Closer Than You Know

A new mother experiences a nightmare in Parks's (Say Nothing) latest thriller. Melanie Barrick arrives in the evening to pick up her infant son Alex from day care only to learn that Social Services had been there earlier and taken him. Unable to get answers from the agency directly, as the office is closed, Melanie arrives home in a panic to discover that the sheriff's deputies, acting on an anonymous tip, have raided her house and found enough cocaine to keep Melanie in prison for years. She has no idea what's going on, and of course, nobody believes in her innocence. Assigned to prosecute Melanie's case, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Kaye is also obsessed with cracking a cold case involving a serial rapist. While this secondary story line is interesting, it is Melanie's fate to recover everything she loves; how she fights her way back makes this novel truly special.