Michael Kardos, Before He Finds Her

Before He Finds Her by Michael Kardos tells the story of Meg Miller, aka Melanie Denison, who has lived in hiding with her aunt and uncle for 15 years. She has had to live a cloistered life—mostly homeschooled, no internet—because her father is out there somewhere and wants her dead.

Ramsey Miller killed his wife years earlier, didn't succeed in killing his daughter, and disappeared. On the cusp of adulthood, Meg decides to disobey the rules she's lived with for as long as she can remember. She leaves home to try to find her father, to take the fight to him, so that she can stop living in fear.

In a few short days away from her guardians' strict oversight, she winds up discovering a lot more than she bargained for. This book was worth the ride (though I bet some readers will figure out the big reveal early), but I didn't enjoy it quite as much as another book I've read by Kardos, The Three-Day Affair (my review).