Time of Departure: A Novel

Florida state prosecutor Claire Talbot is as tough as they come, and not everyone loves her for it. Newly promoted Felony Division Chief, Claire has about as many jealous detractors as she does supporters. When a highway construction crew unearths two skeletons in a common grave, Claire reopens an investigation into a string of abductions that took place before she was born. While researching the file, she meets retired cop Marc Hastings, who once worked on the case. He maneuvers his way into the investigation―and into Claire’s life. Marc has an uncanny familiarity with Claire’s habits, and she begins to realize that not all is as it seems. The detective urges Claire on, convinced that only she can solve the case. Together, they unearth more graves. But then, disaster strikes . . . and Claire finally discovers what Hastings knew all along. It’s a secret almost too shocking for a sane mind to grasp. The key to the killings may lie deep in Claire’s own past. But what if Claire’s past lies in her future?

Full of spellbinding twists, Douglas Schofield's Time of Departure is a page-turner that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, heralding the arrival of an immensely talented new crime novelist.