Quickie by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge

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When NYPD cop Lauren Stillwell spots her husband leaving a hotel with a sexy woman, she doesn't call Dr. Phil; she goes ballistic. Her devious plan to exact retribution, however, lands her in a messy situation that no marriage manual could solve. To make bad things worse, her latest department assignment forces her to confront her core values and a deadly secret. James Patterson's The Quickie is a brisk read that will leave you breathless.

From the Publisher

THE #1 BESTSELLING SENSATION

#1 New York Times
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#1 USA Today
#1 Wall Street Journal

America's most popular thriller writer, James Patterson, presents his most daring-and astonishing-novel ever.

With the perfect marriage and a great job, Lauren Stillman loves her wonderful life . . . until she sees her husband with another woman. Devastated and lusting for revenge, Lauren has her own affair. It's supposed to be a quickie, but Lauren's night of passion takes a shocking turn when she witnesses an unbelievable and deadly crime.

Now her horrifying secret threatens to tear her life apart, pitting her need to uncover the truth against her fear that the truth may be too horrible to bear. And whichever choice she makes may cost her dearly-her job, her marriage . . . or even her life.

Joseph L. Carison - Library Journal

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." NYPD detective Lauren Stillwell finds out the hard way that a lie is the most difficult thing to keep alive. After seeing her husband entering a hotel room with another woman, Lauren jumps to the conclusion that he is cheating on her and, in retaliation, she has a one-night "quickie" with a fellow police officer. If this were the end of the story, it would still qualify as interesting fiction, but Patterson and Ledwidge have no intention of making things easier for Lauren. What begins as a simple act of desperation soon evolves into a complex and often deadly series of cover-ups, lies, and deceptions. Actress Mary Stuart Masterson skillfully keeps the suspense moving, giving each character a distinct personality, and helping listeners overcome the occasional florid prose by pulling us deeper and deeper into the "tangled web" Lauren creates. Highly recommended for all libraries; Patterson is sure to have a large and loyal following.

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The Quickie

Little, Brown and Company

Chapter One

I'd made a special trip into Manhattan and had put on my favorite "little black dress." I looked moderately ravishing. Nothing that would be out of place at the Mark Joseph Steakhouse, and one of Paul's favorite outfits, too, the one he usually chose if I asked him, "What should I wear to this thing, Paul?"

Anyway, I was excited, and I'd already spoken to his assistant, Jean, to make sure that he was there - though I hadn't alerted her about the surprise. Jean was Paul's assistant after all, not mine.

And then, there was Paul.

As I rounded the corner in my Mini Cooper, I saw him leaving his office building, walking with a twenty-something blonde woman.

Paul was leaning in very close to her, chatting, laughing in a way that instantly made me feel very ill.

She was one of those bright, shiny beauties you're more likely to see in Chicago or Iowa City. Tall, hair like platinum silk. Cream-colored skin that looked just about perfect from this distance. Not a wrinkle or blemish.

She wasn't completely perfect, though. She tripped a Manolo on a street plate as she and Paul were getting into a taxi, and as I watched Paul gallantly catch hold of the pink cashmere on her anorexic elbow, I felt like someone had hammered a cold chisel right into the center of my chest.

I followed them. Well, I guess followed is too polite. I stalked them.

All the way up to Midtown, I stayed on that taxi's bumper like we were connected by a tow hook. When the cab suddenly pulled up in front of the entrance to the St. Regis Hotel, on East 55th Street, and Paul and the woman stepped out smiling, I felt an impulse rush from the lizard part of my brain to my right foot, which was hovering over the accelerator. Then Paul took her arm. A picture of both of them sandwiched between the storied hotel's front steps and the hood of my baby-blue Mini flashed through my mind.

Then it was gone, and so were they, and I was left sitting there crying to the sound of the honking taxis lined up behind me.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from The Quickie by James Patterson Michael Ledwidge Copyright © 2007 by James Patterson. Excerpted by permission.
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