{"product_id":"high-stakes-9781968792459","title":"High Stakes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhen an old friend's desperate plea leads Sheriff Shea Callahan into the deadly world of underground gambling, the stakes have never been higher.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSheriff Shea Callahan thought the worst was behind her after stopping a Christmas arsonist from destroying Misty Hollow. But when her college friend Becky Miller arrives begging for help, Shea is thrust into a case that will test everything she believes about justice, loyalty, and sacrifice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA father and son have vanished.\u003c\/strong\u003e Bill Miller-Becky's gambling-addicted ex-husband-and their ten-year-old son Ryan disappeared without a trace. No ransom demand. No bodies. Just whispers of massive debts to dangerous people.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe trail leads to a deadly syndicate.\u003c\/strong\u003e With Deputy Trevor Bolton at her side, Shea goes undercover on a luxury casino riverboat, infiltrating a criminal empire that spans twelve states. What starts as a missing persons case explodes into something far more sinister-a multi-million dollar operation built on exploitation, murder, and the broken lives of desperate gamblers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA child's life hangs in the balance.\u003c\/strong\u003e Ryan is being held as collateral, insurance to force his father into committing the crime of a lifetime. As Shea digs deeper, she discovers three other children held captive, their parents coerced into serving a ruthless crime lord known only as \"The Banker.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSometimes you have to break the rules to do what's right.\u003c\/strong\u003e Operating outside her jurisdiction and risking her badge, Shea must forge an uneasy alliance with an undercover DEA agent haunted by revenge. Together, they'll gamble everything to bring down a criminal syndicate and save innocent lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut in a game where the house always wins, the cost of justice might be higher than Shea ever imagined. And when the smoke clears, someone she trusts will betray her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the author who brought you the heart-pounding Christmas arson thriller comes a high-stakes mystery where one woman must risk it all to save the innocent-and the clock is ticking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for fans of: small-town mysteries - strong female protagonists - romantic suspense - police procedurals - undercover operations - crime thrillers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Winged Publications\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/13\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781968792459\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 326\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.75lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.25w x 0.68d","brand":"Cynthia Hickey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52933790367925,"sku":"9781968792459","price":16.14,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/high-stakes-9781968792459","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}