Acclaimed Southern mystery master Christopher Swann delivers "a book that's literary fiction, a spy novel, and a relentless thriller all in one" (Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling author), perfect for fans of Linwood Barclay and Michael Farris Smith.

Nick Anthony has retreated to the North Carolina mountains to mourn the untimely death of his wife. Once a popular professor, Nick just wants to be left alone with his grief. But when his estranged brother and sister-in-law die in a house fire, a stunned Nick learns he has a niece who is missing…and may be a suspect in her parents’ deaths.
 
By the time the call came, her parents' fate was sealed, but sixteen-year-old Annalise escaped the deadly fire with her life --and information someone is willing to kill for. At the scene of the crime, the men who set the fire spotted Annalise, and are now in a desperate search to find her. Feverish and exhausted, Annalise stumbles onto her uncle's porch. Now Nick must protect her and unravel the mystery of his brother's death.

Hired to retrieve stolen information at any price, private military contractor Cole and his team track down and kill the thief and his wife. But their daughter has vanished, along with the one thing Cole needs. When his search leads him to Nick’s cabin, Cole figures a retired professor will be easy enough to handle. But Nick has a hidden past of his own—and more than a few deadly tricks up his sleeve.