Margins
Fatal book cover 1
Fatal book cover 2
Fatal book cover 3
Fatal
Series · 21
books · 2010-2020

Books in series

One Night with You book cover
#0.5

One Night with You

2015

Since the debut of Fatal Affair in 2010, Fatal Series readers have been wondering about that “memorable” one-night stand between Sam Holland and Nick Cappuano that took place six years before Fatal Affair opens. Well, wonder no more! One Night With You tells the story of Sam and Nick’s fateful first meeting in which all the chemistry and heat we have come to expect from them is on full display from the first moments they meet. Get all the details of Sam and Nick’s unforgettable night together in this 14,000-word novella! You might want to keep a fan and some ice water handy, because this story is H-O-T!
Fatal Affair book cover
#1

Fatal Affair

2010

an alternate cover edition can be found here Washington, D.C., Metro Police Detective Sergeant Sam Holland needs a big win to salvage her career—and her confidence—after a disastrous investigation. The perfect opportunity arises when Senator John O'Connor is found brutally murdered in his bed, and Sam is assigned to the case. Matters get complicated when Sam has to team up with Nick Cappuano, O'Connor's friend and chief of staff...and the man Sam had a memorable one-night stand with years earlier. Their sexual chemistry still sizzles, and Sam has to fight to stay focused on the case. Sleeping with a material witness is another mistake she can't afford—especially when the bodies keep piling up.
Lethal Attraction book cover
#1

Lethal Attraction

Against the Rules/Fatal Affair

2013

Two worlds collide in these timeless stories of love and deception… Against the Rules by Linda Howard At seventeen, Cathryn Ashe fought her attraction to Rule Jackson and lost. Humiliated, she fled to the anonymity of the city. Now she's back, independent and more sure of herself than ever—and ready to challenge him again. But Rule is raising the stakes, and what Cat stands to lose is something she's known all along is his for the taking—her heart. Fatal Affair by Marie Force Detective Sergeant Sam Holland needs a big win to salvage her career—and her confidence—after a disastrous case. The perfect opportunity arises when she's assigned to the investigation of a senator's murder. But she has to team up with Nick Cappuano, the senator's friend and chief of staff…and the man she had a memorable one-night stand with years earlier. Their sexual chemistry still sizzles, but sleeping with a material witness is a mistake Sam can't afford—especially when the bodies keep piling up.
Dangerous Nights book cover
#1

Dangerous Nights

Night of the Blackbird / Fatal Affair

2017

Desire can be lethal in these two fan-favorite tales Night of the Blackbird by Heather Graham Moira Kelly has come home to Boston to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the family pub, but soon confronts an undercurrent of danger as talk turns to politics. She's caught in the clash between the convictions of her new boyfriend and the anger of her old flame, who is unexpectedly in town. When suspicious events at the bar turn into cold-blooded murder, she doesn't know who to trust. There's a conspiracy that threatens to bring forth the violence and hatred of a different time and place, and Moira discovers that a generation is not long enough to soften the desire for revenge. Fatal Affair by Marie Force The brutal murder of a senator is just the case Washington, DC, Detective Sergeant Sam Holland needs to salvage her career and confidence. But it gets complicated when Sam has to team up with Nick Cappuano, the senator's friend and chief of staff…and the man Sam had a memorable one-night stand with years earlier. Their chemistry still sizzles, but sleeping with a material witness is a mistake she can't afford—especially when the bodies keep piling up.
Fatal Justice book cover
#2

Fatal Justice

2011

She looked into the dead face of the man she'd dined with the night before Standing over the body of a Supreme Court nominee, Lieutenant Sam Holland is hip-deep in another high-profile murder case. The fact that she was one of the last people to see Julian Sinclair alive just complicates things even more. On the plus side, her relationship with Senator Nick Cappuano is heating up—but it's also attracting a lot of unwanted media attention and blinding flash bulbs. The pressure is on for Sam to find Sinclair's killer, but a new lead in her father's unsolved shooting puts her in unexpected danger. When long-buried secrets threaten to derail her relationship with Nick, Sam realizes that while justice can be blind, mixing romance with politics has the potential to be fatal... Book 2 of the Fatal Series by NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL bestselling author Marie Force 94,000 words The Fatal Series Book 1: Fatal Affair Book 2: Fatal Justice Book 3: Fatal Consequences Book 3.5: Fatal Destiny, The Fatal Wedding Novella Book 4: Fatal Flaw Book 5: Fatal Deception Book 6: Fatal Mistake
Fatal Consequences book cover
#3

Fatal Consequences

2011

Politics can be murder... Lieutenant Sam Holland has no sooner accepted Senator Nick Cappuano's proposal than she's back on the job. A woman has been found brutally murdered and evidence points to Henry Lightfeather, a senator and close friend of Nick's. While Sam investigates, Nick stands by his friend—complicating his own bid for reelection, and causing tension between the couple. As Sam's investigation reveals a scandal that rocks the capital, Nick and Sam discover that the biggest threat to their future might be someone from her past.... Includes the bonus novella Fatal Destiny See how it all began for Sam and Nick in Fatal Affair Force pushes the boundaries to create an intricate mystery. RT Book Reviews, 4 stars, on Fatal Consequences Book Three of the Fatal series from New York Times bestselling author Marie Force.
Fatal Destiny book cover
#3.5

Fatal Destiny

2011

alternate cover editions can be found here and here With the week of their wedding finally upon them, Washington, D.C., Police Lieutenant Sam Holland and her fiancé, Senator Nick Cappuano, are at odds. In the aftermath of a tragic loss, they struggle to reconnect as the big day draws near, but their work keeps pulling them apart. When a new clue into a cold case surfaces, Nick asks Sam not to take any foolish chances before the wedding and to leave it alone for the time being. Sam agrees, but she can't let it go entirely and winds up trapped in an explosive situation. Then an unwelcome visitor from her past threatens her future happiness... With trouble at every turn, will Sam survive long enough to walk down the aisle? Book 3.5: a Fatal novella. Don't miss Fatal Affair, Fatal Justice and Fatal Consequences, available now. 39,000 words
Fatal Flaw book cover
#4

Fatal Flaw

2012

(98,000 words) Back from their honeymoon, Senator Nick Cappuano and D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland are ready for some normalcy after the whirlwind of their wedding, but someone has other plans for them. When Sam discovers wedding cards containing thinly veiled death threats, she's not sure if she or Nick is the target. Already on edge, Sam and her team start investigating a series of baffling murders. The victims are well-liked with no known enemies, and the murders are carried out in a clean and efficient manner. Unable to find a clear motive for the deaths, she feels like she's chasing her tail. With no obvious connection between the victims, Sam soon suspects that she may be the ultimate prize in the killer's clever game. When the danger starts to hit a little too close to home, she has two goals: find the elusive murderer and manage to live long enough to enjoy her happily ever after.
Fatal Deception book cover
#5

Fatal Deception

2012

The wife of the White House deputy chief of staff has been beaten to death, and their one-year-old daughter is missing. D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland is in charge of the murder investigation, but she's forced to collaborate with Special Victims Unit detectives as well as thorn-in-her-side FBI Special Agent Avery Hill. Then, a cold case of her father's resurrects old hurts—a distraction Sam cannot afford. As Sam's investigation heats up, so does Nick's political career—and the heat carries over to their bedroom. Will Sam put the pieces together in time to catch a killer and find the baby, or will ambition, greed and lies prove fatal? Book 5 of the Fatal series from NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL bestselling author Marie Force
Fatal Mistake book cover
#6

Fatal Mistake

2013

A critical error. A Cinderella season cut short. A star player murdered. DC is recovering from angry riots after one player's mistake blew the DC Federals' chance at the World Series, and Lieutenant Sam Holland is determined to unravel the twisted web of motives behind the star center fielder's death. Was it a disgruntled fan, a spurned lover or a furious teammate? While Sam digs through clues, her husband, US Senator Nick Cappuano, fights for his political life in the final days of his reelection campaign as financial irregularities threaten his future. It's a distraction Nick can ill afford with Sam in the midst of another high-profile murder investigation and both of them trying to help their adopted son, Scotty, cope with the murder of a ballplayer he admired. Determined to bring the killer to justice, Sam must root out the truth before another mistake proves fatal.
Fatal Jeopardy book cover
#7

Fatal Jeopardy

2014

Washington, D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland and her husband, U.S. Senator Nick Cappuano, have been looking forward to a quiet Thanksgiving with their son. But any thoughts of a restful holiday are dashed when Sam and Nick return home to a gruesome scene: Sam's seventeen-year-old niece Brooke, barely conscious and covered in blood on their front stoop. With lines between personal and professional blurring in this emotionally charged, deeply personal case, Sam is relying on Nick more than ever for support. But when suspicious images from the night in question appear on social media, Sam begins to wonder if her niece is telling her everything she knows about what really happened. And when Nick questions her tactics—and her ethics—as she races against the clock, Sam will need to decide how far she's willing to go to prove Brooke is a victim, not a murderer.
Fatal Scandal book cover
#8

Fatal Scandal

2015

Book 8 of the Fatal series from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Marie Force... As a new year dawns in the capital city, dual scandals rock the Metropolitan Police Department—and Lieutenant Sam Holland is right in the middle of them. Chief Farnsworth is catching heat for the way he handled a recent homicide investigation, and Detective Gonzales is accused of failing to disclose an earlier connection to the judge who decided his custody hearing. When Gonzo's fight for his child turns deadly and he has a shaky alibi, Sam must defend two of her closest colleagues. All while her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, settles into his new office at the White House. Nick begins to wonder if the president is using him for a political boost, and his worries mount over a complication in the plans to adopt Scotty at a time when Sam is being put through the wringer by the always-rabid DC press corps. As the evidence against Gonzo piles up, Sam suspects someone is gunning for her—and her team. 99,000 words
Fatal Frenzy book cover
#9

Fatal Frenzy

2015

Inauguration day is almost here… Lieutenant Sam Holland is on leave, recovering from an attack that shook her to the core. With no case to distract her, she's trying to stay busy—even voluntarily meeting with her new White House staff. But it's not enough to keep the horrific memories at bay, and her family is worried…especially her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano. Nick is dealing with his own demons where his wife's safety is concerned, losing night after night of sleep as he works to make sure what happened that day will never happen again. The pressure is building inside the Cappuanos' marriage, and something's got to give before Nick takes the oath of office. When two college girls go missing in the midst of inauguration madness, the chief of police needs the one cop he can count on to find them and save the Metro PD from disgrace. In a case full of ugly twists and turns, Sam will have to confront her past and find her strength again…before it's too late.
Fatal Identity book cover
#10

Fatal Identity

2016

Every family has its secrets… As the first anniversary of her marriage to Vice President Nick Cappuano approaches, Lieutenant Sam Holland is dreaming of Bora Bora—sun, sand and a desperately needed break from the DC grind. But real life has a way of intervening, and Sam soon finds herself taking on one of the most perplexing cases of her career. Government worker Josh Hamilton begs Sam to investigate his shocking claim that his parents stole him from another family thirty years ago. More complicated still, his "father" is none other than the FBI director. When a member of Josh's family is brutally murdered, Sam begins to question how deep this cover-up goes. Is it possible the revered director was part of a baby-napping ring and that others involved are also targets? With a killer intent on deadly revenge and her team still reeling from a devastating loss, Sam's plate is full—and when Nick and their son, Scotty, take ill, is her dream of a tropical anniversary celebration in peril too?
Fatal Threat book cover
#11

Fatal Threat

2017

With a killer on the loose, it's the worst time to be on lockdown… It's just another day at the office for Washington Metro Police lieutenant Sam Holland when a body surfaces off the shores of the Anacostia River. But before Sam can sink her teeth into the new case, Secret Service agents seize her from the crime scene. A threat has been made against her family, but nobody will tell her anything—including the whereabouts of her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano. This isn't the first time the couple's lives have been at risk, but when a bombshell from Sam's past returns to haunt her, she can't help but wonder if there's a connection. With a ruthless killer out for vengeance, and Nick struggling to maintain his reputation after secrets from his own past are revealed, Sam works to tie the threat to a murder that can't possibly be a coincidence. And she has to get it done before her husband's career is irrevocably damaged…
Fatal Chaos book cover
#12

Fatal Chaos

2018

First the calm. Then the storm… Escaping DC during the dog days of summer is one of the smartest moves Washington metro police lieutenant Samantha Holland ever made. Beach walks aren’t quite as romantic with the Secret Service in tow, but Sam and her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, cherish the chance to recharge and reconnect—especially with a scandal swirling around the administration. No sooner are they back home than a fatal drive-by shooting sets the city on edge. The teenage victim is barely older than Sam and Nick’s son, Scotty. As more deaths follow, Sam and her team play beat the clock to stop the ruthless killers. With Nick facing his greatest challenge—one that could drastically change all their lives and even end Sam’s career—will the mounting pressure deepen or damage their bond?
Fatal Invasion book cover
#13

Fatal Invasion

2018

First the fire, then the heat… A brutal home invasion. Two small traumatized survivors who may have witnessed the horror. Lieutenant Sam Holland has never worked a case quite like this one, in which her eyewitnesses are five-year-old twins. But when Sam steps up in a big way for them, she risks her heart as much as her career. While Sam and her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, go to battle in more ways than one for her tiny witnesses, her colleague Sergeant Tommy “Gonzo” Gonzales battles his own demons. Months of unbearable grief and despair come to a head in an unimaginable way that threatens Gonzo’s status with the department and his relationship with his fiancée, Christina. With trouble both at the precinct and on the case, Sam struggles to keep her priorities straight at home and at work while trying not to lose her heart to her latest crime victims.
Fatal Reckoning book cover
#14

Fatal Reckoning

2019

When tragedy strikes, a cold case suddenly turns hot—and deadly A peaceful morning is shattered when Washington Metro Police lieutenant Sam Holland’s beloved father succumbs to injuries from an unsolved shooting while on duty four years ago. As the community rallies around Sam and her family, one thing becomes crystal clear: her father’s death has turned the unsolved case into a homicide—and it’s on her to bring her father’s killer to justice. But the case has been cold for years…until an anonymous tip that’s too shocking to believe leads Sam down a dark and dangerous path. Her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, knows if she can’t solve this case, it will haunt her for the rest of her life. She’ll need the strength of their bond to pull her out of the darkness before it’s too late, because as the missing pieces rapidly fall into place, Sam realizes the truth might just break her all the same—and that her father’s killer isn’t done yet…
Fatal Accusation book cover
#15

Fatal Accusation

2019

A deadly serious affair… The story breaks as Metro PD lieutenant Sam Holland attends a dinner party with her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano: President Nelson is accused of having an affair. More shocking still, campaign staffer Tara Weber claims the president fathered her newborn son—while the First Lady was undergoing secret cancer treatment. When a high-profile murder case hits Sam’s desk, she’s shocked to uncover a connection to the presidential scandal. With the department caught up in its own internal scandals, and the chief’s job hanging by a thread, Sam questions who she can trust as her team uncovers information that clouds an already-murky case. And with calls for the president to resign getting louder by the minute, Sam needs to close this case before she finds herself living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…
Fatal Fraud book cover
#16

Fatal Fraud

2020

A dangerous truth revealed… A prominent member of the D.C. community has been murdered, pulling Lieutenant Sam Holland into yet another high-stakes homicide investigation that has her trying to connect the dots between a dead woman and the friends and family who’d turned against her right before her untimely death. With numerous scandals still fresh within the department’s ranks, Sam is asked to revisit a cold case from her first year on the job that will continue the department’s reckoning with the past well into the future. All the while, Sam’s husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, faces mounting pressure to declare his intention to run for president in the coming election, leaving the second couple feeling the strain at home—and on the job as the family endures the first holidays without their beloved patriarch, Skip Holland. As always, when things become too hot to handle on the job, Sam and Nick turn to each other for solace in the storm.
The Fatal Series Volume 2 book cover
#3.5-6

The Fatal Series Volume 2

Fatal Destiny\Fatal Flaw\Fatal Deception\Fatal Mistake

2016

Fatal Destiny With the week of their wedding finally upon them, Washington, D.C., Police Lieutenant Sam Holland and her fiancé, Senator Nick Cappuano, are at odds. In the aftermath of a tragic loss, they struggle to reconnect as the big day draws near, but their work keeps pulling them apart. When a new clue into a cold case surfaces, Nick asks Sam not to take any foolish chances before the wedding. Sam agrees, but she can't let it go entirely and winds up trapped in an explosive situation. Then an unwelcome visitor from her past threatens her future happiness... With trouble at every turn, will Sam survive long enough to walk down the aisle? Fatal Flaw Back from their honeymoon, Senator Nick Cappuano and DC Police Lieutenant Sam Holland are ready for some normalcy after the whirlwind of their wedding, but someone has other plans for them. When Sam discovers wedding cards containing thinly veiled death threats, she's not sure if she or Nick is the target. Already on edge, Sam and her team start investigating a series of baffling murders. With no obvious connection between the victims, Sam soon suspects that she may be the ultimate prize in the killer's clever game... Fatal Deception The wife of the White House deputy chief of staff has been beaten to death, and their one-year-old daughter is missing. D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland is in charge of the murder investigation, but she's forced to collaborate with Special Victims Unit detectives as well as thorn-in-her-side FBI Special Agent Avery Hill. Then, a cold case of her father's resurrects old hurts—a distraction Sam cannot afford. As Sam's investigation heats up, so does Nick's political career—and the heat carries over to their bedroom. Will Sam put the pieces together in time to catch a killer and find the baby? Fatal Mistake D.C. is recovering from angry riots after one player's mistake blew the D.C. Federals' chance at the World Series, and Lt. Sam Holland is determined to unravel the twisted web of motives behind the star center fielder's death. Was it a disgruntled fan, a spurned lover or a furious teammate? While Sam digs through clues, her husband, U.S. Senator Nick Cappuano, fights for his political life in the final days of his reelection campaign as financial irregularities threaten his future. It's a distraction Nick can ill afford, with Sam in the midst of another high-profile murder investigation and both of them trying to help their adopted son, Scotty, cope with the murder of a ball player he admired. Determined to bring the killer to justice, Sam must root out the truth before another mistake proves fatal.

Authors

Marie Force
Marie Force
Author · 119 books

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance. Her series include Gansett Island, Fatal, Treading Water, Butler Vermont and Quantum. Her books have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Speigel bestseller in Germany. Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news. Join Marie’s mailing list on her website at marieforce.com for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/marieforceauthor/. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.

Heather Graham
Heather Graham
Author · 244 books

Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake. New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books. Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity. She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight. Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

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