In Dan Flanigan’s elegantly crafted, harrowing legal thriller, a private detective takes on a controversial child sexual abuse case only to see his business and family threatened by his involvement.

Peter O’Keefe is establishing his fledgling investigative agency in June of 1988 when he’s visited by attorney Scott Hartley, who’s defending Virginia Montrose, a beloved teacher at Operation Go! daycare accused of horrifying, depraved acts. Both men realize the child sexual abuse claim is part of a larger Satanic panic sweeping the country and making national headlines. O’Keefe believes it’s a losing case, but Hartley insists they have a “duty to defend the innocent.” Still, the detective refuses the job, even though “Miss Ginny” was his daughter Kelly’s preschool teacher and is still in touch with Kelly, now 11, and her mother Annie, O’Keefe’s ex-wife.

The detective changes his mind when a devastated Kelly—insisting the sexual abuse claims are lies—begs him to help Miss Ginny. As an overzealous law enforcement task force investigates former daycare students and questions Kelly, O’Keefe learns of the coercive, manipulative tactics adults are using to “help” children “remember” abuse. Lines are drawn; a father leading a local parents’ group morphs into a dangerous vigilante; and Hartley, Kelly, Annie, and others are threatened.

Flanigan’s novel is a treat to read. His courtroom scenes demonstrate crisp wit and tactical maneuvering while also working in explanations of legal terms such as voir dire (questioning of potential jurors) to deepen readers’ understanding. His dialogue is piercing and sharp, and the banter between characters organically reveals their dramatic backstories; as O’Keefe reflects on his past with a longtime friend turned yuppie attorney, he muses, “Back then we were poets…and Grail knights,” a recurring hero motif that lends the protagonist a touch of romance.

This is a deliciously complex, layered story. Flanigan’s flair for vivid scenes, fully-felt characters, fast-paced twists, and realistic outcomes makes for a narrative that grabs you and won’t let go.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.