Find Me by Carol O'Connell (2006, Hardcover)

I have been waiting almost three years for the next installment in the Mallory saga written by Carol O'Connell and it finally was for sale on December 28th. I was at the book store as soon as it opened, bought the book, went home and started reading. And it was worth the wait!

Some background: Kathy Mallory was orphaned at a very young age when her mother died. She never knew her father. But she searched for him. She only remembered four digits of a phone number, yet she would systematically plug in other numbers, dial the phone and when someone answered, response with "It's Kathy, I'm lost." Finally she found someone who answered the phone and said just the the right words.

Now Mallory has a series of letters written by her father that are instructions on how to drive the old "Route 66" and what to do to maximize the experience. She starts her trip, hoping to find answers and even possibly find her father. But also taking a ride on "Route 66" is a serial killer; one who only kills children. Also on the same road is a caravan of cars, each car carrying a person or family looking for a missing child.

This is the tangled web that is the premise for this book. Mallory the abandoned child is looking for her father. Mallory the cop is looking for the serial killer who is now killing adults instead of children. Mallory the emotionless adult is trying to protect the families of the serial killer's victims. I had to keep reading, regardless of how late it got, to find out if all of the strings would be straightened and the stories come together for a win-win solution. I wasn't disappointed.