A Chapera Surprise_
(2013)
* * *
Detective Frank Cyr is called to the scene of a dead body, that of former Boston University professor James Whitman, whose face has been slashed. A local homeless woman found him. He had worked for decades as a professor of linguistics at BU, but was better known as a linguist and amateur archaeologist. Cyr comes to realize that in these days of the internet, this man had used an alias—someone had outed him and threatened his life. But why? And why did the killer choose a face-off? A puzzle begins to unfold in the grisly aftermath of the murder, one that leads Detective Cyr to uncover an international conspiracy between scientists, police and governments that is as chilling as it is complex.
'A vivid sense of place and a sense of evil in a high-security prison'
_The Australian_
'Frank Cyr has created one of the most compelling, intelligent and atmospheric cases in recent crime fiction'
_Courier Mail_
'Meticulously plotted and executed'
_Irish Times_
'A compelling read and a perfect case for the casual reader'
_Suspense Magazine_
'Rousing story and excellent work from Cyr'
_The Australian_
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin's Press.
THE LAST BREATH. Copyright © 2013 by Thomas Dunne Books. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-01286-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-01283-2 (e-book)
eISBN 9781250011282
First Edition: March 2013
Originally published by Hodder & Stoughton, Australia in 2013
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
eISBN 9781250011282
## Contents
1. Cover
2. Title Page
3. Copyright Notice
4. Contents
5. Dedication
6. The Last Breath
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
29. Chapter 29
30. Chapter 30
31. Chapter 31
32. Chapter 32
33. Chapter 33
34. Chapter 34
35. Chapter 35
36. Chapter 36
37. Chapter 37
38. Chapter 38
39. Chapter 39
40. Chapter 40
41. Chapter 41
42. Chapter 42
43. Chapter 43
44. Chapter 44
45. Chapter 45
46. Chapter 46
47. Chapter 47
48. Chapter 48
49. Chapter 49
50. Chapter 50
51. Chapter 51
52. Chapter 52
53. Chapter 53
54. Chapter 54
55. Chapter 55
56. Chapter 56
57. Chapter 57
58. Chapter 58
59. Chapter 59
60. Chapter 60
61. Chapter 61
62. Chapter 62
63. Chapter 63
64. Chapter 64
65. Chapter 65
66. Chapter 66
67. Chapter 67
68. Chapter 68
69. Chapter 69
70. Chapter 70
71. Chapter 71
72. Chapter 72
73. Chapter 73
74. Chapter 74
75. Chapter 75
76. Chapter 76
77. Chapter 77
78. Chapter 78
79. Chapter 79
80. Chapter 80
81. Chapter 81
82. Chapter 82
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