Erica James is still searching for her missing young daughter three years after her disappearance, and follows any tip, even this one leading to a crack house. Maybe this time she's gone too far....

Max Powell, former cop, now PI, is one of the people who gets Erica out alive. He's similarly searching, but for his sister, Lydia, one of the suspects in little Molly's kidnapping. Erica is now working to find missing children, but this is the first time they've met. The two agree to share information. That night however Erica's addict brother Peter shows up at her house, looking for cash. Living alone, Erica is glad when the cops show up in response to a report of a prowler. Max follows, scenting trouble. Peter has been to rehab - more than once - but he came out to hang around with the same friends, so all the good work is undone. With the situation calmed down Erica and Max begin sharing data a little earlier than they'd planned. Max's sister's fingerprint was found on some of Molly's discarded clothing. Having had a difficult upbringing, Lydia's chosen to vanish. HIDE AND SEEK is a child's game, but these people are playing it for real.

Lynette Eason has carefully thought out the situation and when a car belonging to Erica's brother sideswipes the one the investigators are in, and is later involved in a drive by shooting, we are kept guessing as to who wishes Max and Erica harm, or why. The pair find that homeless people have many different reasons for their plight, and it is easy for someone to vanish in this nameless community. While this seems an unlikely setting for romance, Max and Erica discover that they have a lot in common. The main dividing factor however is that Max wants to find and help his sister, while Erica wants - if she's the abductor - to put her in jail. The author sets this seemingly irreconcilable difficulty between them at the start and maintains the tension as they continue their quest.

HIDE AND SEEK is a gritty suspense story first, with a romantic element second, but the characters have a lot to overcome. This is a good absorbing read.