18 Seconds
A Novel
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Sherry Moore, a beautiful, blind psychic, has the extraordinary ability to 'see' the last eighteen seconds of a murder victim's life by touching the corpse. She uses her gift to help others solve mysteries only she can tap into. Serial killer Earl Sykes never got caught for his vicious murders. Instead, it was a deadly auto accident that landed him in prison. Now, years later, he is free and hungry for revenge. Setting his sights on Lieutenant Kelly O'Shaunisy, the daughter of his captor, he returns to his seaside hometown of Wildwood, New Jersey -- and to his gruesome, murderous ways.
When Lieutenant O'Shaunisy begins to investigate the disappearance of young women from desolate areas of the boardwalk, she encounters frustrating dead-end clues and more deaths. Her desperation leads her to accept Sherry's help, but not without consequences. Together, the two women set out to discover the identity of the killer and become entangled in a dangerous web that could cost them their lives. With two memorable heroines, pulse-pounding suspense, and twists that will keep readers guessing until the last pages, 18 Seconds introduces a powerful writing talent to the suspense scene.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Beautiful, blind Sherry Moore is matter-of-fact when telling two police detectives about her agonizing gift the ability to see the last 18 seconds of a dead person's life. It's not supernatural, in her telling; it's science imperfectly understood. It's also the defining characteristic of Sherry's life; orphaned and injured at a young age, she cannot say no to the bereft who want her help in solving gruesome crimes. Shuman is a 20-year veteran of the Washington, D.C., police force, and his debut novel mercilessly depicts the horror wrought by serial killer Earl Sykes, who specializes in young women out for a good time at the New Jersey shore. Narrative relief from a litany of horrific crimes comes when the scene shifts to Sherry's tender relationship with a married police detective, and to police lieutenant Kelly Lynch-O'Shaughnessy's marital struggles. While the large number of characters and cross-cutting of their perspectives leads to occasional confusion, the vividly drawn central figures and authoritative voice keep the reader grimly committed. 100,000 announced first printing.
