Cirrus@Austlit

'How much is a baby worth?

'Career politician Vann Willis is on track to find out when a blast rips through her electoral office. Her Inquiry into forced adoptions and surrogacy stirs up bad blood and uncovers crooked deals. To get to the truth she forms an unlikely partnership with Seth VerBeek, an investigative journalist.

'Together, they explore the seamy side of Maidenhead, a gothic homestead that was once a country hideaway for pregnant teenagers. Now, enclosed in an electrified fence, it has become an enterprise that is far more sinister.

'For Vann and Seth each step unleashes a new challenge. Dark secrets emerge. Threats are made on Vann's life. One relationship ends while another blossoms.

At the heart of the mystery is the baby farm.' (Publication summary)