Claire Conover understood the legacy she inherited from her mother; to do the best she could to make a difference in the world. That desire drove her during the long hours she put into her job as a social worker. Everything she had worked for came crashing down the day Michael Hennessy died.

Michael’s mother, Ashley, was a recovering drug addict who had worked hard to get her life back together. Coming clean, working two jobs, and passing all her drug tests allowed Ashley to regain custody of her son. The person who authorized his return to his mother was Claire Conover.

When news of Michael’s death became public and Ashley’s suspected role in the tragedy became known, Claire found herself vilified by the press, her job threatened, and herself heart-broken by the death of the little boy she had grown to love.

Determined to find out how she could have made such a tragic error in judgment, Clare begins to search for the truth. What she finds is an assortment of suspects and several unexpected allies. The deeper Claire digs, the more dirt she finds, and soon her own life is in grave danger. Unsure of whom she can trust, her continued search for answers takes her far beyond her comfort zone, and into a world she never knew existed.

Little Lamb Lost is a profound heartbreaker of a mystery. A little boy has died, and his mother who has tried to reclaim her life is the chief suspect. Amidst the heartbreak rises hope for the future, an opportunity to make the world a better place for those who remain.

Debut author Margaret Fenton’s background in social work obviously was put to good use in the writing of this taut story of love and tragic loss. Providing detail and insight only an insider could, Fenton has created a heroine who has done the best she could, but now has to question her own motives and actions. Who among us has never had to perform a little soul-searching because of decisions we have made? That Claire’s came at such a high price was devastating to her.

Fenton’s insight into the soul of her protagonist speaks volumes as to her ability as a writer. She creates characters with depth, slyly revealing their motives while drawing unexpected emotions from her readers regarding those characters.

Little Lamb Lost is a tough but riveting read, thoroughly satisfying to anyone desiring an intelligent, entertaining mystery. One can only hope Ms. Fenton will continue providing additional Claire Conover cases setting up a compelling new series from the Deep South.