One of the hundred books a year I read:

Thirteen-year-old Johnny Merrimon reels from a horrible year. His twin sister, Alyssa, disappeared a year ago in a kidnapping witnessed by his best friend, Jack. As the family cracked under the pressure, his father abandoned them causing their home to be foreclosed. His mother swirled into a life of alcohol, pain-killers, and an abusive boyfriend. And since God has failed to answer his prayers and return his sister, he has lost his faith, too.

Detective Clyde Hunt’s own life has spiraled out of control as he became consumed by the failure to find the missing girl. His wife has left him, his son has distanced himself, and his Chief lacks confidence in his abilities. He knows Johnny is taking life-threatening risks to solve the mystery, but the boy doesn’t trust him and will not confide in him.

At the anniversary of the disappearance, another girl goes missing. A series of dead bodies, a dying statement, an escaped convict, and a plethora of possible suspects offer conflicting clues.

The richly developed characters and deftly written twists and turns kept me guessing to the very end. And, I freely admit, I didn’t see the ending coming.