Book excerpt: The Dark Tomb is K. L. Dempsey's seventh thriller in less than three years and proof that he's fast becoming a recognized master of this particular style of mystery. Jake Nelson, the current owner of the Warren Detective Agency located in Warren, Michigan, watched in disbelief as the old woman walked out of the woods while he had been vacation-fishing in Minnesota. It had been more than a shock to see her since this sighting would not have been possible unless she somehow had beaten her expiration date on earth. At the time of their first meeting, he had been twenty-seven years old, working for Eastern Airlines, and her eighty-six when she had joined him and a group of other travel agents on an airline-sponsored familiarization trip to New Orleans. Propulsive as a jolt of adrenaline, The Dark Tomb features a storyline that deals with finding out how this sighting could have been possible and the reasons why it is happening now. As the investigation entwines, Nelson calls upon one of the new employees that had just joined the firm to help him solve this mystery and at the same time force him to face his own demons. With the chilling authenticity that has become the trademark of his previous works, this former Army veteran and airline marketing specialist once again delivers a novel that won't disappoint.