The Next Thing You See When You Die (preorder)

(preorder—to be published in November)

 Dust jacket illustration by Claudia Caranfa

Shipping Note: The Next Thing You See When You Die and David J. Schow's new collection, Suite 13, will be published at the same time. Order both at the same time to save $10 off the regular price, and save on shipping.

A BROKEN SOUL, AND AN AVENGING FURY...

Danny Kasabian is under deep cover in a Los Angeles gang. A young cop lifted straight out of training, he’s played a key role in the operation to penetrate their criminal network in cities across America. He’s risked his life on a daily basis. And his cover’s just been blown.

Surviving a botched execution and a near-death experience, Danny must now try to pick up his old life after six years away. Six years of absence, of secrecy, of missed moments and misunderstandings. Six years with no word to Beth Franklin, whom he left with no excuse or explanation.

Inevitably, life back home has moved on. And it’s moved on without him.

Then there are the gang members he betrayed, the ones who met their deaths because of him. Treachery was a part of the job but these were people he’d been close to. They put faith in him, they let him in. Lawbreakers all, but they gave him their trust.

And then there’s Rhianna.

Rhianna Madisson is a low-level member of the gang. An Invisible Girl, useful for spying and subterfuge. Her lover Nico is gone and the traitor Danny is responsible. He may have made it home. But if Rhianna has her way, he won’t be home safe.

Danny thinks often of those he betrayed. Rhianna is haunted by the sense that in failing to kill Danny she was betraying her Nico. “But I’m glad the cop survived,” she says. “I thought him dying would fix it for me, but it didn't. I need more.”

If it’s not enough to take someone’s life, you go after what they love.

A compelling story of guilt, obsession and deception from one of our finest writers of dark suspense.

Limited: 1000 signed numbered hardcover copies

The Next Thing You See When You Die
(excerpt)

Before heading out onto the floor, Rhianna checked the supplies on her cart. Dusters, washcloths, disinfectant sprays. Two fresh trash bags, one inside the other, and a checklist of the areas to cover. Womenswear first, then down to hardware. On the front of the cart were twin buckets and a squeegee and under the dusters a boxcutter for laying open the hand of anyone who tried to detain her, should her cover be blown.

Cut and run. She was young, she could move.

She rolled the cart through flap doors and out onto the sales floor. The store was in the final stages of closing, all exits but the main one secured and Gary the mall guard standing by with his keys. He was there to nod out the last of the shoppers and turn away any would-be latecomers. After rolling down the shutter he’d be looking through the cubicles and clothing racks for anyone hiding. Always made a big show of it. He was convinced that kids would be waiting to party in the empty store like they’d never heard of cameras or motion sensors.

Rhianna had noted that he also stole tried-on lingerie from the hangers in women’s changing.

If it came to it, she could handle Gary.

She knew the names of some of the staff. None of them knew hers. If they asked she’d be Celie, the woman whose employment history she’d used to get the job. She’d been here since the start of the month and was good for maybe another week. By then she’d have cleaned up in more ways than one.