PROLOGUE The bones come first. A gift, but nothing wanted. Next, a doll: a likeness, a promise. And the blood marks the choice. It finds a face, and then you know. Help. I need help. That’s what he said; I remember it clearly. Voices in the night, and footsteps, soft and slow on a carpet…
c h a p t e r 1 Boston—1993 It happens in November. You are walking down Beacon Street when you feel a chill settle deep within you. It’s the kind of feeling you know won’t let go till the warmest spring day arrives with plans to linger. Or perhaps you are being followed. You…
A Note from Phillip Margolin From 1972 until 1996, I had a law practice that specialized in criminal defense. During that time, I handled a number of cases that featured the testimony of experts on fingerprints, blood spatter, neutron activation analysis and other areas of science. In my opinion, you will usually win your case…
Chapter 1 “Taleggio.” I presented the younger couple with a sample of the dense, pale yellow cheese with its orange edible rind. I watched for their reaction, knowing they’d sense a pudding silkiness on their tongue just a moment before delighting in its mellow sweetness and lingering earthy aftertaste. When their smiles told me…
Chapter 1: Michael As Michael Hart rounded the corner to his hotel room, he saw a small, lifeless shape lying on the floor of the hallway. It was Teddy. Teddy’s arms were splayed open wide like the T-shape of a cross, legs straight as boards, feet pointed up at the ceiling. Still as stone, his…
Chapter One The Penthouse Robberies It was customary for my dear wife, Joanna, to situate herself at the window of our parlor at 221b Baker Street and observe the ongoings down below. On more than a few occasions the view of an individual approaching our doorstep heralded the arrival of a most intriguing case which…
A Note from Author Mindy Quigley I am not known for my cooking. Or maybe I am, but not in a good way. When my girlfriends and I used to have regular potlucks, I got put in charge of bringing the salad. Then I was demoted to buying the bread. Finally, I was told that…
4 Pamela enjoys the loose ice crystals that form when the snow starts to melt on the slopes. They make the skis’ grip almost frighteningly sharp. She and her daughter, Alice, have been using sunscreen, but they still both have a bit of color on their cheeks. Martin, on the other hand, burned his nose…
Introduction by Author: For a long time, I have been deeply fascinated by female friendships. Not least, I suppose, because of my own. The peculiar emphasis that little girls have on finding their ‘best friend’ is, at times, as intense as the pursuit of a romantic relationship in teenage years. The desire for someone to…
GEORGIA THE STORY OF ME The first story of me was written by my mother when I was four years old. (Before I had any idea that it was possible to have a story of me, or an agent representing my interests.) The book is called I Am Little and You Are Big. It is…
