Worst Case

New York City investigator Michael Bennett faces a kidnapper who targets the adolescent children of the world's wealthiest families. Instead of demanding money, the culprit subjects his captives to rigorous academic tests regarding global crises, executing those who fail to demonstrate an awareness of suffering beyond their privilege. Bennett must collaborate with an FBI agent to track the killer through high-society circles and urban hideouts. The investigation forces the detective to balance his professional duty with his responsibilities as a father to ten adopted children while the ransom demands shift from currency to moral accountability.

Fans of high-stakes crime fiction read this for the fast-paced procedural elements and the focus on motive. Readers interested in the intersection of class dynamics and criminal justice will find a narrative that questions the social responsibility of the elite. The book provides a look at the logistical challenges of metropolitan police work and the psychological profile of a killer driven by a warped sense of social justice. Readers walk away with a story about the lengths a parent goes to protect their family during a public crisis.