Avery Delaney has tried to put the past far behind her. Abandoned by her
rapacious, conniving mother when she was only three days old, Avery was
raised by her grandmother and beloved aunt Carolyn. Then, when she was
ten, she saw her grandmother murdered in cold blood, before Avery
herself was shot and left for dead. Miraculously, she survived. The
killer was soon caught, convicted, and is currently serving a life
sentence in Florida. This traumatic experience propels Avery into a life
of law and order.
Her razor-sharp mind and ability to gather data and decipher evidence
has made Avery an expert crime analyst for the FBI. But soon she will
have to use every one of her skills on a case that hits painfully close
to home.
Avery's workaholic aunt, Carolyn Salvetti, is certain her (hopefully
soon-to-be ex-) husband sent her the gold embossed reservation to the
posh Utopia Spa in the mountains of Colorado. At first she is resistant,
but then she figures it will be a welcome respite from the cutthroat
advertising business, not to mention a networking extravaganza. Plus she
persuades her niece to join her for the two weeks of luxury and
decadence.
But Carolyn never makes it to Utopia. Under false pretenses, she is
taken to an isolated retreat by a handsome stranger with a dazzling
smile, suave demeanor, and the darkest of motives. His name is Monk, a
hired assassin. Now, with scant clues and fewer resources, Avery must
track down and save Carolyn--and outmaneuver a brilliant killer who is
part of an elaborate plot of madness and lethal vengeance.
