скачать книгу бесплатно
Deadly Fate
Heather Graham
Alaska—the final frontier?
When Clara Avery, an entertainer working on the Fate, an Alaskan cruise ship, goes to nearby Bear Island, she comes across a scene of bloody mayhem. She also comes across Thor Erikson, who will soon be a member of the FBI’s elite paranormal unit, the Krewe of Hunters.
Thor’s been sent from the Alaska field office to investigate several grotesque killings, with the dead posed to resemble the victims of notorious murderers. The prime suspect is a serial killer Thor once put behind bars. The man escaped from a prison in the Midwest, and all the evidence says he was headed to Alaska...
Thor and Clara share an unusual skill: the ability to communicate with the dead. Their growing love—and their contact with the ghosts of the victims—brings them together to solve the case…and prevent a deadly fate of their own!
Praise for New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham
“With an astonishing ease and facility, this talented and hard-working writer can cast her stories in any genre.”
—Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels
“Once again, Heather Graham has outdone herself. The Betrayed took me on a fantastic trip to Sleepy Hollow and I’d travel with Graham anywhere… This chilling novel has everything: suspense, romance, intrigue and an ending that takes your breath away.”
—Suspense Magazine
“[Waking the Dead] is not to be missed.”
—BookTalk
“Dark, dangerous and deadly! Graham has the uncanny ability to bring her books to life, using exceptionally vivid details to add depth to all the people and places.”
—RT Book Reviews on Waking the Dead, Top Pick
“Murder, intrigue…a fast-paced read. You may never know in advance what harrowing situations Graham will place her characters in, but…rest assured that the end result will be satisfying.”
—Suspense Magazine on Let the Dead Sleep
“Graham deftly weaves elements of mystery, the paranormal and romance into a tight plot that will keep the reader guessing at the true nature of the killer’s evil.”
—Publishers Weekly on The Unseen
“Suspenseful and dark.… The transitions between past and present flow seamlessly, and the main characters are interesting and their connection to one another is believable.”
—RT Book Reviews on The Unseen
CAST OF CHARACTERS
FBI Agents
Jackson Crow, head of the Krewe of Hunters
Angela Hawkins, special agent and Jackson’s wife
Thor Erikson, new member of the Krewe
in the Alaska Field Office
Mike Aklaq, Thor’s partner
Other Law Enforcement
Reginald Enfield, Special Director, Alaska
Lieutenant Bill Meyer, Alaska State Police
The Fairy Tale Killer
Tate Morley, serial killer in Kansas,
recently escaped from prison
From the Past
Mandy Brandt, the Fairy Tale Killer’s last victim
The Alaska Hut
Marc Kimball, owner
Emmy Vincenzo, assistant/secretary
Justin and Magda Crowley, property manager
and housekeeper
Celtic American Cruise Lines—the Ship’s Entertainers
Clara Avery, actress and singer in the Fate’s original
Broadway-style musical, Annabelle Lee
Ralph Martini, older actor
Simon Green, chorus member
Larry Hepburn, young heartthrob actor
Connie Shaw, actress
The Crew of Gotcha and Vacation USA
(reality TV shows)
Natalie Fontaine, producer
Amelia Carson, TV hostess
Tommy Marchant, cameraman
Becca Marle, sound technician
Nate Mahoney, fabricator
Misty Blaine, production assistant to Natalie Fontaine
Other Characters
Astrid and Colin, Thor’s sister and brother-in-law
Natasha and Boris, Thor’s huskies
Deadly Fate
Heather Graham
www.millsandboon.co.uk
In loving memory of
my sister
Victoria Graham Davant,
who loved the wonder
and beauty of the
Great State of Alaska
Contents
Back Cover Text (#u583409f1-c56a-5ab8-a9d3-715df9661cbd)
Praise (#u3cce007c-be42-52bd-8e6b-6c1404ea7be6)
Cast of Characters (#u96f5b8f5-947e-56b3-870f-17355a55c85b)
Title Page (#ubca1dc06-6a4f-5b5f-9743-ed8c4dbc8270)
Dedication (#ub7be1121-f6fc-5906-abd4-102d4f6f9483)
Chapter 1 (#u96382be6-af08-53bb-8964-13567db2f3e0)
Chapter 2 (#u1793d14d-1508-546d-a55f-08efcd780ab5)
Chapter 3 (#u1e556238-4e1e-5b9e-9f62-b0dc33acf54a)
Chapter 4 (#u8b98ea5b-0472-53ec-ba05-5eba9d42702b)
Chapter 5 (#ud477e401-d0b0-590e-935b-d4d230438688)
Chapter 6 (#u8ff018e5-d9c0-5811-ab1f-adce591fc1d2)
Chapter 7 (#uc04cc260-3d7f-52a8-9e5c-69cfc603006c)
Chapter 8 (#u2f4df462-3d8e-5d77-9df1-106fd3ce357c)
Chapter 9 (#uddae9d8a-8274-502f-b08f-4cf67744996d)
Chapter 10 (#u1417f50b-bbb8-5612-a383-a1fbc1692bd3)
Chapter 11 (#u52baa66a-49a1-5f44-86a3-2b5fae3c240f)
Chapter 12 (#u4607d225-886c-5896-b9a7-8d9e5c64a52b)
Chapter 13 (#u85b861f2-4f81-54e0-af58-c05253ca2c04)
Chapter 14 (#u1dac5502-a041-54ee-a584-35f7647effce)
Chapter 15 (#ud9c4e73d-00e6-5eb0-9301-1c8f1762c08a)
Chapter 16 (#uccd0c462-c917-5ba3-96a0-a547c2b1504c)
Chapter 17 (#u3361a039-2c71-5c05-baee-b592db2db765)
Epilogue (#ubad836d2-7d55-5ebe-a31d-f8d1cd092d74)
Extract (#u6aa34d8c-26d0-5324-bcb4-e1475355b565)
Copyright (#u1d62c199-bc58-561d-abab-eee6b7660cd8)
1 (#uf7cabdbb-767e-507c-93db-abfd1370da9d)
She lay in beauty.
Heartbreaking beauty, for she was gone.
There was no hope of resuscitation; she was as pale as the snow-white sheets upon which she rested. Her hair was sable brown, the color of soft fur. Her lips had been highlighted with a rich shade of red, and her features were as delicate and lovely as the intricate pattern of a snowflake.
She’d been a victim of the “Fairy Tale Killer,” a man Thor Erikson had been pursuing with his partner, Jackson Crow, for months. The killer had struck in cities from New York City to San Diego, and it was in Los Angeles where they’d caught him at last. He’d been kneeling over, bending down, tenderly touching a corpse—only to turn with a Smith & Wesson pointed directly at Thor and Crow.
Thor had fired first, and then rushed to the pallet upon which the killer had displayed his “Snow White,” knowing full well that they were too late; she was gone, drained of her life’s blood.
Thor could still see her in his mind’s eye, remember when she’d arranged a meeting with him and Crow; he could hear her sincerity as she had expressed concern about a coworker who had been dating a business executive, a man who traveled constantly. Her name had been Mandy Brandt, and she’d been so very worried about her friend, who worked at the tour center with her. He remembered the gentleness of her smile, her eagerness to help in any way...
