Book excerpt: A Simple Mistake Unravels a Dark Conspiracy When social worker Billy Jo McCabe mistakenly picks up the wrong file, she stumbles upon a shocking mystery—one that was never meant to be uncovered. What begins as an innocent error soon spirals into a twisted secret involving a high-ranking official within the Department of Child and Family Services. Despite her efforts to alert newly appointed police chief Mark Friessen, he’s skeptical—until they uncover dozens more files detailing missing funds and forgotten at-risk children now living on the streets. But what they find next is even more disturbing than missing money. As they dig deeper, the truth threatens to expose a web of corruption that could bring the entire system crashing down. From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lorhainne Eckhart, The Children is a gripping new Billy Jo McCabe mystery that will keep you hooked until the very last page.