Cover

Praise for the novels of Steven James

“James delivers first-rate characters [and] dazzling plot twists, and powers it all with nonstop action.”

—Emmy Award–winning screenplay writer John Tinker

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF STEVEN JAMES

Every Deadly Kiss

“James brings complexity and intrigue to his latest Patrick Bowers thriller, layering plotlines and unfolding characters in a way that keeps readers on the edge through the very end . . . Fans of the Bowers Files will not be disappointed.”

—RT Book Reviews

“As always, James’s writing is top drawer, suspenseful, and unnerving.”

—Mystery Scene

Every Crooked Path

“Steven James is right up there with the likes of James Patterson . . . I can’t wait for more.”

—Fresh Fiction

Checkmate

“High tension all the way . . . Fast, sharp, and believable. Put it at the top of your list.”

—John Lutz, Edgar® Award–winning author of
Single White Female and Slaughter

The King

“His tightly woven, adrenaline-laced plots leave readers breathless.”

—The Suspense Zone

“Steven James offers yet another slam dunk in the Bowers Files series!”

—Suspense Magazine

Opening Moves

“A mesmerizing read . . . My conclusion: I need to read more of Steven James.”

—Michael Connelly, New York Times bestselling author of
The Wrong Side of Goodbye

“Steven James has created a fast-moving thriller with psychological depth and gripping action. Opening Moves is a smart, taut, intense novel of suspense that reads like a cross between Michael Connelly and Thomas Harris . . . a blisteringly fast and riveting read.”

—Mark Greaney, New York Times bestselling author of
Gunmetal Gray

“[A] fast-moving, intense thriller that has as many demented twists and turns as the crimes themselves.”

—Examiner.com

The Pawn

“Riveting.”

—Publishers Weekly

“[An] exceptional psychological thriller.”

—Armchair Reviews

THE BOWERS FILES

Opening Moves

The Pawn

The Rook

The Knight

The Bishop

The Queen

The King

Checkmate

Every Crooked Path

Every Deadly Kiss

Every Wicked Man

Dedication

For Ashley

Epigraph

“We are, I know not how, double in ourselves, so that what we believe we disbelieve, and cannot rid ourselves of what we condemn.”

—PHILOSOPHER AND WRITER MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE (1533–1592)

“If we could see each other’s thoughts, no one would be considered good.”

—FROM MAXIMS BY ST. STEPHEN OF MURET (1045–1124)

STAGE I

Denial

Camera angles. The observer.
There’s a number for everyone.

1

“Have the nightmares been getting worse?”

Timothy Sabian didn’t like being here at his psychiatrist’s office, didn’t like what it implied. “No. I mean, they’re about the same.”

“Well, that’s good, then. I’m glad to hear that, Timothy—that they’re not escalating in severity.”

Sometimes they happen when I’m awake, Timothy thought, but kept that to himself.

Dr. Percival looked maybe fifty or so, and even though he was about the age Timothy’s father would be, Timothy had never seen him as a father figure. This was a different kind of relationship.

“And the bugs?” the doctor asked.

“They’re not real.”