Two Weeks' Notice
Authors: Rachel Caine
PRAISE FOR
THE REVIVALIST SERIES
WORKING STIFF
“One hell of a first novel in what looks to be a must-buy urban fantasy series. From [a] world-building and plotting perspective,
Working Stiff
completely rocks.”
—The Book Smugglers
“Caine’s imaginative new series starts with a bang as she puts a frightening new twist to corporate greed and zombies. Fast-paced and full of surprises, this is one exciting thrill ride packed with both the best and worst of human behavior.”
—Monsters and Critics
“A fun, thrilling new series…. Bryn is a capable and multifaceted heroine…a great new take on the popular ‘zombie’ subgenre. Even more interesting, perhaps, is the way Caine has her characters show respect for the dead—something that’s missing from nearly every zombie book I’ve ever read. Well-done, indeed.”
—SFRevu
“Completely engaging and impossible to put down. This unusual, macabre tale will attract both urban fantasy and zombie fans alike.”
“An utterly fascinating and unique plot in the urban fantasy arena…. It will draw you in and not let you go until the very last page.”
—Bitten by Books
“
Working Stiff
has an interesting story line and there isn’t a brain-eating zombie in sight. Conspiracy upon conspiracy made for a good read.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“[Caine] gives us another strong leading female character who has the right balance of emotion to kick ass to make her come off of the pages as real to the reader.…
Working Stiff
has a steady pulse, pulling the reader from beginning to end to see how it all turns out.”
—Fresh Fiction
“The opening of Rachel Caine’s newest urban fantasy series is a terrific chemical zombie thriller…. Fans will relish Bryn’s adventures in death and life.”
—Alternative Worlds
“From page one,
Working Stiff
was a wonderful surprise…. Bryn’s careful, quiet personality is so winning and fierce, I was captivated.”
—All Things Urban Fantasy
“A smart zombie novel that goes beyond the typical reanimation explorations and delves into the world of big Pharma and corporate takeover…. This series is shaping up to be a very rewarding and interesting new addition to the urban fantasy genre.”
—Alpha Reader
“An intriguing new twist on the zombie mythology…. If you’re looking for a twisty, fast-paced escapist read, hop on the Revivalist train and settle down with
Working Stiff
. You can say, ‘I was a fan from the start,’ because if Caine can keep the suspense flowing in future books, this story has HBO series written all over it.”
—
Fort Worth Weekly
PRAISE FOR
THE WEATHER WARDEN SERIES
“The forecast calls for…a fun read…. You’ll never watch the Weather Channel the same way again.”
—Jim Butcher, #1
New York Times
bestselling author of
the Dresden Files
“With chick lit dialogue and rocket-propelled pacing, Rachel Caine takes the Weather Wardens to places the Weather Channel never imagined!”
—Mary Jo Putney
“A fast-paced thrill ride [that] brings new meaning to stormy weather.”
—
Locus
“A tale that’s sure to keep fans at the edge of their seats…a must read.”
—Darque Reviews
“[Caine] invents new and interesting ways to ramp up the tension and the stakes…another excellent entry in a series that’s been consistently enjoyable all along.”
—The Green Man Review
“The Weather Warden books are an addictive force of nature that will suck you in.”
—
News and Sentinel
(Parkersburg, WV)
“Exhilarating…The story line is fast-paced and filled with plenty of magical action….Rachel Caine provides another terrific tale in one of the stronger urban fantasies on the market today.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“Chaos has never been so intriguing as when Rachel Caine shapes it into the setting of a story. Each book in this series has built in intensity and fascination.”
—Huntress Book Reviews
“Rachel Caine is still going strong, throwing one curveball after another as she continues to shake up the status quo. She successfully maintains a sense of impending doom and escalating tension as the stakes get ever higher….I really like this series, because it’s urban fantasy that…tell[s] something exciting and original and ever-changing.”
—SF Site
“The action never stops, and like every other book in the series, this is a roller-coaster ride through all the elements Mother Nature can throw at Jo.”
—ParaNormal Romance
“
Total Eclipse
presents a fantastic culmination of the action, angst, danger and romance of the entire series.”
—Fresh Fiction
BOOKS BY RACHEL CAINE
WEATHER WARDEN
Ill Wind
Heat Stroke
Chill Factor
Windfall
Firestorm
Thin Air
Gale Force
Cape Storm
Total Eclipse
OUTCAST SEASON
Undone
Unknown
Unseen
Unbroken
REVIVALIST
Working Stiff
Two Weeks’ Notice
THE MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES
Glass Houses
The Dead Girls’ Dance
Midnight Alley
Feast of Fools
Lord of Misrule
Carpe Corpus
Fade Out
Kiss of Death
Ghost Town
Bite Club
Last Breath
Black Dawn
TWO WEEKS’
NOTICE
A REVIVALIST NOVEL
Rachel Caine
A ROC BOOK
ROC
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
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Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, August 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
ISBN: 978-1-101-59434-6
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
Printed in the United States of America
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
To my dear friend, and superhero, Rosemary Clement-
Moore. Just because.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
So many lovely people have been enthusiastic and supportive, but I have to give a special shout-out to Sarah Weiss, whose eleventh-hour text messages were absolutely wonderful. Thanks for the candles, Sarah, particularly the one for Our Lady of Deadlines. I’m burning it at both ends!
And to my family and friends who suffered through the dreaded Deadline During Christmas again. Thanks for sticking with me. Again.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6