The Other Daughter (47 page)

He laughed. “Interesting point.”

She grabbed his lapels. “Say it, dammit! It's been a bitch of a month and I want to hear it. All of it!”

“I love you, Melanie. I want to settle down with you, raise two point two children, and grow old together. I want to be with you every single day of my life.”

She melted against him. The knot left her chest completely. The haze of the last month cleared from her eyes. Now she could see it all clearly. Herself, him, probably two point two children. Maybe a golden retriever.

Family. At last, a family of her own.

Funny, but in her mind she saw Jamie O'Donnell beaming and four-year-old Meagan Stokes finally happy.

Melanie Stokes whispered, “Yes.”

LISA GARDNER is the
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Perfect Husband, The Other Daughter, The Third Victim, The Next Accident
, and
The Survivors Club
. She lives in New England with her husband and daughter, and two highly spoiled dogs and one incredibly pampered cat.

THE OTHER DAUGHTER

“Once again, Gardner serves up suspense at a furious pace.”
— Publishers Weekly

“[A] suspenseful, engrossing page-turner …Totally absorbing, it's one of those books that keeps you up late, enslaved by the ‘just one more chapter' syndrome.”
— Mystery News

“Sheer terror …a great read.”
—
Iris Johansen

THE KILLING HOUR

Main selection of Doubleday Book Club Main Selection of The Literary Guild

“[A] high-octane page-turner…With tight plotting, an ear for forensic detail and a dash of romance, this is a truly satisfying sizzler in the tradition of Tess Gerritsen and Tami Hoag.”
— Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“Gardner keeps us guessing to the finale. She also keeps us on edge.”
— Los Angeles Times

“Gardner ratchets up the tension by flashing back and forth between an abandoned victim struggling to stay alive and the feuding investigative agencies that would rather ponder a clue than launch a search. This, however, does leave room for Mac and Kimberly to shine — and shine they do.”
— Orlando Sentinel

“Gardner's latest has all the staples of a great suspense novel — plus love. The perfect book to read on a July night when it's too hot to sleep.”
— Salt Lake City Deseret News

“Tightly controlled emotions spill into a furious search for a serial killer …The forensic detail is great, and Gardner works in some genuinely creepy moments, especially when she zeroes in on the victim struggling against horrific odds.”
— Booklist

“This is the best book that Lisa Gardner has written. Considering her stellar writing this is no mean feat. The breathtaking, heart-pounding suspense never lets up. Her characters are complex. Her narrative is extraordinary.”
— Rendezvous

“The return of characters from earlier books makes this creepy and terrifying story all the more compelling. Gardner has firmly established herself as one of the hottest suspense talents around. Awesome!”
— Romantic Times

“A wickedly riveting novel.”
— St. Petersburg Times

“Fast-paced suspense.”
— Greensboro News & Record

“This intense book features a riveting plot, dynamic characters, and plenty of action…. Outstanding …Definitely an edge-of-your seat page turner. Don't miss this one!”
— Mystery News

“If this doesn't throw a chill into your summer, check your pulse.”
— Ottawa Citizen

“Gardner hits a new height of suspense …virtually impossible to put down. A fabulous, satisfying read.”
— Charleston Post and Courier

“Lisa Gardner gets better with every outing…. This book is perfect…. You'll want to read it with the lights on.”
— Winnipeg Free Press

THE SURVIVORS CLUB

“Showing a flair for lip-biting suspense, bestselling novelist Gardner combs out a tangled plot to an engrossing effect …Riveting action …This club is worth the dues.” —
People
(Beach Book of the Week)

“Lisa Gardner's SURVIVORS CLUB is a high-octane, nerve-jangling tale of suspense.” — Harlan Coben, author of
Tell No One

“Hot dang, a new Lisa Gardner book! I love her hot, fast thrill rides. I'm always first in line to grab my copy of her newest release the day it arrives in stores. For my money, when it comes to suspense, nobody does it better.” — Jayne Ann Krentz

“A book seething with suspense and violence, one that will snatch your attention and attach your emotions to the characters.”
— Columbia (SC) State

“One cannot read this excellent new novel by bestselling author Gardner without wondering what actors might play these characters…. Rocks and rolls right up to a nail-biter ending.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Her best effort yet in this dynamite tale …Readers are forewarned that they may be up all night finishing this masterfully crafted thriller.”
— Booklist

“
The Survivors Club
has it all — provocative plotting, an astute eye for detail, engaging characters, and a razor-sharp emotional edge.” — Stephen White

“Will go in many a beach book bag this summer.”
— Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Another surprise-filled, suspenseful yarn from the gifted Ms. Gardner.”
— Denton (TX) Chronicle

“Lisa Gardner knows how to produce a hair-raising mystery thriller, and this offering is no exception…. Gardner keeps the reader guessing with twist after ingenious twist.”
— Charleston Post and Courier

“There's a whiff of
The Silence of the Lambs
in this gripping new crime novel…. A suspenseful page-turner.”
— Toronto Sun

“Cunning, terrifying …a suspenseful page turner.”
— Windsor (Ontario) Star

“Here's a winner to keep you on the edge of your beach chair.”
— River Falls Journal

“Another sure-fire winner …you'll be flipping pages all night.”
— Winnipeg Free Press

THE NEXT ACCIDENT

“A cool and accomplished psycho-killer tale.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“Harrowing. A fiendishly well-choreographed dance of death.”
— Booklist

“A suspense-laden, twist-filled tale.”
— Providence Journal-Bulletin

“The suspense is constant…. A satisfying novel.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Suspense-filled and well-plotted …Gardner has another winner.”
— Arlington News

THE THIRD VICTIM

“Riveting, hold-your-breath suspense!” — Iris Johansen

“Gardner deftly probes the psychology of school shootings while developing a cast of complex, compelling characters…. A suspenseful, curl-up winter read, this thriller teems with crisp, realistic dialogue and engaging characters.” —
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“An extraordinary book …Gardner's writing skills are beautifully showcased in this novel. Deftly, she has crafted multi-dimensional characters…. Their emotions are well expressed in crisp, pertinent dialogue and the tensions are sustained at many different levels with seemingly effortless ease. Scenes shift, points of view shift, the pace varies; all to perfection.”
— Romance Reader

“[A] heart-stopping novel, a story to get under your skin and haunt you. The action and the tension never let up from first page to last. As timely as today's headlines, this is a one-of-a-kind book.”
— Romantic Times

THE PERFECT HUSBAND

“A page-turner.”
— Rocky Mountain News

“A streamlined bang-up addition to the oeuvre of Tami Hoag, Karen Robards, Elizabeth Powell and, these days, even Nora Roberts.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Readers get loads of angst, great procedural stuff, some hair-raising action scenes, and a villain to keep you awake at night. What more can any thriller reader want?”
— Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

“Scary, gritty, terrifying. Lock the door, leave on a light.”
— Oakland Press

“A chilling story of revenge and betrayal, with one of the creepiest villains I've ever read.” — Iris Johansen

“An unforgettably evil villain and a throat-gripping climax make
The Perfect Husband
a real page-turner!” — Tess Gerritsen

“I loved this book! I was up till 2 A.M. finishing it!” — Karen Robards

“Nail-biting suspense …a taut roller coaster of a story that kept me up very, very late.” — Kay Hooper

The Perfect Husband

The Other Daughter

The Third Victim

The Next Accident

The Survivors Club

The Killing Hour

AND COMING SOON IN HARDCOVER: Alone

Dear Reader,

I hope you loved THE OTHER DAUGHTER, and now I’d like to share with you a sneak peek at my next novel, ALONE. I’m very excited to be working on such a dark, twisted tale, this one featuring a homicidal cop, a manipulative widow, a vengeful father, and a happy-go-lucky psychopath. I like to think that it’s psychological suspense at its finest, where the person you love the most should be the person you trust the least….

Lisa Gardner

Read on for a thrilling preview of Lisa Gardner’s latest novel of suspense, ALONE, coming in hardcover from Bantam Books in January 2005!

HE’D PUT IN a fifteen-hour shift the night the call came in. Too many impatient drivers on 93, leading to too much crash, bang, boom. City was like that this time of year. The trees were bare, night coming on quick and the holidays looming. It felt raw outside. After the easy camaraderie of summer barbecues, now you walked alone through city streets hearing nothing but the skeletal rattle of dry leaves skittering across cold pavement.

Lots of cops complained about the short, gray days of February, but personally, Bobby Dodge had never cared for November. Today did nothing to change his mind.

His shift started with a minor fender bender, followed by two more rear-enders from northbound gawkers. Four hours of paperwork later, he thought he’d gotten through the worst of it. Then, in early afternoon, when traffic should’ve been a breeze even on the notoriously jam-packed 93, came a five-car pileup as a speeding taxi driver tried to change four lanes at once, and a stressed-out ad exec in a Hummer forcefully cut him off. The Hummer took the hit like a heavyweight champ; the rusted-out cab went down for the count and took out three other cars with it. Bobby got to call four wreckers, then diagram the accident, and then arrest the ad exec when it became apparent the man had mixed in a few martinis with his power lunch.

Pinching a man for driving under the influence meant more paperwork, a trip to the South Boston barracks (now in the middle of rush hour traffic, when no one respected anyone’s right-of-way, let alone a trooper’s), and another altercation with the rich ad exec when he balked at entering the holding cell.

The ad exec had a good fifty pounds on Bobby. Like a lot of guys confronted by a smaller opponent, he confused superior weight with superior strength and ignored the warning signs telling him otherwise. The man grabbed the doorjamb with his right hand. He swung his lumbering body backward, expecting to bowl over his smaller escort and what? Make a run for it through a police barracks filled with armed troopers? Bobby ducked left, stuck out his foot, and watched the overweight executive slam to the floor. The man landed with an impressive crash and a few troopers paused long enough to clap their hands at the free show.

“I’m going to fucking sue!” the drunken ad exec screamed. “I’m going to sue you, your commanding officer, and the whole fucking state of Massachusetts. I’ll own this joint. You hear me?
I’ll fucking own your ass
!”

Bobby jerked the big guy to his feet. Rich exec screamed a fresh round of obscenities, possibly because of the way Bobby was pinching the man’s thumb. Bobby shoved the man into the holding cell and slammed the door.

“If you’re gonna puke, please use the toilet,” Bobby informed him, because by now the man had turned a little green. The rich executive flipped him off. Then he doubled-over and vomited on the floor.

Bobby shook his head. “Rich prick,” he muttered.

Some days were like that, particularly in November.

Now it was shortly after ten p.m. The rich ad exec had been bailed out by his overpriced lawyer, the holding cell was washed down, and Bobby’s shift, which had started at seven a.m., was finally done. He should go home. Give Susan a buzz. Catch some sleep before his alarm went off at five, and the whole joyous process started once more.

Instead he was jittery in a way that surprised himself. Too much adrenaline buzzing in his veins, when he was a man best known for being cool, calm, and collected.

Bobby didn’t go home. Instead he traded in his blues for jeans and a flannel shirt, then headed for the local bar.

At the Boston Beer Garden, fourteen other guys were sitting around the U-shaped bar, smoking cigarettes and nursing draft beer while zoning out in front of flat-screen TVs. Bobby nodded to a few familiar faces, waved his hand at the sixty-year-old bartender, Carl, then took an empty seat a bit down from the rest. Sally brought him his usual order of nachos. Carl hand-delivered his Coke.

“Long day, Bobby?”

“Same old, same old.”

“Susan coming in?”

“Practice night.”

“Aye, the concert. Two weeks, right?” Carl shook his head. “Beautiful and talented. I’ll tell you again, Bobby — she’s a keeper.”

“Don’t let Martha hear you,” Bobby told him. “After watching your wife haul a keg, I don’t want to think of what she could do with a rolling pin.”

“My Martha’s also a keeper,” Carl assured him. “Mostly ’cause I fear for my life.”

Carl left Bobby alone with his Coke and nachos. Overhead, a live news bulletin was reporting on some kind of situation in Revere. A heavily-armed suspect had barricaded himself in his home after taking potshots at his neighbors. Now, Boston PD had deployed their SWAT team, and “nobody was taking any chances.”