Last Day Alive

by J.R. Adler

Genres: Mystery; Police Procedurals; Female Sleuths; Crime Fiction

Synopsis

‘OHHH SNAP!!! This book was GOOD!!... incredibly twisted, fascinating and had mind-blowing shocking revelations!... I was literally yelling into my Kindle!... Just WOW!! What an ending to an amazing read!!’ Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One hot summer’s evening, ten-year-old Piper Chase went off on her pink bicycle towards the dark woods on Black Heart Lane. Detective Kimberley King knows that the first twenty-four hours in a missing child investigation are the most critical. Piper was heading to a sleepover at her best friend Miley’s house, just like a hundred times before. But now Piper’s grandparents are blaming themselves, shaking with grief, and Kimberley knows the family will never be the same. With no witnesses, and darkness falling, she begins to fear the worst. She longs to find the little girl with wide blue eyes and an infectious smile, but when her team discovers Piper’s body in a woodland clearing, lying on a bed of moss, something inside her dies. Then she gets a call that chills her to the bone. Piper’s friend Miley has gone missing too. Desperate to find the monster who has taken these little girls, Kimberley chases down all the leads she has. The summer camp counsellor, who the little girls hero-worshipped. Piper’s downbeat uncle, who arrived back in town the day she disappeared… And as another dark night descends, Kimberley can’t stop thinking about Miley, trapped and frightened. With the clock ticking, Kimberley knows she must act fast, before another innocent life is stolen. A gripping, heart-wrenching crime thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, holding your breath. Last Day Alive is perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Carol Wyer. What everyone’s saying about Last Day Alive: “ I’m pretty sure my head is still spinning and I’m still like WHAT right now… had me guessing literally the ENTIRE book and sitting on the edge of my seat… This was an exciting one. And I love how badass Kimberley King is. I want to be her when I grow up… 5/5 from me! ” Shebagsaboutbooks, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“ Truly unputdownable and kept me guessing until the end! This story kept me on the edge of my seat and I could not turn the pages fast enough!… If you love crime and thriller books as much as I do, definitely you will love this book too. Highly recommend you read it. Absolutely this book deserved 5 stars.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“She’s done it again!! I read this book in 24 hours (68% in the first sitting); it truly is UNPUTDOWNABLE!… We need more Kimberley King! ” Netgalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“ I read this in one sitting, I could not put it down… I loved everything about this book, and that ENDING. I need book number 3 ASAP!!! ” Boozin’ With Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“An absolutely captivating, fast paced, brilliant book!!… I can't wait for the next one. Definitely deserves five stars. ” Netgalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“ Detective Kimberley King kept me on the edge of my seat throughout this book and I could not turn the pages fast enough!… I highly recommend reading Last Day Alive , and everything else by J.R. Adler.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I’m a first-time reader of J.R. Adler, and I am hooked!... A great read!!’ Tropical Delusions ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I’m a thriller junkie and this is the kind of book where you just don’t know who did it, you’re completely surprised at the end and then left hanging! I cannot wait for book 3.’” Jayme Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The climax had my heart pounding!’ Goodreads reviewer

Release date: April 20, 2021

Publisher: Bookouture

Print pages: 350

Sample

“Mom! Have you seen my baton?” Kimberley tied her long, dark hair back into a low ponytail. She bent down beside the bed, flipping up the skirt to look underneath. Nothing but dust bunnies and random toys Jessica was no longer interested in filled the space. Kimberley blew out her cheeks as she stood back up. She raked her hands down her tired and pale face, pulling at it. She was beyond exhausted. That was life as a single mother with a two-year-old.

“Did you leave it at work?” Nicole yelled from the kitchen.

Kimberley shook her head but then thought for a moment. Maybe she did. No, she wouldn’t have. Before exiting the small bedroom, Kimberley took one final look around. It had become more crammed over the past year thanks to Jessica’s crib being switched out for a toddler bed, complete with pink sheets and loads of stuffed animals. The vomit-green shag carpeting still covered the floor but Kimberley had taken care of the popcorn walls by covering them with wood paneling, giving the room a more rustic farmhouse feel. It wasn’t pretty, but at least it wasn’t dangerous anymore. She didn’t expect to live here as long as she had, but with everything that had happened, she knew her mother needed her. She exited the room and started down the hallway. In the living room, Kimberley found her police baton in the hands of her mischievous daughter. Of course Jessica would have the baton rather than the dozens of toys that were spread all around the floor in front of the television. Kimberley walked around the plaid couch and floral chair.

“Jessica,” she said in the sternest voice she could muster.

Her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter was the spitting image of Kimberley. Big blue eyes, a heart-shaped face, and long dark hair.

“Uh-oh,” she said with a giggle as she placed the end of the baton in her mouth. Her daughter was at the age where everything ended up in her mouth. From fireflies to rocks to the wheat grass that seemed to take up every square inch of the state of Oklahoma, even working its way through the cracks in the asphalt.

“Uh-oh is right,” Kimberley said, marching toward Jessica. She bent down and gently pulled the baton away from her grasp.

As soon as the baton left her little hands, Jessica erupted into a torrent of screams and cries like a volcano. A volcano would be much easier to handle, Kimberley thought to herself. Tears ran down her red face and her shoulders shook. Telling a two-year-old ‘no’ was about the worst thing you could do.

“What did I say about taking things that aren’t yours?” Kimberley slid the baton into her utility belt, giving Jessica a stern look.

Jessica cried harder, but Kimberley chose not to give in and coddle her. Instead, she bent down so she was eye level with her daughter. Never negotiate with terrorists, she thought to herself.

“Jessica, what did I say about taking things that aren’t yours?” she asked again, tilting her head.

Her daughter huffed and puffed, wiping her wet eyes with the back of her hands and sniffling to regain control over her breathing. The tears slicked back her soft, brown hair.

“Don’t do it,” she said just above a whisper.

“That’s right, sweetie.” Kimberley nodded. She hoisted Jessica up onto her hip as she stood, planting kisses all over her cheeks.

“Momma,” Jessica said in between fits of giggles.

Like an Oklahoma tornado, the tantrum had passed quickly, and Kimberley was grateful for that. Dealing with hardened criminals paled in comparison to dealing with Jessica’s outbursts at times.

“The punishment for your crime is one hundred kisses.” Kimberley laughed, planting little pecks all over Jessica’s forehead, cheeks, and neck.

They walked through the dining room into the small kitchen that had a bar top counter and a couple of stools. Her mother had attempted to make the place her own by installing floral curtains that clashed with the tacky rooster backsplash—almost as though the present and the past were colliding.

“Your turn, Momma,” Jessica said, kissing her mom on the cheek.

Nicole stood at the stove, pouring several cups of oats into a boiling pot of water. She turned and smiled at Kimberley and Jessica. Her face had grown a little brighter and a little rounder over the past year. She looked younger, happier, and more vibrant. Kimberley knew that feeling. It was the feeling of getting rid of dead weight in your life. And that dead weight was her husband, the one that cheated, lied, and murdered his mistress. Kimberley had gotten rid of dead weight before, but not like her mother. For her, it was a boyfriend that wanted nothing to do with fathering his own child.

“Found your baton?” Nicole asked.

“Yes, this little stinker had it.” Kimberley tickled Jessica.

“You’re the steeeeen-ker,” Jessica said.

She was also at that age where she repeated everything she heard, so Kimberley had to be extra careful as to what she said in front of her parrot of a daughter. She placed Jessica in her high chair, while Nicole set some cut up fruit in front of her.

“I want oat… meal,” Jessica whined, slapping her hands against the tray.

She was also at that age where she knew exactly what she wanted and knew that tears and whining could be used as psychological warfare against her mother and grandmother.

“Sweetie, I’m making you oatmeal. You have to be patient,” Nicole said.

“Don’t wanna be pat-tent,” Jessica said, trying to copy the word.

Kimberley shook her head as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “It can’t get worse than the terrible twos, right?”

“Yes, you have her teenage years to look forward to,” Nicole said with a laugh.

“Oh goody.” She took a sip. “So, today’s the day?” Kimberley raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, the divorce is finalized.” Nicole nodded as she scooped a spoonful of oatmeal into a bowl and sprinkled brown sugar on top of it.

“And when’s yours going to be finalized?” Kimberley cocked her head.

She didn’t understand how her mother could have possibly still been married to her stepfather, David. He was a monster, a cold-blooded one at that. He murdered Hannah Brown. A single mother who had fathered his child during an affair. Kimberley had become friends with her briefly before her life was taken. David had killed her to keep his affair and love child hidden. When Kimberley was closing in on him and his lies, he threatened Jessica’s life. When Kimberley discovered the truth, he attacked her and tried to take his own life. After all of that, how in the hell could her mother still be married to him?

“I’m working on it. Divorce takes time and money.” Nicole set a bowl and spoon in front of Jessica who immediately dove right into it.

Kimberley had accepted that answer for the first three months, the first six months, the first nine months—but now it had been a year. A year since David had been arrested. If her stepsister, Emily, could find the money and time to divorce Wyatt who had lied and illegally sold moonshine, her mother could find the time and money to divorce a murderer.

Nicole filled another bowl with oatmeal and held it out for Kimberley. She shook her head. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Is that the example you want to make in front of your daughter?” Nicole looked at Jessica while she scooped another spoonful into her mouth.

“Eat, Mummy.” Her mouth was full of sticky, sweet oatmeal.

Kimberley let out a huff. Every time she tried to have this conversation with her mother, Nicole used Jessica as a shield in some way.

“I’m watching the grandkids tonight, so you can spend time with Emily.”

“Yeah, a little divorce soirée.” Kimberley raised her brows. “Can’t wait to celebrate yours.”

Nicole refilled her mug with coffee and took a sip, ignoring her daughter’s comment.

“I’m glad you two can be there for each other. Emily’s been having a hard time.”

Kimberley took a bite of oatmeal and washed it down with some coffee. “I would be too after what’s she been through. Her father’s serving a life sentence for murder, and her ex-husband who nearly lost the family farm is now galivanting around town with a new woman before the divorce papers are even signed.”

After everything that had happened, she thought for sure Emily would blame her. After all, it was Kimberley that had discovered Wyatt’s illegal moonshine making business. And it was Kimberley that had solved Hannah Brown’s murder. But somehow, it had brought them closer. It didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen.

“Have you seen Wyatt with that new girl?” Nicole pursed her lips.

“A couple of times at The Trophy Room.” Kimberley brought her bowl to the sink and quickly washed it out.

“Such a shame.”

“It is,” she said, drying off her hands on a floral printed hand towel, another one of her mother’s touches.

“How’s work been?” Nicole asked. Kimberley figured she was trying to change the subject before it got back to ‘why the fuck are you still married to that murderer?’

“Good. Aside from dipshits at the local bar causing trouble.”

“Dip… shits,” Jessica repeated.

“Damnit,” Kimberley said, slapping a hand over her mouth.

“Damnit,” Jessica repeated. Her face scrunched up into a smile, followed by a fit of giggles.

“Kimberley,” Nicole said with a stern voice.

She immediately felt thirteen again, her face turning red in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry.” Kimberley walked to her daughter and placed her hands on her cheeks. “Jessica, we don’t say those words.”

“Dipshit.” Jessica giggled again.

Kimberley took a deep breath. “Yes, that’s one of them. We don’t say that. Mommy shouldn’t have said that. Do you understand?”

Being a mother to a toddler had challenged her more than almost everything else Kimberley had endured in her life, and she had endured a lot. She even figured an army of toddlers could do more damage than any other world power or at least that’s what came to mind just before she fell asleep some nights after battling with Jessica for bedtime.

“Mommy. I won’t s-tay dip… shit.” She smiled a devilish grin.

Kimberley looked up at Nicole. Her face said, ‘please help me.’

“Ouch!” Nicole cried, grabbing at her ears.

“Grandma, owweee!” Jessica pushed out her bottom lip.

“That’s right. Every time you say those naughty words, it makes Grandma’s ears hurt. You don’t want to hurt Grandma, do you?” Nicole made a sad face at her granddaughter.

Jessica shook her head vehemently. “Please, Grandma. Don’t hurt.”

“I won’t as long as you don’t say those naughty words.” Nicole tilted her chin.

“I won’t. Promise.” Jessica held out her tiny pinky finger.

Kimberley wasn’t sure where she had picked that up from, but she wrapped her pinky around hers anyway. “Good girl,” she said, giving Jessica a kiss on each cheek before standing upright.

“Alright, I’ve got to head to work.” She glanced at the watch on her wrist and then back at her mother.

Nicole looked at the bird clock on the wall. “This early?”

“Yeah, Barb called and said Sam wanted me to go in early to discuss something. Can you take Jessica to daycare?”

Nicole nodded. “Of course,” she said with a smile.

Kimberley took the backroads to work in her police-issued SUV. Driving through Oklahoma was like going to visit the Wizard of Oz, following the yellow brick road. Except all the yellow was wheat and sunshine and Oz didn’t actually exist. She didn’t mind the dryness nor the heat nor the mundaneness of it all. Kimberley had learned that she got used to everything around her as all people do. Whether it was a waterfall, a skyline of skyscrapers or miles and miles of rolling wheat. Eventually the extraordinary became the ordinary once she’d been around it long enough. She just got used to Oklahoma quicker than usual. But she knew she needed a little change of scenery, a break from it all. Kimberley hadn’t taken a day off of work since she started at the Custer County Sheriff’s Office a year ago, but that would change soon as she had a vacation planned in a couple of weeks at Gloss Mountain State Park. Her mother and her stepsister, Emily, and Emily’s boys were going to join her and Jessica. She was very much looking forward to it, and it came highly recommended from Sam, her boss, who had vacationed there many times with his family. Kimberley had thought for sure she’d have more time to spend with her daughter after relocating from New York City to Dead Woman Crossing, Oklahoma—and she did to an extent—but she was still a single mother with a demanding job trying to make ends meet.

Pulling into the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, she immediately realized something was off. All of the deputies’ vehicles were already there as well as Barb’s minivan. Had something happened? It had been quiet since the murder of Hannah Brown occurred a year ago. Just traffic violations, drugs, disorderly conducts, and domestic violence. Run-of-the-mill type of stuff that would happen in any small town in Middle America. Kimberley sprang from her vehicle, quickening her pace to a jog as soon as her feet hit the asphalt. Something bad had to have happened for everyone to be in this early. She threw open the first set of doors and the second and expected to see Barb sitting at her desk knitting something. But she wasn’t at the front desk. She was always at the front desk unless she was delivering coffee or baked goods. She threw open the doors to the floor that led to the deputies’ desks and her and Sam’s office. But what she found was darkness and silence. Not the rows of desks with a couple of deputies sitting at them entering in reports. Not Sam sitting in his back office looking through the glass window that overlooked the deputies’ floor. Just blackness.

“Hello?” Kimberley said. It wasn’t a question of who was there. It was a warning. Her voice was full of authority and confidence. Seven years as a NYPD detective had taught her that. Never enter a strange room with any sort of apprehension.

A slight shuffle in the back grabbed her attention. Her neck jerked in that direction, and she willed her eyes to adapt to the darkness quicker. All of a sudden, the fluorescent lighting turned on.

“Surprise,” a group of people yelled.

Kimberley jumped backward, squinting her eyes. Standing in front of her were deputies, Sheriff Sam Walker, and Barb wearing birthday cone hats, while Barb held out a homemade birthday cake. She could see the colorful balloons and streamers all over her office. Barb was petite with gray, curly hair permed on the top of her head. She wore linen pants and loose-fitting blouses, always covered in some sort of pattern from flowers to birds. She was like a grandmother to everyone at the station.

“What? It’s not my birthday,” Kimberley said. She took a couple of deep breaths, regaining control of her racing heart.

Barb smiled and stepped toward Kimberley. “I know. It was two weeks ago. Your mother told me a few days ago. Trying to pull a fast one on me, aren’t ya?”

Kimberley couldn’t help but smile. She looked over at her deputies and Sam who were all laughing. “You told me if I didn’t tell her, she wouldn’t do this,” she said to Sam.

“Barb knows all. There was no sense in trying to hide it.” Sam grinned back.

“It’s true. I do.” Barb nodded.

“I’m just not into celebrating my birthday, and it was two weeks ago.”

“Celebrating a birthday is like saying I’m happy you’re alive and in my life. And we’re all happy about that. So, you’re into it now.” Barb set the cake on a desk and began slicing it up.

“This time last year when you swooped in and took my job, I wasn’t happy. But you grew on me, King,” Deputy Bearfield teased. His long, silky, black hair was tied back in a low ponytail. He brought his hand to his sharp jawline and rubbed it as he chuckled.

“Ha-ha,” Kimberley mocked, flicking her wrist.

“You know I’m just messing with ya,” Bearfield said, plopping his large hand on her shoulder and giving it a small shake. His smile was wide and completely contrasted with his piercing, dark eyes. They had gotten off on the wrong foot when Kimberley joined the force as she had been hired on as the Chief Deputy, the job Bearfield had applied for. But she quickly earned his respect and his friendship. Kimberley was grateful that she had a good team and people she genuinely enjoyed working with, minus Deputy Craig Lodge. He was the only one not wearing a birthday hat, and his crooked smile was clearly forced, like there were two hooks in his mouth being pulled in two different directions. Despite never being in the military, he sported a buzzed military haircut.

“Mind if I hit the road, boss?” Deputy Lodge asked Sam.

It was obvious he didn’t want anything to do with this celebration, and Kimberley was happy to see him go.

“No cake?” Sam asked, tilting his head.

“Nah, gotta watch my weight,” he said, patting his abdomen. Lodge was a small man, only around 5’9”, but he walked around like he was seven feet tall, a true Napoleon complex.

“Alright, yes. Feel free.” Sam waved him off.

Lodge gave a slight nod and a tight-lipped smile at Kimberley as he hurried out the doors.

“Where is he rushing off to?” Deputy Burns asked. Burns had been on the force for a year now, so he wasn’t a rookie anymore. Kimberley had noticed with each month, his presence and confidence got stronger. He had light blond hair and hazel eyes with soft features that were almost feminine. He was the opposite of Lodge in nature, but that made him an even better deputy.

“Why does he still work here?” Bearfield slightly shook his head.

Sam shrugged his shoulders. “He completed his substance abuse counseling, and he and Sarah are going to marriage counseling.”

Kimberley twisted up her lips. How the hell did a sworn-in officer keep his job after physically abusing his wife and getting charged with domestic violence? She never believed in second chances when it came to violence.

“Here you are. First piece is for the birthday girl,” Barb said as she slid a slice of double chocolate cake onto a plate and held it out to Kimberley.

“Thanks, Barb. Did you make this?” Kimberley immediately dove a plastic fork into it and tossed it into her mouth. The chocolate was rich and the cake was moist, making it melt as soon as it hit her tongue.

“Of course. Store bought is for the people I don’t care for. This was made with love,” Barb said with a smile.

“Hey, you brought in a Dairy Queen cake for my birthday.” Officer Burns squinted his eyes.

Barb handed him a piece of cake. “I standby what I said.” She chuckled.

Burns shoveled a bite into his mouth.

“Barb, you’re cold,” Bearfield said with a laugh.

“Well, he would have gotten homemade, but he let my plant die when I was on vacation. I asked you to water it, Bryan. I came back and it was bone dry and dead. And I know you had the time, just hobbling around here like a bouncing sack of potatoes.” Barb scrunched up her face.

“I’m sorry, Barb. I’ll buy you a new one. Better yet, I’ll plant it myself and grow it for you. Homemade.” Burns gave a small smile.

“Then you’ll be back in my good graces, my dear,” Barb said with a nod.

“Load me up.” Sam held out his plate.

Barb sliced off an even bigger slice for him. It was no secret that Sheriff Walker had a sweet tooth.

“Whatcha doing for your birthday?” he asked Kimberley. Sam’s eyes grew wide just as a fork full of cake entered his mouth.

“It was two weeks ago.” Kimberley took another bite and half sat on one of the desks. “I worked.”

“You’ve been here a year and haven’t taken a single day off.” Sam arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah, you’re making the rest of us look bad,” Bear teased. He rocked back on his heels just as Barb handed him a plate with two slices of cake. Bearfield’s name was appropriate for both his size and his appetite, so Barb always gave him extra.

“Well, I’m heading up to Gloss Mountain State Park in a couple weeks, just before school starts up, so my mom, and Emil. . .