by Zoe Sharp
DP Lyle MD is my first port of call for all medical information and he came up trumps yet again; Douglas Giacobbe provided SWAT info; Robin Burcell told me how the LAPD would conduct an interview; Linda L Richards pointed me in the direction regarding the behaviour of cults; travel consultant Chris Sagar explained how to transport a corpse from one country to another; Stuart and Fiona MacBride gave me a virtual tour of the seedier side of Aberdeen; JT Ellison very kindly corrected my accidental Britishisms, and my UK copyeditors corrected just about everything else.
I’d also like to thank everyone on the www.Murderati.com blog site, who diligently answered obscure questions like how the doors operate on a Gulfstream G550 and the availability of free walk-in medical clinics in Manhattan.
Of course, the real hard work to make something of this book was done by the amazing team at my literary agents, Gregory and Company, including Jane Gregory herself, Stephanie Glencross, Jemma McDonagh, Claire Morris and Tess Barum.
I’m immensely grateful to my UK publisher, Susie Dunlop, and all the talented crew at Allison & Busby; to my new US publishers, Pegasus and Busted Flush; and to all the sales and marketing people, and the bookstores and libraries on both sides of the Atlantic. Thank you all.
Various people read this at the early stages, and made great suggestions and comments, including Iris, Sheila and Graham from the Lune Valley Writers’ Group, Derek Harrison, Shell Willbye, and Dina Willner. And my husband, Andy, of course, read every chapter as it was written, and kept me going right to the end. You are all stars.
Finally, a big thank you to BG Ritts, who made the winning bid in the charity auction at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Baltimore, to become a character in this book. I have included her very carefully, in accordance with her instructions (I hope!) and I was delighted to do so. The auction was in aid of Viva House, a Catholic Worker House of Hospitality and Resistance, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library.
By Zoë Sharp
IN THE CHARLIE FOX SERIES
Second Shot
Third Strike
Fourth Day
Fifth Victim
About the Author
ZOË SHARP was born in Nottinghamshire, but spent most of her formative years living on a catamaran on the north-west coast of England. She opted out of mainstream education at the age of twelve and became a freelance photojournalist in 1988. She turned to crime writing after receiving death threat letters in the course of her work, which led to the creation of her no-nonsense heroine, Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Fox. The fourth book in the series, First Drop, was nominated for the 2005 Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel. Zoë lives on the edge of the Lake District, where she and her husband, a nonfiction writer, have recently self-built their own house. Zoë blogs regularly on her own website, www.zoesharp.com and also on the award-nominated www.murderati.com.
Copyright
Allison & Busby Limited
13 Charlotte Mews
London W1T 4EJ
www.allisonandbusby.com
Hardcover published in Great Britain in 2010.
Paperback edition published in 2011.
This ebook edition published in 2011.
Copyright © 2010 by ZoË SHARP
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All characters and events in this publication other than those clearly in the public domain are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent buyer.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from
the British Library.
ISBN 978–0–7490–1002–7
If you enjoyed Fourth Day, read on to find out about the
other thrillers in the Charlie Fox series…
To discover more great crime novels and to place an order
visit our website at
www.allisonandbusby.com
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SECOND SHOT
‘Scarily good. Today’s best action heroine is back with a bang. Cross your fingers and toes that she survives for future adventures – you’ll definitely want her to’
Lee Child
The latest assignment for ex-Special Forces soldier turned bodyguard Charlie Fox has her protecting Simone and her daughter Ella from the unwanted attentions of an ex-boyfriend. But from the outset Simone refuses to comply with Charlie’s security measures, putting both mother and child in grave danger.
After a bloody shoot-out in a frozen forest, Charlie is left fighting for her life. As she battles to recover from her injuries, she’s still fiercely protective of Ella, even though her actions will catapult them both back into the firing line. And this time, Charlie’s in no fit state to protect anyone, least of all herself …
Fast paced, action-packed and full of twists and turns, Second Shot is a gripping, atmospheric thriller you won’t dare put down.
THIRD STRIKE
‘The narrative moves like a banshee on speed. Charlie Fox is fast becoming the must-read heroine of mystery … Superb’
Ken Bruen
Bodyguard and ex-Special Forces soldier Charlie Fox is slowly recovering from gunshot wounds suffered during her previous assignment and is itching to prove herself to her new boss. Little does she know there’s a personal matter on the horizon that’s going to take up all of her attention.
There is no love lost between Charlie and her disapproving family. But when she finds out her father is in trouble, she immediately jumps to help him. It seems he has upset the wrong crowd and they’re using increasingly violent methods to systematically destroy the man’s immaculate reputation. But why?
It’s up to Charlie to find out and stop the situation from getting seriously out of hand …
FIFTH VICTIM
‘Zoe Sharp is the best-kept secret in crime fiction and it’s about time that changed. Miss this at your peril’
Stuart MacBride
Charlie Fox would do anything to take her mind off her partner; shot, left for dead and now lying in a coma. So concentrating on a new assignment seems like the perfect way to escape the pain, and her own empty apartment.
The job looked simple: to protect the naive daughter of an investment banker from a ruthless gang of kidnappers who prey on the children of the wealthy Long Island set. But Charlie soon finds out that defending a girl determined to put herself in danger is far from easy. And when her instincts lead her to suspect an inside job, she discovers that not everyone who mingles with the jet-set is what they seem – and the idle rich can be as ruthless as any criminal…
An electrifying tale of cross and double-cross, Fifth Victim will keep you firmly on the edge of your seat.
