Doppelgangster - Laura Resnick [0]
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
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
Chapter 26
Acknowledgements
Raves for the first book in the Esther Diamond series:
“Seasoned by a good measure of humor, this fantasy mystery is a genuine treat for readers of any genre.”—SF Chronicle
“With a wry, tongue-in-cheek style reminiscent of Janet Evanovich, this entertaining tale pokes fun at the deadly serious urban fantasy subgenre while drawing the reader into a fairly well-plotted mystery. The larger-than-life characters are apropos to the theatrical setting, and Esther’s charming, self-deprecating voice makes her an appealingly quirky heroine. The chemistry between Esther and Lopez sizzles, while scenes of slapstick comedy will have the reader laughing out loud and eager for further tales of Esther’s adventures.”—Romantic Times
“A delightful mélange of amateur sleuth mystery, romance, and urban fantasy.”—The Barnes and Noble Review
“A paranormal screwball comedy adventure. Light, happy, fantastically funny!”—Jennifer Cruise, The New York Times bestselling author
“Combining elements from the romance, fantasy and mystery genres . . . an enchanting novel that will appeal to readers of all three genres. The mystery is well constructed leaving readers trying to figure out who is behind the disappearances. The heroine is at times funny and determined but is always charming and believable.”—thebestreviews.com
DOPPELGANGSTER
The Esther Diamond Series:
DOPPLEGANGSTER
UNSYMPATHETIC MAGIC*
VAMPARAZZI*
* Coming soon from DAW Books
Copyright © 2010 by Laura Resnick.
All rights reserved.
DAW Books Collectors No. 1499.
DAW Books are distributed by the Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious.
Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.
The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
eISBN : 978-1-101-15979-8
First Paperback Printing, January 2010.
DAW TRADEMARK REGISTERED
U.S. PAT. AND TM. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES
—MARCA REGISTRADA
HECHO EN U.S.A.
http://us.penguingroup.com
For Mom & Dad
(the only existing versions of themselves)
who liked the title
PROLOGUE
The fact that I had killed a man was really putting a crimp in my love life.
Well, okay, to be strictly accurate, I hadn’t killed him. But I had helped. And I had watched enough of the Emmy Award-winning cops-and-lawyers drama Crime and Punishment on TV to know that cops weren’t very understanding about that sort of thing. I had even auditioned for the role of a murderess in a C&P episode the previous year, but I didn’t get the part. So, since I had never even played a killer, actually being one now was something of a novelty.
It was also rather awkward, since I was dating a cop. Or at least trying to date one. And he was a straight-arrow cop who didn’t look the other way when it came to breaking and entering and vandalism (two more awkward secrets I was keeping from him), never mind murder.
Which is not to say that I had done anything wrong. On the contrary. I stand by my actions. I was fighting Evil.
And if that sounds absurd to you, well, that’s understandable. It sounds pretty damn absurd to me, too.
The man I had helped kill—and I’m using the word “man” in its broadest possible sense—was a demented sorcerer’s apprentice who tried to take over New York City by summoning a virgin-raping, people-eating demon.
You probably think I’m kidding.
In a series of events