Danielle is a successful lawyer and the single mother of a bright teenage boy called Max. Max has Asperger's Syndrome as well as some other behavioral issues. Danielle takes Max to a highly regarded psychiatric facility for assessment, where they meet another mother and son called Marianne and Jonas. The experts conclude that Max has severe issues and is uncontrollably violent, which Danielle disagrees with. However before she can remove Max from the facility, she discovers Jonas stabbed to death and Max cowering in the corner of the room, covered in blood and clutching the murder weapon. Danielle's first impulse is to protect Max by trying to cover up his part in the murder, which leads to them both being charged (she is charged as an accessory to murder). Danielle remains convinced that Max is innocent and she is prepared to do whatever it takes to get him off.

The book starts slowly but once the murder takes place, it tears along from that point. I felt that a few sections were over-written but generally it was easy to read and quite engrossing. I had two main problems with it, hence the 3 star rating. One was that we never really get to know Max at the beginning, so I didn't particularly care about him or have any reason to doubt the official line about what had happened. Therefore Danielle's behaviour felt totally irrational and unlikely, particularly given that she was a lawyer. I felt like the story lost believability.

Be aware that Max's autism is not a key element in the story and it's not the book to read if you want to find out more about Asperger's Syndrome.

The book wasn't what I had expected. Some of it was so far fetched but how Danielle managed it was ingenious. It was part legal thriller and part psychological thriller that was horrifying. I skimmed through some of it, the book could have been a 250 page book than a 376 page book. There is a sequel in the works.

What a fantastic read! I was absolutely hooked on this book in the middle of moving and all - I could not put it down. I loved the thriller/mystery aspect and the story had no moments that were dull, the suspense lasted throughout the whole book.

A story of a mom fighting with everything she has, plus more, for her son that she believes in without a shadow of doubt. I loved hearing what lengths she would take to find and share the truth. And what an ending - I will not even begin to spoil it. I couldn't. It is crazy how people are just not what they seem to be. I wonder how often people in real life present themselves one way, but at home behind closed doors are completely different.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book. I would pass it along to anyone I walked by - I think this book would be universally enjoyed by many different kinds of readers.

Awful! Worst book ever!

Great book! I didn't want to put it down!

The last few pages of my copy were missing!!!!!! Super-pissed at Target, because I had bought this brand new months ago and lost the receipt by this point, but I got right to the climax and it stopped mid-sentence!! I had to troll through goodreads to find out a little bit about what happened, because I don't have time to drive to target or somewhere else to read the ending for myself! >:[

I didn't think this book was well written or believable. I only finished it because I was in a reading slump and really wanted to finish any book.

Finally! I have finished this book. This took so long for me to finish compared to other books I have read. Usually, I would have finished this within a few days but I am in a slump. I feel like I would like this book and maybe given it a four star but I was just not motivated to read it.

A review also said it was a female version of John Grisham and I, for the few books I’ve read by him, am not a fan of his writing style.