Point Last Seen: A Novel

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.On stormy nights, Gothic is said to disappear and on its return, it brings lost souls back from the dead. — The Legend of Gothic California TodayOn a beach below Gothic... Adam Ramsdell saw something long and black rolled in on the swells, a long parcel of...plastic? It disappeared under the first line of breakers, then appeared again, battered by an insistent ocean. As the bundle moved, it undulated; probably a tangle of plastic ripped from the massive raft that polluted the Pacific. If he didn't handle this, a seabird would ingest it and die, a fish would nibble at it and turn into a stinking corpse on the beach, a curious child would find it and... He shuddered. At one time, it had been his job to figure out every possible consequence for any given situation, and he knew only too well what could happen in this worst case scenario. He made his way off the rocks, down to the sand. The ocean rocked the black plastic back and forth, back and forth, pulling the parcel back out into the deep, then shoving it farther onto shore to the spot where the foam gathered and the waves grew shallow. As he walked, a wave rolled the bundle lengthwise—and a feminine arm flopped out. He broke into a run. He splashed into the water, grabbed the arm—it was icy—and the plastic—it was a long rain poncho—and dragged the corpse all the way onto the sand. Because it had to be a corpse, didn't it? Yet in the quest for life, he flipped the body out of the poncho and onto her back. With the sun on her icy, colorless face, his feeble, unrecognized hope faded and he knew the truth—she was dead. He unwrapped her neck to press his fingers to the carotid artery, when he saw them—the marks of a man's fingers ringing her throat. She'd been dead before she went in the water. A young woman. A pretty woman. A violent crime... Adam knew he would feel no heartbeat. And he did not. But he couldn't leave her down here for the seabirds to feed on and the ocean to retrieve. He had to get the body up to the road, onto his ATV and up to the village. From there, he could call the authorities and— He looked up the cliff toward the road. What a helluva climb. Yet he wasn't a man to shirk his duty. Bending at the knees, he grasped the body around the waist, threw it over his shoulder and stood. The woman explosively emptied her stomach down his back, gave a gasp, another, another, and when he flipped her back onto the sand, she opened her eyes, looked at him—and screamed. She screamed as if all the screams in the world had been pent up inside her, as if she had given terror and horror a voice. He jumped back and held up his hands in a "not going to touch you" gesture. She rolled over onto her hands and knees, coughed up more seawater, took a long breath as if preparing to scream again...and slowly let it out. She turned her head. The braid of her dark drenched hair hung over her shoulder. Just out of reach, he knelt on the sand. "Can you speak?" She stared as if she didn't understand. Maybe she didn't. Maybe she spoke another language. Maybe she'd suffered brain damage from lack of oxygen. Maybe— "Yes," she said. "I can speak." She was hoarse. She put a hand up to her throat and held it there. "What's your name?" Keeping his voice pitched low, trying hard to present an unthreatening appearance, he asked again, "What's your name?" Slowly, moving with the care of someone battered and bruised, she changed positions. She sat on the sand and concentrated at him, her hand still on her throat. Again he asked, "What's your—" "I don't know." Her gray eyes were wide with confusion and terror. He sat back on his heels. Adam Ramsdell had found his first lost soul.POINT LAST SEEN by New York Times bestseller Christina Dodd --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. No one does high-stakes, high-voltage suspense quite like Dodd. -- "Booklist (starred review)" Christina Dodd reinvents the romantic thriller. Her signature style--edgy, intense, twisty, emotional--leaves you breathless from first page to last. -- "Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author" --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. PRAISE FOR POINT LAST SCENE “ [An] atmospheric romantic thriller … Dodd’s many fans are sure to be satisfied.”— Publishers Weekly "When it comes to nerve-shredding, edge-of-your-seat suspense, Dodd consistently delivers the goods... Point Last Seen is a gobsmackingly great read ."— Booklist STARRED REVIEW“This is a terrific, entertaining book; and will keep you wondering and guessing ." — Mystery & Suspense PRAISE FOR CHRISTINA DODD "If Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley are on your Mount Rushmore of suspense writers, Dodd's latest release definitely needs a spot on your shelf."— E! News "No one does high-stakes, high-voltage suspense quite like Dodd."— Booklist (starred review)"Christina Dodd reinvents the romantic thriller. Her signature style-edgy, intense, twisty, emotional-leaves you breathless from first page to last. Readers who enjoy Nora Roberts will devour Dodd's electrifying novels." —Jayne Anne Krentz, New York Times bestselling author"Books To Read If You Love Nora Roberts."— Bookbub "Dodd's gripping voice will appeal to fans of Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, Linda Howard & Jayne Ann Krentz."— Mystery Tribune Review --This text refers to the mass_market edition. New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd writes “edge-of-the-seat suspense” (Iris Johansen) with “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (ALA Booklist). Her fifty-eight books have been called "scary, sexy, and smartly written" by Booklist and, much to her mother's delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list at www.christinadodd.com. --This text refers to the mass_market edition. Read more