Bestselling author Sandra Brown is the master of the knife-edge thriller. Her latest and most powerful novel to date, Hello, Darkness , is the gripping story of a woman haunted by her past and caught in a nightmare that threatens to destroy her future. It's a brilliant, fast-paced tale, electric with sexual tension, by one of America's most popular authors of sophisticated suspense. For Paris Gibson, her popular late-night radio show is both an escape and her one real contact with the outside world. Since moving to Austin to ease the pain of past, tragic mistakes, she has led a life of virtual solitude, coming alive only when she hosts her show. To her loyal listeners, she is a wise and trusted friend who not only takes their music requests but listens to their problems and occasionally dispenses advice. Paris's world of isolation is brutally threatened, however, when one listener -- a man who identifies himself only as "Valentino" -- tells her that her on-air advice to the girl he loves has caused her to leave him and that now he intends to exact his revenge. First he plans to kill the girl, whom he has abducted -- which he says he will do in 72 hours -- then he will come after Paris. Joined by the Austin police department, Paris plunges into a race against time in an effort to find Valentino before he can carry out his threat to kill -- and to kill again. To her dismay, she finds that one of the people she must work with is crime psychologist Dean Malloy, a man with whom she shares a history that had a catastrophic effect on both their lives. His presence arouses old passions, forcing Paris to confront painful memories that she had come to Austin to forget. As the clock ticks down, and Valentino's threats come closer and closer to becoming a reality, Paris suddenly finds herself forced to deal with a killer who may not be a stranger at all. Tense and compelling right up to the chilling climax, Hello, Darkness is suspense at its very best, by the author USA Today has called "a masterful storyteller, carefully crafting tales that keep readers on the edge of their seats." Brown's latest thriller is full of thrills and chills that will keep readers turning the pages. Paris Gibson is a late-night DJ who gives advice to the lovelorn. One night, she receives a call from a listener named Valentino, whom she's talked to many times before. This time, he's frighteningly sinister, threatening Paris and claiming that he's holding his latest girlfriend hostage and that he intends to kill her in three days. Paris takes him seriously and goes directly to the police. At the station, she's shocked to see a face from her past, handsome police psychologist Dean Malloy. Together with several detectives, Paris and Dean try to uncover Valentino's identity as well as the location of the girl he claims he's holding. Dean is shocked to learn his petulant 16-year-old son, Gavin, knows Janey, the girl they believe Valentino is holding. Janey is part of an Internet sex club of teenagers who like to flirt with danger. As Paris and Dean race to save Janey, their long-buried passion threatens to boil over. With an abundance of likely suspects, this sexy, engrossing thriller will keep readers guessing until the very end. Kristine Huntley Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Sandra Brown is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers -- including most recently The Crush, Envy, and The Switch -- many of which reached #1. She and her husband live in Fort Worth, Texas. She can be reached via her website at www.sandrabrown.net. Chapter One Dean Malloy eased himself off the bed. Groping in darkness, he located his underwear on the floor and took it with him into the bathroom. As quietly as he could, he closed the door before switching on the light. Liz woke up anyway. "Dean?" He braced his arms on the edge of the basin and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Be right out." His image gazed back at him, whether with despair or disgust, he couldn't quite tell. Reproach, at the very least. He continued staring at himself for another few seconds before turning on the faucet and splashing cold water over his face. He used the toilet, pulled on his boxers, and opened the door. Liz had turned on the nightstand lamp and was propped up on one elbow. Her pale hair was tangled. There was a smudge of mascara beneath her eye. But somehow she made deshabille look fetching. "Are you going to shower?" He shook his head. "Not now." "I'll wash your back." "Thanks, but -- " "Your front?" He shot her a smile. "I'll take a rain check." His trousers were draped over the armchair. When he reached for them, Liz flopped back against the heaped pillows. "You're leaving." "Much as I'd like to stay, Liz." "You haven't spent a full night in weeks." "I don't like it any better than you do, but for the time being that's the way it's got to be." "Good grief, Dean. He's sixteen." "Right. Sixte