When last seen in The Finisher (2014), Vega Jane was leaving Wormwood with her staunch boyfriend, Delph (and her dog, Harry Two), to transverse the dangerous surrounding area called the Quag, where questions might be answered and trouble waits at every turn. Best-selling crime novelist Baldacci loves action, and this has plenty as the trio encounter an evil self-proclaimed king of a community of small, odd creatures, and, more important, a seer from Wormwood who has all sorts of knowledge, magical and otherwise, that can help Vega Jane learn more about the origins of her home and what she and her friends must do to get themselves through the Quag. Vega Jane also discovers powers in herself that she never dreamed of. The book maintains a good balance between story and action, but it lacks some of the more personal intrigue of The Finisher. Still, the cliff-hanger will have readers waiting for the next precarious step in her journey.

In the sequel to The Finisher, Vega Jane, her best friend Delph, and dog Harry Two leap free of the walled village of Wormwood in search of truth and history, only to face more dangerous obstacles in the terrifying wilderness called the Quag. The action can feel relentless, but Baldacci's characters and world grow more complex with each page turned.