Third Strike (36 page)

Authors: Zoe Sharp

Tags: #Contemporary, #Fiction, #Bodyguards, #Thriller

BOOK: Third Strike

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Writing a novel is supposed to be a solitary occupation, but we know it isn’t. As always, many people came to my assistance with the writing of this book, generously providing encouragement, help, advice, and information. I’m humbly grateful, therefore, to—in no particular order—fellow mystery authors Reed Farrel Coleman, for details on the seedier areas of Brooklyn; Shane Gericke and Fred Rea, for firearms info; Libby Fischer Hellmann, for casting her eye over my accidental Britishisms; and D. P. Lyle, M.D., for his superb detailed medical input. If you want to know how to tie off an artery by the side of the road or break into a hospital, Doug Lyle’s your man.

How can I not also mention other great writers who gave encouragement with this one—Ken Bruen, Lee Child, Jeffrey Deaver, and Stuart MacBride, as well as other enthusiasts within the industry—Jon and Ruth Jordan at
Crimespree
magazine and Ali Karim and Mike Stotter at Shots Ezine. Keep wiffling, boys.

McKenna Jordan and David Thompson, from the independent mystery bookstore, Murder by the Book in Houston, added geographical detail, as did Terry Farmer. Thank you to the staff at the Deerfield Pistol & Archery Center in Deerfield, Wisconsin, for letting me play with some cool stuff.

My test readers stood firm, as always—Peter Doleman, Claire Duplock, Sarah Harrison, Iris Rogers, Tim Winfield, and Shell Willbye (who also knows one end of a knitting needle from the other).

Of course, my biggest debts go to my agent, the incomparable Jane Gregory, her editor, Emma Dunford, and all the staff at Gregory & Company Authors’ Agents, for their patience, faith, and understanding.

Also to my UK publisher, Susie Dunlop, and my editor, Lara Swift, and all the incredibly enthusiastic and hardworking staff at Allison & Busby. And to my U.S. publisher, St. Martin’s Minotaur—in particular my editor, Marcia Markland, who also provided New York info; Diana Szu; and all the sales and marketing people who work so hard to make this book a reality in the United States.

Of course, without the constant encouragement of my husband, Andy, nothing would ever get done. Again, thank you.

And finally, I’d like to mention Terry O’Loughlin, who made the winning bid at the charity auction at Bouchercon in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2006, in aid of the Wisconsin Literacy, Inc., charity, to become a character in this book and whom it was enormous fun to include.

ST. MARTIN’S / MINOTAUR PAPERBACKS TITLES BY ZOË SHARP

First Drop

Second Shot

Third Strike

CRITICAL PRAISE FOR THE WORKS OF ZOË SHARP!

SECOND SHOT

“Scarily good. Today’s best action heroine is back with a bang. Cross your fingers and toes that she survives for future adventures—you definitely want her to.”

—
Lee Child

“Breathlessly compelling and utterly real.”

—
Jeffery Deaver

“James Bond, watch your back.”

—
Booklist
(starred review)

“Zoë Sharp is one of the best novelists in the business, and her hero Charlie Fox—comparable to Lee Child’s Jack Reacher—is arguably the most complex, endearing, and believable protagonist to grace the pages of a thriller in years. Fans of Child, Coben, and Connelly will find Sharp’s Charlie Fox novels addictive reading.”

—
Chicago Tribune

“Sharp expertly builds suspense.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Doesn’t let up from page one to the end.”

—
New Mystery Reader
magazine

“Charlie Fox in action is the real payoff… Sharp makes the reader feel the pain.”

—
Houston Chronicle

“A direct hit, center and clean through.”

—
Crimespree
magazine

FIRST DROP

“Absolutely riveting.”

—
Chicago Tribune

“Intense…a nail-biting chase.”

—
Cleveland Plain Dealer

“The must-read heroine of mystery.”

—
Ken Bruen

“Sharp keeps the plot moving at a lightning-fast pace … [Charlie Fox’s] lethal abilities and winning personality combine to make her a compelling figure.”

—
Chicago Sun-Times

“Charlie Fox [is] a gal with moxie and deadly accuracy with a Sig Sauer. Slick, hard-boiled fare.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“Action-packed, tightly plotted…irresistible.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“Charlie Fox is something entirely new in crime fiction, a genuine female action hero—with passport. Fans of Thomas Perry’s Jane Whitefield series are sure to relish Charlie Fox, a true Brit with true grit. Zoë Sharp’s original voice, breakneck pacing, and crisp prose make for one riveting thriller. Charlie Fox is here to stay. Read
First Drop
, and then tell me if I’m wrong!”

—Julia Spencer-Fleming, author of
All Mortal Flesh

“Zoë Sharp writes with a casual freshness that makes it all seem easy: her fully fleshed characters, her closely observed settings, her satisfying plot. American readers will be glad for the chance to get to know her.”

—SJ Rozan, author of
Absent Friends

“Zoë Sharp is one of the brightest of the new generation of British crime writers, and Charlie Fox is a memorable creation—a welcome addition to the ranks of strong female characters who have turned crime fiction on its head.”

—Stephen Booth, author of
Dancing with the Virgins

“Charlie Fox is an exceptional addition to the loner lead in crime fiction. Changing the setting she works in to the U.S. is a stroke of brilliance…. This is one roller coaster I didn’t want to get off of.”—Ruth Jordan,

Crimespree
magazine

“The mystery genre has a shortage of female adventurers. British author Zoë Sharp excitingly fills that gap with her thrilling U.S. debut.”

—Oline Cogdill,
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“I feel like I’m reading a Lee Child thriller. I like everything about this book … Excellent—four stars.”

—George Easter,
Deadly Pleasures
magazine

“Deserves all accolades…combines relentless action and enough vulnerability to fully flesh out protagonist Charlie Fox. I can’t read it fast enough.”

—
Sarah Weinman

“High-voltage…should signal the beginning of a beautiful relationship between British author Sharp and American readers. Sharp combines non-stop, heart-pounding action with a poignant relationship story.”

—
Booklist

“Brilliantly suspenseful yet emotionally affecting…a stellar breakout. Were James Bond less of a sex addict, not misogynistic, and, well, a woman, he would be Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Fox…One of the strongest female characters working the dark alleys of mystery fiction nowadays.”

—
January
magazine, Best of Crime Fiction 2005

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

THIRD STRIKE

For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

eISBN 9781429992619

First eBook Edition : January 2011

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2008023441

EAN: 978-0-312-35898-3

St. Martin’s Press hardcover edition / October 2008
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / November 2009