Deadly Messengers Read online

  Deadly

  Messengers

  by

  SUSAN MAY

  ABOUT DEADLY MESSENGERS

  Freelancer Kendall Jennings writes fluff pieces for women’s magazines. When a horrific massacre occurs at Café Amaretto, she scores an exclusive interview with a survivor. Suddenly, she’s the go-to reporter for the crime.

  Investigating veteran detective Lance O’Grady and his partner Trip are tasked with finalizing the open and shut case. Seven people are dead at the hands of an unprovoked killer wielding an axe. It seems simple.

  Then another mass killing occurs. This time, arson, and ten eldercare facility residents die in the blaze. Both killers die at the scene. The crimes have no motive, and Lance O’Grady is left wondering how evil can strike twice.

  Then it happens again. Even more shocking: a mother with a gun goes on a rampage at a family birthday party.

  The killers share one odd detail: none have a murderer’s profile. No history of violence, no connection to terrorists, no vendettas. Ordinary citizens suddenly became killers.

  Drawn deeper inside the crime investigation, Kendall finds herself not only clashing with O’Grady but also struggling with old demons. O’Grady resents Kendall’s involvement as her presence provokes memories of a personal tragedy.

  O’Grady and Kendall are caught in a plan greater reaching than the crimes. They just don’t know it. Someone is sending a message. And unless they can decipher the meaning, very soon, many more will die.

  Deadly Messengers is a page-turning thriller taking readers into the minds of mass killers in all their disconcerting madness. It poses the question: Is there a killer lurking inside everyone? The answer could prove more frightening than the crimes

  Dedication

  For Franco. You know why.

  A Special Thank You To My Early Readers

  A special thank you to my wonderful early readers who encouraged me with their kind words and early reviews. Without you, these are just words on a page. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

  “Susan May is sure to become one of the great suspense writers of our times!” Lisa Bailey (Good Reads USA)

  “This is honestly one of the best thrillers I have ever read, I couldn’t put it down.” Kirsty Ward (UK) Kirstysreviews.wordpress.com

  “At times it is more or less impossible to put the book down. I expect nothing less than great offerings from Susan May in the future.” Thomas Strömquist (Good Reads Sweden)

  “The only author I can think of who can still surprise me is Mr. Stephen King himself. Australia just might have their own female King!” Amanda Jane (Good Reads Australia)

  “I’ve stayed up most of the night and lost sleep and put housework off just to read this great book because it was that good.” Jane Culwell (Good Reads USA)

  “If the TV show Criminal Minds ever creates a movie or mini-series, this would be the perfect plot.” Robyn E. Lee (Good Reads USA)

  “I am a genre snob. I pretty much stick with YA without fail. This may be one of my top 10 favorite books.” Amanda Gillespie (Good Reads USA)

  “Wow! Susan May you know how to pack a punch! It was like riding a roller coaster reading it!” Sandy Jones (Good Reads New Zealand)

  “Real page turner for me. I found myself caught up in the story and suspense and how it would all turn out.” Carrie Glover (Good Reads USA)

  “Suspenseful, maintaining it’s pacing as I turned pages furiously, finishing the book in a day and a half.” Doris (Canada) Bleep50.wordpress.com

  “In my top 5 of the year, that’s saying something since I’ve read 150 books.” Sandy (Good Reads USA)

  “I found it gripping and really struggled to put it down.” Rosie Harris (Good Reads Australia)

  “You know it’s a good book when the realisation hits that you’ve been holding your breath SO many times.” Maureen Ellis (Good Reads UK)

  “I raced through this intense and edgy thriller.” Vicki Tyley (Australia) Author of ‘Thin Blood’ www.vickityley.com

  “Riveting, engrossing, mysterious: the suspense is immense, clues dangle tantalizingly just out of reach.” Mallory Heart (USA) Archiestandwoodsreviewsandwritings.blogspot.com.au

  “May did an outstanding job with her research, and by doing so made a seemingly impossible plot actually look like it could happen.” Christine Terrell (Good Reads USA)

  “If Stephen King and Quentin Tarantino teamed up to write and direct a cross-over episode involving Law & Order, CSI: NY and Criminal Minds it would be Deadly Messengers.” David Love (Good Reads UK)

  “A thrilling suspense and whirlwind adventure.” Teri Hicks (USA) Itsallgoodcatering.com

  “Brilliantly told story of terror and mayhem!” Tammy aka Dose of Bella Reviews (Good Reads USA)

  “Wow! This book grabs you by the imagination from page one and never lets go.” Angelica Cake (Good Reads USA)

  “I couldn’t read fast enough and I confess to being annoyed that my family wanted meals, a clean house, clean clothes or even to talk with me.” Betty (Good Reads USA)

  “The creepy, appalling, and “what if” factors in this book are all that they should be for a horror mystery thriller.” Cathy Huston Geha (Good Reads Lebanon)

  “This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have read this year. If I could give it six stars, I certainly would!” Madelon Wilson (Good Reads USA)

  “Frightening enough to prevent you from sleeping well for many nights.” Anne Martin (Canada) Thereadingcats.blospot.com

  “Found it difficult to put my kindle down and get on with my day-to-day tasks.” Katrina Ferguson (Good Reads UK)

  “One of the best novels I’ve read in a long time” Peg McDaniel (Good Reads USA

  “Deadly Messengers has to be one of the best mystery, thrillers I have ever read.” Ilakiya Selvakumar (Good Reads Canada)

  “A unique story line that made an excellent thriller.” Diane Kasperski (USA) 2readreadandreviewed.blogspot.com.au

  “Grit, tension and horror are laced the entire way through.” Brenda Telford (Good Reads Australia)

  “This book is a bona fide thriller. The twists and turns kept me reading the book way into the night.” Chris French (Good Reads USA)

  “Impressed at the ingenuity of plot. I read A LOT of books and she offered up something very unique.” Deborah Cook (Australia) Debbish.com

  “This book was awesome and it reminded my of the TV show X-Files. The major plot twist hit me like a freight train!” Sage Alberhasky (Good Reads USA)

  “This book was mind blowing !!! I’ve read some thrillers but this was one of the best.” Ginanusha Gnaneswaran (Good Reads Canada)

  “I found it very difficult to put down” Irene Adam (Good Reads)

  “Very compelling read” Shilpi Goel (USA) shilpigoel.blogspot.com

  “Riveting and suspenseful novel” Evie Harris (Good Reads USA)

  “A very fast read…plot twists that came out of nowhere” Connor J. Bedell (Good Reads USA)

  “A sophisticated mixture of storytelling with violence and suspense” T.C. Stevenson (Good Reads USA)

  “WOW WOW WOW … this book was brilliant.” Lynn MCarthy (Good Reads Australia)

  “A quick, suspenseful read.” Beth Lee (Good Reads USA)

  “A truly intelligent suspense/thriller novel!” Dominique Fort (Good Reads Canada)

  “I found the premise extremely original and refreshing.” Melissa (Australia) Booksbabiesbeing.com

  “This is a page turning book which I found hard to put down.” Louise Wilson (Good Reads UK)

  “I was busy turning the pages like crazy, curious to know how it all would end.” Sandra C. (Good Reads Suriname, South America)

  “An exciting fast paced thriller! My only regret is the fa
ct it ended,” Cynthia Gunnels (Good Reads USA)

  “A unique idea with well-developed characters and a lot of tension.” Brian Switzer (USA) The Belated Wordsmith

  “May has a way of taking a real-life fear and bringing it to life.” Christy Davis (Good Reads USA)

  “A great book, thrilling and also thought provoking.” Sophie David (Good Reads UK)

  “From the first chapter I was hooked.” Josh Cormier (Good Reads Canada)

  “A captivating page turner.” Annika (Good Reads Germany)

  “I really enjoyed this different take on a serial thriller.” Shelby (USA) Flyingmonkeyreads.wordpress.com

  “For most of the book I had no idea what was going to happen.” Alicia (Good Reads UK)

  “Filled with suspense, compassion … murder” Victoria Schwimley (UK) www.victoriaschwimley.com

  “Giving this one 5 stars…held my complete interest from start to finish.” Linda Strong (Good Reads USA)

  “A thriller with a heart-thumping climax” M. (Good Reads Australia)

  “If you enjoy crime thrillers this book is for you.” Mark Schafer (Good Reads USA)

  “One of the best books I’ve read in a long time!.” Ansley Wright (Good Reads USA)

  “A quick-paced (dark) thriller which ratchets up the tension as you read.” J.L.Sutton (USA) www.jlsutton.com

  “I started this book and could not put it down!” Mayra (Good Reads USA)

  “The writing was amazing, the plot flowed beautifully and the character development was spot on.” Gaynor (Good Reads Wales)

  “Diabolical! A sinister and refreshing twist on the mass/serial killer genre.” David (Good Reads USA)

  “The tension was literary unbearable. I didn’t know whether to scream or cry.” Mish Farrugia (Good Reads Australia)

  “Just reading to find out HOW it happens is worth the read.” Jean Coldwell (Good Reads USA)

  “The development of the characters is very well done as are the surprises and suspense building throughout the book.” Rhonda (Good Reads USA)

  “Quality thriller from start to finish, straight and true. Mike Rice (Good Reads UK)

  Susan May made me feel what the bad guys were going through and that is rare. Bill Craig (Good Reads USA)

  “The plot is amazing; some serious research must have gone into this.” James Hayward (Good Reads UK)

  Whodunnit? Susan May has done it in Deadly Messengers! Read this great and gory thriller at your risk!” Ashok Chennai (Good Reads)

  “Very well written with a fast-paced plot and compelling characters. It is not for the squeamish.” Lissa Johnston (USA) Lissajohnston.com

  “A haunting message ‘straight and true,’ that I will not forget.” Sue Leonhardt (Good Reads Canada)

  “It felt like I was in the story with the characters. A must read for all who like thrillers.” Britney Wilkins (Good Reads USA)

  “The plot of this story was very intriguing. Thank you, Susan, for a very well done storyline.” Darlene Abrahamson (Good Reads USA)

  “Such a great read! Just when I thought I had guessed what would happen, I was surprised.” Ashley (Good Reads Canada)

  “Thrilling, tense, interesting and topical. If you like your thrillers with meat on their bones get into Deadly Messengers.” Jo-Ann Duffy (Australia) Duffythewriterblog.com

  “I didn’t want to put this down once I started reading.” Meghann Sherman (Good Reads USA)

  “I found it a real page-turner and read in no time.” Jesena Đurović (Good Reads Serbia)

  “Fast-paced, well-written, and everything moves at a terrific pace, the kind of book I might even be tempted to read in one sitting.” Dan Sihota (UK) Dansihota.blogspot.com

  “I loved reading this brilliant well written masterpiece by Susan May.” Danielle Urban (USA) Urban Lit Magazine

  “This book is a lurching ride through every person’s worst nightmare.” Janis Milford (Good Reads Canada)

  “A very well written Crime Mystery book. 1 book you must read to the very end. A very easy rating of 5 stars.” Tony Parsons (Good Reads USA)

  “OMG One of the best books I have read in 2015. I highly recommend it.” Samantha Curtis (Good Reads UK)

  “Susan May pulls no punches with this page turning thriller.” Julie McBride (Good Reads Australia)

  “I spent my entire study period, afternoon and English class in twelve hours, reading through this unforgettable book.” Rebecca McNutt (Canada) Author of Smog City

  “If you liked Gillian Flynn novels or “The Girl on the train” by Paula Hawkins, you are going to love Deadly Messengers.” Jorge (Good Reads-Germany)

  “A great job taking us along for the ride; I enjoyed trying to figure out “just what exactly is going on here?!.” Candi Horihan (Good Reads USA)

  “POWERFUL! Ms. May is definitely an artist of her craft. Not too many authors, especially unknown ones, can leave me with the feeling of amazement.” Jan E. Klein (Good Reads USA)

  “A fun read and very fast-paced”. Riana Barbara (Malta) Thelivesofabookaholic.blogspot.com.au

  “Gripped the imagination at the first page and held it until the last when it left you gasping for more… I couldn’t put it down.” Pippa Willis (Good Reads UK)

  “I really, really enjoyed this book. It’s fast paced, exciting, has great characters.” Cynthia Corral (UK) Lostbookmark.wordpress.com

  “Brings our fears home to us with “Deadly Messengers,” a tense tale of mayhem by design.” Jay Cole (USA) www.amazon.com/author/jaycole

  “The book doesn’t wait for you to settle down as it hits you with a brutal mass killing from page 1” Ishita Choudhary (Good Reads India)

  “It’s my first book of dear Susan ‘n I love it. It’s amazing” Neha (Good Reads India)

  “Susan May is responsible for my un-hoovered house and my growing ironing pile. I started this book and finished it in a day.” Karen Male (Good Reads UK)

  “Grabbed me at the start and by the time I got to the last 100 pages or so, I couldn’t put it down and I had to finish it.” Terri (Good Reads Australia)

  “Filled with wonderfully descriptive passages and well constructed characters, this book was a thrilling read from its first word until its last.” Sharon Berge (Good Reads USA)

  “A very gripping, gritty thriller that will keep you on the edge as you try to work out what is driving normal, sane people to kill.” Carolyn (Good Reads USA)

  “Creepy, unnerving and leaving you on the edge of your seat wondering what is about to happen. One of the best books I have read in a long time.” Chelsea (Good Reads UK)

  “A unique twist on the crime that I’ve never seen before and was very cleverly plotted out.” Lisa (Good Reads USA)

  “It’s a gripping, entertaining, eye-opening and well-researched novel. What I liked best about this book is its highly social and moral significance.” AJ The Ravenous Reader (Good Reads Philippines)

  “Fast read, exciting, too! A page-turner.” Jeri (Good Reads USA)

  “Easy to become so trapped inside the book that the world around you becomes lost. So good, I didn’t want to sleep until I’d finished.” Natasha (Good Reads UK)