When Penny Sue Paine got Lucky, everyone was in an uproar. Because Lucky was the sweet-faced dog who had inherited the Paine millions! Now somebody wanted Lucky dead. So Penny Sue hired herself a tall, well-muscled hunk of a bodyguard....When Vic Noble found out his latest client was a dog, he nearly lost his cool. Then he got an eyeful of Miss Penny Sue Paine, a brunette with a body to die for and an innocence that could do a lesser man in. Good thing Vic was about as tough as they made 'em. But the tougher they are—the harder they fall!

PLAY TO WIN It's the ultimate game—the adrenaline surge of the hunt, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. For in this game, the rules are simple: To win, you only have to kill. To lose, you will have to die . . . PLAY TO SCREAM The victims are former beauty queens found with a single rose beside their bodies. Lindsay McAllister has seen this signature before, when she was a rookie detective with the Chattanooga PD investigating the death of Judd Walker's wife, a murder that sent the handsome lawyer off the deep end. Now, Lindsay has the brutal task of telling Judd that his wife's killer has struck again, and she's going to need his help to outplay their opponent—because the killer is getting bolder, faster, and more ruthless. The game is escalating, and no one is safe . . . PLAY TO DIE Now as the body count rises, the rules are changing. A killer will do anything to win. And the only way for Lindsay to stop a...

The Darkest Sins He begins his work just before dawn, wielding a knife with the precision of a surgeon. Cunning and meticulous, he's always in control. Mercy is not an option.Will AlwaysMaleah Purdue is tough, outspoken, and completely dedicated to her work at the Powell Security Agency. But her fearless exterior shatters when a madman begins killing her colleagues one by one, mimicking a notorious serial killer already behind bars. Working alongside top profiler Derek Lawrence, Maleah will do anything to find the murderer, even if it means playing a psychopath's twisted mind games. Come To LightNo one connected to the Agency is safe. No one is beyond suspicion. For as Maleah and Derek piece together the clues, they uncover a chilling legacy of lies and brutal vengeance-and a killer who has been hiding in plain sight all along.

Review"The dark and moody atmosphere...amplifies the chills in this terrific suspense tale. This is one talented author." About the AuthorNew York Times bestselling author Beverly Barton has written over thirty contemporary romance novels and created the popular "The Protectors" series for Silhouette's Intimate Moments line. This sixth-generation Alabamian is a two-time Maggie Award winner, a two-time National Reader's Choice Award winner, and a recipient of a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Adventure. She is currently working on her next novel of romantic suspense for Zebra Books.

All private security agent Lucie Evans wanted was a fresh start--and the chance to show Sawyer McNamara, her ex-boss, that she no longer craved his absolution for a crime she didn't commit. So when the offer of a trip to South America as the personal bodyguard to a billionaire heiress came up, Lucie jumped at the prospect of leaving the Dundee Agency behind. Then the nightmare began. Kidnapped in a case of mistaken identity, suddenly Lucie's only hope of survival rested with the one man she never wanted to see again....Sawyer had spent years convincing himself that all he felt for Lucie was contempt--but with her life at stake, he was forced to face his true feelings. Though it may be a case of too little, too late. Because Lucie's captor wouldn't rest until she was silenced...once and for all.

EDITORIAL REVIEW: ** In A Town Full Of Secrets** To most people, men like Mark Cantrell are fine, upstanding pillars of the community, completely beyond reproach. But their killer knows better. They are sinners of the worst kind, and they must burn on earth before they burn in hell. . . ** Trusting The Wrong Person** Eighteen months after her husband's unsolved murder, Cathy Cantrell has returned to her Alabama home, eager to build a new life for herself and her son. But pieces of her past are everywhere-including Jackson Perdue, the town's deputy sheriff. The spate of recent deaths-each victim burned in the same horrifying manner-leave Jack and Cathy in no doubt that a serial killer is at work, one whose rage grows more vicious each day. . . ** Can Be Fatal. . .** Now as a twisted killer moves in for a final, brutal act of vengeance, buried crimes are coming to light once more. And this time, justice will be swift, merciless, and as silent as the grave. . .

New GameThe game is simple--he is the Hunter. They are the Prey. He gives them a chance to escape. To run. To hide. To outsmart him. But eventually, he catches them. And that's when the game gets really terrifying... New RulesPrivate investigator Griffin Powell and FBI agent Nicole Baxter know a lot about serial killers--they took one down together. But this new killer is as sadistic as they've ever seen. He likes his little games, and he especially likes forcing Nic and Griff to play along. Every unsolvable clue, every posed victim, every taunting phone call--it's all part of his twisted, elaborate plan. And then the Hunter calls, wanting to know if they're really ready to play... But Winner Still Kills All...There's a new game now, and it's much more deadly than the first. A brutal psychopath needs a worthy adversary. He won't stop until he can hunt the most precious prey of all--Nicole. And with his partner in a killer's sights, Griff is playing for the biggest stakes of his life.

ReviewPraise for Dead by Morning: ''The popular and dependable Barton has again created an intricately plotted, thoroughly engrossing serial killer tale that satisfactorily resolves the current dilemmas but leaves a stunning cliff-hanger.'' --_Library Journal_ Praise for As Good as Dead: ''A powerful story that kept me up very late--with all the lights on.'' --Kay Hooper, New York Times bestselling author Product DescriptionIn murder . . . The last sounds Dean Wilson hears are a clock striking twelve and a killer's taunting words. And his death is just the first. One by one, victims are stalked and shot at close range. Only the killer knows their sins, and who will be the next to die at midnight? And in life . . . In the ten years since her Hollywood career imploded, Lorie Hammonds has built a good life in her Alabama hometown. When the first death threat arrives, she assumes it's a joke. Then she gets a second. Sheriff Mike Birkett, her high school sweetheart, has avoided Lorie since she returned to Dunmore, but when investigators uncover her connection to a string of recent murders, he's drawn into a case that's terrifyingly personal. Timing is everything. With every murder, the killer edges closer. Soon Lorie's will be the last name left on his list. Her only hope is to unearth a deadly secret--before the clock runs out for good.

From Publishers WeeklyPrivate investigator Rick Carson has been hired to find out who murdered Georgia Sen. Dan Price and finds himself falling for Price's trophy widow, Jordan, even though she's his prime suspect. Gorgeous, steely Jordan stands to inherit a substantial estate and has a history of losing husbands and boyfriends to questionable fatalities, and Price was killed with Jordan's gun. But a sizable cast of quirky hangers-on who rely upon Jordan for room and board complicate matters: any one of them could be responsible for not just the senator's death but also the string of corpses that litter Jordan's past. The more Rick investigates, the more certain he is that the woman he's in love with could be a coldhearted killer. His two minds drive some refreshing twists that leave readers guessing to the end and making the latest from suspense artist Barton a satisfying read. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the AuthorNew York Times bestselling author Beverly Barton wrote over fifty contemporary romance novels and created the popular Protectors series. She was a two-time Maggie Award winner, a two-time National Reader's Choice Award winner, and a recipient of the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Adventure.

For Lausanne Raney, romance meant nothing but trouble. Once it cost her her freedom and her baby girl. Now she's got a respectable life...but desperately needs money to find her child. When she accepts an unusual offer from her wealthy employer's daughter, she finds herself under deadly suspicion--and the unwanted protection of security agent Domingo Shea. Bad enough the courageously honest ex-Navy SEAL doesn't completely trust Lausanne any more than she does him. But worse still, the instant electric attraction between them is impossible to resist. And the deeper their investigation goes, the more Lausanne struggles to convince Dom to leave her--for both their sakes. But with a ruthless killer lying in wait, there will soon be no safe place for her or Dom to hide....

ONLY ONCE HAD HE LET DOWN HIS GUARD...Years ago, rock-solid mercenary Egan Cassidy had spent a night of sensual ecstacy with Maggie Douglas. Now, their son--a child he never knew existed--was being used as ammunition by a vendetta-seeking madman...and Egan was the target. But running to his son's rescue put him face-to-face with the one woman who'd tempted him into vulnerability. He would have to withstand Maggie's allure this time. He was a soldier of fortune--not a husband. But when Egan delivered mother and child to safety's embrace, could he let his newfound family leave his loving arms?THE PROTECTORSReady to lay their lives on the line, but unprepared for the power of love.

The fear . . . Malcolm York is a sadistic monster, guilty of unspeakable crimes. And with his endless wealth, he's funded a series of depraved hunts. The few who survived can never forget. They can only be thankful the terror is over--until rumors start swirling.Only stops . . . Griffin Powell knows the twisted depths of York's madness. He's also sure that York is dead. But then Griff's wife Nicole disappears, and the phone calls begin--that familiar voice taunting him, promising to destroy everything Griff loves.When you die.Using all the resources of the Powell Agency, Griff searches for Nic, aware that every step propels him further into a madman's web--because the only way to keep Nic safe is to join one last perverse game in which the winner kills all and the loser is dead by nightfall.

The Protector: Reece Landry Wounded and on the run, ex-con Reece Landry rescues Elizabeth Mallory from a deadly winter storm. A psychic, Elizabeth knows Reece is innocent and vows to prove it, because her sixth sense tells her that he's the answer to her lonely prayers. Will Elizabeth be the one to heal Reece, body and soul?

In Murder. . .</center>The last sounds Dean Wilson hears are a clock striking twelve and a killer's taunting words. And his death is just the first. One by one, victims are stalked and shot at close range. Only the killer knows their sins, and who will be the next to die at midnight. . . <center>And In Life. . .</center> In the ten years since her Hollywood career imploded, Lorie Hammonds has built a good life in her Alabama hometown. When the first death threat arrives, she assumes it's a joke. Then she gets a second note. Sheriff Mike Birkett, her high-school sweetheart, has avoided Lorie since she returned to Dunmore, but when investigators uncover her connection to a string of recent murders, he's drawn into a case that's terrifyingly personal. <center>Timing Is Everything</center>The Darkest Sins He begins his work just before dawn, wielding a knife with the precision...