Excerpt from Dark Design by Nancy Mehl
Erin enjoyed her walk with Adrian. He was more talkative than she was, and that helped her to relax. They had so much in common. He’d been on the police force in Chicago, but the out- of- control crime and the lack of support from city officials had left him discouraged and wishing he were still in Sanctuary, where his grandparents had raised him. When the chief of police retired a few years ago, he’d jumped at the job.
“This place really is a sanctuary for me,” he told her as they made their way down a trail that led to a large lake. “I feel so at peace here. Since my grandparents died, the people who live here have become my family. I’m especially close to my officers. Besides being great people, they excel in their jobs. I’d put them up against any police officer in any city. Sometimes I can’t understand why they stay here. They could work anywhere. Like I said, things are usually pretty quiet— at least until you came to town, and we had to confront a serial killer.”
“I hope you don’t think my being here had anything to do with that,” she said, laughing.
“No, not at all,” he responded with a grin. “But I certainly was glad you were here. You and Kaely were a great help.”
Erin loved the peace and quiet that had settled on the town after the killer had been caught. She hoped the only murders she’d have to deal with from now on would stay on the pages of her new book.
She’d just gotten back to the cabin and said good- bye to Adrian and Jake when her phone rang. She plopped down on the couch, and Chester jumped up next to her. He lay down and let out a sigh. Their walk had worn him out, and he fell into a deep, doggy nap.
She looked at her phone. Kaely. It had been a while. She answered it. “Hey,” she said. “Glad to hear from you.”
She expected Kaely’s greeting to be equally cheery, but her response seemed guarded, careful.
“Everything okay?” Erin asked. Kaely was quiet for a moment, and Erin felt herself tense up.
“No, it isn’t,” she said finally. “We need you to come here. There’s . . . a situation.”
“What kind of situation?”
Kaely cleared her throat before saying, “The BAU is working on a really serious case. Someone is killing women, and they’re using the MOs they took from certain mystery and suspense novels.”
“I don’t understand,” Erin said, although in the back of her mind, she did.
“The third murder copies the killings in your book, Erin. Investigators need to question you, and Noah and I are concerned for your safety. Please trust me and come here as soon as you can.”
Copyright © 2025 Nancy Mehl with permission from Baker Publishing Group
DARK DESIGN by Nancy Mehl
When Erin Delaney learns that a serial killer has mimicked the murder portrayed in her bestselling novel, her career as an author takes a detrimental turn. She joins her friend Kaely Quinn-Hunter, a former FBI profiler, to help identify a suspect, but the team is stumped, and Kaely fears for Erin’s safety as they work to dismantle a web of fear and chaos.
On top of tracking down a murderer, Erin must shoulder the weight of a haunted past and the claims that she stole the plot of her novel from one of her sources. But as the enemy looms closer than ever, Erin’s life hangs in the balance.
Bestselling author Nancy Mehl threads a plot of danger and threats with heart-drumming suspense in book two of The Erin Delaney Mysteries.
Mystery [Bethany House Publishers, On Sale: October 21, 2025, Paperback, ISBN: 9780764243370 / eISBN: 9781493451289]
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About Nancy Mehl
Nancy Mehl is the bestselling author of 50 books. She’s won the Daphne Du Maurier Award, as well as an ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award and a Carol award. She was also a finalist for the prestigious Christy award. Her short story, Chasing Shadows, was in the USA Today bestselling Summer of Suspense anthology.
All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”
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