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ISBN-13: 9781488029356
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 7-31-2018
Length: 384 pp
Echo Falls #3
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 7-31-2018
Length: 384 pp
Echo Falls #3
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound
Overview:
One moment Rachel Hartline is secure in her career and community. The next, she’s in the wrong place at the wrong time—watching her ex-husband commit a crime that puts her in unfathomable danger. Fear and hurt send her home to an Amish farm and the family she’s always trusted. But a private investigator is close behind—and he may be a threat to her in more ways than one…Cold, calculating Clint Mordan isn’t convinced Rachel is as innocent in her ex-husband’s schemes as she claims, but when her ex’s enemies target Rachel, Clint is driven to keep her safe. Maybe the terror in her beautiful eyes and the target on her back aren’t an act. But as his feelings toward her deepen, Clint realizes he’s the only one who can keep Rachel alive in a game where only the killer knows the stakes.
Read an excerpt:
Chapter One
The chances of catching her ex-husband at work were slipping
away as Rachel Hartline sat in rush hour Philadelphia traffic. She gripped the
steering wheel, frowning against the October sun dazzling her windshield,
willing the cars to move. Only one last thing remained to be done between her
and her ex—for Paul to sign the agreement to put their house on the market.
That would end the connection between them.
Would that end the pain of failure that had dogged her since
the divorce? Somehow she doubted it. It would take more than selling the house
they'd bought together to do that.
Rachel couldn't help wincing at the thought of putting the
house on the market, of seeing strangers walk through, commenting about her
decorating and her taste. The Craftsman bungalow in West Chester had been the
only real home she'd ever known, the only place that had been truly hers. The
prospect of losing it was a stone in her heart. Still, she had no choice. She
couldn't afford the payments on a teacher's salary.
Paul had, after much delaying, agreed to meet her after work
at his office in Attwood Industrial Designs. But the renovated warehouse that
housed the small company was in another of Philadelphia's suburbs, miles from
the charter school where she was the kindergarten teacher, and traffic on the
Blue Route was going from bad to worse.
She couldn't have gotten away any sooner, not with one of
her kindergartners standing there in tears because her mother hadn't come to
pick her up. Rachel had held her close, comforting the child with the reminder
that Mommy was on her way. She'd shaken her head at the offer of Lyn Baker, her
head teacher and close friend, to wait with her instead. Alissa was already shy
and withdrawn, struggling to adjust to a new home and a new school. Rachel couldn't
find it in her heart to leave her, even with Lyn.
Traffic finally started moving again, and Rachel fought to
control her impatience. She'd tried to call Paul from the school to let him
know she was running late, but as usual he hadn't answered, and she wouldn't
call from the car. People did, of course, but she would never take the risk of
one of her students seeing her doing something dangerous. A teacher had the
responsibility to do the right thing.
And if she didn't settle this today…well, she'd just have to
hope Paul had waited.
When she pulled into the nearly deserted parking lot, she
glanced at her watch. Half an hour late. Well, she waited longer than that for
Paul. Rachel slid out and hurried to the door, but a yank told her it was
locked.
Suppressing the urge to pound, she pulled out her cell and
keyed in a quick text. Paul might still be in the building. She waited, seconds
ticking away, for a response that didn't come. Of course not. Paul was a past
master at avoiding unpleasantness. If something threatened to be uncomfortable,
he'd slide out of it with that charm that had captivated her the first time she
met him. But charm, she'd discovered, did not mean a man was marriage material.
Glaring at the glass panel in the door, she started to turn
away when she caught a glimpse of movement inside. Charlie Booth, the elderly
security guard, was coming slowly around the corner from the workrooms. She
pounded again, and then waved frantically.
Charlie looked, did a double take, and then hurried to the
door. In a moment it swung open, and Charlie stepped back in invitation.
"Ms. Hartline. Haven't seen you in an age." His
broad smile slipped, as he obviously remembered why he hadn't seen her. "I
mean…"
"I know. It's all right."
She was touched by his concern. Charlie was probably not the
most effective security guard in the world, with his failing vision and his
tendency to fall asleep on the job. But he'd been with James Attwood from the
beginning, and Attwood showed an unexpected loyalty to the old man.
"I was supposed to meet Paul here after work, but I'm
late. Do you know if he's still in?"
She nodded upward, toward the offices on the second floor.
The rest of the sprawling cement block building was taken up by the workshops,
where Attwood's designs were implemented and tested.
"Haven't seen him leave," Charlie said, and then
turned toward the desk as the phone began to ring. "If you can wait until
I get that…"
"No need to trouble yourself." Rachel hurried
toward the metal stairs that were probably left over from warehouse days. She
was eager to get this over with. "If he's not there, I'll be right back
down."
For a moment Charlie looked as if he'd object, but then he
nodded, grabbing the phone.
Already halfway up, Rachel hurried on, through the glass door
that led to the executive assistant's domain.
No one was there, and that in itself was a relief. Claire
Gibson—an elegant, polished redhead—always made Rachel feel like a grubby
teenager. Not, she had to admit, that she looked all that great in her school
garb of khaki pants and a cotton sweater, her long hair in a braid, but a
kindergarten teacher had to dress for practicality and for small, sometimes
grubby, hands tugging at her.
No lights were on, but enough illumination came from the
high windows to see that the complex of offices had a deserted look. Rachel let
out a long breath. It was quiet, almost too quiet for comfort. Always before
she'd been here during the work day, when all the doors were open and the
clatter of metal could be heard from the workrooms. The stillness seemed wrong,
like the school building when emptied of its cargo of lively young bodies and
high voices.
Shaking off the thought, Rachel crossed to Paul's office and
eased open the door, her rubber-soled shoes making no sound on the carpet. No
one was there. As marketing director, Paul often worked odd hours, but
apparently not today. He'd always said he had to adjust his schedule to the
whims of Attwood, whom he described as an eccentric genius who was going to
make them all rich.
If Attwood did, Paul would gamble his share away, just as he
had already gambled away practically everything else they'd owned. So far, it
seemed his compulsive gambling hadn't affected his work. Maybe gambling was
easier to hide than some other addictions.
She crossed to the desk, thinking of leaving a note. No,
better not. A note would be too easily ignored. She'd send Paul a text and
insist on a meeting tomorrow. If he didn't respond to the text, she'd keep
calling him until he found it easier to deal with her than avoid her.
Funny, that he was dragging his heels on this final step of
severing what had been between them. They'd been apart for over a year. She'd
actually expected him to be eager to get his hands on his share of the house's
value.
Heading toward the outer office she closed the door behind
her, not giving in to the impulse to see if he'd replaced the photo of her on
his desk with something else. It wasn't her concern, not anymore.
The smallest of sounds reached her—no more than a click, coming
from Attwood's office. Chilled, she froze where she was. It might be foolish,
but she'd always been awed and a bit intimidated by James Attwood. It wasn't
the genius part that troubled her. The man had the coldest pair of eyes she'd
ever seen, and he looked at other people as if they were a lower form of life.
She was not eager to explain what she was doing here to him.
Rachel had made up her mind to retreat as quickly as
possible when a muttered exclamation, in a voice she knew only too well,
reached her. Paul. He was still here. But what was he doing in Attwood's
darkened office?
She didn't care. He was here, and at least she'd be able to
settle with him. Hand on her bag where the contract rested, she moved quickly
to the office.
As she touched the knob, some instinct made her hesitate.
What was Paul doing in Attwood's office? Something he preferred to do without
turning a light on, it seemed.
Rachel turned the knob gently and eased the door open a
couple of inches. Paul stood at Attwood's computer, an oddly furtive look on
his face. His fingers were on a flash drive inserted in the computer.
"Paul! What are you doing?"
He jerked compulsively at the sound of her voice. Rachel
pushed the door the rest of the way open, staring at him.
The hastily arranged smile he gave her was a dead giveaway.
She'd seen that same smile too often before, such as when she'd caught him
taking the only piece of valuable jewelry, a diamond bracelet he'd given her,
from her jewelry box.
"Rachel. I'd about given up on you. I thought you were
eager to get my signature."
"Never mind about me. Why are you copying something
from Attwood's computer?"
"This?" He pulled out the flash drive and slid it
into his pocket. "Nothing, nothing. James asked me to look over some
thoughts he had on a new project."
He turned away for a moment to exit the file, but Rachel had
seen enough. Paul had lied to her so often that she couldn't fail to recognize
the symptoms, and her stomach churned. How had she ever been so naïve as to
believe him at all? For a woman who claimed she valued honesty above every
other trait, she'd been remarkably stupid about Paul.
He came toward her. "Did you bring the papers?"
It wasn't her business, not any longer. She should just get
his signature and walk away. But somehow she couldn't.
"I don't believe you. Honestly, Paul, of all the
foolish tricks--I thought this company was everything you'd always wanted. If
Attwood finds out you've been in his files…"
Paul opened his mouth, probably to deny it, but no words
came. Rachel heard the sound at the same time he did. Footsteps, moving slowly
up the metal stairs. Charlie was coming to see what was taking her so long.
Before she realized what he was up to, Paul had shoved her
out into the reception area and was hurrying toward the door that led to the
cavernous work area.
"Don't say anything," he whispered. "Please,
Rachel. I'll call you and explain. Just don't give me away."
He was gone before she could refuse to tell any lies for
him. Not that he'd have believed her anyway. That sweetly boyish smile of his
had been getting him out of trouble all his life. Even now, he couldn't believe
she was immune.
Fighting down the urge to throw something, Rachel reached
the outer door before Charlie could. He stopped partway up, looking at her with
a question in his face.
"I'm so sorry." She hurried down to him. "I
didn't mean to make you walk clear up here."
"No problem." He let her precede him down the
flight. "Paul gone already?"
She nodded. That, at least, had the virtue of being true. He
was gone by now.
"I'll have to call him later." He had a lot of
explaining to do. "So how's your grandson? This is his senior year of high
school, isn't it?"
A glance over her shoulder told her that Charlie's lined
face was wreathed in smiles. "That's right. Out for track, he is, and with
a good chance for a scholarship, the coach says."
Rachel responded appropriately, and the talk of his
grandson's prowess on the track and in the classroom lasted until Charlie had
locked the outer door behind her. Only then could she let the smile slide from
her face.
Paul was in trouble. She had no doubt about that, because
she'd seen it too often in the five years they'd been married. He was in
trouble, and thanks to her deplorable sense of timing, she'd landed herself
right in the middle of it.
Editorial Reviews
05/21/2018In Perry’s mild third and final Echo Falls romantic thriller (after Sound of Fear), Rachel Hartline’s orderly life in Philadelphia is turned upside down when her ex-husband, Paul, abruptly disappears along with some potentially valuable proprietary information he’s stolen from his company. When she’s attacked a short time later, a frightened Rachel temporarily seeks refuge among her Amish family in Echo Falls, Pa. Clint Mordan, the former cop hired by Paul’s employer to find him, follows her, suspecting her of hiding Paul and his secrets. Rachel’s loving relationship with her Amish family gives the story genuine heart, and the guarded attraction between Rachel and Clint, which blooms into a chaste love, underscores Perry’s ability to create emotional depth and vulnerability in her characters. She’s less successful, however, at creating intricate plot lines or characters with convincing investigative acumen. Though the suspense isn’t all that suspenseful, the gentle romance will win readers’ hearts. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Browne & Miller Literary. (July)Publishers Weekly
"This novel is a winning mix of Amish culture, small-town ambience and nerve-jangling mystery." -BookPage on When Secrets Strike
"Abundant details turn this Amish romantic thriller series launch into a work of art." -Publishers Weekly on Where Secrets Sleep (Starred Review)
"Crisp writing and distinctive characters make up Perry's latest novel. Where Secrets Sleep is a truly entertaining read." -RT Book Reviews
"Perry weaves a deft tale, taking a solid traditional cozy mystery plot and melding it nicely with a largely chaste romance." –Publishers Weekly on When Secrets Strike
Perry's story hooks you immediately. Her uncanny ability to seamlessly blend the mystery element with contemporary themes makes this one intriguing read.-RT Book Reviews on Home by Dark
"Perry skillfully continues her chilling, deceptively charming romantic suspense series with a dark, puzzling mystery that features a sweet romance and a nice sprinkling of Amish culture."-Library Journal on Vanish in Plain Sight
"Marta Perry illuminates the differences between the Amish community and the larger society with an obvious care and respect for ways and beliefs....She weaves these differences into the story with a deft hand, drawing the reader into a suspenseful, continually moving plot."-Fresh Fiction on Murder in Plain Sight
"Leah's Choice is a knowing and careful look into Amish culture and faith. A truly enjoyable reading experience." -Angela Hunt, New York Times bestselling author of Let Darkness Come
"Leah's Choice is a story of grace and servitude as well as a story of difficult choices and heartbreaking realities. It touched my heart. I think the world of Amish fiction has found a new champion."
-Lenora Worth, author of Code of Honor
Marta Perry delivers a strong story of tension, fear and trepidation... An excellent mystery that's certain to keep you in constant suspense. While love is a powerful entity in this story, danger is never too far behind. -RT Book Reviews, Top Pick, on Season of Secrets"
Books in the Series
Meet Marta:
It sounds interesting :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good. Thanks for sharing my friend :)
ReplyDeleteSounds good suspense/mystery/romance and its tempting!
ReplyDeleteI've read one of her Amish romance series before and loved it so maybe I'll try this mild suspense one. Good to know that the investigative part might be a bit shy.
ReplyDeleteAnother that looks good. I think I'd seen Sophia mention her before.
ReplyDelete