Deed to Death: A Novel

AT TWENTY-NINE, TONI MATTHEWS IS ON THE CUSP OF HAVING IT ALL—a successful career as one of the top real estate agents in Nashville, great friends, and the partner and family she’d always longed for in her fiancé, architect Scott Chadwick.

But just days before their planned nuptials, Scott plummets to his death at one of his construction sites and Toni is forced to bury her fiancé on their wedding day. Now living all alone in their new, custom-made dream house, dealing with her loss becomes even harder when the police rule his death a suicide. Yet Toni refuses to believe that it could be anything other than a tragic accident.

When she learns that Scott’s estranged brother, Brian, is contesting the will, threatening to take away her home, Toni starts to suspect that it may not have been a mere accident but something more sinister. Without the cooperation of the police, and in spite of her friends’ growing concern that she’s in denial and not dealing with her grief, Toni begins investigating on her own. As she crisscrosses Nashville on a mission to prove to herself and the world that Scott wouldn’t try to escape this life, Toni can’t shake the sinking feeling that something is off, that she’s being followed—and that her search for truth may have deadly consequences.

A riveting novel of suspense, Deed to Death marks the launch of an exciting new talent.

Amazon Exclusive: J.A. Konrath Reviews Deed to Death

J.A. Konrath is the bestselling author of the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thrillers, including Shaken and Stirred. He writes horror under the name Jack Kilborn (Afraid, Trapped) and sci-fi under the Joe Kimball moniker (Timecaster). Read his exclusive guest review of D.B. Henson's Deed to Death:

There's a reason Deed to Death is one of the bestselling eBooks of all time. It's terrific. D.B. Henson's debut has all the makings of a perfect mystery/suspense novel:

Gutsy heroine who must solve a murder? Check.

A cast of plausible, creepy suspects? Yep.

A plot that unwinds faster than a ball of yarn being thrown off a cliff? Absolutely.

Rising tension that makes you skip meals, work, and sleep in order to get to the end? For sure.

Plenty of twists? A rollercoaster's got nothing on this novel.

Real Estate agent Toni Matthews is dealt a crushing blow when her fiance plummets to his death from a construction site. The loss of her first real love is devastating and the perception that this is an open-and-shut suicide case gnaws at her—could the happy life she thought they were living really have been a lie? It just doesn't add up. When the police shut her down, Toni takes matters into her own hands, determined to find out the truth even if it means going outside of the law.

This is not just an expertly-plotted mystery, but a story with heart that explores the nature of friendship, the secrets we keep from those closest to us, and the lengths we are willing to go to prove our truth. Toni is a classic amateur sleuth; smart, determined, and you'll be rooting for her every step of the way. You'll also be guessing whodunit until the last few pages.

Five stars all day. I eagerly anticipate Henson's next book. So does my wife, who loved it just as much as I did.

Don't make us wait too long, D.B.! --J.A. Konrath