Winner of In the Margins Committee Recommended Reads 2020.

Gem has a secret.

Teenage Gem, alone on the street, has survived abuse, institutionalization, and captivity. He has lost everything and everyone he ever loved, but is finally free to build a life.

There is only one person he can count on, and that is himself. 

Gem buries his past the best he can, joins up with the Rippers gang for protection, and does what he has to in order to survive.

But Riker, a vice cop, makes it his business to take away the precious freedom Gem has earned and put him behind bars.

If he can just break Gem’s alibis.

But Riker doesn’t know Gem’s secret.

While Riker can sympathize with what Gem has been through, he can’t let a dangerous criminal run free on the streets.

Riker delves into Gem’s past in a bid to discover his secrets. Can he sort through the tangled threads to lay bare Gem’s past? And if he does, will he be able to put Gem behind bars once more?

Gem is desperate to keep his secrets and make a new life for himself.

Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author P.D. Workman brings you a gritty tale of suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat and rooting for Gem right to the last page. 

Author Notes may contain spoilers!

I am not publishing a lot of my older materials right now, but this one has been waiting for a while. Before I started publishing, I wasn’t very disciplined about my writing, and this is one book that sat unfinished for a long time. Only two out of the three parts were completed, and I left it, knowing that it needed something more, but not sure what it was. Two years ago, I pulled it back out and wrote part three. It still needed some rewriting, but was finally on its way.

This is a gritty novel that deals with some serious topics, including mental illness, gang violence, and the child sex trade. It is poignant and suspenseful, with some unexpected twists and turns!

• Sexual Abuse of Boys
• Street Kids Pinterest Board
• Human Trafficking Pinterest Board
• Homelessness Pinterest Board
• Mental Illness Pinterest Board
• Domestic Abuse Pinterest Board
• YA fiction about sexual abuse
• Research folder on Human Trafficking
• Fiction about Human Trafficking

“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me … And I have found strength in the books I’ve read.”

“This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend her enough.”

“I’ll read anything by P. D. Workman that I can get my hands on.”

“Every book by PD Workman that I’ve read has been a gripping one, however different the genres are, going from lighter mysteries to really dark ones… this is one of my favourite, most dependable authors.”

“P.D. Workman is an incredibly versatile writer. No matter which of her books I read I am drawn into a great story and honestly, I don’t think I’ve followed another author that could go from cozy mystery to YA to a PI series dealing with mental health issues. Really enjoy her books!”

“[P.D. Workman’s] stories are so believable and you can’t help but feel like you know these people. You find yourself crying, laughing and feeling the characters emotions. Now if an author can make you cry and feel every emotion in a story, she is one hell of an author.”

“P. D. Workman, does not shy from probing the deep psychological scars of childhood trauma, mental illness, and addiction. Also characteristic of this author, these extremely sensitive issues are explored with extensive empathy, described with incredible clarity, and portrayed with profound insight.”

“Once again P.D.Workman has created an intense psychological mystery that impacts a wallop of thought induction. The writing is so well developed and draws you into the characters story.”