Hunter's Quarry [Paperback]

Susannah Stacey's Superintendent Bone mysteries have won her comparisons to Ruth Rendell, P.D. James, and Agatha Christie. Now in a charming English tale, Bone brings his instincts to bear on a case of deadly prenuptial disagreements....
A MARRIAGE NO ONE WANTED
No one but American television actress Zephyr West -- the bride-to-be -- is celebrating rock star Ken Cryer's upcoming wedding. Zephyr's ex-husband, Dwight Schlumberger, is convinced that she can be persuaded to remarry him, and their daughter, Treasure, has teamed with Ken's son, Jem Cryer, to derail the coming nuptials. Ken's staff is also opposed to the marriage, while his ardent fans are protesting openly and loudly. Even Ken is having second thoughts -- thoughts that close friends are encouraging.
But someone has crossed the line. It begins with written death threats, which prompt Ken to seek the help of Superintendent Robert Bone. Although somewhat distracted by the impending birth of his child, Bone agrees to investigate. But as he organizes security for the gala wedding at the restored Herne Hall, Ken disappears -- and a man's body is found in a quarry near his estate. If Bone doesn't quickly work his way through a maze of deceptions, delusions, and secrets long past, the groom may be dead before he can say I do. Susannah Stacey is the author of the Superintendent Bone mystery series. Chapter One

The figure appeared while she was in the kitchen, brewing coffee. She could hear Jem and his friends in the sitting room making a fuss of the kittens, but simultaneously she heard water lapping as if a thirsty animal drank nearby. The figure said nothing, did nothing, for the time it took the coffee grounds to slide off the teaspoon as she gazed, and then it was gone.

Emily shook her head a little, to clear her vision, and put the mug on the tray with the others. The water sound had faded to a murmur in her ears, very like the tinnitus she had occasiolS%