The Maker Read online

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  As usual, no book comes into being without a lot of help and support by my friends and family. A world of thanks must go to my friend critique partner extraordinaire, Grace Anselmo. Thank you for all that you do.

  To Pat Thomas, the best editor in the world. I love working with you. You turn my humble offerings into something truly amazing. I couldn’t do it without you. To Detective Superintendent Michael Kilfoyle, thank you for lending my story credibility. Any mistakes are wholly my own.

  To Grady, Alisha and all of the staff at damonza.com, thank you for yet another fantastic cover. To my sister, Nicole Guihot, thank you for your excellent editorial comments and suggestions. Nic, I hope you like the final result.

  To Amy Atwell and her dedicated staff at Author EMS who are so much more than book formatters. Amy, once again, thank you for your magic.

  To the fantastic writer organizations such as Romance Writers of Australia, Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of New Zealand for all the help, support and encouragement they offer new and aspiring writers, including me.

  To my readers, thank you for your support and love for my stories. Your encouragement and enjoyment make this journey all worthwhile.

  And lastly, to my friends and family, especially my husband and children. Thank you for putting up with late dinners and even later conversations as I’ve emerged day after day from the sometimes scary but always enthralling world I’ve created on my computer.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Chris Taylor grew up on a farm in north-west New South Wales, Australia. She always had a thirst for stories and recalls writing her first book at the ripe old age of eight. Always a lover of romance and happily-ever-afters, a career in criminal law sparked her interest in intrigue and suspense. For Chris to be able to combine romance with suspense in her books is a dream come true.

  Chris is married to Linden and is the mother of five children. If not behind her computer, you can find her doing the school run, taxiing children to swimming lessons, football, ballet and cricket. In her spare time, Chris loves to read her favorite authors who include Richard North Patterson, Sandra Brown, Kathleen E Woodiwiss and Jude Devereaux.

  You can find out more about Chris and sign up for her newsletter at her website:

  http://www.christaylorauthor.com.au

  Follow Chris on Twitter at:

  https://twitter.com/christaylorbook

  Join Chris on Facebook at:

  http://www.facebook.com/christaylorwriter

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  The Munro Family Series

  Note to Readers

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Copyright