Guess Again

Charlie Donlea’s latest psychological thriller is a dark and dangerous cat-and-mouse game between an ex-detective and a prison inmate. With short, action-packed chapters that unfold at a relentless pace, it’s a wild roller-coaster ride that keeps readers guessing right up to the explosive ending.

Ethan Hall is the ex-detective. After ten years as a special agent in Wisconsin’s Division of Criminal Investigation, focusing on crimes against children, he felt burned out by the violence and depravity he encountered. Despite maintaining a perfect record in solving cases, he decided to retrain as an ER doctor, hoping to do some good by saving lives. His old partner, Pete Kramer, however, remains haunted by the case of missing teenage girl Callie Jones. They never found her—or any clues as to what happened to her. Now, dying of a terminal illness, Pete asks Ethan to reinvestigate the cold case so Callie’s family can finally have closure.

Callie was seventeen when she disappeared ten years ago from the small town of Cherryview. A high school volleyball star and an excellent student, she had a bright future ahead of her. Her father, recently elected State Governor, has the power to appoint Ethan as a consultant on the case. Although initially reluctant, Ethan agrees to review the files in his time away from the ER as a favor to Pete.

Francis Bernard has spent thirty-two years of a sixty-year sentence in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison for the murder of Ethan’s father. He is also a suspected serial killer of several young women, but there was never enough evidence to convict him. When Francis begins feeding Ethan cryptic clues about Callie’s disappearance, Ethan realizes the inmate must have someone on the outside helping him. Despite being wary of Francis’ motives, Ethan is drawn into a complex and twisted psychological game—one that could finally lead to solving Callie’s case.

This is a hard-hitting thriller with multiple plotlines and dual timelines, full of shocking twists and deliberate misdirection. Donlea has more tricks and surprises up his sleeve than a magician, expertly juggling a wide cast of characters and interwoven threads. Francis is one of the creepiest serial killers in fiction—a master manipulator who always seems one step ahead—while Ethan proves to be a skilled investigator, capable of pulling disparate clues together until they reveal the bigger picture. The ending is both shocking and unexpected, capped by a chilling cliff-hanger that suggests Ethan will return in a sequel.

With thanks to Kensington Publishing for the review copy.