Fatal Game: A Jess Kimball Thriller

Diane Capri

May 2017 · AugustBooks

About this ebook

The famous surgeon is accused of murder. But is his wife still alive?

Investigative Reporter Jess Kimball’s impossible mission explodes in this new thriller from award winning New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Diane Capri.

His wife was kidnapped.

Her driver was murdered. 

The police files are thick. 

Video footage and telephone calls prove an air-tight case. Statements and witnesses confirm the surgeon's guilt.

Every piece of evidence proves the obvious, but the doctor claims it’s not true. 

Out of options, he begs Jess Kimball to nail the ruthless serial killer whose crimes are the ultimate game.

But Jess doesn't play where justice is at stake. She's been on the other side of crime.

For Jess Kimball, justice is never a game.

“Full of thrills and tension – but smart and human too.” — Lee Child, #1 World Wide Bestselling Author of Jack Reacher Thrillers

“Expertise shines on every page.” -- Margaret Maron, Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Award Winning MWA Past President

"Relentlessly determined to bring justice to an unjust world, Jess Kimball is like a female Jack Reacher, only nicer!" -- Martha Powers, award winning author of Conspiracy of Silence and Death Angel

Readers Love Jess Kimball and Clamor for More!

“Smart, fast-paced, personal and, dare I say, thrilling. It's the kind of "this could happen to me" thrill that really chills me to the bone if I think about it too much. I could not put this book down until I found out if everything was going to turn out okay. Does it? Well you'll have to read it and see!”

“Highly recommend-- kept me on the edge of my seat and I had a hard time putting it down-- Great characters and storyline-- can only hope Diane Capri will make a series out of Jess and Helen-- I do want more!”

“This thought-provoking novel is populated with strong women and likeable men. Ms. Capri fully develops these characters while maintaining a tension-filled pace that will keep you turning pages well into the wee hours of the morning.”

Start reading Jess Kimball thrillers today and you'll be glued to the page.

Ratings and reviews

What a fun and fast read! What I liked best about this book is that the reader has more information than the main characters-but not quite enough to put it all together before the mystery is solved. As you've probably gathered from other reviews, there are two parallel plot lines that meet at the end of the book-along the way there are wee little hints about how they'll come together and it's a bit hard to guess which of those clues are important and which are red herrings (perfect for us armchair sleuths!). Jess Kimball is a multi-dimensional and a bit complicated-certain events in her past seem to propel her drive and relentless search for answers-but that's not the only thing that forms (and informs) her. It really great to have another woman mystery solver that's layered in the way some of the popular males ones (e.g. Harry Bosch or Jack Reacher) are. This book won't change your life-but it sure will take you away from your daily life and let you immerse yourself in someone else's for a nice change.

This is the best Jess Kimball book yet. The pace of the story was great and I didn`t want to put it down. I was sorry when the story ended and can not wait for her next adventure! I highly recommend this book!

This one had me on the edge of my seat and guessing right up to the end. It begins with Cora and Hades, fresh from a funeral and some kind of "job" the rich, taut language makes clear is not and IT start-up, or anything on the good side of the law. I really was captivated by the beautifully written language and the immediate clash of damned fine writing with the damaged and criminal characters. Tension, right out of the gate. It didn't let up once as the story unfolded and this reader slowly learned what footprints these two would lead as Jess Kimball enters the story and starts digging. She digs deep, twisting the story through her life as a reporter for the high-end tabloid, Taboo, the high-class world of world class, wealthy physicians, and through the mysterious existence of a reclusive woman living in desert seclusion. Cyber-crimes are something new for me and always a bit confusing. Nothing was confusing about cyber-shenanigans in this book. I found the unfolding of the plot, the specifics of how things are done with computers to rip off others for millions, and the way it can be done by criminals of all social orders a fascinating read. Wasn't left wondering what the heck had been done. The action, however, was often over the top and always startling. Jess Kimball, the reporter who unravels this case, grew on me. I am a fan of Diane Capri and have read quite a few of her other books, but this was my first time with Jess Kimball. She is believable, fragile but ferocious, and a character I intend to meet again.

About the author

Diane Capri was born in Alabama, but grew up in a small German-American farming town north of Detroit. She graduated from Wayne Law School cum laude and served as an editor of the Wayne Law Review. Ranked in the top 1% of lawyers nationwide, she practiced law throughout the U.S. Always an insatiable reader with a keen interest in crime fiction, Diane spent the time on airplanes and in hotel rooms learning fiction craft when not practicing law. In 1995, Diane's largest client filed for bankruptcy protection. The hours to write what she loved instead of what paid the bills stretched endlessly before her. She figured it was now or never. Diane challenged herself to complete Due Justice in the style of stories she loved to read. She'd moved to Florida and adored everything about the Sunshine State. No surprise, then, that her first novel and all Diane's books that followed are suspenseful Florida mysteries. Diane's heroes are Wilhelmina Carson, Jennifer Lane, and Jess Kimball women who deliver true justice along with a splash of humor. The books quickly found a publisher, an audience, and acclaim as well, under the author name M. Diane Vogt. She was humming along on all cylinders again when her publisher failed, bankruptcy followed, and a legal quagmire swallowed her books and her career - again. Diane had long been active in Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, and other writing organizations. After her publisher's bankruptcy, while she was writing the new Jess Kimball novel, Fatal Distraction, she was invited to join International Thriller Writers at its inception and shortly thereafter, became a member of the board along with her friend, the #1 International Bestselling author, Lee Child. At a cocktail party in New York in 2009, Lee and Diane discussed a great question: Where is Jack Reacher? The answer was unknown, which inspired Diane to write a series of suspense novels answering the inquiry with Lee's blessing. The first of those novels is Don't Know Jack, introducing FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar. The short story singles, Jack in a Box, and Jack and Kill quickly followed. The second novel in the series opened to rave reader reviews on September 15, 2013. The sixth book in the Hunt for Jack Reacher series, Jack and Joe, is a 2016 USA Today Bestseller. Diane is a snowbird, dividing her time between homes in Northern Michigan and Florida. Of course, she will always love sharing adventures with Willa Carson and Jenny Lane and Jess Kimball, and reading Travis McGee. But these days, she's busy on The Hunt for Reacher.