A Killer Column

Praise for

A DEADLY ROW

“Do the math—this book’s a winner! Make this number one on your must-read list.”

—Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author

“A dazzling debut indeed. Combining the police procedural knowledge of Zach Stone with the [deductive] reasoning of his wife, Savannah, the equation adds up to a delightfully intelligent couple who are a pleasure to get to know. Fans of mysteries that make you stop and think will find A Deadly Row the start of a brilliant series.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Fascinating . . . Character driven with several terrific twists . . . Readers who enjoy mysteries like those of Parnell Hall’s Puzzle Lady will enjoy observing the two Stones methodically work separately and together on their first joint case.”

—Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine

“Mayes is quite good at planting clues and red herrings. There are many possibilities for the reader to consider . . . A Deadly Row is quite a pleasant traditional mystery, with just enough police procedural thrown in to keep it interesting.”

—ReviewingTheEvidence.­com

“The mystery is engaging and well constructed . . . A Deadly Row reads a bit like a younger, hipper Carolyn Hart or Nancy Fairbanks novel. It makes a welcome addition to the cozy scene, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the sequel.”

—The Season

Berkley Prime Crime titles by Casey Mayes

A DEADLY ROW

A KILLER COLUMN

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

A KILLER COLUMN

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / August 2011

Copyright © 2011 by Tim Myers.

All rights reserved.

ISBN : 978-1-101-51713-0

BERKLEY^® PRIME CRIME

Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY^® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

For Puzzling Looks, Puzzling Glances, and Puzzling Dedications Everywhere!

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The cities—in particular, Raleigh, North Carolina—featured in this novel are real enough. However, each place has been modified for the sake of the narrative in many subtle ways, and the author hopes that the residents of each locale can forgive him, since they are indeed filled with many gracious people and spectacular sights.

The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity.

—DOUGLAS HORTON

Chapter 1

NO ONE IS GOING TO GET AWAY WITH TREATING ME LIKE that.

I won’t stand for it.

Derrick thinks that he can replace me, that he’s so much better than I am, but he’s wrong.

Dead wrong.

But I’m not going to be stupid about it. Just because I want him to die doesn’t mean I’m willing to trade the rest of my life in prison to see it happen.

Someone else is going to have to take the blame for his murder, or get all of the credit, depending ultimately on how they feel about Derrick.

It’s too bad an innocent person is going to have to take my punishment, but the military have a term for it, “collateral damage,” and if it’s good enough for them, it’s going to have to work for me.

As long as Derrick dies and I get away with his murder, I can live with anything else that