The Breadcrumb Game

Someone just blew up Ella Madson's house-but wait, it gets worse.

Bristly FBI Agent Sam Donnelly is assigned to the case, and demands Ella's help to find Mal, Ella's estranged sister. Mal has a criminal record a mile long, but even so, Ella doesn't think Mal is responsible for the explosion-nothing has changed between them in over twenty years. Besides, for the past ten years, Mal has sent her small trinkets, prodding her to remember their favorite childhood game.

When Agent Donnelly's team stumbles upon a trail of clues that only Ella can recognize and decipher, she becomes essential to their investigation. Despite the agents' hesitation, she tags along with the team as they race from city to city through her childhood memories.

In between continued attempts on her life and finding the next clue, Ella and Agent Donnelly grow closer and open up to each other. It turns out that he's not an insensitive jerk, just an agent with a tragic past that still haunts him. Ella can relate to that. Before long, knowing that he'll be out of her life when the case is solved is no longer a relief.

There's no time to figure where things stand between them, though, because they're closing in on Mal, and they need to figure out how to stop whoever is trying to kill Ella before it's too late.

Note: The Breadcrumb Game is a romantic suspense, but it's not spicy.

Content warning: mention of attempted suicide