Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Feb 2012
416 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
Nine years after he left Shilo, New Hampshire, former Navy Seal Tom Hawkins has returned to raise his teenage daughter, Jill, following the murder of his ex-wife, Kelly. Despite Tom's efforts to stay close to Jill by coaching her high school soccer team, Kelly's bitterness fractured their relationship. But life in Shilo is gradually shaping up into something approaching normal. Normal doesn't last long. Shilo's police sergeant makes it clear that Tom is his chief suspect in Kelly's death. Then an anonymous blog post alleges that Coach Hawkins is sleeping with one of his players. Internet rumours escalate, and incriminating evidence surfaces on Tom's own computer and mobile phone.
To prove his innocence, Tom must unravel a tangle of lies about his past. For deep amid the secrets he's been keeping - from a troubled tour of duty to the reason for his ex-wife's death - is the truth that someone will gladly kill to protect...
"Starred Review. Superbly crafted characters and catchy prose will keep readers turning the pages, though some parents may feel like reaching for the Prozac." - Publishers Weekly
"Palmer scores again with a terrific thriller that has it all - murder, drugs, kidnapping, techno-mayhem, romance, manly ex-Navy SEAL exploits, and a burgeoning father-daughter relationship." - Library Journal
"Not a bad novel by any means, but not as good as it might have been and a step down from a strong debut." - Booklist
"Tom is too bland to attract the interest of an attractive FBI agent. And the novel is longer than it needs to be." - Kirkus Reviews
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