Debra Webb - Vows of Silence

“Striking Distance by Debra Webb is a fast-moving, sensual blend of mystery and suspense…I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

—New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard

“…brims with tightly woven suspense around every corner, and twists and turns abound. Webb moves effortlessly between two very diverse romances and masterfully keeps the reader on the edge until the last page.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Striking Distance

“Webb reaches into our deepest nightmares and pulls out a horrifying scenario. She delivers the ultimate villain for our computer-driven world—a techno sadist. Fortunately, she also gives us a battle-scarred hero who is still willing to fight and a loyal heroine who believes in justice.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub

“A chilling tale that will keep readers turning pages long into the night, Dying To Play is a definite keeper.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“Lots of action and an out-of-the-ordinary hero add up to an unforgettable adventure!”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on John Doe on Her Doorstep

“A page-turning blockbuster.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Executive Bodyguard

“An engrossing thriller with a dynamic heroine.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Man of Her Dreams

“A chilling page-turner.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Full Exposure

Dear Reader,

It’s hard to believe that the Signature Select program is one year old—with seventy-two books already published by top Harlequin and Silhouette authors.

What an exciting and varied lineup we have in the year ahead! In the first quarter of the year, the Signature Spotlight program offers three very different reading experiences. Popular author Marie Ferrarella, well-known for her warm family-centered romances, has gone in quite a different direction to write a story that has been “haunting her” for years. Please check out Sundays Are for Murder in January. Hop aboard a Caribbean cruise with Joanne Rock in The Pleasure Trip for February, and don’t miss a trademark romantic suspense from Debra Webb, Vows of Silence in March.

Our collections in the first quarter of the year explore a variety of contemporary themes. Our Valentine’s collection—Write It Up!—homes in on the trend to online dating in three stories by Elizabeth Bevarly, Tracy Kelleher and Mary Leo. February is awards season, and Barbara Bretton, Isabel Sharpe and Emilie Rose join the fun and glamour in And the Envelope, Please…. And in March, Leslie Kelly, Heather MacAllister and Cindi Myers have penned novellas about women desperate enough to go to Bootcamp to learn how not to scare men away!

Three original sagas also come your way in the first quarter of this year. Silhouette author Gina Wilkins spins off her popular FAMILY FOUND miniseries in Wealth Beyond Riches. Janice Kay Johnson has written a powerful story of a tortured shared past in Dead Wrong, which is connected to her PATTON’S DAUGHTERS Superromance miniseries, and Kathleen O’Brien gives a haunting story of mysterious murder in Quiet as the Grave.

And don’t forget there is original bonus material in every single Signature Select book to give you the inside scoop on the creative process of your favorite authors! We hope you enjoy all our new offerings!

Enjoy!

Marsha Zinberg

Executive Editor

The Signature Select Program

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Growing up on a farm in small-town Alabama provided many wonderful experiences for my fertile imagination. But it’s the lifelong friends who make my Southern history so cherished. One friend in particular was my classmate in school. She married the man of her dreams the same summer I married mine, and went on to have two lovely daughters just as I did. Together we have made the journey from naive young country girls to wives and mothers. We have suffered loss and risen above tragedy. We have made memorable marks in our communities. From birthday parties to PTA fund-raising events, we have worn dozens of hats and wouldn’t trade a single moment for anything in the world. This book is dedicated to my friend, my second sister, Joyce Campbell Alley.

Cheers, Joyce!

Dear Reader,

Though Ashland, the town in my story, is fictitious, I grew up in a small town in Alabama much like it. I lived on a farm with a family that was very close. We shared so many wonderful experiences together. Look in the bonus features at the back of this book for one of the more frightening moments from my childhood.

Another wonderful part of growing up in the South was the friends I made along the way—lifelong friends like Joyce, Candi and Evelyn. Friends who would do anything to protect each other and who would keep a secret for a lifetime if necessary. Vows of Silence is about that kind of friendship, one that transcends all else. I hope you’ll follow this journey with Lacy, Cassidy, Melinda and Kira and find out just how enduring—and at times dangerous—true friendship can be.

As always, I cherish your input. Please check out my Web site at www.debrawebb.com and contact me from there. I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,

Deb

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

BONUS FEATURES INSIDE

“They found the body.”

Lacy Jane Oliver froze mid-turn at her perpetually cluttered desk, the receiver clutched to her ear. They found the body. Her mouth went incredibly dry as vivid snatches of memory, snow falling from a dark, starless sky and murky waters flashed through her mind.

“When?” she heard herself ask. Her voice sounded alien to her own ears, and Lacy was quite certain her heart had stilled in her chest. It’s been ten years, she didn’t say. She didn’t have to. Cassidy knew every bit as well as Lacy did how long it had been. How could either of them ever forget?

“Day before yesterday,” Cassidy answered without inflection. “The chief informed Melinda this morning that the remains had been ID’d. Of course you know that she’ll be their prime suspect. The fact that she was in the hospital at the time won’t keep them from investigating that avenue,” she added with a resigned sigh.

Lacy’s chest tightened as her seemingly failed heart now slammed mercilessly against her rib cage. “Oh God,” she murmured. Though Cassidy was an attorney, it didn’t take one to know that Melinda, the wife of the deceased, would be the number-one suspect.

“I’ve already called Kira. We’re both taking the next available flights. We’ll meet in Atlanta, then fly home together.”