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Never Tell Kindle Edition
From popular national leader and #1 New York Times bestseller Stacey Abrams writing under the name Selena Montgomery comes Never Tell a novel of spinetingling romance and unforgettable suspense.
Criminal psychologist Dr. Erin Abbott wants nothing more than to live a quiet life. That means no danger, no intrigue—and absolutely no romance. But when Erin suspects a serial killer is roaming New Orleans, her investigation throws her straight into the arms of the one man who can help her.
Journalist Gabriel Moss is hot to find his next big story—and he knows Erin is onto something that will rock the city to its core. However, Erin is also a mystery he must solve. From the moment they meet, Gabriel senses that she is hiding more than her beauty behind her boxy suits and sensible shoes. When she reluctantly agrees to work with him to uncover the most shocking story they have ever come across, explosive secrets are revealed and danger and passion begin to rise.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSt. Martin's Griffin
- Publication dateJanuary 25, 2022
- File size2211 KB
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“The intense byplay between Erin and Gabriel, as well as the search for the murderer, will keep you reading late into the night. This compelling story is an amazing combination of emotion, suspense and drama.” ―Romantic Times
“An exciting roller coaster ride of emotions and passion that at no time eases up...an interesting and dramatic debut that is sure to have readers aching for more.” ―Romance in Color on Rules of Engagement
“Selena Montgomery's atypical story deals with many sensitive subjects, and yet has an entertaining undercurrent of suspense and romance. As the story progresses, Montgomery takes readers deeper into the labyrinthine psyches of both protagonists and killer. The suspense is relentless...Never Tell is a well conceived, absorbing read.” ―BookLoons
“Fans of romantic suspense will appreciate the innovative plot and adventurous language Selena Montgomery employs in NEVER TELL. Gabe and Erin are engaging characters, and the secondary cast at the newspaper, police station, and college round out the book for an interesting tale that keeps us guessing the killer until the end. A good beach read for the coming hot weather.” ―NewandUsed Books
“NEVER TELL is a story filled with emotion, sexual tension, suspense and great characters. The main characters are African American, but the hero and heroine could be any race, as Ms. Montgomery has focused more on what's inside rather than the color of their skins. This story was gripping and kept me guessing to the very end. Ms. Montgomery is sure to be a must-read author. A very good read that I enjoyed very much.” ―thebestreviews.com
“Fascinating...a winner!” ―Romantic Times on The Art of Desire
About the Author
From the Back Cover
Sexy City
Criminal psychologist Dr. Erin Abbott wants nothing more than to live a quiet life. That means no danger, no intrigue-and absolutely no romance. But when Erin suspects a serial killer is roaming New Orleans, her investigation throws her straight into the arms of the only man who can help her.
Seductive Stranger
Journalist Gabriel Moss is hot to find his next huge story-and he knows Erin is on to something big. From the moment they meet, Gabriel senses that Erin is hiding something. One thing is certain: Erin's boxy suits and sensible shoes hide a delicate beauty waiting to emerge...and Gabriel is just the man to reveal the woman inside.
Sinful Secrets
As they join forces to find the killer, Gabriel slowly seduces Erin with his soft kisses. But Erin knows their love can never be. For she is hiding a terrible secret-and if Gabriel reveals the truth, Erin's life will be shattered forever...
"An exciting roller coaster ride of emotions and passion that at no time eases up...an interesting and dramatic debut that is sure to have readers aching for more." -Romance in Color on Rules of Engagement
"Fascinating...a winner!" -Romantic Times on The Art of Desire
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 1MAY 2004 New Orleans, Louisiana
Humid dark hung over the boulevard lamplight as a pale moon rose beyond the trees. Cicadas began their nightly chants in concert with the cries of tree frogs. Comforted by the familiar song of spring, Maggie Fordham locked the door to the Alabaster Rose Nursery with ritual flourish. First, she gave three quick turns to the ornate brass key that had secured the store for nearly a century. As she'd been taught by her grandfather, she jiggled the handle three times before smacking the mahogany with the base of her hand. A silly rite, perhaps, but after a hundred years, who was she to tempt the fates?It was easy to be superstitious in New Orleans, Maggie acknowledged as she hit the sidewalk. Equal parts religion and culture, the ways of the supernatural permeated every breath of life in the city. A fifth-generation native, Maggie understood the call of blood that required spitting on a broom if it swept your feet or the expectation of a windfall when the palms of empty hands itched.A woman of science, she would never admit to herself that she believed in ghosts or demons or creatures of the night. Still, she instinctively angled her foot on the cobblestone walk to avoid stepping on a crack between the stones. She caught the motion and chuckled softly. Apparently, even science had its limits.She turned into the alley between her shop and the apothecary next door. Fishing in her purse for the car keys she kept on a separate ring, she opened the door to her new car. The hot red Miata was courtesy of her adjunct teaching gig at Burkeen University. Twice a week, she taught botany to its students, and the check from the university covered the car payments. Not a bad deal, she thought, even if the students were a tad spoiled.Maggie slid inside the compact car and pulled the door tight behind her. Abandoned coffee pooled condensation in the cup holder. She turned the key in the ignition, eager to get home. Her Labrador puppy, Sadie, would be waiting up for her. Sadie thought she was a guard dog, and Maggie hadn't the heart to tell her different. The car sputtered once, and Maggie pushed down on the gas. The engine revved.In the next moment, the driver's side window exploded. Before she could do more than flinch, hard hands reached inside the broken window and grabbed Maggie by the throat. Screaming, she raked her nails across the hands that choked her. "No! Help!""Shh, Maggie," her attacker warned. "Don't struggle. It will be finished soon."In response, Maggie's fingernails dug deep but did not penetrate the latex gloves that protected her attacker. Still, a fisted hand slammed into her face in punishment."I told you not to struggle."Blood poured from her swelling nose and sobs tore from her as the pain radiated endlessly from the broken bone. She panted now, breaths coming in short gasps of air through her mouth. "Ah, ah, ah. Ah, God." Her screams and sobs turned to whimpers of agony. "Please, no."Suddenly the door was hauled open. Maggie lurched forward, trying to escape. Her attacker grabbed her by the hair and smashed her broken face into the steering wheel. Flung into the seat, Maggie struggled to stay conscious, but the searing pain pulled at her in waves, begging her to give in.Silently, Maggie prayed for the strength to save herself. She could feel herself suffocating. Blood poured into her throat, gagging her. Abruptly the seat belt bit into her neck. Oh, God, no, she thought desperately; it wasn't the seat belt. The killer's hands wrapped wire around her neck, the metal slicing through skin, through tissue. Maggie's last pant broke the night air, and the wire pulled tighter, then tighter still. Then the killer turned, face clear in the lamplight.Why? Maggie mouthed as crimson began to spill onto her pale blue silk blouse, fill her larynx.In answer, the wire pulled taut and strong. Maggie could feel life ending, and she sought the ethereal light of myth. But only yellow filled her vision, the lamplight above. Yellow and the smile of her killer. The reassuring smile followed her into death, as wire severed the cream column of her throat.Maggie's lifeless body threatened to fall to the ground, but the killer's braced hip caught her. Methodically, the careful hands arranged Maggie gently against the leatherseat. A flick of a side lever, and Maggie Fordham reclined in silent repose. The bloodstained wire was recoiled and laid on the seat beside the empty body. Without the blood and empty eyes, the killer thought, a person might think she's sleeping.As before, last touches included removing the crisp bills from the wallet and dropping it into the leather bag that carried all the killer's tricks. Reverent fingers tugged off the tourmaline ring that sparkled green on Maggie's right ring finger.Staring at the limp, naked hand, the killer paused. The alabaster strip of skin said that she'd worn the ring for a long time. She had probably wished to be buried with it when she died. The ring went into the bag.After all, if wishes were horses, the killer reflected, beggars would ride.
ONE WEEK LATER
The envelope in Erin Abbott's mailbox did not have a return address. As she walked up the stairs to her apartment, she ran curious fingers over the old-fashioned script. Her name had been etched by a calligrapher's pen onto the ivory parchment.Dr. Erin Abbott 216 St. Bennett Avenue Apartment 3F New Orleans, LouisianaShe tucked the envelope into her purse and punched the elevator button for her floor. The entire building wassubdued, the lingering sorrow over Maggie Fordham's death, the victim of a brutal, senseless murder. It had been nearly a week since Maggie's body had been discovered.Her gruesome end shocked the quiet Esplanade neighborhood where she kept a flat and a noisy dog. It forced her next-door neighbor, Mrs. Kemper, to her bed for three days, comforted only by orange pekoe tea and generous shots of Jim Beam. On the first floor, Davis and Shanie Dupree purchased an extra dead bolt to augment their home security system and began searching the papers for condominiums out in Metairie.She wished she could grieve more, Erin thought as she set her purse down on the trestle table near the entryway. Ignoring the light switch, she held on to the letter and headed out to the balcony to watch the sunset.Maggie had lived a floor below, and often they'd shared the last minutes of daylight. In silent tribute, Erin watched the sun dip below the edges of the magenta sky. Though the women hadn't been close friends, Maggie had been a good neighbor. In the months Erin had lived in the building, Maggie had been unfailingly kind. She'd shown Erin around the Quarter, helped her haggle over prices in the market. Maggie had told her about the vacant position at Burkeen University.But while Erin was saddened, death did not affect her as it did others. For one thing, she'd trained herself not to become too attached. Friendly, sure, but never truly a friend. For another, Erin made her living studying death and the dealers in it. A criminal psychologist, she'd seen the worst of the human psyche played out in horrifying detail. She'd learned not to dwell on the passage of humanlife. She knew all too well how fragile life could be, how easily taken by purpose or accident.Life was best lived in solitude, she believed. No connections, no recriminations. No one to take notice. No one to tell you who you should be.It was the only way to survive.As dusk settled, she turned around slowly, ran critical eyes over the one-bedroom apartment. Potted plants occupied every corner of the postage-stamp balcony. Like the magazine photo she'd patterned it on, inside, buttercup walls held framed prints of Paris and the markets in Senegal. Her furniture was arranged to mirror the glossy pictures from the catalogs. Tacky tchotchkes jumbled onto shelves, more by design than desire. Real homes had the useless things, she'd learned, and she would have them, too. If the sight of them made her wince, it was a small price to pay.This was her home now. Her life. It was a small apartment but filled with windows and polished hardwoods. Her choice of residence was not a factor of income. A trust funded by her parents' life insurance guaranteed that she would never lack for money. But she spent that money carefully, reluctant to draw attention or interest. No, money was not an issue for her. Freedom was.For too long, she had lived at the mercy of a madman who controlled her every thought, every move. Now, she had her own space. A life she'd created far away from anyone who cared about the woman she had once been. It had taken more than two years and thousands of dollars, but Analise Glover was gone.She slid open the French doors and walked into theapartment, the letter still unopened. Perhaps it was a plea from a student for an extension, she mused, running her fingers along the stationery. Still, a trill of uneasiness crept along her spine.Erin shook off the feeling and wandered over to the chaise that stretched beneath the wide bay window. She switched on a swing-armed brass lamp and curled her legs beneath her on the brushed cotton. Telling herself to stop being fretful, she slit the seal on the letter and turned it to spill the contents to her lap. Newsprint fell out.She gasped.Five obituaries stared up at her. They'd been clipped from the local paper, she realized grimly. Clipped and sent to her. Holding them by the edges, she sifted through the columns, murmuring the names aloud."Julian Harris. Burleigh Singleton. Phoebe Bailey. Juan Johnson. Margaret Fordham."She tripped over Maggie's name and her breathing hitched. Erin forced herself to take a calming breath. Think rationally, she commanded herself, trying to ignore the shrill of panic in her head.Be reasonable. Someone had sent her a packet of obituaries. Strange, yes, but not terrifying. She was, after all, a criminal psychology professor. One who habitually read obituaries and police news to her students to teach them how to look for information.The envelope was probably a prank by one of her students. A nasty, silly prank to rattle her before exams.But even as she formed the feeble excuse, her heart thudded against her chest in fierce denial. On her lap, Maggie's grainy photograph watched her with knowing eyes. This was more than a trick.Hands trembling, Erin shook the envelope again.A note that had been scripted on a scrap of the same ivory paper fluttered into her lap. Shakily, she lifted it to read. There were only three words.Analise, Find me.For hours, Erin sat in the darkened apartment, lit only by moonlight and a single lamp. She read and reread the five items lined up on the coffee table. A pattern had emerged from the morbid columns and sent her to the computer, fighting the urge to retch.To an eye trained in more than the nature of crime, the records of the deceased had a connection stronger than the tenuous nature of death.A killer was on the loose.Perhaps it took one to know one.Copyright © 2004 by Stacey Y. Abrams. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
Product details
- ASIN : B0966B2CTW
- Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin (January 25, 2022)
- Publication date : January 25, 2022
- Language : English
- File size : 2211 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 316 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 1250847648
- Best Sellers Rank: #124,806 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,484 in Black & African American Romance
- #2,761 in Black & African American Romance Fiction
- #8,129 in Romantic Suspense (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, nonprofit CEO and political leader. After serving for eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as Democratic Leader. In 2018, Abrams became the Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia, winning more votes than any other Democrat in the state’s history. Abrams was the first black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in the United States, and she was the first black woman and first Georgian to deliver a Response to the State of the Union.
In the wake of the 2018 election, Abrams launched Fair Fight Action and Fair Fight 2020 to defend voting rights. She also launched Fair Count to ensure accuracy in the 2020 Census and greater participation in civic engagement, and the Southern Economic Advancement Project, a public policy initiative to broaden economic power and build equity in the South. She previously founded the New Georgia Project, which has helped register hundreds of thousands of Georgians.
Abrams is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, where she serves on the Subcommittee on Diversity. She has been a featured speaker at the Aspen Ministers Forum, the Kerry Initiative-Yale Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, the National Security Action Forum and the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as a contributor to Foreign Affairs Magazine.
She is a recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award and a current member of the Board of Directors for the Center for American Progress and Priorities USA. Abrams has also written eight romantic suspense novels under the pen name Selena Montgomery, in addition to Lead from the Outside, formerly Minority Leader, a guidebook on making real change in the civic sector, politics or the private sector.
Abrams is an avid fan of television and movies, with a penchant for sci-fi, car chases and heists. A bibliophile, her recent favorites range from Colson Whitehead, Robert Caro and Nora Roberts to N.K. Jemison, Rebecca Roanhorse and Haruki Marukami.
Abrams received degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas and Yale Law School. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, she and her five siblings grew up Mississippi and Georgia.
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This is my second book I have read by this author and have not been disappointed with either novel.
This novel features a perfect balance of romance and mystery, and the characters all felt so full of depth, even the side characters or characters we meet for a moment. I totally didn’t see the reveal coming, and it might just be one of the best plot twists I’ve ever read. This book made me want to read all of her backlist, and I immediately looked up her romantic suspense backlist and I’m prepared to be hooked for life. If you’re someone enjoys romance or suspenseful thrillers or BOTH, then I highly recommend this book!