The Silence Of The Library

THE SILENCE OF THE LIBRARY

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

Copyright © 2014 by Dean James.

Excerpt from Bless Her Dead Little Heart by Miranda James copyright © 2014 by Dean James.

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group.

BERKLEY® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

eBook ISBN: 978-0-698-13731-8

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / February 2014

Cover illustration by Dan Craig.

Cover design by Lesley Worrell.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Version_1

Contents

PRAISE FOR TITLES BY MIRANDA JAMES

ALSO BY MIRANDA JAMES

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-SIX

TWENTY-SEVEN

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY-NINE

THIRTY

THIRTY-ONE

THIRTY-TWO

THIRTY-THREE

THIRTY-FOUR

THIRTY-FIVE

THIRTY-SIX

THIRTY-SEVEN

THIRTY-EIGHT

THIRTY-NINE

FORTY

AFTERWORD

LETTER TO THE READER

SPECIAL EXCERPT FROM BLESS HER DEAD LITTLE HEART

With great respect and admiration, and with

thanks for countless hours of pleasure and vicarious

adventure, this book is dedicated to the memories

of Mildred Wirt Benson, Margaret Sutton, and Julie

Campbell Tatham. Without Nancy Drew, Judy Bolton,

and Trixie Belden, I would never have had so

much fun in childhood and adolescence.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My thanks go as always to the members of my weekly critique group for their consistently valuable input: Julie, Kay F., Kay K., Laura, Millie, and Bob. Huge thanks as well to the Soparkar-Hairston clan for their hospitality in providing an inviting atmosphere for our meetings.

Without the support and patience of my wonderful editor, Michelle Vega, and my indefatigable agent, Nancy Yost, I would be lost. Berkley Prime Crime has provided a happy home for Charlie and Diesel, and I am thrilled with the consistently gorgeous covers. Diesel thinks the “cover cat” who serves as his body double is a handsome dude—though, of course, not nearly so handsome as he is!

Finally, my two dear friends and constant cheerleaders, Patricia Orr and Terry Farmer, patiently read each book, chapter by chapter, in spurts and deluges, and offer helpful comments and unfailing support. I am truly blessed to have such friends.

ONE

Lightning tore through the sky, and a brilliant flash of light struck the ground near the road. Sparks flew, and a massive tree split and started to fall. The pert red roadster trembled as Veronica Thane urged it forward.

The huge oak threatened to land on her car, and only the girl’s swift reflexes saved her from sure annihilation. The car shot ahead as a section of the mighty tree struck the road behind it.

Veronica Thane’s hands tightened on the wheel as she peered through the sudden deluge of rain on her windscreen that rendered her all but blind. When another bolt of lightning briefly illuminated the dark sky, the intrepid girl caught a glimpse of a driveway ten feet ahead.