False Pretenses - Kathy Herman [0]
FALSE PRETENSES
“Kathy Herman has cooked up a spicy Cajun mystery featuring a likable cast of small-town characters. This intriguing yarn is sure to satisfy the appetites of murder-mystery lovers.”
Creston Mapes, author of Nobody
“With its perfectly paced suspense, Cajun flair, and riveting look at the high price of deceit, Kathy Herman’s False Pretenses is a true page-turner. Highly recommended!”
Marlo Schalesky, author of the Christy Award–winning novel Beyond the Night
“Kathy Herman has raised her own bar for an action-packed novel with rich conflict and realistic romance. False Pretenses is deep and soul-searching with nonstop excitement. It will lead to nonstop reading.”
Hannah Alexander, author of A Killing Frost and the Hideaway series
“Mysteries abound in Kathy Herman’s latest foray into suspense. Though we know some of the characters well, new ones will intrigue readers. The story entwines the secrets of the past with the secrets of today. You’ll enjoy this trip to Cajun country. A solid read!”
Lyn Cote, author of Her Abundant Joy
“In False Pretenses, Kathy Herman has begun a wonderfully intriguing new series set in Louisiana’s bayou country—Secrets of Roux River Bayou. False Pretenses gets the series off to a fast-paced start filled with suspense, tension, and mystery that will grip readers from the first page.”
Marta Perry, author of Murder in Plain Sight
“Kathy Herman has written a powerful story of tension, mystery, and danger. Anonymous messages point to a secret from the past that can destroy the future. But there’s also a tender love story to challenge that secret.”
Lorena McCourtney, author of the Ivy Malone Mysteries and the Andi McConnell Mysteries
FALSE PRETENSES
Published by David C Cook
4050 Lee Vance View
Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.
David C Cook Distribution Canada
55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5
David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications
Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England
David C Cook and the graphic circle C logo
are registered trademarks of Cook Communications Ministries.
All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes,
no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form
without written permission from the publisher.
The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.
This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc™. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. John 11:25–26 in chapter 36 is taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms © 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and is used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
LCCN 2010942617
ISBN 978-0-7814-0340-5
eISBN 978-0-7814-0618-5
© 2011 Kathy Herman
Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc, 7680 Goddard St., Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.
The Team: Don Pape, Diane Noble, Amy Kiechlin, Sarah Schultz, Caitlyn York, Karen Athen
Cover Design: DogEared Design, Kirk DouPonce.
Cover Images: iStockphoto, #10860599 royalty-free; iStockphoto, #9791563 royalty-free; ShutterStock, #4247786 royalty-free; SuperStock, #1525R-116643 royalty-free; 123RF, #1952688 royalty-free; Veer, #PHP2971311 royalty-free.
First Edition 2011
To Him who is both the Giver and the Gift
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
CAJUN FRENCH GLOSSARY
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3