ebecca “Becky” Martinez thought she’d left the chaos of war behind. A decorated Marine turned trauma counselor, she has built a new life helping others heal from the wounds she once carried. But when one of her clients — a respected Seattle school principal — becomes the target of an online seduction and blackmail scheme, Becky’s old instincts awaken. The predator behind the screen isn’t just destroying reputations; they’re manipulating lives with precision and cruelty. And Becky can’t — or won’t — look away. As she digs deeper into the dark web of deceit, she uncovers a global network exploiting loneliness and shame, ensnaring victims with promises of love before extorting them into silence. But when the case spirals into violence and Becky becomes entangled in the aftermath, her professional detachment begins to fracture. The line between counselor and avenger blurs, and the Marine inside her — the one she’s tried so hard to bury — threatens to resurface. Torn between duty, justice, and her own demons, Becky is forced to confront the past she’s never truly escaped: a past built on anger, betrayal, and survival. From the jungles of the Philippines to the streets of Seattle, her journey has always been about control — of her pain, her identity, her rage. Now, as lives hang in the balance, she must decide whether to uphold the law she swore to serve or break it to save those who cannot save themselves. Raw, psychological, and unflinching, Suffer the Children is a gripping exploration of moral conflict and emotional endurance. William Edmonds, a practicing physician who divides his time between the remote provinces of the Philippines and the mountains of British Columbia, brings a visceral authenticity to every scene. His writing is steeped in human struggle — physical, emotional, and spiritual — illuminating the tension between compassion and violence, redemption and revenge. With the pacing of a thriller and the emotional depth of literary fiction, Suffer the Children examines what happens when the healer becomes the hunter, and when the line between justice and vengeance begins to fade. For readers of Patricia Cornwell, Paula Hawkins, and Gillian Flynn, this novel offers a haunting portrait of resilience and the high cost of salvation.