Wrongly accused of abducting Claire Bingley, former police detective Ted Conkaffey is protecting himself from Claire's murderous father by hiding out in an Australian rainforest town and trying to find the real culprit. He also joins forces with Amanda Pharrell, a private detective who's done time, to investigate the killing of two local bartenders. Just the way Ned Kelly Award-winning Fox joins forces with James Patterson now and again.

In Australian author Fox's gripping sequel to 2016's Crimson Lake, charges have been dropped against former New South Wales policeman Ted Conkaffey, who was accused of the rape and attempted murder of 13-year-old Claire Bingley, but that doesn't stop Claire's father, Dale, from attacking Ted in his cabin in Crimson Lake, Queensland, where he now occasionally works as a private detective. Dale, who has trouble believing that Ted isn't guilty, eventually asks for Ted's help in bringing the real culprit to justice. Excerpts from the diary of the pedophile responsible for the crime against Claire lend a creepy note. Meanwhile, two bartenders are murdered in Crimson Lake, and Michael Bell, the father of one of the victims, hires Ted and his investigative partner, Amanda Pharrell, to find the killer. Amanda, a convicted murderer who served eight years in prison, tries to uncover what happened to Michael's son, while Ted struggles with his own demons in an effort to prove his innocence. Fox, who coauthors the bestselling Harriet Blue series with James Patterson, keeps the tension high throughout. Agent: Lisa Gallagher, DeFiore & Co. (Mar.)