Some mysteries begin with evidence. Others restart when somebody recognizes a face. In A Driftwood Doll, Richard Enns takes the second path, bringing retired detective Michael Tough into a five-year-old disappearance that suddenly becomes connected to his own family.
Running beside that mystery is an equally important story about Becky Tough, whose pregnancy, PTSD, and struggle with cigarettes reveal how difficult recovery can become when life applies pressure from every direction.
A Girl Who Vanished and a Family That Remembers Her
Fifteen-year-old Stephanie Alexander vanished after a serious argument with her wealthy family in New York. Half a decade later, the unanswered questions surrounding her have only grown heavier.
Michael Tough is asked to look into the case. Formerly with the Ocean View Police Department in California, Michael understands investigations that have lost their momentum. Time changes memories. Witnesses move on. Evidence becomes harder to interpret.
Then his family sees a photograph.
Stacy, Michael and Becky’s adopted daughter, recognizes Stephanie. The catch is that Stacy knew her as Janey Young.
That revelation gives the investigation fresh energy. If Stephanie became Janey, Michael needs to understand where she went, why she used another identity, and what happened afterward. The questions lead his team into an unsettling environment involving vulnerable young women, concealed histories, and people who have reasons to keep old events from resurfacing.
The danger grows as Michael gets closer to the truth. Her case no longer feels like an abandoned file from years ago. People in the present could suffer because of what Michael discovers.
For readers following the wider series, a secondary plot also carries over from the previous book and continues into the next.
While Michael Investigates, Becky Is Fighting Her Own Battle
Becky’s storyline unfolds largely away from the traditional mechanics of detective work, yet it carries substantial emotional weight.
Coping with PTSD while battling cigarette cravings, Becky carries a heavy load through her pregnancy. Because Michael was close to the scene of Janet Miller’s shooting, Becky’s trauma returns, and she must endure a particularly difficult final three months of pregnancy.
Her relationship with smoking is presented with uncomfortable honesty.
Several lapses have marked her effort to quit. On top of that, she heads a ladies’ group supporting women coming out of prostitution and substance abuse, and that responsibility makes admitting her own setbacks especially embarrassing.
Becky turns the experience into accountability. She carries a pack of cigarettes and shows it to the women in the group as evidence that she has stayed away from smoking.
Jenny eventually discovers the cigarettes in her mother’s purse.
At thirty-one months old, Jenny has none of the social filters adults develop around sensitive subjects. She simply wants answers, starting with whether a cigarette tastes good or yucky.
Becky responds directly. She likens the taste to licking an ashtray and explains addiction by comparing cigarette cravings with a child wanting candy despite knowing that too much candy is unhealthy.
It is a small family conversation carrying a much larger idea. Addiction can appear irrational from the outside while feeling intensely difficult to resist for the person experiencing it.
Jenny’s innocence also forces Becky to confront her embarrassment. Her role as a mother and group leader offers no place to hide. She has to acknowledge the lapse and continue trying.
Seven days before her baby arrives, Becky smokes a single cigarette, and it becomes her final one.
Her OB/GYN, Dr. Michelle Lin, guides her through those last months before delivery and becomes a close friend along the way. That bond lasts for the remainder of the series, making its beginning here particularly meaningful. Richard gives this relationship room within a serious mystery, showing how Becky’s recovery keeps shaping her future. Readers can find A Driftwood Doll, released on October 9, 2026, in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover editions.
About the Author
Before retiring as a probation officer, Richard Enns spent nearly 22 years with the San Diego County Probation Department. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in History from North Park College in Chicago and a Master of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary. Richard resides in San Diego with his wife and two children.
The Questions That Linger
Both Michael and Becky pursue a kind of resolution in A Driftwood Doll. He follows Stephanie’s fragmented history and the mysterious identity of Janey Young, while she works through trauma and cravings one difficult day at a time.
Richard gives both journeys meaningful stakes. One asks what happened to a missing teenager. The other asks what it takes to finally leave a destructive habit behind. Together, they give the novel suspense, vulnerability, and a strong human center. Readers who enjoy mysteries with a family at their heart will find plenty to follow here.
