Though this book is smack in the middle of a series, it reads just fine as a stand alone, and my hat is off to Gardner for that one. This book pits cop against cop. Detective D.D. Warren gets pulled into a murder case that involves a state trooper who shot her abusive husband. It seems a straight up case until it's discovered that the couple's 6 year old child is missing as well. And Tess, the trooper,isn't saying much. This begins a cat and mouse game on multiple levels--Tess has her own agenda and is playing her knowledge of the system to keep herself free and to get her daughter back, D.D. is trying to figure out just who did what and fighting against "The Blue Wall" of law enforcement support and protection of their own, and unknown players that are pulling strings and baiting traps that become ever more deadly. This is a high energy, dramatic, tough woman kind of story that pretty much turns the pages on its own. This one will definitely keep readers up into the night as it ramps up to the explosive conclusion.