Her Last Breath: A Kate Burkholder Novel

crosses to me. He stops a scant foot away, so close I can feel the heat coming off him, discern the smells of aftershave and sawdust and man. “I’ve worked a lot of cases that hinged on DNA,” he says. “Even if the lab is able to extract DNA from the teeth, all that does is confirm the identity of the victim. They won’t be able to ascertain how or where he died. And there’s no evidence whatsoever that could lead them to you. You’re safe, Kate. It’s over. I promise.”
    We stand frozen for the span of several heartbeats. Not touching. Barely breathing. The magnitude of what’s been said shaking the air between us.
    “I know this isn’t an ideal set of circumstances. I mean, for us.” His voice is low and thick. “I don’t know where this will lead. But I love you, Kate. I want you in my life. I don’t know what else to say.”
    I know this is one of those life-altering slices of time. A moment that will take me down a certain road. There’s no way for me to know if it’s the right direction or if I’ll slam into some dead end or freefall off a cliff. But everything inside me tells me to take that first step. Sometimes life is about taking chances, about putting yourself out there even when you don’t know what’s going to come back at you. John Tomasetti is a chance I want to take.
    “No one’s ever said that to me before,” I tell him.
    “So we’re breaking new ground.”
    “In a lot of different ways.”
    “I hope that’s okay.”
    “Better than okay.”
    Raising up on my tiptoes, I brush my mouth across his. “I don’t think you’re going to get much painting done tonight.”
    “It’ll keep until morning,” he whispers.

 
    ALSO BY LINDA CASTILLO
    Sworn to Silence
    Pray for Silence
    Breaking Silence
    Gone Missing

 
    About the Author

    Linda Castillo is the New York Times bestselling author of the Kate Burkholder novels, including Sworn to Silence and Breaking Silence , crime thrillers set in Amish country. Sworn to Silence was recently adapted into a Lifetime Original Movie titled An Amish Murder starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder. Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence and the HOLT Medallion, and she received a nomination for the RITA. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses, particularly her Appaloosa, George. She lives in Texas with her husband.

 
    This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
    HER LAST BREATH . Copyright© 2013 by Linda Castillo. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
    www.minotaurbooks.com
    Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
    Digital composition by Steve Gardner/Pixelworks
    ISBN 978-0-312-65857-1 (hardcover)
    ISBN 978-1-250-03154-9 (e-book)
    First Edition: June 2013

“Kathleen McInerney does an excellent job of portraying this diverse cast, especially the Amish, who she instills with a shy, quiet dignity, and she handles the Pennsylvania Dutch language with the ease of a native.…A compelling listen, well written, and expertly narrated.”
    —Publishers Weekly on Pray for Silence

    The Kate Burkholder series
    by Linda Castillo
    narrated by Kathleen McInerney

    Available on CD and for digital download:
    Sworn to Silence
    Pray for Silence
    Breaking Silence
    Gone Missing
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    Click here  to listen to an excerpt from the Gone Missing audiobook
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    Don’t miss the next audiobook in the series:
    Her Last Breath
    Available June 2013

    macmillan audio
    Visit www.macmillanaudio.com