For Safe Keeping by Charissa Schalk

One September day, nanny Heidi Montgomery's life changes forever. Persuaded by her three charges' mother to accept guardianship if anything happened to Annie, Heidi didn't dream that she would witness Annie's murder that very night. With only seconds to spare, she gathers the three young children and disappears into the Michigan night. But how long can they keep running through the wilderness when the killer is just steps behind?

Author Charissa Schalk brings together a likeable, well-drawn main character and a pulse-pounding plot. Unfortunately, a muddy beginning and some chronological confusion may cause readers to put down the book before they've gotten far. For instance, I didn't realize Heidi was a nanny until I was well into the book - I simply assumed she was a "natural" guardian - Annie's sister perhaps. The cast of characters was confusing, as I didn't expect most of the "children" listed to be in their 20s and 30s. Then near the end the timeline weaves around a bit, including a significant piece of backstory that should have been at least hinted at much earlier in the book.

Aside from these trouble spots, the book is a good read. I give it the Waterfall Books rating of Canal. And, Charissa Schalk sent me an extra copy of her book, so leave a comment on this post and I will draw one name to win a FREE copy!