In her latest standalone thriller Stevens uses the true story of murders of indigenous women along Highway 16 (aka the Highway of Tears) in British Columbia as a jumping off point. At the heart of this novel are two young women whose lives entwine and overlap within a dark and violent set of events in the small town of Cold Creek, BC. Hailey McBride is seventeen years old and has just lost her only remaining parent, her dad. Being now orphaned she's sent to live with her aunt and a powerful, domineering uncle who also happens to be the Chief of Police. While Hailey is still reeling from her father's death and the changes in her life, she begins to suspect that her uncle is far more sinister than she initially thought and may even be connected in some way to the string of murdered young women in the area. The more she learns, the more frightened she becomes and then she disappears. Not long after she disappears Hailey's girlfriend Amber is murdered. A year later Amber's sister Beth comes to town in search of answers about Amber's death. Beth's life has spiraled since Amber was murdered. She's dropped out of college and quit her job and can think of nothing but getting justice for Amber. As Beth settles in and begins to know the locals and their secrets, her investigation starts to overlap with Hailey's life and disappearance.
Though the events of this novel are certainly grim and dark, Stevens depictions of the two young women's strength, perseverance and resilience offers moments of heart and hope. Readers who enjoy Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner (and of course Chevy Stevens' earlier books) will want to read this one.