Billionaire Robert Magellan feels he has nothing to live for. His wife, Beth, and his thirteen-month son, Ian, disappeared without a trace over a year ago. If it weren't for his housekeeper, Trulia; his personal assistant, Susanna; and his cousin, Father Kevin Burch, needing him, and nagging at him, Robert would have taken his own life.

Kevin's secretary, Mary, is the guardian of her teen-age grandson who is wanted on suspicion of murdering two of his best friends. Kevin needs financial aid from Robert to hire an investigator to find Ryan and another teen, Courtney, before the police do. Due to his experiences, Robert does not believe there is an honest PI on earth. If Kevin can find such a rare creature, Robert will foot the bill.

Former Detective Mallory Russo was a shining star with the Conroy, Pennsylvania police department, but she left "under a cloud" about seven months ago. However, Police Chief Joe Drabyak does not hesitate to recommend her to Kevin. And, the Chief will personally vouch for her integrity! Mallory joins forces with her replacement, Detective Charlie Wanamaker, on the missing teen case. The like and respect they have for each other makes it easy for them to work together. There is also an unmistakable sexual attraction between them that will be further examined when this case is closed. Master storyteller Mariah Stewart sets aside her popular FBI tales and embarks on a fantastic new series with MERCY STREET. Ms. Stewart has that rare talent of grabbing the reader's attention immediately and holding them in a gentle, but firm grasp from page one. The author's finely drawn characters, and her rapid-pace, intelligent stories, keeps the suspense flowing and the pages turning in this launch of the Mercy Street Foundation cases. Robert Magellan has found a reason for living and an excellent use for his money. He will fund an organization, headed by Mallory, which will help families of missing persons, who have no other resources, find their loved ones, or, sadly, find closure. MERCY STREET is one terrific romantic suspense heading for all the bestseller lists.