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**With Every Turn In The Case. . .** After moving from Los Angeles to Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, homicide detective Claire Morgan has at last adjusted to the peaceful rhythms of rural life. Until a grisly celebrity murder at an ultra-exclusive "wellness" resort shatters a quiet summer morning. . . **With Every Twist Of The Mind. . .** One of Dr. Nicholas Black's high-profile clients, a beautiful young soap opera star, has been found dead, taped to a chair at a fully set table. . .submerged in the lake. Back in L.A., Claire investigated the rich, famous, and the deadly--but she never expected the problems of the privileged to follow her to this sleepy small town. Just as she never imagined crossing the line with her prime suspect. . . **With Every Beat Of The Heart. . .** Immersed in the case, Claire finds herself drawn to the charismatic doctor, spending more and more time in his company--and in his bed. Now, to catch a killer, Claire will have to enter the darkest recesses of the human mind. But is Black leading her there to help her. . .or luring her ever deeper into a madman's grip? **Head To Head** "A feisty new heroine to root for. . .Ladd is a bright new voice in suspense!" --Patricia Gaffney ### From Publishers Weekly Romance novelist Ladd (*White Orchid*) makes a successful venture into thriller territory with this first in a series featuring Missouri homicide detective Claire Morgan. Canton County, located on the "Lake Tahoe of the Ozarks," is a relaxing beat for the former Los Angeles cop until a soap opera star, vacationing at an exclusive resort for the rich and richer, is found at the bottom of the lake—naked, taped to a chair and sitting at a fully set dinner table. As she pursues the investigation to Louisiana and California and back, Morgan herself is pursued by her prime suspect: the resort's handsome, charming owner, Dr. Nicholas Black, whose romantic advances may hide a dangerous agenda. Though Ladd saddles Morgan with an all-purpose tragic past and occasional logic-deficient reasoning, she's a smart, strong character capable enough to avoid the woman-in-distress scenarios her genre colleagues so typically fall into. Despite a propensity for caustic rambling, her tough-girl voice keeps the story moving toward a satisfying denouement with plenty of suspense and surprises. *(Mar.)* Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ### Review "Chilling, compelling suspense...be prepared to lose sleep!"