Deadline by Sandra Brown

War correspondent Dawson Scott has seen too much. After years covering conflict zones, he returns home carrying more than just memories — he carries ghosts. When he’s tipped off about a new lead in a decades-old kidnapping case, he’s drawn into a story that’s darker and more dangerous than he imagined.

As he investigates, Dawson crosses paths with Amelia Nolan, a young widow trying to protect her two sons from the shadow of her past. But when the case turns violent, the line between truth and survival begins to blur. Every revelation pulls him deeper into a deadly conspiracy — and closer to a woman who may hold the key to everything.

In a world built on secrets, some deadlines are written in blood.