A Time To Die by Jeffrey S. Savage

 When reporter Shandra Covington finds her best friend, Bobby Richter, close to death on Shandra’s apartment floor, she knows the bullet was meant for her. Making matters worse, Bobby’s fiancée is making sure Shandra gets nowhere near the hospital room where Bobby lies in a coma. With her apartment in shambles and possibly still dangerous, Shandra is forced to stay with her tough-as-nails Harley-riding private investigator friend. 
In an attempt to clear her mind, Shandra agrees to do a newspaper story on the death of a prominent politician’s daughter. But what she thought was a simple overdose story soon grows into something much more sinister when she finds a common thread with the recent deaths of several young women—all thought to be overdose victims. What do the clues mean? 
The only person who knows for sure is the Time Keeper—a self-proclaimed true romantic who devotedly tapes a picture of each new love to the bedside wall of his ailing sister. However, the pictures are obituaries spreading across the wall like macabre wallpaper. Time to unravel the mystery is quickly ticking away as Bobby’s life hangs by a thread—and the next “girlfriend” on the Time Keeper’s list is Shandra.

Mr. Savage's first chapter in A Time To Die was spooky and drew me right into the story. It was fun to try and figure out who the man in the first chapter was and what he was doing. 
The author has a great way of developing his characters and bringing them alive for the reader. Each character has their own way of speaking, dressing, moving and showing flaws. Even the villain is well drawn.
He places clues stealthily along the story's path and the reader has to be alert to them. I figured out the sister from the beginning but not all of her story. I didn't put all the clues together either.
The suspense and pace were fantastic too.
I must admit, I haven't any of the other books in this series. I was a little lost a few times but not enough to stop me from reading and having a hard time putting the book down.



Rating: PG 13
V: kidnapper/killer
L: None
S: None

Page 69 test:
"Lieutenant Wells blinked in surprise, his mouth dropping into a grimace. He glanced toward where the two EMTs were getting ready to life the body up onto a gurney. "I don't think that's such a good idea. The id took a pretty good breathing coming down the side of the mountain. It's not pretty."
"Just for a minute," I said, swallowing hard. I really didn't want to see Ben's body, but there was something I had to do.
Wells seemed to consider telling me no again but finally relented and sent me forward with a tilt of his chin. "We didn't let the TV cameras get inside the perimeter. So make it quick before they see you and start to complain about unfair treatment."
Ducking under the blowing police tape, I quickly crossed the icy surface and knelt by Ben's side. He was lying face down in the snow, his face turned away from me. One arm was bent above his head at an unnatural angle, and I could see where the crystal of his watch had shattered sometime during the fall.
The hood of his sweat jacket had fallen back, and his hair flapped to and fro in the stiff wind. The coppery smell of blood hung in the air and stuck in the back of my throat, but I put my hand against the side of his cool neck and leaned close.
"I'll tell them you were sorry. And for what it's worth, I think they'll forgive you."