Stranger in My House
Mari Manning
Release Date: June 13, 2016
Genre: Romantic Suspense
When Kirby Swallow assumes
her half sister’s identity to help figure out who's threatening her, she finds
herself in way over her head. On the remote Texas ranch her sister calls home,
she confronts a growing list of suspects and a rising body count—all while
wearing her sister's 4-inch heels. The only problem is the sexy ranch manager,
Seth Maguire, is starting to catch on to the charade. The attraction between
them is undeniable—and soon, what starts out as just a one-night stand, turns
into something much deeper. But someone on the ranch is out for blood…and
Kirby's next.
He
guided Darcy into the wide path of grass and clover between the lavender
fields. Frankie fell into step beside him, and a deeply irrational sense of
well-being washed over him. Miss Bea had skinned him alive twice in one
morning. A new record. A new low.
So
why the hell was he feeling so mellow?
The
scent of lavender floated in the warm air. The grayish-purple wands dipped and
rolled like waves. Frankie took a deep, noisy sniff. “Hmm. Smells good.”
“Sure.”
“Must
have been hard for you when my cousin sold the cattle and took up farming.”
He
glanced at her, expecting to see mocking, catlike eyes, but instead he was met
with curiosity. Or was it interest? “I guess. Not exactly what I expected when
I came here.”
“What
did you expect?”
He
shrugged. What did she think he’d expected? “A working ranch. A herd of steers
from here to the horizon. Beefsteak for dinner. Whiskey for dessert.”
She
burst out laughing, and he almost laughed, too. A comfortable silence settled
over them, and he slipped back a pace so he could study the new Frankie. Her
cat eyes didn’t seem so damned spooky this morning. His gaze lingered on strong
cheekbones, golden skin, the gentle puff of pink lips. A breeze lifted. Long,
black hair unfurled, gleaming like jet.
This
girl couldn’t be Frankie. It wasn’t just the horse business. It was the way she
acted, asking questions all the time and looking startled when Miss Bea went
off on her. Sure, she knew a lot about the house and him and the workings of
the ranch. And sometimes she’d tilt her head just like Frankie and do Frankie’s
Beyoncé strut, but not all the time.
So
if she looked like Frankie and talked like Frankie and knew about Frankie’s
life, but wasn’t Frankie, who the hell was she? Besides Frankie’s doppelgänger.
He should be alarmed, wary even. But instead he felt as if he’d finally turned
a corner.
Let’s start with the fun
stuff. I love small towns, mysteries, quiet men, laughter, old-fashioned
spaghetti dinners. I love boots and shopping and jokes and Hershey’s dark
chocolate and white wine. I love lots of things. But my first love is reading.
I love to read. Just about
anything, but it has to be well-written. I go through periods where I am into
historical novels or romance or mystery or history or biography. I never know
when my desires will suddenly change.
Now for the writer-ish,
official stuff: Mari Manning is the author of several contemporary romances and
three romantic suspense novels set in the Texas Hill Country. Stranger at My
Door is the first in her A Murder in Teas series. The second, Stranger in My
House will be released by Entangled on June 13. The third book in the series is
Stranger in My Bed. Currently Mari is working on a series of cozy mysteries.
She and her husband live
in Chicago.
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