“Jeri combines V.I.’s social conscience with Kinsey’s bad-ass attitude and a snappy narrative voice . . . Dawson manages to blend her social criticism into a rich plum pudding sprinkled throughout with memorable characters.”  Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post Book World - 

“Janet Dawson, whose Jeri Howard never fails to enlighten and entertain, even in the grimmest of circumstances. Dawson is a writer with the courage to take on the big issues without flinching and this time her plot revolves around the homelessness and the impact on ‘nice’ middle-class families when the HIV virus invades their lives.”  Val McDermid’s Crime Beat, Manchester Evening News - 

“Compassionate and tenacious, Oakland, CA PI Jeri Howard makes her fifth appearance in this finely crafted, absorbing adventure.”  Publishers Weekly - 

It’s a cold rainy winter. Oakland PI Jeri Howard is having a tough time getting into the Christmas spirit – and dealing with a prickly client. Naomi Smith’s daughter Maureen ran away three years ago. At various times Maureen was homeless. Now she’s dead and her two-year-old daughter is missing. It’s dangerous out on the mean streets of Berkeley, for an adult let alone a child. 

Can Jeri find the little lost toddler before time runs out?