Christmas, Tennessee, is a town where no one locks their doors and the worst crime is a stolen bicycle. Until the night blood is found…but there’s no body.
Police Chief Tucker Ambrose hopes it’s just a prank, but his years as a cop in Chicago tell him different. Then a body is discovered in the middle of the woods, staged with a bible, a crucifix, and a rosary… and Tucker knows something dark and sinister has arrived in his town.
Miranda Harley knows exactly what’s going on. In fact, she’s been tracking this serial killer, hoping to gather enough evidence to convict him. Trouble is, no one will believe her, not even the sexy police chief whose heated gazes promise nights of sin. But when Miranda falls into the crosshairs of a psychopath, Tucker must put aside his doubts and race to stop the killer from striking again.
“Just wanted to make sure you were all right. Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Thank you. I’ve been catching up on some reading.” And spying.
He nodded. “And the heater’s still working?”
He’d been by to fix it when she’d been breaking and entering. She hadn’t thought to thank him yet. And in all honesty, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. She wasn’t keen on the thought of him being in the cabin without her. She had things—especially now—that she certainly didn’t want him to stumble upon. “Sorry I haven’t stopped by to thank you. It’s running fine.”
Small talk. She hated it so much.
“Did you . . . did you want to come in?”
He shook his head. “It’s late. I just wanted to make sure everything was all right.”
A bit of relief mingled with disappointment at his refusal. “It is, thank you. And your hand?”
He held it up and smiled. “Won’t scar. You’re a good nurse.”
God he was cute. And sweet. His continual check-ins with her were beginning to get to her. She was used to cops knocking on her door, but never to ask if she was all right. Never to deliver her soup, or firewood, or . . . a friendly smile.
She was so alone here. Lonely. Tucker was becoming an invaluable friend, even if she hadn’t spent too much time with him.
It was a fragile thing, this friendship. One that was going to shatter if he ever found out what had really brought her here.
“Listen,” she heard herself say. “Tomorrow’s Saturday. If you don’t have to go in early, you could stop by? I have some eggs and bacon. . . I make a mean omelet. If you want to, I mean. It’s okay if you don’t.”
She was rambling like a buffoon. Why hadn’t her college offered a class in social interaction along with proper bedside manner?
“Sorry. Just wanted . . . didn’t mean to put you on the spot . . . you know, forget about it. I’m sure you have—“
“Are you always this nervous when you invite someone to breakfast?”
“Yeah. No. I mean I don’t—“
His rich laughter shut her up. She was making an ass of herself trying to do something nice to thank him for the meals, heater repair, and daily firewood delivery.
“I really wish I could take you up on your offer but I have an early shift. Rain check?”
“Yeah, sure. Anytime.”
“Good night, then.”
He was halfway back to his house before she closed the door and returned to her computer. She studied the screen, trying to focus on the grainy images and not on the rejection burning in her belly or the sadness it evoked. Tucker had a life. She couldn’t expect him to spend all his free time with her. He had to work. She shouldn’t take it personally.
But as loneliness settled around her, she took it very personally. Cursing, she stood and plucked the small Christmas tree from the table by the window and shoved it in the closet. She didn’t need any more reminders of just how alone she truly was.
About the Author:
C.J. Kyle lives in Florida, where the weather is as bipolar as her characters sometimes turn out to be. Besides partaking in all things Jeep-related, she is an avid reader of most genres, loves cooking, watching sports, and thrives on being a wife and mother. She also classifies herself as a geek and nerd, enjoying gaming while thinking about the next scene she has to write. She loves to hear from her readers and can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and more.
Jennifer’s Review of Silent Night
Review (4 Stars): This was such a creepy and suspenseful novel for me. The action started immediately from the first page and wouldn’t let go until the very end. Christmas, Tennessee, is a quiet little town where people don’t lock their doors at night and crime is nothing more than a missing bicycle or two. Chief Tucker Ambrose has thought he has left the horrors of the big city behind him until he finds a bloody crime scene in his sleepy town with no body. Afraid that this could be sign of terrible things to come, Tucker investigates and discovers a body staged in a religious scene with no clues to the killer. Miranda Harley has been hunting a serial killer for a long time and her investigation has brought her to Christmas to capture the man that she believes is behind it all. Tucker and Miranda join forces and are on a race against time to prevent a serial killer from adding more victims to their deadly list.
I have to add C.J. Kyle to my list of mystery authors to read from now on. Silent Night was a suspenseful thrill ride with engaging characters and a serial killer that will keep you up at night. I liked the relationship between Tucker and Miranda and trying to figure out how Miranda played into the murder investigation. I knew that she was hiding a few things and couldn’t wait to discover the real reasons as to why she made her way to Christmas. Well-written mystery that you should only read with the lights on.
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