Nowhere to Hide
Praise for Carlene Thompson
You Can Run…
“A compelling writer who keeps the pace moving, the clues coming, and the outcome hidden until the unexpected conclusion.”
—
Night Owl Romance Reviews
If You Ever Tell
“A tense…engaging, romantic suspense thriller.”
—Harriet Klausner,
BookReview.com
Last Seen Alive
“This story has plenty of suspense and an excellent mystery.”
—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Gripping suspense.”
—Judith Kelman, bestselling author of
Hush Little Darlings
Last Whisper
“The characters are so well drawn that the reader will feel like she knows them personally. Thompson offers suspense and an intriguing mystery.”
—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
Share No Secrets
“Intriguing…brims with madness and creepy thrills.”
—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Turns and twists make you change your mind about who the killer is and the ending is a real shocker. Get this one quick.”
—
Rendezvous
“Thompson knows how to write gripping suspense and keep readers enthralled throughout. A great mystery with thrilling intrigue.”
—
Fresh Fiction
“A chilling murder mystery with lots of twists, turns, and unexpected curves…one of the best romantic mysteries I have read…a great book that you don’t want to miss.”
—
Romance Junkies
“A page-turner that will leave you on the edge of your seat…another wonderful thriller from Carlene Thompson…a must-read.”
—
A Romance Review
“An intriguing tale told in a wonderfully fresh voice. Thompson has a truly unique style that blends beautiful prose with compelling plots…this novel reads like lightning—and has the same effect on the reader…Thompson has created sharp, smart characters with motives that drive the story along. They are enough to keep the story moving at a quick pace. Her voice has a sense of rhythm and a rustic beauty that lingers in the reader’s memory.”
—
Romance Divas
“An action-filled read with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end! This story is highly detailed with an array of in-depth characters that are smart, funny, and engaging.”
—
Fallen Angel Reviews
If She Should Die
“A gripping suspense filled with romance. Ms. Thompson has the reader solving the mystery early in the novel, then changing that opinion every few chapters. [An] excellent novel.”
—
Rendezvous Review
“With engaging characters and intriguing motives, Thompson has created a smart, gripping tale of revenge, anger, and obsession.”
—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“
If She Should Die
is a riveting whodunit!”
—
Road to Romance
“In the tradition of Tami Hoag or Mary Higgins Clark, Thompson has created a gripping page-turner. The storyline is engaging and the characters’ lives are multi-dimensional. This is literally a book the reader will be unable to put down.”
—
Old Book Barn Gazette
Black for Remembrance
“Loaded with mystery and suspense…Mary Higgins Clark fans, take note.”
—
Kirkus Reviews
“Bizarre, terrifying…an inventive and forceful psychological thriller.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Gripped me from the first page and held on through its completely unexpected climax. Lock your doors, make sure there’s no one behind you, and pick up
Black for Remembrance
.”
—William Katz, author of
Double Wedding
“Thompson’s style is richly bleak, her sense of morality complex…Thompson is a mistress of the thriller parvenu.”
—
Fear
Since You’ve Been Gone
“This story will keep readers up well into the night.”
—
Huntress Reviews
Don’t Close Your Eyes
“
Don’t Close Your Eyes
has all the gothic sensibilities of a Victoria Holt novel, combined with the riveting modern suspense of Sharyn McCrumb’s
The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter
. Don’t close your eyes—and don’t miss this one.”
—Meagan McKinney, author of
In the Dark
“An exciting romantic suspense novel that will thrill readers with the subplots of a who-done-it and a legendary resident ghost seen only by children. These themes cleverly tie back to the main story line centering on the relationships between Natalie and Nick, and Natalie and the killer…Thompson fools the audience into thinking they know the murderer early on in the book. The reviewer suggests finishing this terrific tale in one sitting to ascertain how accurate are the reader’s deductive skills in pinpointing the true villain.”
—
Midwest Book Review
In the Event of My Death
“[A] blood-chilling…tale of vengeance, madness, and murder.”
—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
The Way You Look Tonight
“Thompson…has crafted a lively, entertaining read…skillfully ratchet[ing] up the tension with each successive chapter.”
—
Charleston Daily Mail
To my mother
Thanks to Anne Bensson, Keith Biggs,
Hilary Rubin, and Jennifer Weis
Contents
Prologue
“You think we should go back to the boat now?” Marissa Gray said as they leaned against the trunk of a large tulip poplar, its vibrant yellow-green flowers visible even in the dark.
Eric Montgomery traced a line of tiny kisses from behind her earlobe down her neck. “I don’t
want
to go back to the boat. I’d rather we just set up housekeeping here on the island. After all, it’s Gray’s Island. Your great-grandfather bought it.”
“My great-great-
great
-grandfather Lucian, the most antisocial leaf on the family tree. His business was in town, but every evening he came back to his domain.”
“His big house and his own little church and—let’s see—how many slaves?”
Marissa groaned. “Too many. Lucian liked using a whip on them. One died from a beating. They got their revenge by burning down his house and their quarters at the end of the Civil War. They spared the family and the church.” Marissa frowned. “Why are you so curious about Gray’s Island tonight? You’ve heard all about it before.”
“Not from the horse’s mouth.”
Marissa’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “Are you comparing me to a
horse
?” she spluttered. “Why, I
never…
”
“You never what?” Eric asked innocently before they broke into laughter, staggering a bit and clutching each other in the warm summer darkness. Eric’s arms tightened around her slim midriff covered by a thin T-shirt as her hands slid up his strong arms and clasped behind his neck. They kissed deeply before Eric slowly pulled away.
“I love your kisses, but I’m supposed to be in charge tonight. Instead, I let you seduce me away from my duties.”
Marissa rolled her blue eyes. “Your duties? I think you really mean your
charges.
You’re the cop from Philadelphia home on a summer vacation, and at twenty-five you think we’re a bunch of kids and you are the
man.
”
Eric looked at her solemnly, frowned, and then said, “You’re absolutely right. I am the Man—with a capital
M,
please.”
“Oh my! Delusions of grandeur.”
“Recognition of responsibility.”
“You’re no fun,” Marissa pouted.
Eric kissed her ear and whispered, “I can be tons of fun, and
you
of all people know it.”
“If you mean what I think you mean, I’d better be the
only
person who knows it,” Marissa whispered lazily in return, tilting her head so the ends of her dark blond hair touched Eric’s hands on her waist, half-closing her eyes, and pressing her lips against his. The kiss was slow and passionate. Marissa felt as if they were all alone in the world and incredibly lucky—both young, healthy, in love, committed.
Then Eric pulled away slightly, looked in her eyes, and groaned. “Oh hell. Sometimes I wish I were still a teenager who never heard of the word
dependable.
” He removed his hands from her waist and placed them on her shoulders, gently pushing her back a step. “We should have joined the others at least twenty minutes ago, sweetheart, not lolled around by ourselves. We’re being rude.”
Marissa’s smile disappeared. “Rude? I hate when people hide behind excuses, especially you with me, Eric. Just say you’re worried about Gretchen.”
“She is my little sister.”
“And she’s twenty-one, just like me, your
fiancée.
”
“Except that she’s not worldly-wise like you,” Eric said patiently. “She’s shy and fragile and not great at taking care of herself. She’s a musical prodigy, but in every other way…well, she’s Gretchen.”
Marissa wanted to say something to make Eric stop acting like the father of a little girl. She could think of nothing, though, probably because Gretchen had been her closest friend most of her life and to a certain degree Marissa understood how Eric felt. Gretchen had always reminded Marissa of spun sugar—sweet, delicate, and almost ephemeral. Marissa felt protective of Gretchen, too, but she thought Eric’s concern for his adult sister bordered on preoccupation.
Eric picked up the one empty beer can lying near them. “Alcoholic,” he teased. Still annoyed, Marissa ignored him. “Is your head spinning? Can you remember your name?”
Oh, all right, Marissa thought. She didn’t want to concede, but she also didn’t want to start a fight after their romantic evening. “I know my name, but I’m not sure I can recall where I live,” Marissa said lightly. “Meanwhile, you are disgustingly sober.”
“I am the pilot of your father’s very expensive cabin cruiser tonight. By law the pilot cannot drink, my dear. Also, if I had a couple of beers, I might completely lose my sense of direction and we’d end up in Jamaica two months early for our honeymoon.”
“Our vacation to Jamaica last year was the best trip of my life,” Marissa sighed. “I would
love
to end up there two months early, whether we’re married yet or not.”