Face of Fear (A Zoe Prime Mystery—Book 3) Read online

  “I’ll join you.” John grinned. “Have you had a chance to decide what you want to eat?”

  Yes, some time ago; Zoe had studied the menu first, making her choice so that she could then gradually allow herself to take in the rest of the room when she felt settled. “Yes, I am ready to order.”

  “Great.” John put his menu aside, clasping his hands together on top of the table as he leaned forward. “So, tell me about the case. Did you get the guy?”

  “Yes,” Zoe laughed. “You have not seen the news?”

  John flushed a little, a light smattering of pink across the very top of his cheeks that was exceedingly attractive. How had she never noticed that before? “Yeah, I did. I saw your name in the reports as giving a statement to the press. I just wanted to hear it from you. And, you know, not come off like a stalker.”

  “Reading information available in the national press hardly qualifies you as a stalker,” Zoe reassured him. “But I will tell you everything. We were called in because two bodies had been found, both with their throats cut and heavily burned.”

  John made a face. “Gruesome. Go on.”

  Zoe hesitated. “Are you sure you want to talk about this while we eat? What about your latest cases?”

  John waved a hand in the air. “I’m not squeamish. We’ll talk about the Hadwell estate dispute over dessert. Now, come on. I want to hear the gory details.”

  Zoe grinned and continued with her story. Although she had to slide around some of the details, as they pertained to her own ability to see the numbers, and explain them away with logical leaps or chance discoveries, she felt like she could almost now see a future where she spared no detail. Where John would still look at her the way he was doing now, with focused attention and admiration.

  And it was only when they began to eat dessert, taking spoonfuls of baked cheesecake and Madagascan vanilla ice cream while John told her about the family inheritance that had turned into a property feud, that Zoe realized something. She had made it through the whole dinner, and listened to John, without missing a single moment. The numbers were there, but she stayed focused, never once feeling overwhelmed.

  She dropped her spoon against her plate by accident, causing it to clatter loudly, and watched it with a kind of detached amazement.

  “Are you all right?” John asked, looking at her with concern.

  “Yes,” Zoe said, and she meant it. “Yes, I—I was just realizing that I… at this moment, I am quite happy.”

  John’s face broke into a beam. “Let’s try to keep it that way,” he said. “Shall we stay on for a drink?”

  “No,” Zoe told him. “But we might go home for one.”

  And though she had no way of knowing what kind of dangerous killer she might be chasing tomorrow, Zoe thought to herself that perhaps for tonight, that was all right. Tonight she could be herself, Zoe, a woman with hopes and desires that she had long tried to quash—and tomorrow, Agent Prime would still be back in action.

  NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!

  FACE OF MADNESS

  (A Zoe Prime Mystery—Book 4)

  “A MASTERPIECE OF THRILLER AND MYSTERY. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”

  --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

  FACE OF MADNESS is book #4 in a new FBI thriller series by USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews.

  FBI Special Agent Zoe Prime suffers from a rare condition which also gives her a unique talent—she views the world through a lens of numbers. The numbers torment her, make her unable to relate to people, and give her a failed romantic life—yet they also allow her to see patterns that no other FBI agent can see. Zoe keeps her condition a secret, ashamed, in fear her colleagues may find out.

  In FACE OF MADNESS, a truly awful serial killer is targeting women in FBI Special Agent Zoe Prime’s home state of Nebraska, using methods reminiscent of Ted Bundy. Zoe sees all the numbers—but for the first time in her life, it doesn’t help. This killer may be driven by human and social reasons—something that Zoe struggles to understand.

  Is this the case that proves her limits?

  Or is there a pattern to everything? Even social interactions?

  And as Zoe battles her own demons, will her decision to visit her family—a disastrous one—finally lead to her breaking point?

  An action-packed psychological suspense thriller with heart-pounding suspense, FACE OF MADNESS is book #4 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

  FACE OF MADNESS

  (A Zoe Prime Mystery—Book 4)

  Blake Pierce

  Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising thirteen books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising seven books (and counting); of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising two books (and counting); of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the new ADELE SHARP mystery series.

  ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), and IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!

  An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES

  LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)

  LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)

  LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)

  THE AU PAIR SERIES

  ALMOST GONE (Book#1)

  ALMOST LOST (Book #2)

  ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)

  ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES

  FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)

  FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

  FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)

  FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)

  A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)

  THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)

  THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)

  THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)

  THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)

  THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)

  THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)

  CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

  A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)

  CUL DE SAC (Book #3)

  SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)

  HOMECOMING (Book #5)

  TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)

  KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES

  IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)

  IF SHE SAW (Book #2)

  IF SHE RAN (Book #3)

  IF SHE HID (Book #4)

  IF SHE FLED (Book #5)

  IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)

  IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)

  THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES

  WATCHING (Book #1)

  WAITING (Book #2)

  LURING (Book #3)

  TAKING (Book #4)

  STALKING (Book #5)

  KILLING (Book #6)

  RILEY PAIG
E MYSTERY SERIES

  ONCE GONE (Book #1)

  ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)

  ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)

  ONCE LURED (Book #4)

  ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)

  ONCE PINED (Book #6)

  ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)

  ONCE COLD (Book #8)

  ONCE STALKED (Book #9)

  ONCE LOST (Book #10)

  ONCE BURIED (Book #11)

  ONCE BOUND (Book #12)

  ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)

  ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)

  ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)

  ONCE MISSED (Book #16)

  ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)

  MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES

  BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

  BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

  BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

  BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)

  BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)

  BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)

  BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)

  BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)

  BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)

  BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)

  BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)

  BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)

  BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)

  BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)

  AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

  CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

  CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

  CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

  CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)

  CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)

  CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)

  KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

  A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)

  A TRACE OF MUDER (Book #2)

  A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

  A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

  A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)