Kiss of Death

Kiss of Death
P.D. Martin

A young woman's body is found with puncture marks on her neck, and soon the delicious word vampire is on everyone's lips. All of FBI profiler Sophie Anderson's skills–psychic and psychological–will be needed for her to determine whether this was a thrill kill or something even more sinister.Exploring the blood bars and Goth clubs of L.A., Sophie immerses herself in the seductive culture of self-styled vampires. Posing as the alluring Lady Veronica and infiltrating a notorious clan, Sophie will learn just how deep the fantasy goes for some believers.When life requires death, nothing is sacred.

Praise for the novels of P.D. MARTIN

“Readers who enjoy hard-nosed police drama or CSI-style television shows will find [Sophie] an engaging character.”

—Fresh Fiction

“A clever concoction.”

—The Age on Kiss of Death

“Martin provides solid entertainment as she takes a high-concept premise and runs with it. The narrative is fast-moving, the protagonists likable, the police detail and dialogue believable and the serial killers just as evil as they need to be.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Murderers’ Club

“As always, Martin delivers a cleverly plotted and entertaining read, chockablock with fascinating procedural details and flashes of dark humor.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Killing Hands

“A gripping read.”

—Herald Sun on Fan Mail

“Well-structured and unusually imaginative.”

—The Mystery Reader on Fan Mail

“Martin is a real find.”

—Women’s Weekly

Kiss of Death

P.D. Martin

www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk)

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Epilogue

Extra Resources

Acknowledgments

One

Saturday night

A narrow trail snakes in front of me, lit only by the full moon. If I can make it to the road…or hide…

Low-hanging branches scrape across my face, breaking through my raised arms and drawing blood. But I can’t stop. I have to keep running. Can he smell my blood?

I stumble and fall to the ground. For a moment all I can hear is the deafening thud of my heart. But then I notice it. Silence. No more footsteps hurtling down the path behind me. I pick myself up and keep running, not convinced I’ve really lost them.

Finally I stop, resting my hands on my thighs to try to slow my breathing. I look around at the houses perched on the hilltops to the right. They’re too far away to hear or see me.