Child of the State

"He’s first, you're next." 

That's the message someone scribbled on a photo of Stacy May Charms' six-year-old son, two days before her release from prison. 

Stacy knows why. She doesn't know who. 

And she's not waiting around to find out. Her plan is to grab her child and run. 

For Elizabeth McClaine—custodian of the Charles McClaine Trust—Stay May’s release has consumed her for the past six months. Contracted to oversee the early release program for young incarcerated mothers, Elizabeth alone is responsible for selection of the first successful applicant. But when Stacy May breaks parole and disappears only two hours after her release, Elizabeth finds herself flung into social and political exile, her reputation in ruins. 

With their fates now irrevocably linked, both women must figure out who Stacy’s running from and why. 

And all the clues point back to those who were supposed to be saving her.