A fan-favorite novel by internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen
Newlywed Sarah Fontaine has just received the news that every wife fears: her husband of two months has died abroad in a hotel fire. Yet convinced he's still alive, Sarah forges an alliance with Nick O'Hara from the U.S. State Department that has the two of them crisscrossing Europe on a desperate search for signs of life. As Sarah and Nick become quarry in the secret world of international espionage, they must risk everything for answers that may prove fatal.
Rave reviews for the novels ofTess Gerritsen
VANISH
“Gerritsen’s latest novel is a tense, taut thriller that grabs readers from the get-go and never lets up.”
—Booklist
BODY DOUBLE
“An electric series of startling twists, the revelation of ghoulishly practical motives and a nail-biting finale make this Gerritsen’s best to date.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The story zips along.… A delightfully bizarro plot twist.”
—Entertainment Weekly
THE APPRENTICE
”Well-drawn characters and a compelling story will grab readers’ interest and earn Gerritsen more admirers.”
—Booklist
“Leave the lights on, check the closets, and lock the doors before cracking [The Apprentice].”
—People
THE SURGEON
“Gliding as smoothly as a scalpel in a confident surgeon’s hand, this tale proves that Gerritsen…has morphed into a…suspense novelist whose growing popularity is keeping pace with her ever-finer writing skills.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Gerritsen fans know by now what to expect from her: a fascinating story with a gripping plot and believably human characters. Such is The Surgeon, and, in places, then some. Let new readers learn what the fans delight in.”
—Booklist
THE SINNER
“Gerritsen gives atmospheric depth to her tale… satisfyingly gritty.” —Publishers Weekly
Call After Midnight
Tess Gerritsen To Jacob, who was always there
CONTENTS
Berlin
IT TAKES TWENTY seconds of pressure on the carotid arteries to render a man unconscious. Two minutes longer, and death is inevitable. Simon Dance didn’t need a medical textbook to tell him these facts—he knew them from experience. He also knew there could be no slack in the garrote. If the cord wasn’t taut, if it allowed just a short spurt of precious blood to reach the victim’s brain, the struggle would be prolonged. It made the whole process sloppy, even dangerous. There was nothing as savage as a dying man. As he crouched in the darkness, Dance wound the garrote twice around his hands and glanced at the luminous dial of his watch. Two hours had passed since he’d turned off the lights. His assassin was obviously a cautious man who wanted to be sure Dance was deeply asleep. If the man was a professional, he would know that the first two hours of sleep are the heaviest. Now was the time to strike. In the hallway outside, a footstep creaked. Dance stiffened, then rose slowly and waited in the darkness beside the door. He ignored the pounding of his own heart. He felt the familiar spurt of adrenaline as it kicked his reflexes into high gear. He stretched the garrote between his hands. A key was easing into the lock. Dance heard the metallic
