Spotlight & Giveaway: Her Second Death by Melinda Leigh

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Melinda Leigh’s new release: Her Second Death

In this short-story prequel to the Bree Taggert series by #1 Amazon Charts and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh, a murder investigation yields parallels to the Philly detective’s own frightening past.

 
When a man is shot in the head, Bree Taggert and her new partner, veteran detective Dana Romano, respond to the call. They break the news to the victim’s ex-wife and learn the estranged couple’s five-year-old daughter was supposed to have been with him.
 
What starts as a murder investigation quickly morphs into a desperate search for a missing child. The case stirs memories of Bree’s own traumatizing childhood. To find the little girl, Bree will have to relive her own terrifying past.

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from Her Second Death 

Bree could have run the mile to the victim’s residence faster than they drove in morning rush-hour traffic. Romano pulled to the curb in front of a block of rowhomes that directly fronted the sidewalk. They stepped out of the vehicle.

Bree studied the crumbling brick facade. Thick utility wires hung overhead. She scanned the doors for numbers. “Looks like she rents the basement apartment.”

Cracked concrete steps led to the lower unit. A freshly painted robin’s-egg-blue front door made the rest of the block look older and more worn.They went down, and Bree knocked on the front door. She heard footsteps on the other side.A curtain shifted in the window next to the door. A few seconds later, the door opened, and a young woman eyed them with suspicion.

According to Kelly Tyson’s motor vehicle records, she was twenty-three years old, but she could have passed for early thirties. She was tall and bony, with sallow skin that said she didn’t get outside much. Her shoulder-length blonde hair sported three inches of dark roots. Worry lines etched the corners of her mouth and eyes.

“We’re Detectives Taggert and Romano.” Bree opened her badge wallet and turned it toward the young woman. “Are you Kelly Tyson?” she asked, even though the woman matched her driver’s license photo.

Nodding, Mrs. Tyson crossed her arms and chewed on her thumbnail. Her fingernails were bitten far below the quick, and her cuticles looked like they’d been through a meat grinder. In a heavy sweatshirt and yoga pants, she shivered in the doorway.

“Are you married to James Tyson?” Romano asked.

“Yeah, but he doesn’t live here anymore.” Mrs. Tyson stepped back and grabbed the door, preparing to close it.

“May we come inside, Mrs.Tyson?” Bree asked.

“No.” Mrs.Tyson lifted her chin in a defiance that seemed permanent. “Whatever James did, it’s got nothing to do with me.”

“May we please come inside?” Bree asked. “It’s freezing, and we’d rather not have this discussion in public.”

“A’ight.” Mrs.Tyson stepped into the house.

Romano and Bree followed her into a tiny living room– kitchen combination. The apartment was long and narrow. The air held the permanent chill of a basement. Off the main living space, a door opened into a small bathroom. Behind that, it appeared as if there were two bedrooms the size of walk-in closets. Despite the cramped quarters, there was an obvious attempt to keep the place tidy. The worn couch was draped with blankets. A stack of milk crates in the corner contained children’s toys and books.

“Mrs.Tyson,” Romano began.

“Call me Kelly.” But Kelly didn’t sit down or relax. She stood just inside the apartment, barely giving Bree room to close the door. Kelly knew something was wrong.

“Do you want to sit down?” Bree asked.

Kelly shook her head. “Just say it. What happened?”

“I regret to inform you that James was killed very early this morning.” Romano gave her the news straight up.

Mrs.Tyson just stared, as if she didn’t know whether she should believe them. “What?”

“We’re sorry for your loss,” Romano said.

The color drained from Kelly’s face as she absorbed the news. “Lena was with James overnight. Where’s my daughter?”

Excerpt. ©Melinda Leigh. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

Giveaway: A digital copy of HER SECOND DEATH by Melinda Leigh.

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Meet the Author:

#1 Amazon Charts and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. Melinda’s debut novel, She Can Run, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. She’s garnered numerous writing awards, including two RITA nominations. Her other novels include She Can Tell, She Can Scream, She Can Hide, and She Can Kill in the She Can series; Midnight Exposure, Midnight Sacrifice, Midnight Betrayal, and Midnight Obsession in the Midnight novels; Hour of Need, Minutes to Kill, and Seconds to Live in the Scarlet Falls series; Say You’re Sorry, Her Last Goodbye, Bones Don’t Lie, What I’ve Done, Secrets Never Die, and Save Your Breath in the Morgan Dane series; and the Bree Taggert novels, Cross Her Heart, See Her Die, Drown Her Sorrows, and Right Behind Her. She holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo karate, has taught women’s self-defense, and lives in a messy house with her family and a small herd of rescue pets. For more information, visit www.melindaleigh.com.