Red flags

Ellie Carr was orphaned at a young age and raised by various relatives, including her Aunt Katey and cousin Becca. But Ellie and Becca grew apart, and it's been years since they've seen each other. Now, Ellie is a member of the FBI Evidence Response Team while Becca is an advisor to a Senate committee and married to wealthy entrepreneur Hunter, who's about to launch an IPO for a kids' online-gaming platform. Imagine Ellie's shock when she's called out to collect evidence for a baby's kidnapping, and the child turns out to be Becca and Hunter's son. The FBI agrees to keep Ellie on the case, despite her being related to Becca. A diabolical plot linked to Hunter's gaming platform, the kidnapping of kids whose parents are part of his company, and a zealous lobbying group all play roles in Black's twist-filled narrative. Although the extensive detail concerning Congressional hearings and the dangers of online gaming sometimes slows the story, there is more than enough suspense to keep readers fully engaged until the sad and shocking ending.

This solid series launch from bestseller Black (the Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner series) introduces forensics experts Ellie Carr and Rachael Davies. Ellie, part of the FBI's evidence response team in Washington, D.C., arrives at a mansion on the banks of the Potomac to investigate the disappearance of four-month-old Mason Carlisle, who vanished from his crib in the middle of the afternoon with no trace and, so far, no ransom demand. The baby's father, Hunter, owns a lobbying firm, and his mother, Rebecca, is a policy adviser to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. She also happens to be Ellie's cousin, with whom she hasn't communicated in more than 15 years. Hunter, not satisfied with the FBI's progress, calls in Rachael from the Locard Institute, one of the best equipped forensics labs in the country, to help with the investigation. Soon other children whose parents are connected to an online gaming site are kidnapped, and Ellie and Rachael join forces to solve a multilayered crime. Black packs the novel with fascinating details for crime scene buffs, who will eagerly await the next case for the intrepid CSIs. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary. (Aug.)