Brief

Pregnant and living happily with the love of her life, former FBI profiler Sam Wright has the simple life she’s dreamed of, until she’s asked to return for one more case. Sam and her husband follow a trail of conspiracies and deceptions until they finally uncover the dangerous and potentially deadly truth.

What We Liked

Sam is a great protagonist. She hooks the audience and leads the story with grace and determination. The case at the heart of this story is filled with unexpected twists and turns. Audiences will be on the edge of their seats. This project also has a classic thriller tone that's full of tension, drama, and action. Mix in a little passionate romance, and this project truly offers something for everyone.

Film: The structure of this book wouldn't need to change much in order for it to be successfully adapted as a film. The clear beginning, middle, and end lends itself perfectly to a movie with a satisfying finale.

TV: There are so many interesting characters introduced in this book. A TV show would give these characters the opportunity to really shine and grow through the seasons. Because of Sam's profession, it would be easy to create a show that revolves around the cases she solves. There would be tons of potential for future episodes, and a great protagonist leading the entire cast.

Key points:
1. Great characters.
2. Action and unexpected plot twists.
3. Steamy romance.
4. Interesting criminal case at the core.
5. Strong themes of love and perseverance.

Synopsis

We meet Sam as a former FBI profiler, healing from the wounds inflicted by a serial killer and spending time in Montana. She is pregnant and with her husband, Will. She’s happy, but that happiness comes with a price.

Meanwhile, FBI agent Charlie Falken wants Scotty, the owner of the Lodge where Sam and Will spend time, to keep him in the loop regarding how Sam’s doing. Charlie guilts Scotty into saying yes using demons of his past.

In Montana, Sam is busy writing books and awaiting the arrival of her daughter, Katie. Will runs a tracking and guiding service. Brandon, who Sam sees as her “heart son” after she saved him from a serial killer, works with Will and learns from Sam. After years with the FBI, Sam realized she wanted more out of life and it seems she’s found it. Her publisher wants her to travel for her book tour though, which Will doesn’t like due to her pregnancy. They agree to see if they can work a schedule out that feels comfortable to both of them. Apart from the pregnancy, Will confides that he’s nervous Charlie will try something with Sam.

Sam prepares for her book tour, but Will receives news that the Senator they trusted to get Sam out of the FBI didn’t do that at all; instead, the FBI claim they need Sam for one final profile, and they need Will to be involved too. Sam and Will agree that they will get through this case together.

In a more lighthearted passage, Will gives Sam swimming lessons. She’s afraid of the water, but she trusts him. Afterwards, Will and Sam talk about strategy for their upcoming mission. They don’t want to go into the field or do unpaid work. When Sam and Will meet with the Bureau and the Senator, they make their demands clear. They want them met in a letter signed by the President. The Senator agrees to make it happen. Sam also realizes why she’s needed on the case: Charlie is involved and the agency wants to use her prior relationship with him to their advantage. It’s an emotional play. The Bureau accuses Charlie of sex trafficking and tells Will and Sam they must take him down.

Back with Charlie, he reflects on why he took the undercover job on this Chicago Connection case. All he wants is to get Sam back. He’s loved her for 20 years, and he doesn’t want to let Will stand in the way of their love.

With their demands met, Sam and Will head to the airport to start the job. Unbeknownst to them, the director and the Senator toast to the fact that they’ve found a way to get rid of Charlie. On the plane, Sam and Will chat with Tad about the case, and about how they’ll come to him if they have issues. Once they arrive, they rest and head out the next day for their jobs. Will does a professional consultation, and Sam does a book signing. They keep a close eye out for Charlie. They don’t see him, but they do ping his phone and realize that he’s in Billings (he’s going to check in with Scotty).

Tad’s building is broken into and damaged, which will set his plans back, but Will reassures him that he and Sam can help him put things back together. Will and Sam head to Sam’s next signing in LA, and then, after picking a hungover Tad up from Vegas, they finally make it to Chicago. While there, Tad reconnects with a woman from his past. Sam receives a file from a car accident to take a look at. Charlie requested it. He believes he’s finding cracks in the case.

After Sam’s signings are done, Will and Sam return home. They go to the Lodge for an evening out and to have a conversation with Scotty about the sex trafficking the Bureau accused him of doing. Sam and Will both feel like they know Scotty, but they have their doubts, especially when Sam starts doing research of her own.

Sam and Will dance the night away at the Lodge. There are men from Chicago there, and they seem to stifle Scotty. He wants to tell Will and Sam everything, but he doesn’t get the chance with the goons present. Sam and Will go home and share an honest and intimate night.

While Sam and Will plan a simpler life, the Senator eyes another political run and reveals that he needs Charlie taken out, because what Charlie has discovered about him and the Director could ruin his plans. He also reveals that he plans to turn Will and Sam into victims too. He can’t leave anything to chance.

Will and Sam begin working the case. They search for the link between Charlie and Scotty and dig into Charlie’s tragic past. Sam and Will travel to Billings to look into the car accident Charlie requested Sam take a look at. Sam is able to conclude that the accident was, as Charlie suspected, not an accident at all. It was purposeful murder. The man who was murdered was involved in a prostitution case. It seems everything could be connected and Sam believes that the man was Charlie’s informant, and Charlie was merely testing Sam and Will by asking for their opinion of the murder.

The SUV that was involved in the murder follows Sam and Will, but they’re able to shake it and escape unharmed. Will and Sam go home and collect more information about the case. Sam realizes that the Director actually caused the accident that killed Charlie’s family, covered up the truth, and framed another drunk man as the culprit. Sam makes the connection between Scotty and Charlie, as Scotty was the one who served the framed driver the alcohol. She also realizes that Tad is probably not involved in the conspiracy, but merely being used as a connection to Will and Sam. However, the woman Tad loved in Chicago did have a daughter, and that daughter was Scotty’s ex-wife. Sam hands out assignments to the team and is grateful for a moment alone with Will.

Sam goes to the Lodge to talk to Scotty, but she’s jumped by Charlie in the elevator on her way. He gropes her but she manages to get away. Back at home, she talks to Will and Tad. She tells them what happened, and she learns that Scotty’s ex-wife’s family had mob connections, as did the woman Tad left behind. Tad claims that Scotty has no mob connections though, and his ex-wife has protected him from the dangerous dealings.

Sam prepares to tell Will what happened with Charlie at the Lodge, but first, he goes outside to check on a sound from the porch.

Christian tries calling Will and Sam but gets no answer. He goes to check on them and finds Will out cold on the porch, with a bloody head wound and signs of a serious concussion. The house has been torn apart and Sam is nowhere to be found. Will, Christian, and the rest of the team race to the airport, assuming that Charlie has kidnapped Sam and intends to fly away with her.

Chaos ensues at the airport. The goons from Chicago are there and they’re threatening Sam. Charlie jumps in front of her, taking the bullet and dying in the process. In the struggle, Scotty is shot in the chest and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Sam is safe, but she’s traumatized.

Sam remembers her ordeal: she was kidnapped and put on a plane to Mexico. She and other women were going to be sold. Even though they were rescued, Sam knows it will take her a long long time to recover.

At the hospital, Sam learns that she and the baby are physically fine, but with so much trauma, she will need time to heal. Scotty also survives. Will and Sam finally go home. It takes some time, but Sam does heal. She gathers her loved ones for lunch and thanks everyone for what they’ve done for her. She feels better. She feels like herself.

In the end, Sam and Will discuss their thoughts on everyone from the case. Charlie left everything in his estate to Sam, including the lodge. The FBI finally accepted Sam’s resignation. All was well as the team met back up to dance at the Lodge. Sam gives birth to Katie. She’s healthy and perfect. Will and Sam love being parents and they’re just as in love as ever. Their lives are just like they always wanted them to be.

About The Author

An avid reader and writer, Theresa Janson was born in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to Colorado in the 90s. She's been a lifelong writer and cares deeply for every character she creates and every story she tells.