Following conventional procedures would involve a candid dialog with the media. But because of a diabolically unique and unpredictable ransom demand, in which the police have no way of apprehending the kidnappers, Jason believes the result would be multiple "copy cat" events. The flip side is, by not keeping the public appraised of the potential danger; children would still be at risk. With either decision, Jason realizes he will be judged wrong.

Throughout this juggling act, nothing can override his biggest concern-what will happen when the kidnapper''s leverage runs out?

As Marie Gallagher and Jason stand side by side listening to tapes of tormenting phone calls from the abductors, she begins a back door entry into his empty private life.

TOLL ROAD traces the multiple paths of an investigation, even resorting to an unwitting conspiracy between the least likely of sources.

Of all the cases Jason had worked on, he could never have imagined a clue as important as, "Uh-huh."

Jolted by a blow to his personal life, detective Jason Carmichael leaves California to recapture a time when, as a youth, life seemed much less sinister...or so he thought.

One day into his self-imposed R ''n R near a samll Ohio town, he notices a peculiar feature at a covered bridge which funnels him into the lives of the Muellers, an Amish family who had suffered the loss of their daughter twenty-five years earlier. At the time, rumor of an accident, a possible suicide, or murder abounded, but no one seemed to care, and it appears no one has expressed any interest ever since. Was it because Friedel Mueller''s rebellious side caused friction within her community when she refused to be denied a high school education?

Well outside his jurisdiction, Jason assumes the role of a private investigator and shares his finding with a skeptical county deputy.

After confronting a frustrating array of suspects, Jason reunites with a trusted ally and learns the best way to lubricate an interrogation is with a bottle of tequila.

The lives of three divergent families collide after the mutilated body of a man is found dumped beside a highway in Californias pristine backcountry. When Governor Sheldon Desalvo comes under pressure to resolve an ongoing series of murders in the remote regions of the state, he gambles on a trial project consisting of roving agents with no ties to any one county.

The first task for Senior Detective Jason Carmichael and his partner, Dena Manning, is to unravel who the man is, who would commit such a gruesome act, and why. At the outset, their only clues are a custom-made handgun and a cryptic message whispered in Spanish by a dying man.

As the momentum of their case intensifies, the agents find that drugs and greed form the catalyst for this deadly clash of principles. Remaining neutral is a test of their own consciences as the agents wrestle with the reminder that they would not be alive today had it not been for the past actions of the man who is now their prime suspecta man called simply, Hank.

The real and unfortunate situation for many families is brought to life by this one-of-a-kind author.

Sergeant Matt Zelinsky, Tuolumne County Sheriffs Office, Sonora, California

A heart-wrenching novel interlaced with spice and solid police protocol. The author is one of the more insightful writers when it comes to getting inside the heads of cops.

Dee Dees, author of Write Your Life Story in 28 Days

Following conventional procedures would involve a candid dialog with the media. But because of a diabolically unique and unpredictable ransom demand, in which the police have no way of apprehending the kidnappers, Jason believes the result would be multiple "copy cat" events. The flip side is, by not keeping the public appraised of the potential danger; children would still be at risk. With either decision, Jason realizes he will be judged wrong.

Throughout this juggling act, nothing can override his biggest concern-what will happen when the kidnapper''s leverage runs out?

As Marie Gallagher and Jason stand side by side listening to tapes of tormenting phone calls from the abductors, she begins a back door entry into his empty private life.

TOLL ROAD traces the multiple paths of an investigation, even resorting to an unwitting conspiracy between the least likely of sources.

Of all the cases Jason had worked on, he could never have imagined a clue as important as, "Uh-huh."

Jolted by a blow to his personal life, detective Jason Carmichael leaves California to recapture a time when, as a youth, life seemed much less sinister...or so he thought.

One day into his self-imposed R ''n R near a samll Ohio town, he notices a peculiar feature at a covered bridge which funnels him into the lives of the Muellers, an Amish family who had suffered the loss of their daughter twenty-five years earlier. At the time, rumor of an accident, a possible suicide, or murder abounded, but no one seemed to care, and it appears no one has expressed any interest ever since. Was it because Friedel Mueller''s rebellious side caused friction within her community when she refused to be denied a high school education?

Well outside his jurisdiction, Jason assumes the role of a private investigator and shares his finding with a skeptical county deputy.

After confronting a frustrating array of suspects, Jason reunites with a trusted ally and learns the best way to lubricate an interrogation is with a bottle of tequila.

The lives of three divergent families collide after the mutilated body of a man is found dumped beside a highway in Californias pristine backcountry. When Governor Sheldon Desalvo comes under pressure to resolve an ongoing series of murders in the remote regions of the state, he gambles on a trial project consisting of roving agents with no ties to any one county.

The first task for Senior Detective Jason Carmichael and his partner, Dena Manning, is to unravel who the man is, who would commit such a gruesome act, and why. At the outset, their only clues are a custom-made handgun and a cryptic message whispered in Spanish by a dying man.

As the momentum of their case intensifies, the agents find that drugs and greed form the catalyst for this deadly clash of principles. Remaining neutral is a test of their own consciences as the agents wrestle with the reminder that they would not be alive today had it not been for the past actions of the man who is now their prime suspecta man called simply, Hank.

The real and unfortunate situation for many families is brought to life by this one-of-a-kind author.

Sergeant Matt Zelinsky, Tuolumne County Sheriffs Office, Sonora, California

A heart-wrenching novel interlaced with spice and solid police protocol. The author is one of the more insightful writers when it comes to getting inside the heads of cops.

Dee Dees, author of Write Your Life Story in 28 Days