Dr. D. P. Lyle, fellow author, who has the patience of a saint and the devious mind of … well, let’s just say he’s one of my favorite people to consult for forensic details.
My good friend, author Toni McGee Causey, is one of the few people I trust with my very rough drafts. Her sound, practical advice on the earliest chapters of this book helped make Max a stronger character.
My editor, Kelley Ragland, and the entire Minotaur team have been amazing to work with, and I feel truly blessed to be part of their family. Kelley’s editorial guidance was spot on, and her assistant Elizabeth Lacks juggles many balls with good humor and patience. Thanks also to Andy Martin and Matthew Shear who brought me into the fold and have been consistently supportive and enthusiastic.
I especially want to thank my agent, Dan Conaway. Three years ago I pitched this story to him when all I had was a basic premise involving an investigative crime reporter named Max Revere. He said, “I love the idea. But what if Max was a girl?” Everything then came into focus, and Notorious was born.
ALSO BY ALLISON BRENNAN
Cold Snap
Stolen
Stalked
Silenced
If I Should Die
Kiss Me, Kill Me
Love Me to Death
Carnal Sin
Original Sin
Cutting Edge
Fatal Secrets
Sudden Death
Playing Dead
Tempting Evil
Killing Fear
Fear No Evil
See No Evil
Speak No Evil
The Kill
The Hunt
About the Author
ALLISON BRENNAN is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty novels and many short stories. A former consultant in the California State Legislature, she lives in Northern California with her husband Dan and their five children.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, places, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
NOTORIOUS. Copyright © 2014 by Allison Brennan. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover design by Ervin Serrano and David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover photographs: woman by Irene Lamprakou/Trevillion Images; water by Krivosheev Vitaly/Shutterstock.com
www.minotaurbooks.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Brennan, Allison.
Notorious / Allison Brennan.—First edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-250-03505-9 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-03504-2 (e-book)
1. Women journalists—Fiction. 2. Murder—Investigation—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3602.R4495N78 2014
813’.6—dc23
2013032878
e-ISBN 9781250035042
First Edition: March 2014