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Killer Summer
By
Lynda Curnyn
Contents
Prologue: Maggie
Prologue: Zoe
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Epilogue
Praise for Lynda Curnyn’s previous novels
BOMBSHELL
“The hook is the laugh-out-loud humor mixed with just the right amount of Mae West savoir faire and iced with the Carrie Bradshaw insight we all know and love. This one is a page turner in the truest sense of the word.” —link Magazine
“Things like the right touch on personal issues, the allusion to a romantic happy ending and fully realized characters—such as Grace’s wonderful adopted parents and her age-phobic boss ‘Claud-zilla’—make Bombshell an endearing, enjoyable and uplifting read for women of all ages.” —Romantic Times
“This is the writer’s third novel and it’s her best yet. The heroine is sexy, beautiful, smart and likeable. The hero is lovable, lost and handsome. The story is rich with detail that gives you great insight into their characters. A grown-up chick lit story you will want to keep.” — Rendezvous
ENGAGING MEN
“Curnyn delivers another fun and frothy crowd-pleaser.” -Booklist
“This dose of chick lit features entertaining supporting characters and may inspire readers to think about what they really want out of relationships and life.” —Romantic Times
“Engaging Men is a truly funny and thoroughly enjoyable read.”
—Romance Reviews Today
CONFESSIONS OF AN EX-GIRLFRIEND
“First-time novelist Curnyn pens an easy, breezy first novel that’s part Sex and the City with more heart and part Bridget Jones with less booze.‘ —Publishers Weekly
“A diverse cast of engaging, occasionally offbeat characters, the hilarious sayings attributed to them, and a fast-paced style facilitated by Emma’s pithy sound-bite ‘confessions’ add to the fun in a lively Manhattan-set story…” — Library Journal
“Readers will eagerly turn the pages.” —Booklist
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
First edition June 2005
KILLER SUMMER
A Red Dress Ink novel
ISBN 0-373-89522-4
© 2005 by Lynda Curnyn.
All rights reserved. The reproduction, transmission or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without written permission. For permission please contact Red Dress Ink, Editorial Office, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents and places are the products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real. While the author was inspired in part by actual events, none of the characters in the book is based on an actual person. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional.
® and TM are trademarks. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and/or other countries.
www.RedDresslnk.com Printed in U.S.A.
For my brother, Brian
Acknowledgments
This book was born during one hot summer on Fire Island, and so I must thank my wonderful housemates, for barely batting an eye while I plotted in their midst.
First and foremost, my dear friend Linda Guidi, who convinced me that life is just better at the beach. Thank you for your inspiration, for sharing your knowledge of the leather industry and for the killer title!
My lovable hosts, Jane and Gregg Weisser, who opened their beautiful beach house to me, fed me gourmet meals and even let me walk their dog, Sophie. And outside of the house, the dog and the good eats, all resemblances to real life, purely coincidental.
For helping me keep my facts straight, I’m indebted to Bryan Mechutan, for giving me the scoop on the music business (and for the TLC). Andrew Rauchberg, whose considerable brain I picked regarding the life and times of a law student. Detective Lieutenant Jack Fitzpatrick, Commanding Officer of the Suffolk County Homicide Squad, for patiently answering my questions. Joe Scotto di Carlo, aka Uncle Joe, my favorite garmento, for brainstorming plot ideas about the garment industry. (Any mistakes are mine, of course.)
Many thanks to Sarah Mlynowski, who suggested I put a dead body in this story and who lugged my drafts on airplanes to read. Lisa Sklar, for listening to my ever-changing plot ideas and for lots of emotional support. Robert Clegg, for helping me hash out plot details. Anne Canadeo, for all sorts of writerly advice, but especially the use of earplugs.
My fabulous agent, Laura Dail, whose publishing savvy and outlook eased my transition to the full-time writer’s life.
A huge thank-you (and a big hug) to my wonderful editor, Joan Marlow Golan, who went the extra mile to guide me on my first mystery. Thanks to Anna Cory-Watson, superb editorial assistant. Margaret O’Neill Marbury and everyone at Red Dress Ink for letting me push the boundaries of the genre with this book. And a special thanks to Pam Lawson, for her kind patience and for keeping the production gods at bay.
And as always, lots of love and thanks to my family, especially my mother, for endless support.
Prologue
Maggie
What a way to spend a Saturday night.
Kismet, Fire Island, 10:00p.m.
I’d always heard that when you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes.
In my
