Synopsis
Holly Summers is deaf, but she "hears" thanks to her immense talent for lip-reading. A child welfare officer, Holly moonlights for the Portland, Oregon, police, using her unique gift to aid in criminal investigations — including one into the case of a recent string of women who have vanished without a trace.
Witnessing unimaginable evil in the abuse cases she handles, Holly fights every day to salvage broken young lives. But her good works spark plenty of enemies; someone has targeted this avenging angel with a supernatural vow to harm her. And the terror begins when Holly's young daughter disappears.
Fending off the shadows of an unearthly predator and the very real threats facing a woman in a man's world, Holly must listen to her deepest instincts for survival — to save the one person for whom she is living.
Publishers Weekly
Masterton's all-too-real psychological thriller takes readers on a terrifying journey into the Portland, Ore., child welfare system, the mysterious world of Native American superstition and the thick web of deceit that friends can weave around one another. Holly Summers, a strong and attractive woman who happens to be deaf, is a talented lip-reader, which makes her a priceless asset to the Portland Police department. Holly moonlights by eavesdropping on suspected criminals' discussions and helping thwart trouble before it happens. But her unusual skills aren't enough to protect Holly in her daytime job as a child welfare officer after an angry and abusive father puts a Native American curse on her. Masterton (Prey, etc.) draws on the experiences of a real-life lip-reader whose work has led to many criminal convictions, and he also incorporates elements of his work with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. His graphic depictions of child abuse are both sickening and tragic, though his portrayal of Holly as a skilled conversationalist doesn't ring true. Unfortunately, this immensely readable novel builds to a conclusion so disappointing that it may incense some readers. Agent, Richard Curtis. (Feb.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.