Abandoned

In the prologue of bestseller Brennan’s satisfying fifth Maxine “Max” Revere novel (after 2017’s Shattered), Max’s mother, Martha Revere, dumps nine-year-old Max on her parents’ doorstep and decamps with her boyfriend, Jimmy Truman. Over the next six years, Martha sends Max the occasional postcard, but then all communication ceases. Max’s grandmother has Martha declared dead, but Max has never found evidence of foul play—until she learns, 22 years after her mother left her, that a car registered to one of Martha’s aliases was abandoned years ago in Jimmy’s hometown of Cape Haven, Va. Max rents a house there and starts digging, but the locals aren’t keen on her questions, and it seems she isn’t the only person investigating Martha and Jimmy. Frequent flashbacks bring Martha and her history to life, and a harrowing, action-packed conclusion changes the trajectory of Max’s future. Boldly drawn, psychologically complex characters and a multifaceted plot distinguish this entry, which thoughtfully explores the different forms that family can take. [em]Agent: Dan Conaway, Writers House. (Aug.) [/em]