Most days, Claire Conover finds gratification working in the highly stressful foster care system. She tries to keep children safe and encourage willing parents to become rehabilitated, so they can get their kids back. It is Claire's responsibility to determine the safety of the home, the parents' dedication to keeping a clean life, and that everyone in the children's lives are not potentially harmful.

Ashley Hennessy is one of Claire's success stories: Ashley was holding down a job, going to AA meetings and was continuing to take steps to care for her young son, Michael. When Claire gets a phone call from the police that Michael has died, her world crashes apart: she is horrified over the tragedy of a child's death, has to deal with the CYA attitude of her job, is concerned that she may have made a mistake somewhere in the process and is worried about Ashley's response to the situation. As events unfold and evidence points to Ashley as the responsible party in Michael's death, Claire is despondent, but she knows Ashley did not do it.

Intricately woven, LITTLE LAMB LOST paints vivid images of the foster care system, the blame that occurs after tragedy, the convoluted relationships within families by blood and by choice and one woman's choice to persevere even when faced with internal and external barriers to success. The characters are well-written, and the reader can empathize with Claire's desire to help people even in seemingly hopeless situations. The storyline rushes from one plotpoint to the next, creating suspense and an urge to flip the pages even faster to find out what happens next.

Book Summary

Social worker Clare Conover honestly believed she could make a difference in the world until she gets the phone call she's dreaded her entire career. One of her young clients, Michael, has been found dead and his mother, Ashley, has been arrested for his murder. And who made the decision to return Michael to Ashley? Claire Conover.

Ashley had seemingly done everything right-gotten clean, found a place to live, worked two jobs, and earned back custody of her son. Devastated but determined to discover where her instincts failed her, Claire vows to find the truth about what really happened to Michael. What Claire finds is no shortage of suspects. Ashley's boyfriend made no secret that he didn't want children. And Ashley's stepfather, an alcoholic and chronic gambler, has a shady past. And what about Michael's mysterious father and his family? Or Ashley herself? Was she really using again? Amidst a heap of unanswered questions, one thing is for certain: Claire Conover is about to uncover secrets that could ruin lives-or end her own.