Next Girl to Die

by Dea Poirier

  I push up from the small table in the kitchen of Noah’s room and walk across it. The blinds in the window are open, snow swirling from the clouds in a curtain of white. But it’s not the scene outside I’m looking for. Instead I angle myself to see my reflection—and for once, I don’t see Rachel standing there but myself with Noah framed behind me. For the first time it’s not the specter of the past I see; it’s the future ahead of me.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you to the incredible editors who helped me with this book. Megha Parekh—thank you for seeing what Next Girl to Die could become. And Charlotte Herscher, thank you for helping me take this story to the next level. And of course—to the rest of the Thomas & Mercer team and everyone at Amazon Publishing, your work and support on this project are so very appreciated. Thank you for everything that you do.

  Thank you to my amazing literary agent, Laura Bradford, for believing in me and always being there. Without you, this book would not have been possible.

  To the best critique partner on the planet and one of the best friends I have ever had, Elesha Teskey—without you NONE of my books would have been possible. Thank you for listening, reading, and helping me make sense of every dumpster-fire draft.

  Thank you to Stephen J. Nelson, MD, medical examiner for Polk County, Florida, for answering my questions about autopsies and investigations—your expertise was invaluable.

  To Jodi Gallegos, thank you for answering my weird medical questions and for being a beta reader for this book.

  To my other beta readers, Layla Reyne and Sarah K. Stephens, thank you so much for reading Next Girl to Die and helping me on my way to publishing it.

  To my husband, thank you for everything.

  To my mom, kiss noise. Please rip out the sex scenes before you let anyone else in the family read this.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Dea Poirier was raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she found her passion during a creative writing course. She studied computer science and political science at the University of Central Oklahoma. She later spent time living on both coasts and traveling the United States before finally putting down roots in central Florida. She now resides somewhere between Disney and the swamp with her husband, son, two dogs, and two cats.