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Nothing
His blood quickens as he stares at the photographs. Six faces, all guilty—and detectives Regan Pescoli and Selena Alvarez are at the top of his list. One by one, he'll stalk them, then he'll squeeze the trigger, savoring the way each lifeless body crumples to the reddening snow. One down already. And then there were five. . .
Can Prepare You
Sheriff Dan Grayson lies near death after a shooting, and the police department of Grizzly Falls, Montana, is in shock. Alvarez, torn between a new relationship and her loyalty to Grayson, works with Pescoli to whittle down the list of suspects. The deeper they go, the more personal and dangerous the case becomes. Then a prominent judge's body is found and the killer sends a sinister warning to the press: "Who's Next?"
To Face A Killer
Pescoli isn't waiting to find out. Headstrong and eager for justice, she'll track the scant clues on her own if she has to. But her search leads her straight to a monster who has had her in his sights all along. And when hunter meets prey, both must be willing to kill—and ready to die. . .
Tick. Tick. Tick.
He was losing time.
Losing daylight.
The sun, threatening to set early this time of year, was disappearing behind a mountain ridge, the last cold shafts of light a brilliant blaze filtering through the gathering clouds and skeletal branches of the surrounding trees.
He felt the seconds clicking past. Far too quickly.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
By rote, with the precision he'd learned years before in the military, he set up his shot, in an open area that would allow a clean, neat shot.
Not that the bitch deserved the quick death he planned to mete. He would prefer she suffer. But there was no time for waiting. His patience was stretched thin, his skin starting to itch in anticipation.
He knew her routine.
Sighting through his scope one last time, he waited, breath fogging in the air, muscles tense, a drip of sweat collecting under his ski mask despite the frigid temperatures.
Come on, come on, he thought and felt a moment of panic. What if today she changed her mind? What if, for some unknown reason— a phone call, or a visit, or a migraine—she abandoned her yearly ritual? What if, God forbid, this was all for naught, that he'd planned and plotted for a year and by some freak decision she wasn't coming?
No! That's impossible. Stay steady. Be patient. Trust your instincts. Don't give into the doubts. You know what you have to do.
Slowly, he counted to ten, then to twenty, decelerating his heartbeat, calming his mind, clearing his focus. A bird flapped to his right, landing on a snow-covered branch, clumps of white powder falling to the ground. He barely glanced over his shoulder, so intent was he on the area he'd decided would be his killing ground, where the littleused cross-country ski trail veered away from the lake, angling inward through the wintery vegetation.
This would be the place she would die.
His finger tightened over the trigger, just a bit.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
And then he saw her. From the corner of his eye, a tall, slim figure glided easily on her skis.
Good.
Reddish hair poked out from beneath her ski cap as she skied, ever faster. Recklessly. Dangerously. Tall, rangy, and athletic, she wound her way closer. She'd been called "bullheaded" and "tenacious," as well as "determined." Like a dog with a bone, she never gave up, was always ready to fight.
Well, no more. He licked his lips, barely noticing how dry they were. A hum filled his mind, the familiar sound he always heard before a kill.
Just a couple more seconds ...
Every nerve ending taut, he waited until she broke from the trees. His shot was clear. She glanced in his direction, those glacial bluish eyes searching the forest, that strong chin set.
As if she sensed him, she slowed, squinting.
He pulled the trigger.
Craaaack!
With an ear-splitting report, the rifle kicked hard and familiar against his shoulder.
Her head snapped backward. She spun, skis cutting the air like out-of-kilter chopper blades.
She dropped dead in her tracks.
"Bingo," he whispered, thrilled that he'd brought her down, one of the most newsworthy women in all of Grizzly County. "And then there were five."
Just as the first few flakes of snow began to fall, he shoved hard on his own ski poles, driving them deep into the snow, pushing himself forward. In easy, long strides, he took off through the trees, a phantom slicing a private path into the undergrowth deep within the Bitterroot Mountains. He'd lived here most of his life and knew this back hill country as well as his own name. Down a steep hollow, along a creek and over a small footbridge, he skied. The air was crisp, snow falling more steadily, covering his tracks. He startled a rabbit a good two miles from the kill site and it hopped away through icy brambles, disappearing into the wintry woods.
Darkness was thick by the time he reached the wide spot in the road where he'd parked his van. All in all, he'd traveled five miles and was slightly out of breath. But his blood was on fire, adrenaline rushing through his veins, the thought of what he'd accomplished warming him from the inside out.
How long he'd waited to see her fall!
Stepping out of his skis, he carefully placed them inside the back of his van with his rifle, then tore off his white outer clothing. Ski mask, ski jacket, and winter camouflage pants, insulated against the stinging cold, were replaced quickly with thermal underwear, jeans, flannel shirt, padded jacket, and a Stetson—his usual wear.
After locking the back of the van, he slid into the vehicle's freezing interior and fired up the engine. The old Ford started smoothly, and soon he was driving toward the main road, where, he knew, because of the holidays and impending storm, traffic would be lighter than usual. Only a few hearty souls would be spending Christmas in this remote part of the wilderness where electricity and running water were luxuries. Most of the cabins in this neck of the woods were bare-bones essentials for hunters, some without the basics of electricity or running water, so few people spent the holidays here.
Which was perfect.
At the county road, he turned uphill, heading to his own cabin, snow churning under the van's tires, spying only one set of headlights before he turned off again and into the lane where the snow was piling in the ruts he'd made earlier. Yes, he should be safe here. He'd ditch this van for his Jeep, but not until he'd celebrated a little.
Half a mile in, he rounded an outcropping of boulders and saw the cabin, a dilapidated A-frame most people in the family had long forgotten. It was dark, of course; he'd left it two hours earlier while there was still daylight. After pulling into a rustic garage, he killed the engine, then let out his breath.
He'd made it.
No one had seen.
No one would know ... yet. Until the time was right. Carrying all of his equipment into the house, he then closed the garage door, listening as the wind moaned through the trees and echoed in this particular canyon.
In the light from his lantern, he hung his ski clothing on pegs near the door, cleaned his rifle, then again, as the cabin warmed, undressed. Once he was naked, he started his workout, stretching his muscles, silently counting, breaking a sweat to a routine he'd learned years ago in the army. This austerity was in counterbalance to the good life he led, the one far from this tiny cabin. His routine worked; it kept him in shape, and he never let a day go by without the satisfaction of exercising as well as he had the day before.
Only then did he clean himself with water cold enough to make him suck his breath in through his teeth. This, too, was part of the ritual, to remind him not to get too soft, to always excel, always push himself. He demanded perfection for himself and expected it of others.
As his body air-dried, he poured himself a glass of whiskey and walked to the hand-hewn desk attached to the wall near his bunk. Pictures were strewn across the desktop, all head shots, faces looking directly at the camera ... his camera, he thought with more than a grain of pleasure.
He found the photograph of the woman he'd just sent to St. Peter, and in the picture she was beautiful. Without a trace of her usual cynicism, or caustic wit, she had been a gorgeous woman.
No more. Tossing his hunting knife in the air and catching it deftly, he smiled as he plunged its sharp tip into the space between his victim's eyes. So much for beauty,
(Continues...)
Excerpted from READY TO DIE by LISA JACKSON. Copyright © 2013 by Lisa Jackson LLC. Excerpted by permission of KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
KarenWalters
Posted Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I Also Recommend:
I am a big fan of Lisa Jackson's writing. She knows her way around a mystery, and that is clearly the case with Ready to Die. I found the writing crisp and fast paced. The plot was strong. The characters were strong. I truly enjoyed reading this one.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. Lisa. Jackson. WHEW! Man, this book ... geez!
I have read hundreds of books in tons of different genres. One of my favorites is the mystery/suspense group. But only if a few conditions are met:
1. The hero/heroine MUST be flawed. I detest reading about some perfect person who lives in the perfect house with a perfect dog, the 2.5 perfect children, the perfect spouse who drives the perfect car with the perfect life. I want someone who has been down in the trenches, who has had bad stuff happen to them and they have dusted themselves back off, sworn to never make that same mistake again, only to make that same mistake again! I guess I could have said just a regular person. But what fun would that have been?
C. I would really like it if I couldn't pick out the killer. If I can pick out the villain in the first couple chapters, I get very angry and refuse to read the book for 10-15 minutes while it's in time out and had time to think about what it's done. I'll probably finish the book ... but I will probably not read from that author again anytime soon.
4. The word of the day is: twistyturney. There have to be lots of twistyturneys in the book. Mandatory. OR ELSE (dun dun DUUUUN) <-- Imagine scary music.
Okay, if all of those conditions are met, then that makes a happy reader (me). So. The question is whether Lisa Jackson met those criteria and the answer is ABSOLUTELY!
It has been too long since I have picked up a Jackson book and I really regret that now. I feel like I have missed out on a great series and now after the mountain of books that I have to read is a bit smaller, I'm going to pick up the rest of the To Die series.
While there are quite a few characters, I felt like I knew where all of them were coming from. It was a bit much to keep up with at first but I quickly caught on. And maybe that would have been a non-issue if I had read the rest of the series.
I really felt like this could be a standalone book. I didn't feel anything was lacking in the story ... there wasn't a back story that I felt like I was missing out on or anything, so that's a gigantic thumbs up.
All in all, a great book. Definitely one I'll pick up again and of course an author that I'll stop neglecting!!
4 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Aug 06 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I wish you ppl woukd take your childish roleplaying crap to a web site where it belongs. This is a book review site, not a sex site. Take your vulgar games somewhere else. Bn, cant you trace these ppl down and ban them from using this site for their roleplaying games?
4 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013
B&N please delete the posts of the gamers! They waste my time and your authors are short changed because I refuse to wade through their stupid and often innapproriate comments.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I Also Recommend:
This is a roller-coaster of a story and had me on pins and needles more than once. In my opinion, as what a review is, it's a very good book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did reading the advance reading copy. I love the way she brings in the bad guy and he tells us about himself and we just cant figure out who he is until the very end. You really think you know who it is but are always wrong. I love this kind of suspense. It is really a good mystery and suspense book. While there are quite a few characters, I felt like I knew where all of them were coming from. It was a bit much to keep up with at first but I quickly caught on. And maybe that would have been a non-issue if I had read the rest of the series. The mystery part of of Ready to Die was very well done and will certainly keep readers guessing, not to mentioned be shocked by the twist in the end. There's also one last surprise Lisa Jackson has in store for her fans that will have them clamoring for the next book.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Reviewed by Kayti Nika Raet for Readers' Favorite
In Ready to Die by Lisa Jackson, the fifth novel in the gritty Grizzly Falls series, Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli return to track down a serial killer targeting the town's law enforcement. As the clock ticks and time runs out, the two women must find the killer while dealing with their own dramas at home.
Ready to Die has a huge and sometimes tangled web of characters. I was expecting my first encounter with Grizzly Falls to be through Alvarez and Pescoli's point of view but it seems like half the town makes an appearance. That isn't necessarily a bad thing but it felt like I was reading an inter-generational, inter-community drama with a dash of crime than a book that was about Alvarez and Pescoli working to catch the bad guy. Perhaps because I started the book right in the middle of series, I didn't find myself as connected to the characters as I would have been if I was a true-blue-from-the-beginning fan.
The mystery part of of Ready to Die was very well done and will certainly keep readers guessing, not to mentioned be shocked by the twist in the end. There's also one last surprise Lisa Jackson has in store for her fans that will have them clamoring for the next book. I only hope she can type fast enough.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Lisa Jackson has written another AWESOME book in her To Die Series. Ready to Die is the 5th book in this series and it like the others is a page turner. I love that her characters are so easy to bond with and they each have regular people issues. She makes you care what happens to them and you will read this book hoping and praying that they all will survive. This book was a little harder to get into but once you are, you are hooked and will have a hard time doing anything else except reading this book. Ready to Die will keep you guessing and just when you think you have the answer of who done it, you will be thrown a curve ball. So everyone get ready for the ride and enjoy, this book is definitely a must read.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Aug 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Another great suspense story by Lisa Jackson. However, I do think this is the 1st book I've read of hers where there wasn't a twist at the end & I anticipated the right bad guy! Highly recommend it!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Aug 17 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I'm a huge Lisa Jackson fan!!! I have read all her suspense books, and i always give them 5 stars or more!!! This book i have to give it 4 stars, only because though it is an OK book, it lacks the murder/suspense mrs. Jackson is so well known for!!!! The storyline is all dialoge and backstory on charters, to the point you loose the murder plot along the way!!! But i will still read future books by mrs. Jackson, just hoping the next one will be more about the murder/suspense, not so much charter drama!!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Aug 09 00:00:00 EDT 2014
As usual Lisa Jackson has written another spell binding suspense novel!! Highly recommend!!!!! Also agree with other reviewers that those STUDID game players would write a review instead of the CRAP they post. Wish BN could remove those wacked comments!!!!!!!!!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.L_L53
Posted Fri May 16 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I am a new fan of Lisa Jackson. This is my fifth or sixth book. The story was suspenseful and detailed. I like her characters and the thoughtful way that Lisa writes.I just bought another book by Lisa and will continue to buy her books, as I enjoy reading them and trying to figure out who the killer is. She makes it so you get emotionally involved with her characters and you end up hoping for the best for them.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I have enjoyed every book in this series. Very well written
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Too many characters and too many useless details.
1 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013
all of the to die books where good reads could not put them down
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2013
A nice book to curl up with. Had me hooked from the first page.Surprise ending, not what I expected.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Greatt read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Jun 25 00:00:00 EDT 2013
not a good read - I struggled through it; the ending was Ok; the writer has written better
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Good read
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Posted Fri Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Lisa Jackson does not disappoint! Another great Alvarez and Pescoli novel! Can't wait for the next one!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Sep 14 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Waits
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Overview
Nothing
His blood quickens as he stares at the photographs. Six faces, all guilty—and detectives Regan Pescoli and Selena Alvarez are at the top of his list. One by one, he'll stalk them, then he'll squeeze the trigger, savoring the way each lifeless body crumples to the reddening snow. One down already. And then there were five. . .
Can Prepare You
Sheriff Dan Grayson lies near death after a shooting, and the...