THE SIN EATER

A wrongfully accused father fights to get his daughter back in McIntyre’s thriller debut.

Adam and Kate Grammaticus lead a happy married life in Oregon. Kate must use a wheelchair due to the effects of multiple sclerosis, but this is a difficulty they can manage as they dote on their 3-year-old daughter, Emma…until Child Protective Services drops a bombshell: Rachel Norwood, the Grammaticus’ nanny, alleges that Adam has hurt the couple’s daughter with a sharp tool. There’s no evidence whatsoever of abuse, but complications pile up, from a 23-year-old secret regarding a double homicide that Adam doesn’t want coming out to the accuser being found stabbed to death. After CPS places Emma in the foster care system, Adam believes his only options are to flee or be tried for murder. He turns to childhood friend and former military man Tugg Morgan, who shares Adam’s buried secret, for help. Compellingly complex characters populate the novel; Tugg’s loyalty never falters, but he also hides a grim past, and an apparent villain’s narrative perspective shows that the character is more misguided than malevolent. The author sets an exhilarating pace as Adam and Kate face copious hurdles, and motorcycle club duties (Tugg is a prospect) send the men all over Oregon, including to a Native American reservation. Concise prose (“Tugg snorted. ‘Don’t look for trouble. It’ll come or it won’t.’ ”) drives the story, especially in tense moments, such as confrontations with rival bikers and CPS’s unwelcome social calls. While McIntyre highlights flaws in the U.S. foster care system, it’s clear that specific corrupt individuals are the book’s true evil. It’s disappointing to see winsome, razor-sharp Kate’s appearances wane in the latter half, but Adam’s burner-phone calls back home and flashes of memories are blissful reminders of the family he’s fighting for.

Frighteningly plausible, swiftly paced, and laden with suspense.