Buried Cold Case Secrets
by Sami A. Abrams
on-sale Dec.28
Love Inspired Suspense
Blurb:
Recovering her missing memories could be the key to solving a murder.
Searching for her best friendโs remains could help forensic anthropologist Melanie Hutton regain her memories of when they were both kidnappedโunless the killer gets to Melanie first. For her safety, Melanie must rely on Detective Jason Cooper, who still blames her for his sisterโs death. Can Jason set the past aside to solve the cold-case murderโฆand shield Melanie from the same fate?
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/buried-cold-case-secrets-sami-a-abrams/1139453334?ean=9781335722867ย
Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335554789_buried-cold-case-secrets.html
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Excerpt:
โDoes it still hurt?โ
She jumped.
โDidnโt mean to startle you. Guess I have a habit of doing that.โ Jason rested against the neighboring tree.
Several deep breaths later, she forced a smile. โItโs okay.โ
He narrowed his gaze and studied her a moment. โWell? Does it?โ
โA little.โ Truthfully, a lot, but Jason didnโt need to know that. โI, uh, wanted to thank you for watching out for me today.โ
โJust doing my job.โ The muscles in his neck and shoulders tensed.
โWe both know itโs more than that.โ She wiped her hand down her face. โJason. Weโre going to be working together for the foreseeable future. Do you think we can call a truce, at least while we do our jobs?โ
His jaw twitched, and he remained silent.
Sheโd asked a lot, but the strain between them had to stop. She watched him for a few minutes then shook her head.
โNever mind.โ She pushed from the trunk and limped to the hole in the ground. Her lead-filled heart threatened to drop to her feet. To think that fifteen years ago, sheโd had a crush on him. Heโd teased her and Allison, but heโd never allowed others to speak unkind words to them. If only she could return to those carefree days. The days before she had died on the inside and her friend had died for real.
Someday, Allison, Iโll find your body. I promise.
She swiped the wetness from her cheeks and lowered herself into the grave. The movement mimicked her mood. She picked up her trowel and searched for more bones.
An hour later, Melanieโs headache had become unbearable, causing her stomach to roil. Just what she needed, to lose her lunch in front of Jason. Scanning the grave, she spotted the paintbrush she used for delicate work. She grasped the handle, but dropped it. She tried again, but her fingers refused to cooperate. Her eyelids grew heavy. Something was off. She sat on the edge of the hole.
โJason, help.โ Her words were slurred. She struggled to stay upright. The trees in front of her blurred and swayed.
He kneeled down and came face-to-face with her. โWhatโs wrong?โ
โI donโt know.โ
โHelp me out here. Whatโs the last thing you did?โ
โIโIโฆโ She struggled against the gray cloud jumbling her thoughts. โTook a break a while ago. Only digging since.โ
His gaze flew to a spot behind her.
She wilted into him. Her vision tunneled, and darkness closed in.
โKeith! Grab the cooler and her bag!โ
Jasonโs frantic voice registered, but her body had shut down.
His warm arms lifted her. Her head bobbed and landed on his shoulder.
Her cheek bounced against his chest in cadence with the pounding of his feet on the path.
His rhythmic breathing was the last thing she heard before the world went dark.
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Author Info:
Two-time Genesis winner Sami A. Abrams and her husband live in Northern California, but sheโll always be a Kansas girl at heart. She enjoys visiting her two grown children and spoiling their sweet fur babies. Most evenings, if Samiโs not watching sports, youโll find her engrossed in a romantic suspense novel. She thinks a crime plus a little romance is the recipe for a great story. Visit her at http://www.samiaabrams.com.
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