Book Nerds Across America

First Family is the fourth installment in the King and Maxwell series.  Sean King and Michelle Maxwell were both members of the secret service and now run their own private investigation firm.  This time around they are hired by the First Lady to help find her twelve-year-old niece, Willa, who was kidnapped from her home. On the surface it appears to be a plot against the president, who is well on his way to reelection.  

Shortly into their investigation into Willa's disappearance, Michelle receives a phone call from one of her brothers.  Her mother passed away unexpectedly.  After a brief examination of the scene of death, Michelle begins to wonder if foul play may have been involved.  She calls Sean and they begin looking into her mother's case in addition to Willa's.

The closer Sean and Michelle get to uncovering the truth, the more resistance they receive from the First Lady.  She says her number one priority is returning Willa to her family safely, but that doesn't appear to be her only motivation for hiring Sean.  The two have known each other for years and it becomes clear that she is banking on that friendship once again.

I was extremely surprised by how this book ended.  In my opinion, Sean made the correct decision.  I don't want to spoil anything, so I will simply leave it at that.  I was also happy to see Michelle come to terms with her past.  She spend quite a bit of time in one of the previous books seeking counseling for an undisclosed reason.  We are finally clued into the events in her past that caused the emotional distress.  Now that everything has come to light, I believe she is well on her way to recovery.  The final scene also sets up a potential change in the status of Sean and Michelle's relationship.  I felt like this was a long time in coming, but the timing seemed to be perfect.