Five years ago, Matthew and Dani Callahan struggled to have a baby. So it’s only normal that when Tinsley came along, Dani felt very protective. Their daughter’s first day of kindergarten arrived, and Dani tied a bow in her hair before waving goodbye at the school. She fretted throughout the day, but finally it was time to pick her up. But someone else already had done that. Their worst nightmare had come true. Tinsley had disappeared.
 
In the present, we find Dani and Matthew divorced. Their marriage could not withstand the stress of losing Tinsley. Matthew remarried, and Dani is now running a private investigation business. Having discovered a talent for the job, she figured she would help other people find loved ones while she searches for her lost daughter. She works with an assistant, Quinn, who is fiercely determined to track down Tinsley as well. Quinn has some strong reasons of her own: her mother left home one day and simply didn’t return. She wants to know why. What better place to start?

"COUNT TO THREE is the kind of story you’ll want to read with one eye closed. Author T.R. Ragan has created pure evil in her villain, a man so insane he believes himself righteous, with a setup so perfect it’s hard to see how our heroine can possibly escape."

Dani and Quinn are busy with their usual load of cases when 12-year-old Ethan Grant comes by with information about Ali Cross, a missing teenager. He claims he saw the man who took her. He can prove Ali isn’t a runaway, like the news media has made her out to be. Ethan wants to help, but no one will take him seriously. Dani and Quinn will, at least long enough to decide if his story holds water. While few in the community trust Ethan --- with good reason --- this time he’s legit.

Ethan is haunted by the moment right before Ali was tossed into the kidnapper’s van. In that instant, her eyes connected with his. He saw the fear in that look, the pleading. He’s her only hope. Dani understands not wanting to give up. For five long years, she’s done the same thing. They all must be cautious, though, for Ali’s abductor is far more devious than anyone could imagine. He has thought of every angle and every way to ensure she remains with him. Every angle, that is, except one.
 
When Ali awakens from a drugged sleep, she finds herself locked in a cold, dark room. The man who comes to check on her seems to know everything about her; as she soon learns, he hates being lied to. Ali must gauge how to handle her captor. If she proves she can be trusted, he rewards her. Otherwise, she pays dearly. Ali desperately wants to live, if only she can survive this maniac. He professes his love yet puts her through hell. The man operates by an odd set of rules only he seems to understand. When he speaks, Ali has until the count of three to answer him. And he doesn’t give second chances. Please, someone save this young woman.
 
COUNT TO THREE is the kind of story you’ll want to read with one eye closed. Author T.R. Ragan has created pure evil in her villain, a man so insane he believes himself righteous, with a setup so perfect it’s hard to see how our heroine can possibly escape. It’s just the sort of book to settle in with by the fire on a cold night.