Karl Banswick, much to his chagrin, runs his late father's car dealership and sleeps at his late father's apartment.

He is separated from his wife, on the verge of divorce, but she doesn't appear for their court date, and Banswick later discovers that she is missing.

"Karl Banswick held the red envelope."

Each chapter begins and ends with this line, forming the perfect transition for this gripping story. The red envelopes that he mysteriously receives at the end of each chapter contain clues that he believes will lead him to his wife. He can't make sense of documents, but they direct him to others, people whose loved ones are missing and have also been receiving strange red envelopes.

The writing more than makes up for what it lacks in "professional" presentation. The novel is well paced, intriguing, and his style can only be described as right on point. I read a lot of mysteries and it's hard to find something that has never been done. Callahan nailed it.

Despite the intricate plot, the book is entirely character driven. The people in this story aren't just names on a page. Nearly every detail of their life is revealed, making them more like friends than characters in a novel. They are ordinary people, forced into extraordinary circumstances, and that's what keeps the pages turning.

It's not a perfect bound, mass-market paperback, but this book is truly one of the best mysteries on the market today.

--Dana Kaye

Punk Planet / Oct 2005