Roland Larson and Hope Stevens spent forty-one days together and then were lost to each other for almost six years. Roland Larson, a deputy with the U. S. Marshals Service, was guarding Hope Stevens. Hope had information against The Romero family, which the Justice Department considered extremely valuable and made her very dangerous to the Romero's. After several attempts on her life, the government decided to move forward and place Hope in the Witness Protection Program. On their 41^st day together Hope asked Larson to cut and run - go with her - live with her. He hesitated and the next day she was gone.

Almost six years later Roland Larson is living in St. Louis and attending a Shakespeare play- somehow always hoping that thru Hope's love of Shakespeare that he might find her once again. Just as he thought he heard her laugh and looked around he saw two agents headed towards him and soon he was off on an assignment that would lead him from one end of the United States to the other on a quest to protect Hope Stevens and her daughter who were on the run and at risk from the Romeros who wanted Hope dead. The entire Witness Protection Program was at risk. Uncle Leo, the man who wrote the code for Laena, the master witness protection list, had been kidnapped. Leo Markowitz' assistant had been murdered. When Larson viewed the body of Leo's assistant he recognized the razor slash across the assistant's throat as a signature cut used in an earlier murder when the Romero family killed one of Hope's guards in an attempt to capture her.

Larson finally catches up with Hope who has already heard the warning she was told to listen for if ever the Witness Protection Program was in danger. Together they follow the bloody trail across the country in the search for Uncle Leo and Penny, Hope's daughter.

Penny has had to move around with her mother and has learned the art of survival. Ridley Pearson introduces you to a very resourceful mother and daughter who have learned to take advantage of any opportunity to protect themselves from their enemies.

This book is extremely fast paced and very descriptive. One you won't easily forget.

REVIEWED BY PATRICIA E. REID

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REVIEWER, PATRICIA E. REID