Fortune

“Spindler's latest moves fast and takes no prisoners. An intriguing look into the twisted mind of someone for whom murder is simply a business.”

—Publishers Weekly
on
Cause for Alarm

All Fall Down
is “a smooth, fast ride to the end. Spindler is at the controls, negotiating the curves with consummate skill.”

—John Lutz, author of
Single White Female

“A compelling tale of kinky sex and murder.”

—Publishers Weekly
on
Shocking Pink

“Ms. Spindler spins an amazing tale of greed and obsession.”

—Rendezvous
on
Fortune

“Creepy and compelling,
In Silence
is a real page-turner.”

—Times Picayune

“A classic confrontation between good and evil.”

—Publishers Weekly
on
Dead Run

“Spindler has created a story that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats till the very last page.”

—Chris Lawton, United Nations security adviser, on
Bone Cold

Shocking Pink
is “one of the best, most frightening novels of the year.”

—Painted Rock Reviews

Spindler delivers “a high adventure of love's triumph over twisted obsession.”

—Publishers Weekly
on
Forbidden Fruit

Dear Reader,

The question I'm asked most often about being a writer is where my ideas come from. The truth is, they come from lots of different places and experiences, some of them most unlikely! The idea for
Fortune
came when I cracked open a fortune cookie and found a warning inside.

It read “Be Careful What You Wish For…It Just Might Come True.”

I'd heard that saying all my life, but for some reason, as I stared at that fortune-cookie warning, my writer's imagination took off. Are there consequences for having your every wish come true? Do we sometimes wish for the very thing that starts a dangerous chain reaction and sends events spiraling out of our control?

Thus
Fortune
was born, a story about just such a scenario, and one that I hope will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very last page.

My novels have evolved over time, from the rags-to-riches relationship story
Red
to the pure suspense of my newest book,
Killer Takes All.
It's been an exciting journey, and each novel I've written represents a step in that journey. I hope that you enjoy
Fortune.

Best wishes,

For three women it has been my incredible good fortune
to call friends: Jan Hamilton Powell,
Terry Richards McGee
and
Karen Young Stone

My heartfelt thanks to the following people for helping me bring
Fortune
to life:

Huge thanks to Roxanne Mouton of Mignon Faget Ltd., for walking me through the jewelry-making process, from design concept to finished piece, and for patiently and thoroughly explaining the workings of a jewelry production studio.

Thanks, too, to the incomparable Mignon Faget, for allowing her staff to take time out of their busy day to make my tour possible, and to the staff themselves for answering my questions and putting up with a stranger peering over their shoulders while they worked.

Thanks to my sister, Stacie Spindler, for showing me the “real” Chicago and for her enthusiasm and support.

Big thanks also to the guys at Calvin Klein Camper Sales for letting me roam freely through their trailers; to Linda Weissert for the on-the-spot information about Pittsburgh; and to Drs. Leslie and Bill Michaelis for giving me a crash course in veterinary medicine.

And, as always, thanks to my agent, Evan Marshall, and everyone at MIRA Books.

Part I:
Butterflies