Pretty Little Things

Jilliane Hoffman

Vanguard Press,  September 2010

Thirteen-year-old Lainey Emerson is the middle child in a home police are already familiar with: her mother works too much and her stepfather favors his own blood over another man's problems -- namely Lainey and her wild older sister. When Lainey fails to come home from a  night out with friends, her disappearance is dismissed by the Coral Springs PD as just another disillusioned South Florida teen running away from suburban drama and an unhappy home life.

But FDLE Special Agent Bobby Dees, who heads up the Department's difficult Crimes Against Children (CAC), is not quite so sure. Nicknamed "The Shepherd" by colleagues, he has an uncanny ability to find the missing and bring them back home -- dead or alive. After a search of Lainey's computer and a frank talk with her best friend reveal the teen was involved in a secret internet relationship, Bobby suspects she may be the victim of an online predator. And when chilling evidence of other possible victims is sent to a local Miami television station, he fears she may not be the only one.

The faceless monster from cyberspace, who has gone to remarkable lengths to stay invisible, now seeks a captive audience. And it is Bobby Dees he wants watching. Haunted by the still-unsolved disappearance of his own teenage daughter, Bobby will find himself pulled into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the most prolific serial killer he's ever encountered. But will he be able to save Lainey and the others before it's too late?

| ISBN: 9781593156077 | Publication Date: September 2010

Reviews:
"Hoffman is one of the best legal thriller writers in the country."
--Nelson DeMille, New York Times bestselling author of The Gate House

"Guaranteed to follow in the bestselling footsteps of Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, and Karin Slaughter."
--Guardian

"Jilliane Hoffman writes thrilling suspense; her insider knowledge of the criminal justice system is dazzling."
--Linda Fairstein, New York Times bestselling author of Killer Heat

"An impressively researched, explosive legal thriller that is impossible to put down, with a tightly twisting plot that keeps you guessing right to the end. A must read."
--Robert K. Tanenbaum, New York Times bestselling author of Escape

"If you like legal thrillers, make yourself a note to read Jilliane Hoffman. . . . Ms. Hoffman is a skilled writer. Her plot is full of unexpected twists . . . "
--Florida Weekly

"Jilliane Hoffman is the latest and one of the most promising in a long line of female writers with legal backgrounds who are adding their energy and smarts to the courtroom thriller field."
--Chicago Tribune