Birmingham social worker Claire Conover honestly believed she could make a difference in the world until she gets the phone call she’s dreaded her entire career.

One of her young clients, Michael, has been found dead and his mother, Ashley, has been arrested for his murder. And who made the decision to return Michael to Ashley? Claire Conover.

What Claire finds is no shortage of suspects. Ashley’s boyfriend made no secret that he didn’t want children. And Ashley’s stepfather, an alcoholic and chronic gambler, has a shady past. And what about Michael’s mysterious father and his family? Or Ashley herself? Was she really using again?

Amidst a heap of unanswered questions, one thing is for certain: Claire Conover is about to uncover secrets that could ruin lives--or end her own.

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"Fenton puts her experiences as a social worker to good use in her promising debut...Fenton paces her straightforward plot well, but her real strength is in the way she develops her characters’ relationships. A number of secondary players—an investigative reporter and a guy who knows his way around a computer—pave the way for a sequel. With her fine ear for regional speech, Fenton may do for Birmingham what Margaret Maron has done for rural North Carolina."
Publisher's Weekly

"A relentless social worker makes an intriguing amateur sleuth, and Birmingham offers a fresh take on the New South as a setting for crime fiction. With this solid debut, Fenton—herself a social worker—has set the stage for a promising new series."
Booklist

"Devastated by the death of a young boy and the arrest of his mother for his murder, social worker Claire Conover cannot let the case go and finds herself in danger when she learns too much. Well done."
Library Journal

"Gripping and highly entertaining, LITTLE LAMB LOST delivers a fascinating, insider's look into the challenging world of the foster care system. In the best tradition of Margaret Maron, Margaret Fenton's striking debut is a marvelous first entry in a promising new Southern series."
Julia Spencer-Fleming, Edgar finalist and author of I SHALL NOT WANT

"Little Lamb Lost is a real find. Debut author Margaret Fenton knows how to give her mystery a whole lot of heart."
Chris Grabenstein, Anthony award winning author of the John Ceepak mystery series

"New Mystery writer Margaret Fenton keeps the questions coming, making Little Lamb Lost a riveting read. She does a fascinating job at creating a 'whodunit' mystery from the get go. A truly mesmerizing tale filled with a whole lot of drama and suspense. It will leave you wanting more up until the very last page."
Martha Ramirez, Bookpleasures.com

"LITTLE LAMB LOST is a fabulous regional amateur sleuth starring a caring protagonist who goes way beyond the extra kilometers to prove her instincts re her client is right...Readers will enjoy this intriguing Alabama whodunit."
Harriet Klausner, Genre Go Round Reviews

"For a first effort, the novel moves fluidly and maintains the reader's interest with excellent descriptions and a solid plot. It provides an insider's insights into the human resources system and foster care [as well as a native's knowledge of Birmingham, Alabama], and is recommended."
Theodore Feit

"Fenton has done an outstanding job with the characters and the story. She shows there are people out there who care and I hope Claire Conover graces the reading list again, and soon."
Barry Hunter, Baryon Review of Books