Emily Calby disappeared at age twelve, the only survivor of a notorious home invasion. Three years after her terrifying odyssey in The Hiding Girl, she’s safe, living in anonymity with her mentor, ex-gang member Lucas Jackson—before life blows up again on her sweet sixteen birthday. Arrested for carrying her gift from Lucas (an illegal handgun), a fingerprint scan shows her to be the “missing Calby girl” and worse: she’s wanted for murder in another state.

Extradited to a corrupt juvenile prison, Emily struggles to adjust to a new code of survival while facing a vindictive prosecutor willing to resort to any means to convict her. As The Law thwarts her every move, she begins to appreciate its awesome power. She discovers a hidden prison law library and new path to justice, casting her destiny. 

As she fights for her life in court, the dark secrets behind the prison walls close in. Her cellmate, a spookily prescient drug addict, is in grave danger. So is her first love, a gentle boy sentenced to life without parole. Emily’s desperate to help them, but how can she, when her explosive trial brings one new disaster after another?

(This second title in the Emily Calby Series works perfectly well as a standalone.) 

Praise for The Hiding Girl (Emily Calby Book 1): 

“Dark and gritty … an exceptional, heart-pounding story full of raw emotion, deep-seated fear, and an undercurrent of hope and innocence … without peer in contemporary mysteries/thrillers.” — Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Semifinalist 

“In Emily, author Dorian Box has created a rarity—a teenage protagonist that is at once sympathetic, vulnerable and largely fearless. … This sharp characterization within a fast-paced work of suspense makes The Hiding Girl one of the year’s most exciting series openers.” — BestThrillers.com (named a 2020 Best Thriller of the Year) 

“[A] unique mix of hope, shattered innocence, pain, fear, and vulnerability … a great, suspenseful read.” — Readers’ Favorite Award in Suspense Fiction

“The story that author Dorian Box has created for Emily Calby is nothing short of thrilling, but it’s The Hiding Girl’s masterful interplay of character, setting, and theme, along  with its fast-pace and high emotional stakes that makes it a real page-turner.” — IndieReader (starred review, Official Seal of Approval) 

“You root for the lead, Emily, and stick with her throughout. Engaged me from the first page. Excellent story. Dark and grisly, yet a lot of hope comes with this one.” — Feathered Quill 2021 Medal Winner in Mystery/Suspense