Save Her Soul: An absolutely unputdownable crime thriller and mystery novel (Detective Josie Quinn Book 9)
Page 32
Josie looked up to see Sawyer Hayes. When she didn’t take his hand, he shook it at her. “Take my hand,” he said. “Get in.”
She let him pull her in and once on the floor of the boat, her body snapped in on itself, trying to expel the last of the dirt and water she’d breathed in. Through watery eyes, she saw Gretchen lose her grip on a wild Marisol Dutton. Marisol disappeared beneath the water. The boat operator was already getting close to Gretchen. Hayes lifted her into the boat. Beside Josie, Gretchen’s body was racked with spasms as she, too, coughed and hacked. Finally, they both collapsed against the inside of the boat. Josie looked down to see a streak of blood soaking through her jeans. She’d definitely popped the stitches in her leg this time. Along the shoreline, where the trees had fallen, Connie held fast to a large branch. Beyond her, on firm land, her little dog ran back and forth, barking. The boat steered in Connie’s direction and picked her up.
“Marisol,” Josie gasped. “Where is she?”
Sawyer shook his head. “I don’t know. She went under.”
“We have to get her.”
“I just watched her try to kill you.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Josie said. “I—”
He held up a hand to silence her. He unsnapped his helmet, took it off and threw it onto the floor of the boat. “I know,” he said. “You don’t leave anyone behind. Dead or alive.”
Then he jumped into the water.
Fifty
Josie stood in front of Ray’s headstone watching the cemetery staff prepare to lower Beverly Urban’s coffin into the plot next to his. Glancing behind her, Josie lifted a hand and waved to the people assembled there. None of them were related to her but all of them were family. Noah, Lisette, Misty, Gretchen, Mettner, Chief Chitwood, and even Amber Watts had shown up—all to pay their respects to Beverly and Vera Urban. Once Sawyer had rescued Marisol from the moat, he’d revived her with CPR. She’d spent a few days in the hospital before turning herself in to police at the direction of her attorney. The details of the plea bargain she was after were still being worked out between her lawyer and the District Attorney but in the meantime, she’d agreed to pay all funeral arrangements for both Beverly and Vera. Josie had chosen the plots and luckily, there were two available right beside Ray.
Beverly would finally get what she wanted. In death she’d be with the boy she’d pined after for all of eternity. She’d have a proper burial and Josie would care for her grave just as she cared for Ray’s. Vera had been buried an hour earlier and with both women being interred on the same day, only a few feet apart, Josie had chosen to have a small ceremony.
One of the workers gave a wave to indicate that the mourners should pay their final respects and the others stepped up beside Josie. Misty had brought flowers and she handed them out to each person. They each took a moment to place one on top of Beverly’s coffin before walking off toward their vehicles. Josie and Noah hung back, watching as Gretchen and Chief Chitwood assisted Lisette and Mettner held Amber’s elbow each time her heels sank into the grass.
Josie felt a tickle at the back of her neck. She turned and saw her twin sister, Trinity, several yards away. Unable to suppress her grin, Josie broke away from the funeral party and jogged over to her, throwing her arms around her sister.
“Whoa,” Trinity said into Josie’s hair. “I missed you too.”
Josie let go and stepped back. They looked each other up and down. Trinity said, “Are we wearing the same little black dress?”
Josie laughed. “Looks that way. What are you doing here?”
Trinity linked her arm with Josie’s. “I thought you needed me.”
Josie raised a brow. “No, that’s not it.”
Now Trinity laughed. “Okay, that’s not it. I have news. It looks like I’m going to get my own network show.”
“Trinity, that’s incredible! Congratulations, I’m so happy for you.”
“We should celebrate,” said Noah, walking up to them.
“He’s right,” Josie said. “Can you stay in town for a day or two?”
“To celebrate me?” Trinity asked. “Of course!”
She winked and headed off to say hello to Lisette.
Noah stepped up beside Josie and slid his hand into hers. They watched as Trinity was received by Lisette, Misty, and their colleagues like an old friend. Noah said, “Are you okay? Don’t tell me you’re fine. You always say that.”
Josie smiled. “I’m working on it. It’s better now that Trinity is here.”
Noah leaned over and kissed her. “That’s the first honest answer you’ve ever given to that question.”
Josie watched Trinity and Gretchen help Lisette navigate her walker through the headstones. “Noah, how would you feel about inviting my grandmother and Sawyer to dinner?”
He bobbed his head, as if considering this. “Only if you can get Misty to cook.”
She elbowed him. “I’m serious.”
He smiled. “I think that would be a good start. The foundation of something new.”
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Books by Lisa Regan
Detective Josie Quinn Series
Vanishing Girls
The Girl With No Name
Her Mother’s Grave
Her Final Confession
The Bones She Buried
Her Silent Cry
Cold Heart Creek
Find Her Alive
Save Her Soul
Available in Audio
Vanishing Girls (Available in the UK and the US)
The Girl With No Name (Available in the UK and the US)
Her Mother’s Grave (Available in the UK and the US)
Her Final Confession (Available in the UK and the US)
The Bones She Buried (Available in the UK and the US)
Her Silent Cry (Available in the UK and the US)
Cold Heart Creek (Available in the UK and the US)
Find Her Alive (Available in the UK and the US)
A Letter from Lisa
Thank you so much for choosing to read Save Her Soul. If you enjoyed it and want to keep up to date with all my latest releases, just sign up at the following link. Your email address will never be shared, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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I love hearing from readers. You can get in touch with me through any of the social media outlets below, including my website and Goodreads page. Also, if you are up for it, I’d really appreciate it if you’d leave a review and perhaps recommend Save Her Soul to other readers. Reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations go a long way in helping readers discover my books for the first time. As always, thank you so much for your support. It means the world to me. I can’t wait to hear from you, and I hope to see you next time!
Thanks,
Lisa Regan
www.lisaregan.com
Vanishing Girls
Detective Josie Quinn Book 1
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‘Wow this book blew my mind!… Utterly fantastic, I loved it. It kept me hanging on the edge of my seat unable to put it down. A huge 5 stars.’ Bonnie’s Book Talk, 5 stars
When Isabelle Coleman, a blonde, beautiful young girl goes missing, everyone from the small town of Denton joins the search. They can find no trace of the town’s darling, but Detective Josie Quinn finds another girl they didn’t even know was missing.
Mute and unresponsive, it’s clear this mysterious girl has been damaged beyond repair. All Josie can get from her is the name of a third girl and a flash of a neon tongue piercing that matches Isabelle’s.
The race
is on to find Isabelle alive, and Josie fears there may be other girls in terrible danger. When the trail leads her to a cold case labelled a hoax by authorities, Josie begins to wonder is there anyone left she can trust?
Someone in this close-knit town is committing unspeakable crimes. Can Josie catch the killer before another victim loses their life?
Utterly gripping crime for readers who adored Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Robert Dugoni. You will be sleeping with the lights on once you discover the first in this unputdownable new crime thriller series.
The Girl With No Name
Detective Josie Quinn Book 2
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Detective Josie Quinn is horrified when she’s called to the house of a mother who had her newborn baby snatched from her arms.
A woman caught fleeing the scene is Josie’s only lead, but when questioned it seems this mysterious girl doesn’t know who she is, where she’s from or why she is so terrified…
Is she a witness, a suspect, or the next victim?
As Josie digs deeper, a letter about a mix-up at a fertility clinic links the nameless girl and the missing child to a spate of killings across the county. Josie is faced with an impossible decision: should she risk the life of one innocent child to save many others… or can she find another way?
The Girl with No Name is nail-biting, twisty and impossible to put down. If you love griping thrillers from Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine, you’ll be hooked.
Her Mother’s Grave
Detective Josie Quinn Book 3
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When two young boys discover human bones buried beneath a tree in a trailer park, Detective Josie Quinn races to join her team at the scene. She used to play in those woods as a child, happier outside and away from her abusive mother, Belinda Rose.
Josie’s past crashes into her present when a rare dental condition confirms the bones belong to a teenage foster-child who was murdered thirty years ago. A girl named Belinda Rose…
Josie hasn’t seen her mother in years but, with an undeniable connection between her mother and the dead girl, does she dare try to track her down?
Just as Josie gets closer to uncovering a secret that will shatter her world forever, another body is uncovered. It’s suddenly clear that someone very close to Josie will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried forever.
As she battles the demons from her past, can Josie stop this killer before another precious life is taken?
Do you love unputdownable crime thrillers that keep you up all night? Then this gripping rollercoaster ride, perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine, will have you totally hooked!
Her Final Confession
Detective Josie Quinn Book 4
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Watching her friend dragged away in handcuffs, Josie couldn't believe for one second that Gretchen had killed that poor boy. Confession or not, someone else was involved. She would find out who…
When the body of a young student is found on the driveway of a local Denton home, a photograph pinned to his collar, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. The house belongs to Gretchen Palmer, a dedicated member of Josie’s team, missing for the last twenty-four hours.
Working around the clock, Josie is stopped in her tracks when Gretchen hands herself in to the police. She knows that there’s no way Gretchen could ever be a killer, so why would she confess to a murder she didn’t commit?
Digging deep into Gretchen’s secretive life, Josie uncovers a link between the boy, the photograph and a devastating case in Gretchen’s past. But just when Josie thinks she has it all figured out, the bodies of a young couple surface on the other side of town. Can Josie get to the truth in time to save her friend from a life in prison or certain death?
Absolutely gripping, this unputdownable crime thriller from a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author will leave you gasping for breath. A perfect read for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.
The Bones She Buried
Detective Josie Quinn Book 5
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Josie works until her arms ache, until the paramedics arrive and pull her gently away from the woman’s cold, fragile body. Noah’s voice cracks beside her as he calls the time of death for his own, beloved mother.
Arriving with her partner Noah for dinner at his family’s immaculate countryside home, Detective Josie Quinn is devastated to find Noah’s mother, Colette, lying lifeless in the back garden, her mouth clogged with soil.
Searching the house for answers, Josie’s team don’t know what to make of the rosary beads buried in the dirt near the body, or the hidden file labelled “Drew Pratt”, the small town of Denton’s most famous missing person.
As she delves deeper into Pratt’s case, Josie quickly discovers he had a brother who’s body mysteriously washed up on the banks of a river. There’s also a diary entry suggesting that Colette may have met him on the last day he was seen alive. Can Josie believe the unthinkable, that a kind old soul like Colette might have been involved in their murders? And, will Josie’s new relationship with Noah survive the accusation?
Josie’s only hope lies in tracking down Pratt’s daughter. But when she arrives at her home to find she’s been murdered just minutes before, Josie knows the real killer is one step ahead and won’t stop until Colette’s secret is buried forever. With many more innocent lives on the line, how deep is Josie prepared dig to reach the truth?
An absolutely unputdownable crime thriller that will have you up all night! If you love Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni or Rachel Caine you’re guaranteed to be hooked from page one.
Her Silent Cry
Detective Josie Quinn Book 6
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Round and round she goes, blonde pigtails flying, her high-pitched giggle catching on the wind. But as the ride slows to a stop, her seat is suddenly empty. Little Lucy is gone…
When seven-year-old Lucy Ross is snatched from the carousel in Denton city park, Detective Josie Quinn joins the frantic search. She’s the one who finds Lucy’s sparkly butterfly backpack abandoned by the ticket booth, a note with a devastating message stuffed inside: answer your phone, or your sweet little darling will die…
The next day, Lucy’s parents are filled with hope when they pick up a call which they think is from their babysitter – but instead it’s a chilling male voice on the line. Josie races to the babysitter’s small apartment only to find her lifeless body in a tangle of sheets on her bed.
Josie is faced with the most high-stakes case of her career as each new phone call from someone connected to the family ends with the shocking discovery of another body. This twisted killer wants revenge, and he won’t stop until the Ross family are in pieces…
Something is telling Josie that Lucy’s parents aren’t giving her the whole truth, but digging deeper into their lives will force her to confront a life-changing secret of her own. Does Josie have what it takes to crack this case? She has no choice if she’s going to bring Lucy home alive…
An absolutely unputdownable new crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Readers who love Robert Dugoni, Angela Marsons and Rachel Caine will be hooked until the final, jaw-dropping page.
Cold Heart Creek
Detective Josie Quinn Book 7
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As the sun rises, the last glow of the campfire is just visible through the mist and the trees. The young couple are laid out on their backs beside the small blue tent, their hands clasped between them, their eyes open, their hearts cold…
When a park ranger stumbles across the bodies of newlyweds Valerie and Tyler Yates by a creek in the small town of Denton, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. Still reeling from the news that her abusive mother is dying, Josie suspects this is more than just accidental poisoning, and she’s right: someone jammed a crudely carved pendant necklace down Valerie’s throat before she died.
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