When video producer and single mother Ellie Foreman is asked to talk to the mother of a just-kidnapped girl, she knows she's in over her head. She calls in her acquaintance, PI Georgia Davis, a former cop, to convince banking executive Christine Messenger to bring in the police. When eight-year-old Molly Messenger is returned three days later with no apparent ransom demand, the police seem satisfied but Ellie and Georgia have questions. Those questions haven't yet been answered when Chris dies in a car accident soon afterward.

Ellie can't let things be so she convinces Georgia to investigate further. Chris' ex-husband wants answers for the sake of his little girl so he readily agrees to pay Georgia's fees. The deeper Georgia looks into Chris' employer, Midwest National Bank, the more questions arise. The trail eventually leads Georgia to Arizona and a scheme involving drug smuggling, illegal immigrants and a private security company.

Who was Chris having an affair with? What's going on at Midwest National? Will Ellie and Georgia find the answers behind Chris' death before one of them ends up like Chris? Did Chris really embezzle three million dollars from her own bank? Why is everyone associated with the money turning up dead? With a tangled web of conspiracies will Georgia uncover the truth and live to tell the tale?

This action-packed novel picks up speed as the story continues until the explosive ending. Ms. Hellmann alternates the point of view throughout--first-person from Ellie and third-person from Georgia. It is a little hard to keep up with all the players in this convoluted tale, so I recommend reading this in as few sittings as possible to keep everyone and everything straight. Readers should be aware there is some graphic violence in this suspenseful tale. DOUBLEBACK is a recommended read for fans of conspiracy theories and thrillers.

Book Summary

Little Molly Messenger is kidnapped on a sunny June morning. Three days later she's returned, apparently unharmed. Molly's mother, Chris, is so grateful to have her daughter back that she's willing to overlook the odd circumstances.

A few days later, the brakes go out on Chris's car.

An accident? Maybe. Except that it turns out that Chris, the IT manager at a large Chicago bank, may have misappropriated three million dollars. Not convinced that his daughter is safe, Molly's father hires PI Georgia Davis to follow the money and investigate Chris's death.

Doubleback, the sequel to the acclaimed Easy Innocence, reunites PI Georgia Davis with video producer Ellie Foreman (An Eye For Murder, A Picture Of Guilt, An Image Of Death, A Shot To Die For). The two women track leads from Northern Wisconsin to an Arizona border town, where illegal immigrants, smuggled drugs, and an independent contractor called Delton Security come into play. Georgia and Ellie go to great lengths to find the truth, and Georgia discovers that you can cross a line, but sometimes you have to double back.