Body of Lies [Paperback]

Deirdre Savoy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006

Clinical psychologist Alexandra Waters always tackles the tough cases. Counseling a convicted rapist is one of them. Alex believes she has made a difference in that man's life until she's called in to track down a serial killer. The cops--particularly superstar Bronx detective Zachary Stone--believe the perpetrator is Alex's client. Nobody listens when she insists it's not. Even if Zach thinks Alex is wrong, he can't stay away from her. Years before, they shared one night of passion--only one. Zach walked away, leaving Alex hurt and abandoned. Now the fire is back, blazing hotter than ever. But the killer they both seek is still on the loose and getting more dangerous. Even as Zach and Alex surrender to the desire building between them, Alex is targeted as the murderer's next victim. Alex can't run, can't hide, can't escape. All she and Zach can do is come up with a plan to fight back...

Editorial Reviews

Review

Interesting characters, a well-developed romance between two intelligent, emotionally honest people and a race to stop a madman make this a book worth reading. -- Romantic Times Book Reviews

Ms. Savoy has done her research and proves again that suspense is her forte' with the all the surprising twists and turns that seem to never end. -- Affaire de Coeur

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Prologue

"What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

It was a corny remark designed to be humorous so no one in their right mind in this day and age would say such a thing in sincerity. Still, he got the reaction he'd wanted. Even though he was in the crappy station wagon he'd boosted from in front of some apartment building on 233rd and she was a safe distance away on the sidewalk, she darted a glance at him, more annoyance than wariness in her gaze.

He smiled to himself in a way that didn't show on his face. She wasn't his usual type, but she would do for tonight. She was too old, for one thing, and too skinny. He could tell despite the short black coat she wore. He liked them thick, with big legs, big asses, big tits, sloppy. More like her. Her mouth held promise, though--wide, loose, painted a dark shade of crimson, like blood. He would enjoy that mouth.

He leaned farther toward the passenger door, while keeping the car at a crawl. This time he smiled for real. She had no idea of the favor he planned to do for her. He was about to make her famous. "You may not have noticed but isn't the best neighborhood at night."

She cast him a look that would have translated to "no shit," if she'd spoken. This stretch of the service road of the New England Thruway was deserted from Connor Street on down to the new rows of two- and three-family houses on Baychester Avenue. Four blocks of near desolation, save for overflow from the highway, which could be heavy, but not at this hour, the couple of motels, the patrons of which were more interested in shielding their anonymity than anything going out on the street, and a couple blocks of unfinished houses, empty and dark, their facades looking like enormous gaping faces. Some places, like the bit of road she stepped onto now had no sidewalk to speak of.

"I'll be fine," she said finally.

He heard it in her voice, the fear that maybe she'd stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time. He'd seen her get off the highway at Connor Street. He was at the BP station filling up the piece of shit station wagon when her car hobbled in with a flat right front tire.

He'd listen to her asking the attendant if she could leave it there until she came back with help in a few minutes. At this time of night all the nearby shops extolling Flat Fixed had pulled in their signs for the night.

She hadn't seen him, or at least he hadn't registered on her radar. He'd given her a five-minute head start, then followed.

Now he smiled in a self-deprecating way and held the expression until he was sure she'd noticed. "I'm not trying to be a nuisance. In truth, I'm lost. There weren't so many houses or new houses around the last time I was here."

"What street are you looking for?"

"Givan."

She gestured with her hand, "It's that way. Keep going and you'll hit it." "Thanks. You sure I can't drop you anywhere?"

As if on cue, an Explorer rolled up on them, seemingly out of nowhere, like a huge dark specter, it's stereo blazing, it's headlamps casting garish light as it passed. The yahoo on the passenger side threw a beer bottle out the window. The projectile hit the ground with a dull crack, spewing liquid and glass onto the already filthy street.

For one sweet moment he watched the car pass. Sometimes the universe was just with you. He knew he had her now. "Sure you don't need that ride?" he asked, but it was a tease. He knew what she'd do. She'd get in thinking she was safer with him than she was on her own.

"Maybe I will take you up on your offer. In one move she stepped toward the car, pulled the door open and slid inside.

He pressed the button on the driver's side door panel to depress all the locks. "Relax," he said, pulling away from the curb. "You're safe now. Where do you want to go? Givan, right?"

"Just two blocks down, near the corner. Givan is the one after."

He nodded, as if it made any difference to him. He concentrated on accelerating the car and the choice he had to make.

"Hey, slow down," she said. "It's right there."

He glanced at her sideways, grinning a little, just enough to let her know she'd miscalculated.

"Let me out," she demanded, pulling futilely on the door handle. "Let me go. If you hurt me my father will kill you."

Fear or pain. Pain or fear. The choice was always the same. He was close enough to the highway now to make the choice necessary. Traffic was light enough to ensure him an easy entrance if he timed it right.

Just as the girl started to launch herself at him, he reached his left hand between his legs where he kept both a thirty-eight and a stun gun concealed beneath his T-shirt. He settled for the thirty-eight and aimed it at her chest. "Keep still and I won't shoot you.

The girl froze. She was crying now, her threats forgotten.

He grinned again. He'd chosen fear. The pain would wait for later.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Dafina (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758212291
• ISBN-13: 978-0758212290
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,246,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Native New Yorker Deirdre Savoy spent her summers on the shores of Martha's Vineyard, soaking up the sun and scribbling in one of her many notebooks. It was there that she first started writing romance as a teenager. The island proved to be the perfect setting for her first novel, SPELLBOUND, published by BET/Arabesque books in 1999. SPELLBOUND received rave reviews and earned her the distinction of the first Rising Star author of Romance in Color and was voted their Best New Author of 1999. Deirdre also won the first annual Emma award for Favorite New Author, presented at the 2001 Romance Slam Jam in Orlando, Florida.

Deirdre's second and third books, ALWAYS (2000) and it's sequel ONCE AND AGAIN (2001), were chosen as selections for the Black Expressions Book Club. MIDNIGHT MAGIC, the third book in the Thorne family saga was a 2001 Holiday release.

Deirdre's fifth book, HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO, was published in September 2002. HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO features fictional hero, NYPD detective Adam Wexler and real-life hero firefighter Paul Haney, the winner of the 2001 Arabesque Man Contest on the cover. HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO, was also selected by Black Expressions and was featured on the cover of their holiday 2002 brochure.

In April 2003, Deirdre's first novella, Fairy Godfather was published in her first hardcover title, TO MOM WITH LOVE, a Mother's Day anthology. COULD IT BE MAGIC? Deirdre's sixth book was published in May 2003 to rave reviews, including the Gold Plug Award from The Romance Reader's Connection.

In June 2004, Deirdre's novel, LADY IN RED, served as the lead off title in BET's Sizzling Sands summer series. Other participants in the series included Donna Hill, Gwynne Forster and Sandra Kitt.

This year, Deirdre will release two titles: LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES, a follow-up to her popular Could It Be Magic? and BODY OF TRUTH, the first in a trilogy of books about three Bronx detective brothers.

Deirdre is the president of Authors Supporting Authors Positively (ASAP) and the founder of the Writer's Co-op writer's group. She lectures on such topics as Getting Your Writing Career Started, Taking Your Writing to the Next Level, and other subjects related to the craft of writing. She is listed in the American and International Authors and Writers Who's Who, as well as the Dictionary of International Biography.
Deirdre lives in Bronx, New York with her husband of 10-plus years and their two children. In her spare time she enjoys reading, dancing, calligraphy and "wicked" crossword puzzles.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Good and Suspenseful, You'll Forget Your Own Problems, January 26, 2007

By 

Sylvia M. Hubbard "AA Suspense/Intrigue Roman... (http://SylviaHubbard.com Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Body of Lies (Paperback)

When I picked up this book, I was feeling pissed off that I had to resort to reading so I wouldn't be mad. My date had stood me up for a very important event that I didn't want to go to alone, but the more time passed by the more angrier I became.

So I said I needed something to get my mind off of being pissed off, but I was wary as to if this book would do what I wanted it to do.

As a writer of romance suspense, I love to read the genre, but I haven't read a really good female suspense writer in a long time. I love complicated plots and very good romantic tension carefully weaved to capture me and spellbind me.

Deirdre Savoy's book Body of Lies combined all these wonderful elements and more! I was knocked off my butt, totally engrossed in the suspenseful romance story of Clinical Psychologist, Alexander Waters and her trail to find out if a past patient was the real Amazon serial killer in New York. Past love, Zach Stone was dead set on believing the patient was the killer and wanted to convince Alex was wrong about her patient and also wrong about thinking there wasn't still something between them.

I must really thank the Deirdre Savoy for really taking my mind off of reality and immersing me in a suspenseful romance story that kept me captivated from beginning to the end.

Sylvia Hubbard, Author of Stone's Revenge

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Secrets, Suspense and Passion, December 23, 2006

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Body of Lies (Paperback)

In the second book of her "Body Series", Deirdre Savoy introduces Alexandra Waters and Zachary Stone.

Alexandra is a clinical psychologist who always tackles the tough cases, counseling a convicted rapist is one of them. Although this case is the one that changed her life and career, Alex believes
her work with her client also made a difference in his life. When the police ask for her assistance in tracking down a serial killer, Alex refuses to believe the perpetrator is her former client, but Zachery Stone believes differently.

Detective Zachery Stone is fine, sexy and hiding a few secrets of his own. Years before, he and Alex shared one night of passion. Zach walked away leaving Alex feeling hurt, confused and abandoned. Now that he has come face to face with her again, he realizes the passion he once felt for Alex is back; burning stronger than ever. As Zach and Alex surrender to the desire building between them, Alex is targeted as the murderer's next victim. Can they reignite the flame while trying to capture a serial killer?

Deirdre Savoy has done it again! She has written a good book with a great storyline and likeable characters. BODY OF LIES is a page turner that offers the perfect combination of suspense and passion that will leave its readers completely satisfied.

Reviewed by Tabatha Taylor
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The twist keep coming, November 26, 2006

By 

M. Corbett-Clark (, FLORIDA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Body of Lies (Paperback)

Alex is a clinical psychologist who moves to private practice after one of her patients commits rape. Even though she still doesn't believe Thorpe is guilty, the police and press have villified her. Six years later the Amazon killer is on the rampage and the cops again suspect her ex-client who has been released is at it again. From there the suspects start stacking up. I thought several times I had figured it out but then there was always a new twist. The appearance of Zack,(her teenage crush) shows up after 13 yrs as one of the cops working the task force. The rekindling of their relationship plays well within the story line. This book will keep your interest through all 350 pages.