Cry No More by Linda Howard

Fueled by an obsession to fill the void in other people's lives, Milla Edge finds lost children--all the while trying to outrun the brutal emotions stemming from a tragedy in her past. Traveling to a small village in Mexico in a reliable trip, Milla begins to uncover the dire fate of countless children who have disappeared in the labyrinth of a sinister baby-smuggling ring. The key to nailing down the organization may rest with an elusive one-eyed man. As Milla's search for him intensifies, the mission becomes more treacherous. For the ring is the part of something far larger and more dangerous, reaching the highest echelons of power. Racing into peril, Milla suddenly finds herself the hunted--in the crosshairs of an invisible, lethal assassin who aims to silence her permanently.


This is my most fave of all post-Mr Perfect LH books yet. I think the plot was a powerful one and when written in LH's style of dark intrigue, it never ends to amaze me every single time I read it. I dunno how many times I've reread it (and I will also definitely read it again in the future) but I'm pretty sure I have always spent tears on it (and definitely cry some again the next time I decide to reread it). And not just at the end part. Daym!

It's just that I can't get over the fact that after having lost her son Justin to a baby-smuggling ring years ago, Milla Edge spent her life looking for the lost little ones. I can't imagine the pain of going through my own nightmare when I face a case of a lost child. And I'm sure I'd feel guilty, too--because I would start questioning why others are so lucky to have found their children again while I continue the crusade of finding mine. But I love Milla's tenacity and that made her one of my all-time fave LH heroines.

And of course LH rewarded her with one heck of a hero. James Diaz was a dark character at first glance (read). At one point, I even thought Milla was too good for him. But I was wrong. I loved it when he took care of her after she let go of her son--after finding him in conclusion to her years of search--realizing that his adoptive parents (unaware that they got a baby illegally in their adoption process) were his parents now and that knowing his biological parents was his own choice.

I'm an epilogue monster--I love HEAs so much that I want to have a peek into them every once in a while. Or all the time. And the epilogue to this book was a monster winner for me. I never expected Justin to literally come knocking on her door years later. That was beautiful to picture.

When I look back at it I think this was the first LH book that really had the wring-my-emotions touch to it. I've gone through her mushy stuff and her psychic stage releases but I think CNM is some sort of a first. Love it.

Final verdict: 8.5/10. Must read, must have.