hell is going on. The trick is staying alive long enough to find out... PRAISE FOR LINWOOD BARCLAY: 'A suspense master' STEPHEN KING 'A full-throttle powerhouse of a thriller - Linwood Barclay is in a class of his own' T.M. LOGAN 'One of the finest thriller writers in the world' MARK BILLINGHAM 'The twists keep coming' THE TIMES 'No one can thrill you and chill you better than Barclay' TESS GERRITSEN 'Another lightning-paced page-turner with a twist that really did take my breath away. Absolutely classic Linwood' MARK EDWARDS 'Gripping, propulsive, and surprising - he wasn't kidding, I'm breathless' DAVID KOEPP 'If you want someone to jangle your nerves and mess with your mind, Barclay's your man' SAGA 'Nothing is more satisfying than tucking into a new Linwood Barclay novel' SHARI LAPENA '[Exhibits] Barclay's remarkable strengths in plotting and characterisation. Perhaps only John Grisham is his equal in creating show-stealing supporting characters' SUNDAY TIMES 'Linwood Barclay is a stone-cold pro' JOE HILL 'A fast-moving, high-concept thriller from the talented Barclay ... a rip-roaring rollercoaster of a ride' DAILY MAIL

Inspired by his decades-long love of cars, internationally bestselling author Linwood Barclay envisions a world in which automotive technology outpaces our wildest dreams—and our darkest nightmares—in a gripping new novel of action and suspense.

The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go and, because the fleet is networked and aware of one another, car travel is now 100% safe. The future, it seems, has arrived.

As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, Sandra Montrose—islander, single mom, and public relations executive—prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. Sandra is more than ready for this new world. Her husband died after falling asleep at the wheel and she’s relieved that her two teens, Archie and Katie, will never need driver’s licenses.

But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter.

Is this all just a tragic accident, a technological malfunction with deadly consequences? Or were the vehicles programmed to act this way in a cruel act of corporate sabotage? Or could it be that the Arrivals have a mind of their own?

Fasten your seatbelts—it’s going to be a bumpy ride

A SUNDAY TIMES BEST PAPERBACK OF 2020! 'You should read ELEVATOR PITCH by Linwood Barclay as soon as possible. It's one hell of a suspense novel' STEPHEN KING 'Moves as fast as a falling elevator and hits with just as much force. Linwood Barclay is a stone cold pro. ELEVATOR PITCH is a shameless good time' JOE HILL WHEN THE DOORS CLOSE, HE'S GOT YOU... It begins on a Monday, when four people board an elevator in Manhattan. Each presses the button for their floor, but the elevator climbs, non-stop, to the top where it pauses for a few seconds, before dropping. Right to the bottom of the shaft. It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again. And when Wednesday brings yet another catastrophe, New York, one of the most vertical cities in the world is plunged into chaos. Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorize the city. And it's working. But what do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? It will be a race against time for detectives Jerry Borque and Lois Delgado to find the answers before a deadly Friday night showdown. Number one bestseller Linwood Barclay returns with a heart-stopping thriller which will do for elevators what Psycho did for showers and Jaws did for the beach... PRAISE FOR ELEVATOR PITCH: 'You should read ELEVATOR PITCH by Linwood Barclay as soon as possible. It's one hell of a suspense novel' STEPHEN KING 'This novel moves as fast as a falling elevator and hits with just as much force. Linwood Barclay is a stone cold pro and ELEVATOR PITCH is a shameless good time' JOE HILL 'A superior thriller' SUNDAY TIMES 'The twists keep coming' THE TIMES 'A great cast of characters,tension, humour and a thrilling ending; this book takes Linwood to new heights!' MARK EDWARDS 'Linwood Barclay presses all the right buttons' MICHAEL ROBOTHAM 'One of the finest thriller writers in the world at the very top of his game' MARK BILLINGHAM 'Genius ... but terrifying' THE SUN 'The plot is crammed with even more narrative twists than Barclay usually serves up ... it is delivered with considerable acumen' FINANCIAL TIMES

One will change your life. One will end it. Who will ... FIND YOU FIRST? 'The best book of his career' STEPHEN KING 'Insanely paced, wildly entertaining' JOE HILL 'A full-throttle powerhouse of a thriller' T.M. LOGAN 'Sharply drawn' SUNDAY TIMES 'Keeps the engine racing' THE TIMES It's a deadly race against time... Tech billionaire Miles has more money than he can ever spend, but he can't buy more time. Diagnosed with a terminal illness, he is forced to take a long, hard look at his past. Somewhere out there, Miles has children who don't know it, but they might be about to inherit the good and bad from him - possibly his fortune, or possibly something more sinister. So, Miles decides to track them down. But a lethal killer is one step ahead of him. One by one, people are vanishing. Not just disappearing, every trace of them is wiped. Number One Sunday Times bestseller Linwood Barclay returns with his electrifying new thriller, Find You First. PRAISE FOR FIND YOU FIRST: 'Starts with a bang and ends with an even bigger one. Barclay is a terrific writer, but he's outdone himself with this. It's the best book of his career. I couldn't put it down, and you won't be able to either. If you enjoy thrillers, this is the real deal. It never lets up' STEPHEN KING 'Insanely paced, wildly entertaining' JOE HILL 'A full-throttle powerhouse of a thriller - Linwood Barclay is in a class of his own' T.M. LOGAN 'Barclay has a knack for turning news stories or social trends into rambunctious black-comedy thrillers full of sharply drawn fools and knaves' SUNDAY TIMES 'Fizzes along the entertainment highway ... Barclay nimbly keeps the engine racing' THE TIMES 'A relentlessly tense thriller ... the comedy enhances the edgy atmosphere' THE TIMES CRIME CLUB 'A fast-moving, high-concept thriller from the talented Barclay ... a rip-roaring rollercoaster of a ride' DAILY MAIL 'Barclay's thrillers move at breakneck speed ... pacy, exciting' WOMAN & HOME 'Another gripping thriller from bestselling master of tension Linwood Barclay' HELLO! 'A tense, nail-biting thriller' MY WEEKLY

Since private investigator Cal Weaver's teenage son died in a tragic accident, Cal and his wife have drifted apart. Cal is mired in a grief he can't move past. And maybe his grief has clouded his judgment.
Driving home one night, a rain-drenched girl taps on his car window and asks for a ride. He knows a grown man picking up a teenage hitchhiker is foolish--but he lets her in. Cal soon senses that something's not right with the girl or the situation. But it's too late. He's already involved.
Drawn into a nightmare of secrets, lies, and cover-ups in his small, upstate New York town, Cal knows that the only thing that can save him is the truth. And he's about to expose the town's secrets one by one--if he lives long enough.

'A SUSPENSE MASTER' STEPHEN KING Every crime has consequences. Every town has secrets. __________ A young girl is killed by a drunk driver. Shaken by the tragedy, the local community wants justice. It doesn't matter that the accused is only a kid himself. When he's given a soft sentence, the outcry reaches fever pitch. Under siege from threats of revenge, theboy and his desperate family hire Private Investigator Cal Weaver to trace the senders. But in a town full of suspects, it could be anyone... There is so much more to this case than meets the eye. Weaver wonders what he's missing - and if he'll piece the puzzle together before more blood is spilled, including his own... __________ 'Nothing is more satisfying than tucking into a new Linwood Barclay novel' Shari Lapena, author of The Couple Next Door 'No one can thrill you and chill youbetter than Linwood Barclay' Tess Gerritsen 'One of the best thriller writers in the world' Mark Billingham

From the international bestseller Linwood Barclay comes an explosive new crime thriller! In this twisty thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Take Your Breath Away, a man desperately tries to track down his father – who was taken into witness protection years ago – before his enemies can get to him. Your dad’s not a good person. Your dad killed people, son. These are some of the last words Jack Givins’s father spoke to him before he was whisked away by witness protection, leaving Jack and his mother to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. Years later, Jack is a struggling author, recruited by the U.S. Marshals to create false histories for people in witness protection. Jack realises this may be a chance to find his dad – but then he discovers he’s gone missing, and he could be in serious danger. Jack knows he has to track him down. But how will he find a man he’s never truly known? And how will he evade his father’s deadly enemies – enemies who wouldn’t think twice about using his own son against him? PRAISE FOR THE LIE MAKER: 'Barclay (Look Both Ways) nails this riveting standalone thriller about a washed-up writer’s search for his long-lost parent… Barclay expertly knits the strands together and constructs a fully realized everyman in Givins. Crafty plotting and rich characters make this a winner' Publishers Weekly, Starred Review PRAISE FOR LINWOOD BARCLAY: ‘A superior thriller’ Sunday Times ‘A suspense master’ Stephen King ‘The twists keep coming’ The Times ‘Devilishly good’ Shari Lapena ‘The novel speeds from first page to last… Bravo!’ Jeffery Deaver ‘A fast-moving, high-concept thriller from the talented Barclay’ Daily Mail ‘Linwood Barclay is in a class of his own’ T.M. Logan ‘One of the finest thriller writers in the world at the very top of his game’ Mark Billingham ‘Genius… but terrifying’ The Sun

Tenth Anniversary edition of the million-copy, bestselling novel No Time for Goodbye with a special introduction from Linwood Barclay. 'One of the world's finest thriller writers' Peter James * The house was silent. That was the first sign that something was terribly wrong. Fourteen-year-old Cynthia wakes one morning to discover that her entire family - mother, father, brother - have vanished. No note, no trace and no return. Ever. Now, twenty-five years later - with a family of her own - a letter arrives which chills Cynthia to the core. It leads her inescapably down the path to the devastating truth behind why they left. Sometimes it's better not to know... * Praise for the masterful No Time for Goodbye: 'You won't get up until you've turned the last page' Michael Connelly 'Utterly riveting' Tess Gerritsen 'A terrific page-turner that keeps you in suspense' Peter Robinson

'You should read ELEVATOR PITCH by Linwood Barclay as soon as possible. It's one hell of a suspense novel' STEPHEN KING 'Moves as fast as a falling elevator and hits with just as much force. Linwood Barclay is a stone cold pro. ELEVATOR PITCH is a shameless good time' JOE HILL WHEN THE DOORS CLOSE, HE'S GOT YOU... It begins on a Monday, when four people board an elevator in Manhattan. Each presses the button for their floor, but the elevator climbs, non-stop, to the top where it pauses for a few seconds, before dropping. Right to the bottom of the shaft. It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again. And when Wednesday brings yet another catastrophe, New York, one of the most vertical cities in the world is plunged into chaos. Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorize the city. And it's working. But what do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? It will be a race against time for detectives Jerry Borque and Lois Delgado to find the answers before a deadly Friday night showdown. Number one bestseller Linwood Barclay returns with a heart-stopping thriller which will do for elevators what Psycho did for showers and Jaws did for the beach... PRAISE FOR ELEVATOR PITCH: 'You should read ELEVATOR PITCH by Linwood Barclay as soon as possible. It's one hell of a suspense novel' STEPHEN KING 'This novel moves as fast as a falling elevator and hits with just as much force. Linwood Barclay is a stone cold pro and ELEVATOR PITCH is a shameless good time' JOE HILL 'A superior thriller' SUNDAY TIMES 'The twists keep coming' THE TIMES 'A great cast of characters,tension, humour and a thrilling ending; this book takes Linwood to new heights!' MARK EDWARDS 'Linwood Barclay presses all the right buttons' MICHAEL ROBOTHAM 'One of the finest thriller writers in the world at the very top of his game' MARK BILLINGHAM 'Genius ... but terrifying' THE SUN 'The plot is crammed with even more narrative twists than Barclay usually serves up ... it is delivered with considerable acumen' FINANCIAL TIMES

A wife's disappearance and a childhood tragedy are linked across the years - from the No. 1 bestselling author of FIND YOU FIRST It starts with a trip to a local amusement park. David Harwood is hoping a carefree day will help dispel his wife Jan's recent depression that has led to frightening thoughts of suicide. Instead, a day of fun with their son Ethan turns into a nightmare. When Jan disappears from the park, David's worst fears seem to have come true. But when he goes to the police to report her missing, the facts start to indicate something very different. The park's records show that only two tickets were purchased, and CCTV shows no evidence that Jan ever entered the park at all. Suddenly David's story starts to look suspicious - and the police to wonder if Jan's already dead, murdered by her husband. To prove his innocence and keep his son from being taken away from him, David is going to have to dig deep into the past and come face to face with a terrible childhood tragedy - but by doing that, he could risk destroying everything precious to him . . .

A superb, lightning-paced thriller from the No. 1 bestselling author of NO TIME FOR GOODBYE and FIND YOU FIRST When the Cutter family's next-door neighbours, the Langleys, are gunned down in their house one hot August night, the Cutters' world is turned upside down. That violent death should have come so close to them is shocking enough in suburban Promise Falls, but at least the Cutters can console themselves with the thought that lightning is unlikely to strike twice in the same place. Unless, of course, the killers went to the wrong house . . . At first the idea seems crazy - but each of the Cutter family has a secret they'd rather keep buried. What was on that old computer teenage Derek and his friend Adam Langley had salvaged? And where is it now? What hold does a local professor and bestselling author have on Ellen Cutter? And what does Jim Cutter know about Mrs Langley that even her husband didn't? To find out who killed the Langleys and why, everybody's secrets are going to have to come out. But the final secret - the secret that could save them or destroy them - is in the one place nobody would ever think of looking . . .

BOOK 2 OF 3 It began with Broken Promise. Now the mystery deepens in the second of the Promise Falls trilogy. A freak accident has killed Lucy Brighton's father. And when she goes to his house, she's convinced that someone has broken in. She asks private investigator Cal Weaver to look into it - but isn't prepared for what he'll find. Cal discovers a secret 'playroom' in the basement, complete with video equipment, and it looks as though there's a missing recording. How does the stolen DVD connect to the other disturbing events that are happening in the town? As Cal investigates further, and more people start dying in mysterious circumstances, it's clear that someone is targeting Promise Falls. But who - and how far will they go? *** Praise for Linwood Barclay 'Nothing is more satisfying than tucking into a new Linwood Barclay novel' Shari Lapena, author of The Couple Next Door 'A suspense master' Stephen King 'One of the best thriller writers in the world' Mark Billingham 'Seamless, breathless and relentlessly paced' Mirror

What would you do to protect your daughter . . .? From the million-copy bestselling author of NO TIME FOR GOODBYE and FIND YOU FIRST Seven years ago, Terry Archer and his family experienced a horrific ordeal which nearly cost them their lives. Today, the echoes of that fateful night are still audible. Terry's wife, Cynthia, is living separate from her husband and daughter after her own personal demons threatened to ruin her relationship with them permanently. Their daughter, Grace, is rebelling against her parents' seemingly needless overprotection. Terry is just trying to keep his family together. And the entire town is reeling from the senseless murder of two elderly locals. But when Grace foolishly follows her delinquent boyfriend into a strange house, the Archers must do more than stay together. They must stay alive. Because now they have all been unwillingly drawn into the shadowy depths of their seemingly idyllic hometown. For there, they will be reconnected with the man who saved their lives seven years ago, but who still remains a ruthless, unrepentant criminal. They will encounter killers for hire working all sides. And they will learn that there are some things people value much more than money, and will do anything to get it. Caught in a labyrinth between family loyalty and ultimate betrayal, Terry must find a way to extricate his family from a lethal situation he still doesn't fully comprehend. All he knows is that to live, he may have to do the unthinkable . . .

What would you do if you witnessed a murder - but no one believed you . . .? Another masterful suspense novel from the bestselling author of the Richard & Judy summer read winner, NO TIME FOR GOODBYE and FIND YOU FIRST Map-obsessed Thomas spends his days and nights on a virtual tour of the world through his computer screen, believing he must store the details of every town and city in his head. Then one day, while surfing a street view program, he sees something that shouldn't be there: a woman being murdered behind a window on a New York street. When Thomas tells his brother Ray what he has witnessed, Ray humours him with a half-hearted investigation - until he realises Thomas may have stumbled onto a deadly conspiracy, which puts them both in danger . . . With enough suspense to rival a Hitchcock film, this is a thriller with edge.

A drunk-driving accident hides more than one dark secret in No. 1 bestseller Linwood Barclay's gripping thriller Glen Garber's life has just spiralled out of control. His wife's car is found at the scene of a drunk-driving accident that took three lives. Not only is she dead, but it appears she was the cause of the accident. Suddenly Glen has to deal with a potent mixture of emotions: grief at the loss of his wife, along with anger at her reckless behaviour that leaves their young daughter motherless. If only he could convince himself that Sheila wasn't responsible for the tragedy. But as more and more secrets begin to surface, Glen may have to face something much, much worse ...

Metropolitan newspaper writer Zack Walker has a knack for stumbling onto deadly stories. But it's one that his good friend Trixie Snelling doesn't want told that's about to unleash a storm of trouble. As a professional dominatrix in the suburbs, Trixie has her share of secrets, but Zack has no idea what she's really hiding when a local newspaperman threatens to do an expose on her...not until Zack finds a dead body strapped to the bondage cross in her basement dungeon.
Now Zack is implicated in a murder, Trixie is missing, and everything he thought he knew about his friend, his town, even his own marriage, reveals a darker side. Zack's twisted trail to the truth will lead to a long-unsolved triple homicide, bikers, drug wars, and a stone-cold killer hell-bent on revenge. It's a story that's already cost him his job and possibly his wife, and, if Zack's not very lucky, it will cost him his life.

"
"Critically acclaimed and bestselling author Linwood Barclay" "brings terror closer than ever before in a stunning thriller in which murder strikes in the place we should feel safest of all....
In a quiet neighborhood, in the house next door, a family is brutally murdered for no apparent reason. You can't help thinking, "It could have been us." And you start to wonder: "What if we're next?
"Promise Falls isn't the kind of community where families are shot to death in their own homes. But how well did Jim and Ellen Cutter really know their neighbors--or the darker secrets of their small town? They don't have to look further than their own marriage to know that things aren't always what they seem. Now the Cutters and their son, Derek, must face the unthinkable: that a murderer isn't just stalking too close to home...but is inside it already.

On a rainy night, a man gives a teenage girl a lift home, but the girl he picks up isn't the same one he drops off . . . Bestseller Linwood Barclay hooks the reader from page one with this suspense masterpiece From the author of FIND YOU FIRST When Cal Weaver stops at a red light on a rainy night while driving home, he ignores the bedraggled-looking teenage girl trying to hitch a ride - even when she starts tapping on his window. But when he realises she's one of his son's classmates, he knows he can't really leave her, alone, on the street. But nothing prepares him for the consequences of trying to help her out. The next morning he's gone from Good Samaritan to Murder Suspect, and with one girl dead and another missing, he's suddenly at the centre of a deadly puzzle that reaches right to the heart of the town - from its bullying police force to its strangely furtive mayor - and finally to one family's shocking secret.