Delivering Death (Riley Spartz) - Hardcover

Kramer, Julie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1451664664 ISBN 13: 9781451664669

Publisher: Atria Books, 2014

Synopsis

From the author of Stalking Susan comes the latest installment in the “compulsively readable” (WCCO-TV) bestselling Riley Spartz thriller series, featuring a smart, sassy, and always entertaining TV reporter as she matches wits with a media-savvy killer.

Be careful what you open . . .

The most appealing mystery heroine since Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, TV reporter Riley Spartz is a star investigative journalist for Channel 3 —and no stranger to the seedier side of her hometown. But when she receives a package of human teeth in the mail at work, she’s quickly embroiled in a homicide investigation that spirals into one of the odder cases the Minneapolis police force has ever seen. Though the cops try to keep certain grisly details quiet, this murder has a strange twist—it seems that the killer wants the crime publicized.

Is it a revenge killing, or something more? Riley’s investigation takes her inside a lucrative identity theft ring that links low-life crooks to white-collar opportunists. While Riley pushes to keep the homicide in the news, her boss is convinced that coverage of the Mall of America’s unique version of a royal wedding is key to the station’s winning ratings. As the stakes continue to rise for her job and her life, Riley must outwit the killer in a trap that could leave yet another person dead.

An irresistible suspense novel that will keep readers turning pages until the stunning conclusion, Delivering Death brings the humor, intrigue, and twists and turns that Kramer’s fans love.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Delivering Death

CHAPTER 2

From the postmark date, I could tell that the letter had probably been sitting in my newsroom mail slot for a couple days. Unopened.

Most of the correspondence I care about comes by email or text. My paychecks are direct deposit. My bills are electronic. Checking snail mail isn’t a high priority for me—even at work.

The first thing that caught my attention about the manila envelope was the lack of a return address. Sometimes sources send letters to journalists without wanting the contents traced back to them. They get deniability and anonymity: I get a scoop. I reveled in the possibilities for its contents as I carried the letter back to my office and shut the door.

The second thing I noticed was the package’s bumpy texture. It made me suspect Bubble Wrap might be shielding something fragile—something important. Maybe a compact disc or thumb drive with valuable computer files. The prospect of ratings gold made me smile and take care opening the envelope.

The third oddity hit me as I immediately smelled a foul odor when I opened the envelope. Reluctantly, I looked inside.

Someone had mailed me a bunch of teeth.

The blood was dried; the stench fresh. Some of the roots were long and pointed. Some twisted. Others broken and jagged. I quickly shut the flap but the stink and the sight stayed with me.

I’m Riley Spartz, an investigative reporter for Channel 3 in Minneapolis. Why anyone would send me such a ghoulish package was a mystery within a mystery. More important: Were the teeth animal or human?

Edition details

• Publisher: Atria Books
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1451664664
• ISBN 13: 9781451664669
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 290