Ellie Mack embodied the epitome of a perfect daughter. At fifteen, she was the youngest of her siblings, adored by her parents, friends, and teachers. Half of a teenage golden couple, Ellie’s life brimmed with promise, just days away from an idyllic post-exam summer vacation.
But then, she vanished.
Now, her mother, Laurel Mack, is attempting to rebuild her life. Ten years have passed since her daughter’s disappearance, seven years since her marriage dissolved, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case emerged. So, when an unexpectedly charming man enters a café and catches Laurel’s attention, the swiftness with which their flirtation deepens surprises her even more. As their connection blossoms, Laurel finds herself meeting Floyd’s daughters, and it is Floyd’s youngest, Poppy, who leaves Laurel breathless.
For gazing upon Poppy is like gazing upon Ellie. Thus, the unanswered questions that Laurel struggled to bury resurface with renewed intensity. Where did Ellie go? Did she truly run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or does her disappearance conceal a more sinister truth? Who is Floyd, truly? And why does his daughter evoke such visceral memories of Laurel’s own missing girl?
