Weekend Reads Presents: Watch Me Die by Erica Spindler

Blurb
Before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, stained-glass restoration artist Mira Gallier had it all: a thriving business doing work she loved and an idyllic marriage to the perfect man. But the devastating storm stole her beloved husband – his body swept away by floodwaters, never to be found.

Now, after years of pain and turmoil, it looks as if Mira is finally on the verge of peace and emotional stability. But her life, like the magnificent windows blown to bits by Hurricane Katrina, is about to be shattered once again. And this time, it’s not a killer storm she faces, but a psychopath who will stop at nothing until he possesses her, body and soul…

First, church windows that she restored are vandalized, and the priest who looked over them brutally murdered. Spray-painted across the glass are the words: He Will Come to Judge the Living and the Dead. Then, New Orleans is rocked by a terrifying chain of murders that all seem to be linked to Mira. The police, led by homicide detective Spencer Malone, are following a string of clues left by the killer on each victim – and beginning to wonder if the murderer isn’t Mira Gallier herself.

As Mira begins to unravel under pressure from all sides – and fear for her life – it’s unclear whom she can trust. And when a man from her past appears out of nowhere, sparking something long forgotten in her heart, he quickly becomes the police’s new prime suspect. One by one, the people in Mira's life are targeted, until it’s clear that the killer has been saving her for last . . . and that there’s nowhere left to run.

A Solid Five Star Review

In the beginning of the book we are introduced to a mad-man who kills his grandmother. He speaks to god and believes he is the second coming or at least the one appointed to pave the way. Murder is the pathway he chooses.

Mira Gallier, a stained-glass restoration artist located in New Orleans, has lost her husband to Katrina. Both she and her husband made the decision to stay behind to enjoy the storm, but on the day after, he is swept away by a levee break.

Her filthy rich father-in-law blames her for his son's death and brings her up on murder charges. When that doesn't pan out he brings a wrongful death suit in which she is acquitted. Finally, after giving an interview to a local TV station, Mira discovers her father-in-law has set up the interview to make her look bad and to once again accuse her of murdering his son.

During this time an old friend reappears after having enlisted and serving a term in Afghanistan. Mira discovers that his abrupt absence shortly before Katrina, was due to him falling in love with her. Unable to watch her and his best friend's relationship, he decided to leave. Mira is also told that her husband knew why he had left, and she begins to question whether or not her husband is the man she thought she knew.

Not too far from Mira's grand New Orleans home she inherited from her husband, the parish priest is murdered and biblical sayings are scrawled across the stained glass windows she has just restored. Soon after, the preacher, a side-walk bum who preaches the end of the world is killed, days after breaking into Mira's home and stealing the necklace her husband had given her. Then Mira's father-in-law is murdered and once again she is in the spotlight.

With more twists and turns than a mountain road, Erica Spindler has written a novel that immediately captured my attention. The writing is superb, the action graceful, yet comes at you like a freight-train. The description of New Orleans post-Katrina will bring a tear to your eye.

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys thrillers and romance. It was truly a great read. Grab some chips and soda, kick back in your favorite chair and enter Erica's world. You won't forget it.

---

Biography

A New York Times and International bestselling author, Erica Spindler's skill for crafting engrossing plots and compelling characters has earned both critical praise and legions of fans. Published in 25 countries, her stories have been lauded as "thrill-packed page turners, white- knuckle rides and edge-of-your-seat whodunits."

Raised in Rockford, Illinois, Erica had planned on being an artist, earning a BFA from Delta State University and an MFA from the University of New Orleans in the visual arts. In June of 1982, in bed with a cold, she picked up a romance novel for relief from daytime television. She was immediately hooked, and soon decided to try to write one herself. She leaped from romance to suspense in 1996 with her novel Forbidden Fruit, and found her true calling.

Her novel Bone Cold won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence. A Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member, she received a Kiss of Death Award for her novels Forbidden Fruit and Dead Run and was a three-time RITA® Award finalist. Publishers Weekly awarded the audio version of her novel Shocking Pink a Listen Up Award, naming it one of the best audio mystery books of 1998.

Erica lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband and two sons and is busy at work on her next thriller.

Happy Reading!

(((hugs)))

Louann

---