by Stacy Green
He picked me up again, tucking me to his side this time. Stone steps, I realized. He was taking me down to one of the vaults.
I started struggling again, screaming through the tape, kicking and punching. This time, he swung me around and slammed me against a stone wall. His wild eyes bore into mine, his face twisted like a maniac’s. He ripped off the duct tape, and I bit my tongue against the pain.
“What’s the matter, Kelly? Are you afraid of the dark? Of being locked away in a tiny space?”
“You bastard.” I wouldn’t say anything else. I’d die before I admitted the thought of being trapped in the dark made me want to crawl out of my skin. I couldn’t go through it again. Did Chris intend to rape me? That didn’t seem like his style, but he’d proven he was unpredictable. I wouldn’t make it easy for him. My muscles tensed until they ached. I’d fight until he killed me.
He laughed again, guttural and animalistic. “Don’t worry. This space is a lot smaller than the one your stepfather kept you in. No room for me, I’m afraid. Just space for one.”
I suddenly realized exactly what he meant, and fear gripped me so strongly I couldn’t breathe. My brain felt like it was splitting in two, my body floating away. His smile grew wider, his eyes nearly glowing.
I dug into whatever reservoir of strength I had left and glared back at him with all the hate I could muster. “You know Lucy’s going to find you. And she’s going to kill you.”
Chris leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Oh, sweet Kelly, I’m counting on it.”
WARNING: the below essay contains major spoilers from the Lucy Kendall series. Do not read until you’ve finished all of the books!
Dear Readers,
First off, thank you so much for reading and reviewing my books. I can’t tell you how much it means to know there are people out there who enjoy the stories I’m telling.
I hope you enjoyed the bonus content in the Lucy box set. Writing from Chris’s point of view was so much fun. I absolutely loved going back to those spots in the series and digging in to what he was thinking.
Let’s just be clear: he’s a psychopath. He loves no one but himself. His affection for Lucy was rooted in the need to control her and to use her for his own gain. Because he didn’t easily get what he wanted, his interest grew into an obsession. And like most psychopaths, he enjoyed the cat and mouse game immensely.
Chris controlled the entire strings of the narrative in this series. He was the one watching Justin Beckett from afar, just like he watched Lucy. He knew who Justin Beckett was, of course. He saw him (and his mother) on the news when Justin’s childhood friend was murdered. He’d already been fixating on Lucy since meeting her several years prior at camp, and when he saw her tied into Justin’s case, he felt the stars aligned.
Fun fact: In See Them Run, Chris is the actual killer of both Lucy’s boss (Sarah) at the spa and her ex-boyfriend. He killed Sarah to make Lucy a suspect (all part of his game) and then killed the boyfriend to clear the boyfriend’s name. I’d originally planned to lay this all out in All Fall Down, but the narrative ended up reading like an info dump and took away from the pacing, so we scratched it.
Back to Chris. For me, the scariest serial killers are the planners and the ones who kill for fun. Not to fulfill some twisted sexual desire, but because they flat out enjoy ending a life. And the ability to stalk someone in this technological day and age is terrifying. So Chris represents my fear of both those things. He is the hot man next door who could truly be plotting to kill you simply to see if he could get away with it.
I’m always asked why I write such dark and twisted things when I’m just a normal mom from Iowa. The answer is complicated, but it boils down to being absolutely fascinated by the criminal mind and the human condition. How cruel can we be, and is there any limit to it? Why do some people turn out to be such black marks? I always say that if I’d been more self-aware in college I would have majored in criminal psychology, and that’s the truth.
As for Lucy and who she is, I think she’s every one of us. We all shudder at the idea of taking another life, but I honestly believe that in the right circumstances, most of us are capable. For many (like myself) those circumstances revolve around my daughter. I have no doubt I would kill to protect her. And I wouldn’t feel badly about it. Carl Jung’s shadow-self archetype is something I very much believe in and enjoy exploring in fiction.
Lucy is the hardest character I’ve created to date, because she had to be likeable despite her dark endeavors. It took many drafts for to emerge from a flat, coldhearted woman to a multi-faceted heroine.
One of the most interesting parts to Lucy is that her ego nearly gets her killed. Chris tells her who he is from the very beginning, and she blows him off, believing she is smarter than him. Aren’t we all like that in some point in our lives? We think we know more than everyone else and that no one could possibly surprise us or do something better than we can? In the beginning of the series, Lucy’s this perfect, white onion just rolling along doing things her own way because she believes she knows better than everyone else.
Bit by bit, through various plot points and character interactions, she realizes the truth and hits rock bottom–another place we’ve all been in some facet of our lives. A big part of the human experience and maturity is realizing that we really know nothing and embracing that truth. I think that’s one of the reasons Lucy appeals to so many people despite the bad things she’s done.
Another question I’ve been asked is if Kelly is an intentional parallel to Chris? The answer is yes–to an extent. It’s a sad truth that children are horrifically abused every day in this world, while others witness unimaginable things that profoundly alter them. Some grow up to be abusers themselves, but the majority become healthy, strong survivors. While Mother Mary (and ultimately Chris) represent the victims who were destroyed by their experiences, it was vital that Lucy’s series contained a message of hope.
Kelly represents that hope, as well as the survivors who experienced things the rest of us can’t imagine and still managed to maintain their humanity. Those people don’t live as victims. They rise above what’s happened in ways I can’t imagine. They deserved a voice in such a dark series, and that’s not only Kelly’s function as a character, but also why she’s essentially Lucy’s saving grace.
Another fun fact: Todd Beckett’s a reader favorite, and in very early drafts of All Good Deeds, he was the villain, not Mother Mary. And even when I decided on her, I planned to make him a thorn in Lucy’s side throughout the series. Making him an ally was never in the cards, but Lucy wasn’t having any of that. And I’m so glad I listened, because he makes such a wonderful conflict for her, and they are good together.
Is Lucy a sociopath? That’s another question I’m often asked. Originally, I planned for her to be exactly that. In See Them Run, through Chris’s unknown tutelage, she was embracing her enjoyment of killing. While I never intended for her to bow down to him and step in as a partner, I honestly planned to have her continue carrying out her vigilante justice. And then I started writing Gone to Die, and in the very first scene, everything changed. I didn’t realize it until several thousand words in, but Lucy didn’t like where she was headed. I’ve always kind of rolled my eyes when authors say a character “took over the story and wrote it themselves,” but that’s basically what Lucy did in Gone to Die. She changed my plans, and I started wondering how she could possibly redeem herself and get back on a path that wouldn’t lead to her ultimate destruction. Her relationships with Todd and Kelly were of course major components to that. I’m so glad the direction changed, because I’m very proud of Lucy’s final character arc.
So where does Lucy go from here? I’ve had many, many requests for more books. I won’t rule them out because she’s never stopped talking to me. But chances are the series is finished, and I promise it’s for a good reason. Her character arc is complete. She’s as happy as someone like her can be. She’s escaped prison and a madman, and she�
��s with her family in a new city. She’s still helping kids, but on the right side of the law. Realistically, if she were to continue, she’d get caught, and most likely by Todd. He couldn’t keep pretending he didn’t know. I’d rather Lucy die than go to prison, and I’m not fond of that either. I feel like extending the series would ruin the arc I worked so hard to create.
But I promise you’ll still hear about her and see more from Todd Beckett. He’s a central character in my upcoming series about Erin Prince. And don’t be surprised to see a Lucy Kendall cameo.
Once again, thank you for reading, reviewing, and publically supporting my novels. Writing is such a solitary endeavor, and it’s incredibly rewarding when your work is so well embraced.
Take care,
Stacy Green
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Books by Stacy
Click on the covers below to learn more!
The Lucy Kendall Series
She’s no killer. She’s just taking out the trash.
Hear No Lies
All Good Deeds
See Them Run
Gone To Die
All Fall Down
Delta Crossroads
Tin God
Skeleton’s Key
Ashes and Bone
Delta Detectives
Living Victim
Dead Wrong
Night Terror
Last Words
Shots Fired
Standalone
Into the Devil’s Underground
Welcome to Las Vegas
Twisted Minds
About the Author
Stacy Green is the author of the Lucy Kendall thriller series and the Delta Crossroads mystery trilogy. ALL GOOD DEEDS (Lucy Kendall #1) won a bronze medal for mystery and thriller at the 2015 IPPY Awards. TIN GOD (Delta Crossroads #1) was runner-up for best mystery/thriller at the 2013 Kindle Book Awards. Stacy has a love of thrillers and crime fiction, and she is always looking for the next dark and twisted novel to enjoy. She started her career in journalism before becoming a stay at home mother and rediscovering her love of writing. She lives in Iowa with her husband and daughter and their three spoiled fur babies.
Stacy is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo, Helin and Fountain Literary Management for literary and dramatic rights.
Stacy loves to hear from readers!
Website: stacygreenauthor.com
Amazon Author Page
Facebook Facebook.com/StacyGreenAuthor
Twitter: @StacyGreen26
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Praise for Stacy Green
Other Books by Stacy Green
Box Set Contents
All Good Deeds
Title Page
Dedication
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
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
See Them Run
Title Page
Epigraph
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
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Gone to Die
Title Page
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
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
All Fall Down
Title Page
Epigraph
Unknown
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
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Epilogue
Bonus Content
Essay
Books by Stacy
About the Author
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