Relentless Pursuit (Secrets of Roux River Bayou Book #3) , livre ebook

What people are saying about …
Relentless Pursuit
“What if a handful of people in your town died from a blatant case of food and water poisoning? Mystery lovers won’t rest until they race to the final page of Kathy Herman’s latest yarn, Relentless Pursuit , which I know her fans will devour.”
Creston Mapes, author of Nobody
“In a collision of heart and soul, Relentless Pursuit is a poignant portrayal of God’s passionate pursuit of us. With its gut-wrenching rendering of complicated family dynamics, heart-stopping suspense, and plain beautiful Louisiana charm, Relentless Pursuit is captivating. Kathy Herman has another winner on her hands.”
Ronie Kendig, author of the Discarded Heroes series
“Kathy Herman’s Relentless Pursuit is truly relentless. A seemingly random act of violence and murder against innocent people launches a roller coaster of suspense. Characters we’ve come to care about are put to the test and plunged into danger. They are also pushed to the limit, which God’s love often requires. Don’t miss the finale of a great series!”
Lyn Cote, author of La Belle Christiane
“Relentless pursuit is indeed the theme of this powerful story of love and betrayal, guilt and remorse … and murder. Murder all the more terrifying to this small Cajun town because anyone —man, woman, or child—may be the victim of this ruthless killer’s pursuit of revenge. But there’s an even stronger pursuit here in God’s effort to bring even the most resistant and fallen of His beloved children to Him for eternity.”
Lorena McCourtney, author of the Ivy Malone Mysteries and the Andi McConnell Mysteries
“ Relentless Pursuit is the dramatic and magnificent conclusion to the Secrets of the Roux River Bayou series. Kathy Herman weaves a tale of surprises and suspense that stands well on its own but draws subtly on the previous books in the series for those who have read them. Grace shines from the pages as the characters wrestle with the raw reality of living their faith. A triumphant story!”
Janelle Clare Schneider, author and spiritual director
What people are saying about …
Dangerous Mercy
“Kathy Herman’s latest, Dangerous Mercy, brings up a question many Christians face—how to help without taking unnecessary risks. More importantly to readers, it’s a riveting suspense ride, set in the Louisiana bayou country. A can’t-miss!”
Lyn Cote, author of Her Abundant Joy
“This book gripped my attention from the very first paragraph and never let go. Kathy Herman’s writing shines in Dangerous Mercy . This is a powerful and thought-provoking story about loving the unlovely and following God, no matter what the cost.”
Carol Cox, author of Dog Days, Who’s That Girl?, and Tea and Sympathy
“A well-drawn mystery with characters who leap off the page and into your heart. It’s a story of redemption and hope, forgiveness and unconditional love—and the reminder that we are all redeemable through Christ. If you’re looking for a good book to snuggle with in front of the fire, this is it.”
Lynette Eason, best-selling, award-winning author of the Women of Justice series
Praise for …
False Pretenses
“With its perfectly paced suspense, Cajun flair, and riveting look at the high price of deceit, Kathy Herman’s False Pretenses is a true page-turner. Highly recommended!”
Marlo Schalesky, author of the Christy Award–winning novel Beyond the Night
“Kathy Herman has raised her own bar for an action-packed novel with rich conflict and realistic romance. False Pretenses is deep and soul-searching with nonstop excitement. It will lead to nonstop reading.”
Hannah Alexander, author of A Killing Frost and the Hideaway series
“Mysteries abound in Kathy Herman’s latest foray into suspense. Though we know some of the characters well, new ones will intrigue readers. The story entwines the secrets of the past with the secrets of today. You’ll enjoy this trip to Cajun country. A solid read!”
Lyn Cote, author of Her Abundant Joy
“In False Pretenses , Kathy Herman has begun a wonderfully intriguing new series set in Louisiana’s bayou country—Secrets of Roux River Bayou. False Pretenses gets the series off to a fast-paced start filled with suspense, tension, and mystery that will grip readers from the first page.”
Marta Perry, author of Murder in Plain Sight
“Kathy Herman has written a powerful story of tension, mystery, and danger. Anonymous messages point to a secret from the past that can destroy the future. But there’s also a tender love story to challenge that secret.”
Lorena McCourtney, author of the Ivy Malone Mysteries and the Andi McConnell Mysteries

© 2012 Kathy Herman
Published by Bethany House Publishers 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Previously published by David C Cook
Ebook edition originally created 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-2111-4
This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.
Some Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc™. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. 1 Corinthians 13:1–8 in chapter 21 is taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc, 7680 Goddard St., Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Cover Design: DogEared Design, Kirk DouPonce
To Him who is both the Giver and the Gift
Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Cajun French Glossary
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
A Note from the Author
Discussion Guide
Back Ad
Back Cover
Acknowledgments
The amazing bayou country of south Louisiana provides the backdrop for this trilogy and many of the images I describe in the stories. But Saint Catherine Parish, the town of Les Barbes, and the Roux River Bayou exist only in my imagination.
During the writing of this third book, I drew from several resource people, each of whom shared generously from his or her storehouse of knowledge and experience. I did my best to integrate the facts as I understood them. If accuracy was compromised in any way, it was unintentional and strictly of my own doing. I also made good use of numerous Internet sites relating to idiosyncrasies and customs of the Cajun culture and language.
I owe a special word of thanks to the Heritage Foundation’s James Jay Carafano, PhD, deputy director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies. His many areas of expertise, including defense and homeland security, provided invaluable information for this work. I am grateful for the time he took out of his busy schedule to explain domestic terrorist scenarios in which Homeland Security would get involved and those that would involve only the FBI and/or state agencies. I knew a lot less than I thought I did, Jim. Thanks for your help!
I’m grateful to Retired Commander Carl H. Deeley of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for the wealth of information and personal experience he’s shared over the past several books, enabling me to keep the fictional Saint Catherine Parish Sheriff’s Department running efficiently; and to Retired Lieutenant Gil Carrillo, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau, for filling me in on the complicated but important relationship between law enforcement and the media. Thanks, Carl and Gil, for your willingness to share what you know. You made my job so much easier.
I want to thank my friend Paul David Houston, a former assistant district attorney, for researching and advising me regarding the execution of wills in the state of Louisiana; for explaining the intricacies of search warrants; and for advising me as to how certain crimes would be charged. Paul, as always, I appreciate your swift and concise answers. You’re a joy to work with!
Also, a special thank-you to my sister Caroline Berry for sharing her personal experience of releasing the cremated remains of a loved one. It’s a sensitive subject that probably makes some people uncomfortable, and I so appreciated your candor.
I’m immensely grateful to my faithful prayer warriors: my sister Pat Phillips; my dear friends Mark and Donna Skorheim and Susan Mouser; my online prayer team—Chuck Allenbrand, Pearl and Don Anderson, Judith Depontes, Jackie Jeffries, Susie Killough, Joanne Lambert, Adrienne McCabe, Deidre Pool, Kim Prothro, Kelly Smith, Leslie Strader, Carolyn Walker, Sondra Watson, and Judi Wieghat; my friends at LifeWay Christian Store in Tyler, Texas, and LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee; and my church family at Bethel Bible Church. I cannot possibly express to you how much I value your prayers.
To the retailers and suppliers who sell my books, the church and pub