In the tradition of Kathy Reichs and Jeffery Deaver, a riveting new novelist introduces a gutsy forensic investigator caught in the middle of an explosive crisis Forensic scientist Theresa MacLean is investigating a gruesome murder in suburban Cleveland when she learns that her police detective fiancé has been taken hostage with six others at the Federal Reserve Bank downtown. Arriving at the scene she discovers that the police have brought in the city's best hostage negotiator: handsome, high-profile Chris Cavanaugh. He hasn't lost a case yet, but Theresa wonders if he might be too arrogant to save the day this time around. When her fiancé is injured, she seizes the opportunity to trade places with him. But what initially appears to be a bank heist turns into something far more complex and deadly, and Theresa must decide how much more she is willing to sacrifice in order to save the lives of innocent people, as well as her own.