Where’s Molly? (2024) is a dark romance novel by H. D. Carlton. Where’s Molly? is Carlton’s sixth novel, taking place in the same universe as her initial Cat & Mouse Duet, which included the novels Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline, and it is considered a spin-off of that series. Carlton is an Amazon Bestselling Author, a USA Today Bestseller, and an International Bestselling Author. Where’s Molly? continues Carlton’s work in the dark romance genre and received acclaim from her dedicated fanbase. As with much of Carlton’s work, Where’s Molly? discusses topics ranging from human trafficking, sexual assault and abuse, and the challenge of overcoming trauma. The novel addresses themes of The Coexistence of Beauty and Horror, Transformation Through and in Spite of Trauma, and The Narrow Line Between Obsession and Love. The novel follows Molly Devereaux, a survivor of human trafficking and sexual abuse, as she attempts to recover from her traumatic past, forging a closer relationship with her lover, Cage Everhart, and trying to reconnect with her sister, Layla.

This guide uses the Kindle 2024 Edition published by H. D. Carlton.

Content Warning: This novel includes graphic violence, murder, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and drug overdose.

Plot Summary

In the present, 2022, Molly owns a pig farm, on which she disposes of bodies by feeding them to pigs. She works for Legion, a man who runs an underground organization of the same name, getting rid of the bodies of people Legion kills for committing specific, usually sexual crimes against women and children. In 2007, Molly went missing in Reaper Canyon, Montana when her father sold her into human trafficking. Molly’s father was abusive, and Molly had to care for her infant sister, Layla, when she still lived with them. Molly has a notable scar in the shape of a bite mark on her eye and many more bitemark-shaped scars all over her body.

After her father sold her into trafficking, Molly spent eight months living at the home of Francesca and Rocco, siblings running a human trafficking operation. The novel implies that Molly was subject to continuous sexual assault and abuse during this time, and she escaped in 2008 with the help of a man named Rio, who was also a survivor of sexual abuse. After escaping, Molly tried to find help in Oregon, where Francesca and Rocco’s home was, and she made her way back to Montana to find and save Layla. At her home, Molly killed her father and fed his body to the pigs at a nearby farm, taking Layla with her. After four years of trying to support Layla, Molly left Layla with Margot and Colin, a wealthy couple in Montana, in 2012.

One year after leaving Layla with Margot and Colin, in 2013, Molly struggled to maintain legal jobs, and Legion reached out to her, offering a way to disappear. Legion directed Molly to Cage Everhart’s store, Black Portal, which served as a front for helping people escape detection. Cage fell in love with Molly, and the two spent the night together before Cage helped Molly escape to Alaska under the name Marie. Molly remained in Alaska for five years, after which she returned to Montana and purchased the pig farm at which she disposed of her father’s body. With her new position on the farm, Molly offered to start disposing of bodies for Legion, and she still works in this role in 2022.

When Eli, the man usually responsible for delivering bodies to Molly’s farm, is injured, Cage takes over his role, not realizing that Molly runs the pig farm. Meeting again after nine years, Cage’s love for Molly is renewed, and Molly is both nervous and excited to see Cage again. The two have sex, and they begin a relationship, though Molly is anxious about becoming attached to another person. Over the course of a few weeks, Molly meets Cage’s mother, Winifred, and Cage and Molly grow closer, with Cage promising to respect Molly’s boundaries. Cage reveals that his sister, Olivia, was sexually assaulted and killed by a police officer after being caught with a fake ID. Cage then dedicated himself to falsifying documentation to try to protect young women from his sister’s fate, but he eventually shifted into providing documentation and travel for people trying to escape abusive or dangerous situations.

When Molly feels that her relationship with Cage is growing too intimate, she asks Legion to stop sending Cage with deliveries. Cage is upset by Molly’s attempt to distance herself from him, and he shows up at her home unannounced. Cage forces himself into Molly’s house, where she ultimately reveals that she also wants to be with Cage, but she is scared because of her past. Cage and Molly begin a relationship again, and Cage encourages Molly to reach out to Layla, whom Molly has watched from a distance since moving back to Montana. In the end, Layla’s adoptive family allows Molly to meet with Layla. The novel ends with Zade, one of the main characters from the Cat & Mouse Duet, arriving at Molly’s home looking for Cage’s help.