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© 2007, Christy Poff Reviews For AT CROSS ENDS by Christy Poff This tale by Ms. Poff is full of suspense,
intriguing and emotion turmoil. She makes every page a nail biting experience
that will have you on the edge of your seat. Just when you believe all
is well; Ms. Poff takes us on another roller coaster ride. This book
will have you exhausted by the end. Make sure to get plenty of rest
before you tackle reading this story.
Christy
Poff's AT CROSS ENDS is fascinating, captivating, and sometimes even
frightening. But more than that, it's a must read. Get your copy from
Whiskey Creek Press Torrid today. 4.5
ribbons from Chrissy Dionne at Romance Junkies
5 Angels and a Fallen Angel Reviews Recommended Read – Reviewed by Dana P, Fallen Angel Reviews “At Cross Ends by Christy Poff is one of the most suspenseful and thrilling books I have read this year. Riley Devane is one gutsy woman who will do anything for her man and Mark Kincaid is a man worth doing it for, definitely an alpha male, strong and stable. These two are thrown together by circumstance and a diabolical enemy. The treacherous plots he enacts against Riley make your heart pound and your blood rush and she is but a pawn in his scheme of things to come. Mark faces dreadful torture and mental anguish once again at the hands of this madman from his past. The plights they survive are astounding and relentless on this rollercoaster ride of torment and sublime pleasure. This story grabs you by the scruff of the neck and won’t let go until the very end. Christy Poff hooked me immediately with At Cross Ends. Her scenes are rich with detail and the emotions fairly drip off the page. Soul mates come to mind, the love these two share is immediate and continues to evolve as their strengths and weaknesses come in to view. I repeat if you’re looking for a wild and thrilling ride jump onto At Cross Ends for a very stimulating and thoroughly enjoyable Recommended Read by this reviewer.” Shara
from My Book Cravings - a 4 rose review Sample Chapter For AT CROSS ENDS by Christy Poff A solitary figure dressed in black darted among the rows of cars parked at an exclusive restaurant outside Washington, DC. When he spied the one he sought, he sped to it. Quickly, he unlocked the driver’s side door using a key stolen and copied weeks before, then he slid behind the wheel. He heard voices and ducked out of sight. After they were gone, he sat up and took a cloth from a plastic sandwich bag he had in a small case, then wiped the steering wheel with it. Once he finished, he put the small piece of fabric back in the bag and sealed it. He got out of the car, locking the door behind him. The man took off the latex gloves he’d been wearing and put them in another bag, putting both together. He slid in underneath the four-wheel drive vehicle to carefully place a small setup of explosives which could be detonated from a remote starting device he would use later. Another set of voices nearby made him freeze. Relaxing after another car drove away, he quickly left the SUV and headed to another one waiting down the street. “Everything done?” his partner asked. “As easy as taking candy from
a sweet baby,” he said with an air of confidence in his voice. They sat in the limo and watched the parking lot, waiting for the owner of the 1999 black Range Rover to return to her car. They did not have long to wait. After all, time was on their side. * * * * Riley Devane sat through dinner, a tedious one with a client. They had spent the meal—a delicious one, she had to admit—discussing the plan for an office center on land his company owned north of the capital. Prime acreage, it had grown perfect in every sense of the plan she had laid out. The scenic location, accessibility to the Beltway and Interstate 95, the plan itself had all gelled together in one of Riley’s easier jobs. Now, if she could survive the night with Mister Boring. They had just been served their coffee, when he answered an incoming call on his cell phone. Why can’t the infernal things be left off during a meal or meetings or… “Miss Devane, I’m very pleased. I’ll have my attorneys look over the contracts and have them to you tomorrow afternoon or the morning after.” “Thank you, Mister Lockwood.” “If you’ll excuse me, I have some pressing business to attend to.” She nodded as he took her hand and warmly squeezed it. “It will be a pleasure working with you.” “Thank you again. I’m looking forward to it.” “Please enjoy the ambiance of the evening. I’ve taken care of everything.” Riley smiled as he said good-bye and left. She had the waiter refill her coffee cup and then left. She’d eaten a little more than she had thought and felt slightly uncomfortable but the fresh air of the spring evening made her stomach ease. Taking another deep breath and spying her Range Rover, she walked across the parking lot. Unlocking the door, she opened it, then slid behind the wheel. She put her briefcase on the seat next to her before she turned the key in the ignition. As the engine hummed, she buckled the seat belt and locked her door, then drove out of the lot. Riley turned the radio on, listening to the latest from Shakira, an energetic songstress she loved. If only I could move like her—at least I have my dreams. As she headed toward the road which would take her to the huge estate she lived on, she began to feel drowsy. She thought it was because of her sated enjoyment from dinner but this seemed strange. Riley wanted to pull over and fall asleep for a few minutes, even though she had a little farther to go—this so unlike her, because she usually made it home first. After reading reports and seeing documentaries on drunk driving, she always made sure she only had one glass of wine or one drink, never anymore, plus she would drink it while eating. She did not want to cause an accident or hurt someone or become one of those horrible statistics. She’d had one glass of Zinfandel with her lobster tail dinner. What the hell is going on? The lightheadedness and sleepiness became worse. A cold, maybe? Her eyes saw double and she began to overcorrect her driving. She swerved from one side of the road to the other while she panicked over her situation. “Come on, Riley, get a grip.” A bright light appeared ahead of her and grew as it came nearer. She turned hard to avoid hitting it, driving off the road and into a tree. The impact caused the air bag to deploy and knocked her back against the seat from the force of the safety feature she feared would suffocate her. She tried to get her cell phone to call for help. Feeling it in her pocket where she always carried it, she pulled it out and attempted to dial 9-1-1. She barely heard the dispatcher’s voice. “Do you have an emergency?” “Accident… I’ve been…in…” “Ma’am, are you all right? Ma’am?” “I need help…” “Where are you?” Riley could not answer, the phone falling from her grasp to the floor of the Range Rover. Her hand fell to her side as her mind became even more sluggish. “Ma’am, can you hear me? I’m trying to get you emergency assistance. Ma’am?” * * * * Several patrol cars in the area of where the county dispatcher triangulated a cell phone’s signal searched for any sign of an accident. Unit Five-thirteen found the black, late-model SUV lodged in an elm tree, the female driver unconscious. “Dispatch, I’ve found it out on Saw Mill Road—one vehicle into a tree with one female victim, unconscious. I need rescue and medical out here STAT.” “Affirmative, Five-thirteen.” “Ma’am, can you hear me? I’m Officer Morris. Help is on the way.” He felt her neck for a pulse, relieved to find one, though slower than he would have liked. He radioed in an update as he looked at her surroundings. Seeing the briefcase, his attention was caught by a quick but small light blinking. Looking down, he found a cell phone, his report beginning to form in his mind. “Hello?” “This is County Dispatcher Eleven.” “Good.” “Thanks, Ted.” “Anytime,” he said before he turned off the phone. He found a blanket laying on the backseat and put it over her to keep her warm. He looked up when he heard the sound of another vehicle coming down the road. It stopped before a man got out and joined him. “I’m a doctor. Can I help?” “She’s unconscious, though I’m not sure for how long. She’s got a pulse and I couldn’t find any other visible injuries.” “It feels like she’s bleeding internally. We’ve got to get her to a hospital ASAP.” “Fire/Rescue and medics are on their way.” “Can’t wait. I’ll take her in my car. Help me get her out of the wreckage.” Together, the two men pulled the woman from her car, then put her into the doctor’s limo, stretching her across the backseat. “Will she be all right, Doctor?” “I hope so. I’ll get her to the hospital, which should aid in her treatment and recovery.” “Do you want an escort?” “That would help. By the way, Officer Morris?” “Yes?” he answered as he turned back to the doctor. “What…” “Good-bye,” the doctor said before he shot the police officer twice, making sure both shots were fatal. He made sure the man died, then got into the limo and slammed the door. “Go,” he commanded the driver. As the car passed the accident scene and got far enough away, the doctor pulled out a small box from his pocket. He extended a small antenna before he pressed a button on it. Moments later, the Range Rover exploded into flames and lit up the darkness of the evening. The plan had gone as scheduled. |