Let me start by saying this book had me hooked from the first page. The emotional rollercoaster of Hannah's journey to protect her stepdaughter Bailey while unraveling her husband's mysterious disappearance is both heart-wrenching and thrilling.

The character development is exceptional - watching Hannah transform from a somewhat distant stepmother to Bailey's fierce protector feels authentic. I found myself staying up way too late, needing to know how their relationship would evolve amidst the chaos.

That said, the Texas setting details did occasionally pull me out of the story. As someone familiar with Austin, I noticed some geographical inaccuracies (like calling it 'Congress Street Bridge' instead of Congress Avenue Bridge). While these don't ruin the plot, they do make certain scenes feel less grounded in reality.

The twist involving organized crime felt slightly out of place in an otherwise realistic domestic drama. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that while it serves the plot, it might have worked better with a different antagonist setup.

What truly shines is how Dave captures complex family dynamics. The gradual trust-building between Hannah and Bailey feels earned rather than forced. Their road trip scenes particularly resonated with me - those quiet moments where they begin seeing each other as people rather than just 'stepmother' and 'stepdaughter'.

The ending left me emotionally satisfied yet curious about what might come next for these characters. While some plot elements strain credibility, the core relationships feel so genuine that I happily suspended disbelief.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely - especially for readers who enjoy domestic thrillers with strong emotional cores. Just be prepared for some geographical liberties if you're familiar with Texas!