The Ransom (41 page)
Authors: Chris Taylor
Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Suspense, #Thrillers, #Crime, #General, #Mystery & Detective, #Police Procedural
When twelve-year-old Daniel Logan witnesses the rape of his mother, he grabs a gun and shoots the perpetrator dead. Chase attends the scene and Daniel’s arrested and charged with murder.
A decade after graduating high school, child psychologist Josie Munro has recently returned to her hometown. When she’s appointed by the court to provide a report on Daniel’s mental capacity, it’s inevitable that she runs into the detective on the case. Unaware of the real reason why Chase ended their relationship, her anger and grief from all those years ago immediately rise to the surface.
With no choice but to carry on and complete the task she’s been given, she determines to keep Chase as far away from her as possible and get the job over with as quickly as she can.
But things aren’t that easy. If her report proves Daniel knew that shooting the perpetrator was wrong, his matter will proceed to trial. If he’s found guilty, he’ll face considerable jail time.
As Josie gets to know Daniel through therapy sessions, she realizes he knew exactly what he was doing: He meant to kill his mother’s rapist and he’s not at all sorry. She’s torn between doing what the law requires of her against what her heart knows is right. She’s also conflicted over her feelings for Chase. She wants to hate him, but she can’t.
Will she follow her head or her heart?
* * *
The Defendant
will be released on 15 March, 2015 and is AVAILABLE NOW for pre-order from Amazon.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As usual, no book comes into being without a lot of help and support by my friends and family. A world of thanks must go to my friend and fellow author Angela Bissell, critique partner extraordinaire, and a girl who loves the Munro family as much as I do.
To Pat Thomas, the best editor in the world. I love working with you. You turn my humble offerings into something truly amazing. I couldn’t do it without you.
To Alisha of damonza.com, thank you for yet another fantastic cover. To my sister, Nicole Guihot, thank you for your excellent editorial comments and suggestions. Nic, I hope you like the final result.
To Grace Anselmo, a quirk of fate has brought us together and I now can’t imagine writing a Munro Family story without your input. Thank you for all of your suggestions. They are highly valued.
To Detective Superintendent Michael Kilfoyle, thank you once again for all of your technical expertise. Any mistakes are wholly my own.
To Amy Atwell and her dedicated staff of miracle workers at Author EMS who are so much more than book formatters. Amy, once again, heartfelt thanks for working your magic.
To the fantastic writer organizations such as Romance Writers of Australia, Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of New Zealand for all the help, support and encouragement they offer new and aspiring writers, including me.
To my readers, thank you for your support and love for the Munro family. Your encouragement and enjoyment make this journey all worthwhile.
And lastly, to my friends and family, especially my husband and children. Thank you for putting up with late dinners and even later conversations as I’ve emerged day after day from the sometimes scary but always enthralling world I’ve created on my computer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Taylor grew up on a farm in north-west New South Wales, Australia. She always had a thirst for stories and recalls writing her first book at the ripe old age of eight. Always a lover of romance and happily-ever-afters, a career in criminal law sparked her interest in intrigue and suspense. For Chris to be able to combine romance with suspense in her books is a dream come true.
Chris is married to Linden and is the mother of five children. If not behind her computer, you can find her doing the school run, taxiing children to swimming lessons, football, ballet and cricket. In her spare time, Chris loves to read her favorite authors who include Richard North Patterson, Sandra Brown, Kathleen E Woodiwiss and Jude Devereaux.
You can find out more about Chris and
sign up for her newsletter
at her website:
http://www.christaylorauthor.com.au
Follow Chris on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/christaylorbook
Join Chris on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/christaylorwriter
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2015 by Chris Taylor
(All Rights Reserved)
LCT Productions Pty Ltd
18364 Kamilaroi Highway, Narrabri NSW 2390
ISBN. 978-1-925119-13-8 (Ebook)
ISBN. 978-1-925119-14-5 (PRINT)
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
The Ransom
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents