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In the back woods of Virginia, the institute for juvenile mental health sprawls across the mountains. It was once the testing ground for controversial experiments done on the mentally ill—such experiments as eugenics, the science of controlling the gene pool, improving it, in theory, through selective breeding. A reporter for the Washington Post, Elizabeth Creay, became interested in eugenics right before she was brutally murdered in her D.C. home.
Sydney Chapin returns to the District after a nine-year absence, hoping to find the closeness with her family that had been lacking all her life. But with her sister’s murder, all hope for a happy, healthy family relationship dies with her. Trying to make sense of Elizabeth’s death, she digs deeper and discovers dark secrets involving her mother and unthinkable truths so horrifying that she wishes they’d stayed buried. But she can’t leave it alone. Her search leads her deeper into danger and a political agenda that would shock a nation.
Jack Cassian and Darius Train are assigned to investigate Elizabeth Creay’s death, but higher-ups are pressuring them to leave it as a burglary gone wrong. Still, Jack and Darius are determined not to let politics control their investigation. They’’ll find the truth even if it damages a senator’s chances of becoming the next U.S. President.
Every now and then, an author creates captivating characters that you can’t wait to spend time with. Mr. Hosp has done it here with Jack Cassian and Darius Train. Jack is a young, middle-class white boy who probably could have been anything but chose to become a cop. Darius is an African American who’s built like a train and who had a promising career as a football player until his knees blew out. He becomes a cop hoping to make a difference on the harsh streets of the District’s inner city. I would love to see these guys again in future books.
A riveting plot and interesting setting pulled me in and kept me engrossed for hours within the pages of The Betrayed. I absolutely loved this second novel by David Hosp, and you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be picking up his first. The Betrayed is compelling and engaging. Suspense doesn’t get much better than this.
