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Lion Hudson - F Dunn C

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213 pages

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Mortal Fire winner of GOLD in Adult Romance, ForeWordBook of the Year Awards, 2012Nominated:Best Fiction Book of the Year, CRT 2012In this award-winning debut novel and the first book in The Secret Of The Journal series, historian, Emma DEresby escapes the predictable safety of her life in Cambridge to seek the journal the Seventeenth-century diary of an obscure Englishman a portion of which was left to her by her grandfather. Secreted in the library of a university in Maine, USA, the journal is Emmas lifelong obsession but, as she takes up the year-long teaching post at the university, she realises that the journal has a rival as she is irresistibly drawn to the enigmatic figure of surgeon, Matthew Lynes. As Emma evades the romantic advances of seductive colleague, Sam Weisner, she becomes aware of a more sinister presence haunting the university. Attacks on woman heighten tension on campus and Emma fears that she is the focus of a stalkers attention. Suspense mounts on the eve of Halloween with horrific consequences; but where there is darkness there must also be light. Who is Matthew Lynes and what is his connection to the journal?'If I could say one thingRead this!'Colin Dexter, creator of Inspector Morse'The sense of growing menace will have readers gripping the edge of their seats. The hairs on my neck started to rise as I realised there was only one possible answer to the mystery. A tense and accomplished debut novel blending romance with thriller.'Fay Sampson, award-winning author The Hunted Hare'I began MORTAL FIRE one winter evening, with a cup of hot chocolate near at hand. Within a few chapters the chocolate was ignored and had gone cold. CF Dunn writes vivid prose which will hold a readers attention to a riveting conclusion.'Mel Starr, author of The Unquiet Bones

Sujets

Thriller

Romance

Informations

Publié par	Lion Hudson
Date de parution	02 juin 2013
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780857213143
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0500€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

MORTAL FIRE
C. F. Dunn
Copyright 2012 by C. F. Dunn
The right of C. F. Dunn to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First published in the UK in 2012 by Monarch Books (a publishing imprint of Lion Hudson plc) Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road, Oxford OX2 8DR, England Tel: +44 (0)1865 302750 Fax: +44 (0)1865 302757 Email: monarch@lionhudson.com www.lionhudson.com
ISBN 978 0 85721 202 3 (print) ISBN 978 0 85721 313 6 (Kindle) ISBN 978 0 85721 314 3 (epub) ISBN 978 0 85721 315 0 (PDF)
Distributed by: UK: Marston Book Services, PO Box 269, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4YN USA: Kregel Publications, PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan and Hodder & Stoughton Limited. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society. UK trademark number 1448790.
British Library Cataloguing Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Cover images: Eye - Christian Weigel/Corbis; Smoke - iStockphoto/ Claudio Rossol; Books - iStockphoto/Diane Diederich.
For Cinders and my family, without whom
Truth is what we make it. We believe what we want to believe, see what we want to see; but when reality is thrust upon us, we are faced with the ultimate dilemma: to acknowledge it - or to run.
Contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Epigraph

Acknowledgments

Characters
Chapter

1. Of Magic and Monsters

2. The Reception

3. The Library

4. Trial by Ordeal

5. Maelstrom

6. Sleeping Dogs

7. Besieged

8. Cause and Effect

9. The Diner

10. In Translation

11. Almost Human

12. The Journal

13. A Waiting Game

14. All Saints

15. From Darkness

16. Into Light

17. Breaking Point

18. Complications

19. Incoming

20. Balancing Act

21. Witness

22. Lines of Engagement

23. Beyond Reason

Abyss (Chapter 1 of Death Be Not Proud)
Acknowledgments

Loving thanks to my parents for their unswerving encouragement, and unbounded enthusiasm for punctuation and a good story. For my patient readers - especially Dee Prewer, for honing her editorial skills on my nascent writing, and her delicate candour, which kept me on a literary straight-and-narrow. For Lisa Lewin, who could see the wood for the trees, and Kate who saw them with me in Maine. For Sophie, who kept the home fires burning, and Tim, my erstwhile guide to the Web.
Also in the UK, Chris Pringle of Spencer Thorn Bookshop, Bude, whose support led to a meeting of ways worthy of its own story. Huge thanks to Tony Collins, editor at Monarch, for his patience, guidance and leap of faith in taking on a complete unknown. For author Pen Wilcock, and her twin attributes of keen insight and encouraging voice. For Jenny Ward, also at Monarch, for seeing the process through, and for Swati Gamble, who helped get me started. I also owe much to Mike Chew and MaryAnn Good for their connections and help in Stamford, and to Sherry Kenyon for authenticating detail with such zest.
Special thanks to author Colin Dexter, for his generous gift of time, experience, and wisdom, and to writers Fay Sampson, Taylor Holden, and Mel Starr for taking time out of their busy schedules to endorse this book. Gratitude also, to Dr Kiki O Neill-Byrne, Consultant Psychiatrist, for her advice on psychopathic disorder, and to numerous people for information along the way.
In the USA, my thanks to Noelle Pederson at Kregel. In Maine, to innkeeper and chef, Keith A. Neubert - our host at the Inn at Long Lake, Naples - and his staff, whose hospitality, delectable Hermit Bars and apple cider kept us warm in a glorious New England fall. To Norm Forgey, Maine Day Trip, for expanding our horizons up to Rumford in comfort, for his information on black bears and dead skunks (but alas, no moose), and to all who made our stay a home from home.
My appreciation to Warner Bros for The Last Samurai , and Hans Zimmer for his soundtrack, that supplied the rhythms behind many of my scenes.
And above all to my husband, Richard, whose unstinting forbearance and military technical advice I plundered at will, and our daughters, who have lived the writing of this book with me every step of the way.
Characters

ACADEMIC & RESEARCH STAFF AT HOWARD S LAKE COLLEGE, MAINE
Emma D Eresby, Department of History (Medieval and Early Modern)
Elena Smalova, Department of History (Post-Revolutionary Soviet Society)
Matias Lidstr m, Faculty of Bio-medicine (Genetics)
Matthew Lynes, surgeon, Faculty of Bio-medicine (Mutagenesis)
Sam Wiesner, Department of Mathematics (Metamathematics)
Madge Makepeace, Faculty of Social Sciences (Anthropology)
Siggie Gerhard, Faculty of Social Sciences (Psychology)
Saul Abrahms, Faculty of Social Sciences (Psychology of Functional Governance)
Colin Eckhart, Department of History (Renaissance and Reformation Art)
Kort Staahl, Department of English (Early Modern Literature)
Megan, research assistant, Bio-medicine
Sung, research assistant, Bio-medicine
The Dean, Stephen Shotter
MA STUDENTS
Holly Stanhope; Josh Feitel; Hannah Graham; Aydin Yilmaz; Leo Hamell
IN CAMBRIDGE
Guy Hilliard, Emma s former tutor
Tom Falconer, Emma s friend
EMMA S FAMILY
Hugh D Eresby, her father
Penny D Eresby, her mother
Beth Marshall, her sister
Rob Marshall, her brother-in-law
Alex & Flora, her twin nephew and niece
Nanna, her grandmother

Mike Taylor, friend of the family
MATTHEW S FAMILY
Harry Lynes, his nephew
Ellie Lynes, his niece
Chapter 1
Of Magic and Monsters

I T MUST HAVE HAPPENED only minutes before.
The startled birds still circling above the tree from which they had risen were the only witnesses to the last moments of the woman s life. The impact tore the door from her car and from the twisted remains her eyes stared sightless, lifeless. Shredded shards of metal pierced the airbag - now a pale deflated bladder onto which her slow blood dripped.
A single uniformed officer bent over and picked up a small card from the edge of a wheel rut already filling with water. He flicked it on his finger, dislodging muddy drops from its plastic surface. He looked up at the sound of the engine and raised his hand.
Hey, Frank! My cab driver called to the officer from his rolled-down window as he slowed just yards from the scene. What s up?
The policeman ambled towards us. Hi, Al, he greeted him. She must ve skidded on all this mud hereabouts. Reckon she was using her cell at the time. Lost control.
He toed a shiny black mobile, its blue-lit face more alive than she would ever be. The cab driver grunted morosely.
Darn technological revolution. Where s she from?
The officer flipped the card again, then wiped his thumb over the stubborn mud-smeared surface, straining at the tiny print.
San Diego. She s a long way from home.
He stared at the photo, then at the dead woman, canting his head to get a better look. Sure is a shame, hey, Al? Bit of a looker too. What a waste.
Huh, she s from away! Wouldn t you know it; darn foreigner wouldn t be used to our roads. Al sniffed, prepared to hawk out of the window, thought better of it. His eyes slid towards mine in the rear-view mirror. Not that I got anything gainst foreigners, you know?
San Diego , Al, not San Salvador.
Yeah - might as well be - she ain t a Mainer, anyhow.
A second car drew up behind the police vehicle, reflecting brief sun and blinding me momentarily as the driver s door opened. Squinting, Frank looked over his shoulder and, seemingly satisfied this newcomer was no random rubbernecker, nodded to the stranger once, then resumed his conversation.
Where re you off to?
Al shifted the gear and the car s engine made ready-to-go noises. I urged him silently to leave; the image of the mutilated wreckage lingered, sickened. A figure now bent into the shadowed interior; the wreck slid a fraction.
I m taking this lady to Howard s Lake. I d better be goin ; I ve got another fare to pick up at eleven.
The officer let out a low whistle.
That college place, huh? He leaned down and shaded his eyes against the light, peering into the back of the cab where I sat. He acknowledged me then looked back at his friend. You take care on them roads, Al; the bridge is almost under water this side of town. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. Don t want to end up like her. He gave me another curious glance as if I had grown two heads in the intervening seconds since he last looked, and patted the roof of the cab.
Distracted by movement, my focus shifted. In the shroud of the car, the man carefully rested the body of the woman against her seat; gently - almost reverently - folding the fabric of her torn skirt over her legs and closing her eyes. As if he cared; as if she mattered. The car suddenly shifted, jerked, metal razoring his bare arm. Before I could react, the man pulled his arm free, shot a look in our direction, and turned his back. But it wasn t the expression on his face as he turned away, nor the almost casual disregard as he covered his arm with his jacket, but my sudden shock of recognition as the sun struck his hair that left me speechless.
As the cab pulled away, leaving the officer to collect the scattered contents of the woman s life, I wondered in a passing thought at the deceptions conjured from a distan