The Sleeping Beauty Killer

Informationen zum Autor The #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark wrote over forty suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a his­torical novel, a memoir, and two children's books. With bestselling author Alafair Burke she wrote the Under Suspicion series including The Cinderella Murder, All Dressed in White, The Sleeping Beauty Killer, Every Breath You Take, You Don't Own Me, and Piece of My Heart. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she coauthored five suspense novels. More than one hundred million copies of her books are in print in the United States alone. Her books are international bestsellers. Klappentext In the third thrilling installment in the bestselling Under Suspicion series from #1 "New York Times" bestselling author Clark and Burke, TV producer Laurie Moran puts everything on the line to help a woman she thinks was wrongfully convicted of murder. The Sleeping Beauty Killer Prologue Will the defendant please rise? Casey's knees wobbled as she rose from her chair. She stood with perfect postureshoulders back, gaze aheadbut her feet felt unsteady beneath her. The defendant. For three weeks, everyone in this courtroom had referred to her as the defendant. Not Casey. Not her given name, Katherine Carter. Certainly not Mrs. Hunter Raleigh III, the name she would have taken by now if everything had been different. In this room, she'd been treated as a legal term, not as a real person, a person who had loved Hunter more deeply than she'd ever thought possible. When the judge gazed down from the bench, Casey suddenly felt smaller than her five-foot-seven frame. She was a terrified child in a bad dream, staring up at an all-powerful wizard. The judge's next words sent a chill through her entire body. Madame Foreperson, have you agreed upon a unanimous verdict? A woman's voice responded. Yes, Your Honor. The big moment was finally here. Three weeks ago, twelve residents of Fairfield County had been selected to decide whether Casey would go free or spend the rest of her life in prison. Either way, she'd never have the future she'd envisioned. She would never be married to Hunter. Hunter was gone. Casey could still see the blood when she closed her eyes at night. Casey's lawyer, Janice Marwood, had warned her against trying to read anything into the jurors' facial expressions, but Casey could not resist. She stole a glance at the forewoman, who was short and plump with a soft, gentle face. She looked like someone Casey's mother would sit next to at church picnics. Casey remembered from voir dire that the woman had two daughters and a son. She was a new grandmother. Surely a mother and grandmother would see Casey as a human being, not simply a defendant. Casey searched the forewoman's face for some sign of hope, but saw nothing but a blank expression. The judge spoke again. Madame Foreperson, would you please read the verdict into the record? The pause that followed felt like an eternity. Casey craned her neck to scan the crowd seated in the courtroom. Directly behind the prosecution table sat Hunter's father and brother. A little less than a year ago, she was going to join their family. Now they stared at her like a sworn enemy. She quickly looked away to her row, where she immediately locked onto one set of eyes, bright blue like her own and almost as fearful. Of course her cousin Angela was here. Angela had been there for Casey since day one. Holding Angela's hand was Casey's mother, Paula. Her skin was pale, and she was ten pounds lighter than when Casey was first arrested. Casey expected to see her mother's other h...

Autorentext

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark wrote over forty suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a his­torical novel, a memoir, and two children’s books. With bestselling author Alafair Burke she wrote the Under Suspicion series including The Cinderella Murder, All Dressed in White, The Sleeping Beauty Killer, Every Breath You Take, You Don’t Own Me, and Piece of My Heart. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she coauthored five suspense novels. More than one hundred million copies of her books are in print in the United States alone. Her books are international bestsellers.

Klappentext

In the third thrilling installment in the bestselling Under Suspicion series from #1 "New York Times" bestselling author Clark and Burke, TV producer Laurie Moran puts everything on the line to help a woman she thinks was wrongfully convicted of murder.

Zusammenfassung
The third thrilling novel in the Under Suspicion series by #1 New York Times bestselling author and “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke follows television producer Laurie Moran as she tries to help a woman she believes was wrongfully convicted of killing her fiancé.

Fifteen years after being convicted of murdering her fiancé—the famed philanthropist Hunter Raleigh III—Casey Carter is determined to clear her name. Though she has served her time, she finds that she is still living under suspicion. Going on the true crime show Under Suspicion seems to be her only hope to prove her innocence.

The show’s producer, Laurie Moran, also believes in her innocence and wants to help Casey. But with Alex Buckley taking a break from the show—cooling his potential romance with Laurie—Under Suspicion introduces a new on-air host in Ryan Nichols, a hot shot legal whiz with a Harvard Law degree, a Supreme Court clerkship, experience as a federal prosecutor. Ryan has no problems with steering the show, and even tries to stop Laurie from taking on Casey’s case because he’s so certain she’s guilty.

An egomaniacal new boss, a relentless gossip columnist, and Casey’s longstanding bad reputation: Laurie must face this and more to do what she believes is right, to once and for all prove Casey’s innocence—that is, if she’s innocent.

Leseprobe
The Sleeping Beauty Killer

Prologue

Will the defendant please rise?

Casey’s knees wobbled as she rose from her chair. She stood with perfect posture—shoulders back, gaze ahead—but her feet felt unsteady beneath her.

The defendant. For three weeks, everyone in this courtroom had referred to her as “the defendant.” Not Casey. Not her given name, Katherine Carter. Certainly not Mrs. Hunter Raleigh III, the name she would have taken by now if everything had been different.

In this room, she’d been treated as a legal term, not as a real person, a person who had loved Hunter more deeply than she’d ever thought possible.

When the judge gazed down from the bench, Casey suddenly felt smaller than her five-foot-seven frame. She was a terrified child in a bad dream, staring up at an all-powerful wizard.

The judge’s next words sent a chill through her entire body. Madame Foreperson, have you agreed upon a unanimous verdict?

A woman’s voice responded. “Yes, Your Honor.”

The big moment was finally here. Three weeks ago, twelve residents of Fairfield County had been selected to decide whether Casey would go free or spend the rest of her life in prison. Either way, she’d never have the future she’d envisioned. She would never be married to Hunter. Hunter was gone. Casey could still see the blood when she closed her eyes at night.

Casey’s lawyer, Janice Marwood, had warned her against trying to read anything into the jurors’ facial expressions, but Casey could not resist. She stole a glance at the forewoman, who was short and plump with a soft, gentle face. She looked like someone Casey’s mother would sit next to at church picnics. Casey remembered from voir dire that the woman had two daughters and a son. She was a new gra…