âTan writes in cutting bursts of staccato energy, a style that mellows only for a few delectable passages of romance.â
âLibrary Journal
ââ¦too dangerousâ¦no backupâ¦canât allow itâ¦another wayâ¦against policyâ¦irresponsible if Iâ¦â
Finally he ran out of steam. Or so I thought.
âLacie, youâre smart and perceptive and you know your stuff. I wouldnât mind spending more time with you. Professionally. Or personally. But thereâs no way Iâm going to let you risk your life for this case.â
I stared at him, taken off guard by his admission. But I wasnât about to let my emotions get in the way of my better judgment. Or doing the work I was committed to.
âIâm going to do this,â I said quietly. âYou can help me. Or you can cut me loose. Like it or not, Anthony, I have the perfect cover.â
Dear Reader,
Weâre new, weâre thrilling, and weâre back with another explosive lineup of four Silhouette Bombshell titles especially for you. This monthâs stories are filled with twists and turns to keep you guessing to the end. But donât stop thereâwrite and tell us what you think! Our goal is to create stories with action, emotion and a touch of romance, featuring strong, sexy heroines who speak to the women of today.
Critically acclaimed author Maureen Tanâs A Perfect Cover delivers just that. Meet Lacie Reed. Sheâll put her life on the line to bring down a serial killer, even though it means hiding her identity from the local policeâincluding one determined detective.
Temperatures rise in the latest Athena Force continuity story as an up-and-coming TV reporter travels to Central America for an exclusive interview with a Navy SEAL, only to find her leads drying up almost before her arrival. That wonât deter the heroine of Katherine Garberaâs Exposedâ¦.
They say you canât go home again, but the heroine of Doranna Durginâs first Bombshell novel proves the Exception to the Rule. Donât miss a moment as this P.I.âs assignment to guard government secrets clashes with the plans of one unofficial bodyguard.
Finally, truth and lies merge in Body Double, by Vicki Hinze. When a special forces captain loses three months of her memories, her search to get them back forces her to rely on a man she canât trust to uncover a secret so shocking, you wonât believe your eyesâ¦.
Weâll leave you breathless! Please send me your comments c/o Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.
Best wishes,
Natashya Wilson
Associate Senior Editor
is a Marine Corps brat, the eldest of eight children and naturally bossy. She and her husband of thirty years have three adult children, two grandchildren and currently share their century-old house with a dog, three cats, three fish and a rat. Much to his dismay, their elderly Appaloosa lives in the barn. Most of Maureenâs professional career has involved explaining science, engineering and medical research to the public. To keep her life from becoming boring, she has also worked in disaster areas as a FEMA public affairs officer and spent two years as a writer for an electronic games studio. Maureenâs first Bombshell book, A Perfect Cover, is set in New Orleans and recounts one womanâs fight to save Vietnamese immigrants from a serial killer.
For my family and friends, who make it all worthwhile.
And for Peter, the love of my life.
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
I never knew my mother. She was probably a prostitute. Or perhaps she was just a woman who loved the wrong man. In either event, she was most likely dead.
There was panic in the streets of Saigon when Ho Chi Minhâs troops poured into the city. Barefoot, ragged soldiers carrying AK-47s streamed from hidden tunnels. The Cholon district was in flames. South Vietnamese soldiers were stripping off their uniforms, trying to blend in with the population. And the Americansâcaught off guard by the swift fall of the cityâwere fleeing the embassyâs rooftop by helicopter, abandoning their friends and allies.
Abandoning their children.
That day, an American soldierâa black man in a torn and charred Marine sergeantâs uniformâburst into Grandma Qwanâs home. He interrupted a dozen orphaned children and Grandma Qwan as they knelt in prayer, saying the Rosary out loud, petitioning the Virgin for her protection.
The soldierâs hands were badly burned, Grandma Qwan told me later, but still he held a blanket-wrapped toddler tightly in his arms.
âHer name is Lai Sie,â he said in Vietnamese as he put the child gently on her feet and placed a silk-wrapped bundle on the floor beside Grandma Qwan.
Stunned into silence, Grandma Qwan simply stared at the soldier. His hair was singed, his eyes were bloodshot, and tears streaked the gray soot that coated his dark face. Later that night, Grandma Qwan discovered enough money and jewelry among the little girlâs clothing to support the orphanage for years.