Book excerpt: “[A] lifetime of secrets and lies come back to haunt in this layered, engrossing thriller. . . . A riveting, moving read.” —Lisa Unger, New York Times–bestselling author of The Stranger Inside Some mistakes can never be forgotten—or forgiven. Janie Klassyn was only fourteen years old when she made the blood pact with her friends. She could never imagine she was setting in motion the horrifying crime that would tear her peaceful prairie town apart. Twenty years later in California, school counselor Emma Grant struggles to keep her past buried. But when she finds a note on her car threatening to reveal her secret, it becomes harder to keep up the deception. Even her teenage stepdaughter suspects that Emma is hiding something. Now, with her celebrated true-crime author husband digging into a decades-old murder case for his next book, and a suspicious accident involving someone who’s been following her, the perfect life Emma’s built is crumbling, forcing her to take desperate steps to save it . . . “Rick Mofina’s books are edge-of-your seat thrilling. Page turners that don’t let up.” —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times–bestselling author