In The Lost Days, the third book in the series, readers experience Ives Andrich on a pro - foundly personal level. Quiet, stoic, regretful, pensive, and a bit lost, he remains in com - plete command of his actions, emotions, and thoughts. There is a deliberateness to him, a calm intensity that feels strangely purposeful. As Walzinski observed in book one: “Drowning in those personal ideals, Ives looked away and his tears tumbled to his shirtfront. It was nearly impossible for Walzinski to watch this display of powerless - ness. Ives commanded so many, while he bore the burdens of his country in one hand, and tempered his power with justice and wis - dom in the other. To control so many lives, but not control your own life, was a prime seat between the proverbial rock and a hard place.” Once again, Ives finds himself in that precari - ous place. After the disaster at the end of The Chase, he cannot return to what was. Determining how to move forward becomes a deeply personal struggle, one he must face alone. Readers are brought into his most pri - vate thoughts, living with his doubts, fears, and unwavering trust in God. While trust is fragile, Ives knows that time and faith are key to healing. Through his pain, he clings to the belief that God’s timing is perfect, even when it feels incomprehensible. Ives’ duality becomes more apparent than ever in The Lost Days. On the outside, he is the influential government agent, the second- most powerful man in law enforcement worldwide. Internally, however, he is humbled by events beyond his control. Wrestling with this lack of control becomes a recurring les - son—a constant battle with an invisible dragon. Unlike his life as a Special Agent, where enemies are tangible and targets are clear, Ives must now grapple with the unseen. He does so through deep contemplation and reflection on the events of his life. At his core, Ives knows that the essence of the inner man is a relentless search for truth. This instinct is tested when a mysterious man appears, speaking of Allina. Ives’ intuition. what some might call his “Spidey Sense”,is immediately triggered. Readers have seen this before: in book one, when an anxious feeling prompts him to circle the block and check on Allina, only to find her in danger. Or in book two, when he discusses Shepherd’s next move with his friend, Dr. Richard Blandings, and feels a foreboding chill that proves justified. In The Lost Days, Ives once again senses an ominous dread. But is it his unbreakable connection to Allina, divine guid - ance, his Bureau training, or a combination of all three? This time, the stakes are unimaginably high. When Allina is declared dead by the Bureau, Ives’ faith is tested beyond anything he ever imagined. Yet through it all, he endures, hold - ing fast to his belief that God can turn even the darkest moments into something for His glory. His faith is rewarded when he is proven right: Allina did not die after stepping off the pier into the storm-ridden waters of New York Harbor’s Lower Narrows. But what happens next introduces a new and unexpected twist in the ever-evolving story of Ives’ life.