THE NIGHTMARE THIEF
Book ID/图书代码： 05090110B43426
English Summary/英文概要： In the California wilderness no one can hear you scream. Autumn Reiniger wants something special for her 21st birthday. And she expects it. Daddy’s already bought her a sports car, an apartment, and admission to the private college where she parties away her weekends. In her most thrilling present yet, Autumn is treated to a “crime spree weekend” in the California wilderness courtesy of Edge Adventures, a company specialising in urban reality games. Armed with an ultra-deluxe weekend package, Autumn and her friends will become drug kingpins, bounty hunters and prison escapees. In what he thinks is a chance to overcome a childhood fear, Autumn’s father also asks for a character called the Bad Cowboy. Played by an an actor hired by Edge employees, what Peter Reiniger doesn’t know is that the Bad Cowboy will be played by a pyschopath intent on turning a birthday dream weekend into a waking nightmare. Aware that only the wealthy can afford such experiences, the Bad Cowboy is accompanied by a motley crew who infiltrate Edge in order to hijack Autumn’s big weekend. When one of Autumn’s classmates is murdered before the crime weekend begins, Jo Beckett is called in to perform a psychological autopsy. Tracing a link back to Autumn, Jo and Gabe Quintana accompany the group. What Jo doesn’t realise is that the criminal gang has infiltrated Edge Adventures and is in control of the whole weekend. When Autumn’s friends realise Jo’s fears about the gang, a fight ensures and the bus crashes, leaving the driver dead. The rest of the gang are tracking the bus and it is only a matter of time before they will catch up with the youngsters. It is up to Jo and Gabe to protect the group and escape from the the California wilderness to save their lives.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： Autumn Reiniger渴望度過一個不同尋常的21歲生日。疼愛她的父親送房送車，不過最讓Autumn感到刺激的還是，她將和同學們一起在加利福尼亞郊外度過一個“黑道狂歡週末”，這是一種花費極高的活動，派對過程中會使用到假的槍支。活動方會提前告知三藩市警方這裡會進行極限活動，所以在活動中出現的驚叫和呼救聲警方均不予理會。
然而，這卻為一幫真正的犯罪團夥辦案創造了便利條件。Autumn 的父親Peter Reiniger這是卻對正從黑暗中悄悄襲來的危險渾然不知。
此時法醫Jo Beckett和她的搭檔Gabe Quintana正在附近調查一起案件。當她發現兩個形跡可疑的人正將幾名大學生趕往旁邊的樹叢裡，這是突然聽到了警報聲。很快，Jo就被安排到Autumn的21歲生日Party上去調查這場綁架案件。(Claire)
Awards/获奖情况：‘One of the most exciting openings of a crime book I have come across … a tense, thrill-a-second race against time as everyone present is forced to confront real life-changing danger.’---DAILY MAIL
About the Author/作者介绍： Meg Gardiner is originally from Southern California, where she practiced law and taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is the author of five Evan Delaney novels and the Jo Beckett thrillers, The Dirty Secrets Club, The Memory Collector and The Liar’s Lullaby. She lives with her family near London.
Meg Gardiner剛剛以《China Lake》(Hodder & Stoughton 2002)獲得2009年愛倫坡獎(2009 Edgar Allan Poe Awards)Best Paperback Original。愛倫坡獎是推理界具指標意義的獎項。(China Lake繁體版權熱烈洽詢中)
畢業于史丹福大學法學院。曾在洛杉磯當執業律師，與加州大學教寫作。她的Evan Delaney司法記者系列十分成功。該系列第一集就是剛獲得2009年艾倫坡獎的《China Lake》。
許多推理大師都十分讚賞她的作品，如史蒂芬．金、傑佛瑞．狄佛與泰絲．格里森。目前她與丈夫、小孩住在倫敦附近。
Format:TRADE PAPERBACK
Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE(到期可授)
Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
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