Before She Finds Me

Before She Finds Me is a propulsive cat-and-mouse thriller about two women on a collision course: Julia, a botany professor whose daughter narrowly survives a campus shooting, and Ren, a meticulous, pregnant assassin who suspects the man she loves pulled the trigger. When the official story doesn’t add up, Julia digs for answers and uncovers secrets inside her own family, her ex-husband’s new marriage, and a billionaire’s empire. Ren, raised to kill by a father who taught her to “shield the innocent, kill the guilty,” suddenly isn’t sure which is which—and the tiny life she’s carrying forces her to question every rule she’s lived by.

Told in taut, alternating chapters, the book braids a mother’s terror with a hit woman’s code until it’s impossible to separate hunter from hunted. A dead wife. A wounded daughter. A string of “ethical” kills that turn out to be anything but. By the time these women meet, it’s clear: one truth has been buried under a dozen lies, and the only way out is to face what they’ve each done in the name of love.

• Thriller lovers who crave morally complex characters and razor‑tight plotting
• Fans of women‑led crime stories with emotional stakes, not just body counts
• Listeners who enjoy ethical dilemmas, underground forums, and high‑tension cat‑and‑mouse chases

Heather Chavez is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and has worked as a newspaper reporter and editor. She lives with her family in Santa Rosa, California. She’s the author of the thrillers No Bad Deed and Blood Will Tell, known for their fast pace, layered characters, and high‑stakes family drama.