Ridge Warner wishes he knew who wants to kill him.
He wishes he knew why.
He wishes he never learned the answer.
Dr. Ridge Warner meets the unexpected in Woodland Park, Colorado, three days before his marriage to Olympic Gold Medalist Angel Meade.
He learns more than he cares to know about his fiancée after he agrees to investigate a murder where an IED explodes at the scene.
With the support of his ex-girlfriend, and a woman who possesses an audiographic memory, he struggles to overcome his fiancée’s relentless grip of deceit and her reason for it.
Excerpt
“Are you paranoid or just cautious?” the voice said.
“I prefer to think of myself as vigilant.”
“It serves you well, Dr. Warner.”
“That’s why I’ll drive my car. I’ll be there in five.”
“Wait. Before you start the car, please pull the rear seat back forward and look behind it. I believe what you discover there will change your mind.”
Please?
“If this is a game, I don’t have the time for it. Tell me who you are, or you can forget any face-to-face with me.”
“This is no game. I saved your life, Dr. Warner. Do you see the black truck parked in front of the post office across the street?”
I got out and looked over the top of my car. I wondered what the caller meant by the saved-your-life reference. I saw a black Chevrolet pickup through a stand of pine trees. Steam rose from the truck’s exhaust.
“I see it.”
“Now look behind your rear seat back.”
I opened the rear door. I released the latch and pulled the seat back forward. A stainless bracket attached to the retention wires on the seat back secured a red canister in place. A clear tube ran from the canister to beneath the seat cushion.
“What do you want from me?”
“I want your trust.”
“You expect me to trust you after somebody put a canister filled with who knows what in my car?”
“It’s Hydrogen Cyanide and someone else put it there. I assure you we’ve disabled it. In thirty seconds after you and I end our call, the driver of that truck will cross over to you. When she gets out, give the Charger key to her. After she drives off, get in her truck and drive here. Agree?”
I weighed my options. I could meet this person at the library or take the chance of driving away in my BMW. If the caller’s statement proved a lie, and the canister remained a threat, I would not make it very far. Exposure to Hydrogen Cyanide would kill me in a matter of seconds.
Professional Reviews
Michael A. Black
Blood Red Deceit by renown forensic crime scene expert, Steve Rush, will keep you on the edge of your seat. Join protagonist Ridge Warner as he struggles to stay alive while unraveling the complicated mystery of who exactly is trying to kill him and why. Rush's scientific background and police experience mesh perfectly with his talent for compelling storytelling to product a page-turner you won't be able to put down. It's a thrill a minute. —Michael A. Black, author of the Trackdown series, most recently Devil’s Vendetta, Devil’s Breed, Devil’s Reckoning, and the soon to be released Devils Lair.
Donnell Ann Bell
Move over Mission Impossible. Protagonist Ridge Warner promises to give Ethan Hunt a run for his money. Award-winning author Steve Rush delivers a superb thriller that only a former detective and forensic investigator possesses the chops to write. A solid mystery from the opening pages to the nail-biting conclusion. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. —Donnell Ann Bell, Author of Black Pearl, A Cold Case Suspense, 2020 Colorado Book Award finalist and Until Dead, A Cold Case Suspense, Best Thriller Novel, Imaginarium Convention 2023, Louisville, KY.
D. P. Lyle
BLOOD RED DECEIT is tense, sharp-edged, tight, and will keep you up deep into the night. Highly recommended. —DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series.
