Caller Unknown
Simone and her daughter, Lucy, are on a final vacation in remote Texas before Lucy leaves for university. But on their first morning, Simone wakes to find Lucy gone from their cabin. In her place is a cell phone.
A voice on the line issues a chilling demand: No police. Come to a location. And be ready to make a deal.
Ignoring her husband's pleas to call the authorities, Simone drives to the isolated meet-up, terrified of risking her daughter's life. But the kidnapper doesn't want money. They want Simone to do the unthinkable.
This one decision triggers a heart-pounding journey across the punishing Texas desert, pushing Simone's courage and morality to the brink as she discovers how far a mother will go.
- Simone - Protagonist
- Lucy - Simone’s daughter, 18
- Damien - Simone’s husband
- Moody - Lawyer
- Jon-Paul - Accomplice working with the kidnapper
- Max - British police inspector
- Michaela - Border patrol officer
- Andrea - Michaela’s daughter
- Part I: The Ransom
- Lucy and Simone meet in Texas to spend one night in a cabin before going camping.
- Lucy gets kidnapped.
- Simone sees a burner phone with a message telling her when and where to meet to make a deal to get Lucy back.
- Simone calls Damien who gets on a plane to Texas.
- At the meeting point Simone is given a location in Mexico and instructed to go there and collect a bag from a storage unit and bring it back to the US.
- Simone is instructed to get on a tourist bus to enter Mexico.
- Simone reaches the storage unit and inspects the bag she is meant to transport - it is full of cocaine.
- On the bus ride back to the U.S., a British man asks Simone if she’s okay, but she senses something off about him.
- There is also a border patrol agent, Michaela, who chats with Simone about them both having daughters.
- Simone stops at a gun store on the way back to the meeting point.
- When Simone hands over the bag the man says some of the drugs are missing so he won't give Lucy back.
- Simone can hear Lucy in the trunk of the man's car so she shoots the kidnapper and rescues Lucy.
- Simone calls 911 about the man she shot who turns out to be Jon-Paul, and Lucy’s kidnapping.
- Lucy tells Simone that Jon-Paul was only the transporter, not her kidnapper. The kidnapper never spoke, but Lucy heard someone enter the house and say they were the kidnapper’s daughter.
- When they see another car approaching them they are afraid the police won’t believe their story because they have no proof Lucy was kidnapped.
- Lucy shoots at the tire of the vehicle to slow it down and then her and Simone flee.
- Part II: Two Fugitives
- Simone and Lucy head for the airport.
- Damien texts Simone that the shooting is already on the news. Simone and Lucy were seen on dashcam and are being named as suspects.
- The man in the second car turns out to be an off-duty police officer. When Lucy shot at the vehicle, she hit him in the leg.
- Simone and Lucy ditch the car and grab their camping gear to hike/camp their way to Terlingua.
- Lucy tells Simone that a British man had been talking to the camp owners earlier. They compare his description and think he might be the same man from Simone’s bus.
- Simone and Damien start sharing coded messages via their restaurant Instagram page.
- Simone and Lucy make it to Terlingua where they rent a house for the week that is owned by an attorney, Moody.
- The next day Simone and Lucy go to Moody’s office to ask for his help.
- We hear from the kidnapper that they are hunting her and thinks she in Terlingua. He is there looking.
- Damien find Simone and Lucy, they are reunited.
- Part III: Three fugitives
- Damien suggests getting fake IDs and starting over somewhere.
- Moody tells Simone police identified the British man, Max, and that he is clean.
- Damien, Simone and Lucy decide it's time to flee so they go to Galveston to pick up fake IDs and board a cruise ship to the Bahamas.
- Before departure the police board the ship and arrest Simone.
- Damien admits that the police told him if Simone pled guilty to everything they would not prosecute Lucy for shooting the police officer.
- Part IV: The prisoner
- Moody goes to see Simone in prison.
- Moody tells her the person they bought the identities from immediately told the police where to find them.
- Damien and Lucy go back to Terlingua where the kidnapper find Lucy and plans to act the next day.
- Simone tells Moody about a border patrol officer she spoke with at the airport while waiting for her lost luggage.
- Moody investigates and confirms that Max is involved. He reveals that Max provided information about who to abduct — and that the kidnapper is actually a woman named Michaela.
- Michaela is Max’s cousin and she was the border patrol officer on the bus Simone was on returning from Mexico.
- Part V: The Kidnapper
- The kidnapper who’s been speaking is revealed to be Lucy. She’d overheard the kidnapper’s daughter mention living in Terlingua, which is why she directed her mother there when they fled.
- Michaela’s daughter, Andrea, tells Lucy she’s happy to be kidnapped by her, Andrea knows about her mother's crimes and wants her to go to prison.
- Lucy texts Michaela, demanding she confess to her role in the kidnapping at Simone’s arraignment if she wants Andrea returned safely.
- Michaela does as instructed and Simone goes free.
- Part VI: Home
- Simone, Lucy and Damien return to England to resume their lives.
This story is a roller-coaster ride from start to finish. It’s a fast-paced read and packed with a lot of suspense that makes it hard to put down.
What sets this book apart is that it is not your typical kidnapped child storyline. The plot is fresh and the author brings in unique twists that keep you guessing.
The characters are really well-developed and I found myself empathizing so much with Simone. Her willingness to do absolutely anything for her child is the powerful, driving force of the story. This makes the book not just a thriller, but a deeply emotional read as well.
This suspenseful story has both a unique plot and characters you can truly connect with, I highly recommend it.
- Simone - Alive - Ready to let Lucy grow up and move on with her own life
- Lucy - Alive - Attending RADA as planned though still recovering mentally from her traumatic experience
- Damien - Alive - Back home with Simone and Lucy
- Moody - Alive - No further details given
- Jon-Paul - Dead - Shot by Simone
- Max - Alive - No further details given
- Michaela - Alive - Last seen after confessing to her role in Lucy’s kidnapping; no further details given
- Andrea - Alive - No further details given after she participated in her own kidnapping with Lucy
- Drugs
- Kidnapping
- Gun violence
- Stalking
- Murder
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 9780063338470
Publication Date: May 5, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
