When materials engineer Zoey Butler lands her dream job at Future State Energy, she believes her research in renewable energy will make headlines. Unfortunately for her, she’s right. Zoey is working on her latest experiment when FBI Special Agent Alexis Thompson and her K-9 partner, Waffle, raid Future State and arrest the head of the development for fraud. Zoey helps the FBI find answers in the aftermath, but she soon finds herself jobless and unemployable. Desperate and out of options, she reaches out to Alexis, the one person who knows Zoey was duped like everyone else. Liam Graham is an FBI special agent and instructor at Riverbend K-9 Academy. When Alexis brings in a new recruit with an unusual background, Liam pairs her up with Tasha, a dog in need of a handler to stay in their competitive program. Zoey is thrilled to put her past behind her and give the mischievous rescue dog her own second chance. However, shortly after she arrives, the FBI realizes the Future State case is far from closed. And Zoey may be the key to solving it. Zoey offers to go back to Future State to help the FBI end things once and for all. Only this time, she’ll have Liam and Tasha for backup. But, the problems at Future State are more explosive than any of them suspect.
K.T. Lee is a writer, mom, and engineer who grew up on a steady diet of books from a wide variety of genres. She’s the author of multiple books, including those in the Riverbend K-9 Series and The Calculated Series. Find out more and get the latest updates (and a free prequel novella!) on the website. or follow K.T. InstagramTwitterFacebook
My thoughts: this was a fun crime rom com, with dogs. Zoey is a scientist who worked for a company that was investigated by the FBI, she lost her job and decides that the Bureau needs to help her rebuild her life. With dogs.
Joining the K-9 training program, she gets the chance to go undercover at her old job and find the person who wrecked everything. With dogs.
I loved it, it was clever and funny and sweet, and did I mention there are dogs? And a hunky agent keeping Zoey safe, with dogs.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Enter a world of simmering heat and shifting sands.
Where danger lies around every corner.
Where death lurks as night falls,
And you will kill – just to stay alive …
Outlines of several once-busy cities shimmer on the horizon. Now empty of inhabitants, their buildings lie in ruins. In the distance a group of people – a family – walk towards us. Ahead lies shelter: a ‘shuck’ the family call home and which they know they must reach before the light fails, as to be out after dark is to invite danger and almost certain death. To survive in this alien world of shifting sand, they must find an object hidden in or near water. But other families want it too. And they are willing to fight to the death to make it theirs.
It is beginning to rain in Fairfax County, Virginia when McKenzie Strathie wakes up. An ordinary teenage girl living an ordinary life – except that the previous night she found a sand-lizard in her bed, and now she’s beginning to question everything around her, especially who she really is …
Two very different worlds featuring a group of extraordinary characters driven to the very limit of their endurance in a place where only the strongest will survive.
THEO CLARE left school at fifteen. She worked as a barmaid, security guard, filmmaker, hostess in a Tokyo club, educational administrator and teacher of English as a foreign language in Asia. She had an MA in film from The American University in Washington, DC and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University, UK. She wrote crime novels under the name Mo Hayder, and her fifth novel Ritual was nominated for the Barry Award for Best Crime 2009 and was voted Best Book of 2008 by Publishers Weekly. Gone, her seventh novel, won the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and her novel Wolf was nominated for Best Novel in the 2015 Edgar Awards and is currently being adapted for the BBC.
Theo Clare was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in December 2020 and passed away in July 2021.
My thoughts: this is an incredibly moving, sad and beautiful book. It’s about family and love and death and what you would do for the people you care for. It mostly takes place in a seemingly endless desert filled with dead cities that resemble ones on Earth, haunted by djinni who suck the life from anyone they catch.
In this terrible place we follow Spider and his family as they scrabble to survive – searching for the mythical Sarkpoint, the vitally important thing they were gathered together to find. Only they don’t know what it is or where. And time is running out.
As the story unfolds and more details are revealed, we learn tiny bits of the characters lives before they came to be in the Cirque – as the desert is known, and they wait for their Scouts to return with clues to aid their desperate search.
A second narrative concerns McKenzie, who dreams of deserts and sees sand lizards in her Virginia bedroom – an impossibility. She tracks the weather and longs for answers to her dreams and hallucinations that feel so real.
I wanted to cry as the book neared its end, the desperation, the terrible losses they suffered, the heartbreak of Camel, the evil Elephant Family, the moments of joy. The writing is so powerful and knowing that this is the author’s last book, that she died in the summer, adds an element of melancholy to the story. Wonderful, lingering long after its final pages.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Remember, abseiling is only the second fastest way down a church tower.’ The note pinned to the teddy bear lying at the foot of the church tower could have been a joke – if it hadn’t been for the body on the path next to it! Somebody wants to make very sure that everyone knows this was not an accident or suicide. But why? Suddenly, no one in the village has any enthusiasm for the Teddy Bear Abseil, planned to raise money for the children’s play area, as, once again, a murderer walks the narrow, twisty streets of the small Somerset village of Much Winchmoor. And, once again, Kat Latcham, reporter/dog walker/barmaid and occasional reluctant hair salon gopher, finds herself unwillingly dragged into a murder investigation. This fourth Much Winchmoor mystery is spiked with humour and sprinkled with romance. And, of course, one carefully planned, coldly executed murder. Purchase
Paula Williams is living her dream. She’s written all her life – her earliest efforts involved blackmailing her unfortunate younger brothers into appearing in her plays and pageants. But it’s only in recent years that she discovered, to her surprise, that people with better judgement than her brothers actually liked what she wrote and were prepared to pay her for it. Now, she writes every day in a lovely, book-lined study in her home in Somerset, UK, where she lives with her husband and a handsome but not always obedient rescue dog, a Dalmatian called Duke. She is very proud to be a member of both the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Crime Writers’ Association. Her Much Winchmoor Mysteries are based in a small Somerset village which bears in uncanny resemblance to her own – although none of her friends and neighbours have murderous tendencies – as far as she knows! Her novels often feature a murder or two, a dog and cat or two and are always spiked with humour and sprinkled with a touch of romance. Paula is, indeed, living her dream. But she worries that one day she’s going to wake up and find she still has to bully her brothers into performing ‘the play what she wrote’.
My thoughts: I do enjoy these crime novels set in rural English villages where the suspects are probably people you know. They’re often a lot of fun – as this one is. I loved the idea of a Teddy Bear Abseil, shame about the dead body putting people off!
It is a bit worrying though how often these villages harbour murderers, though luckily in this case Kat is on hand to solve the crime for the local police and apprehend the killer. Bits of the book are also very funny, all in all a greatly enjoyable read. More please!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own
Two lonely bookworms. An unexpected friendship. A library that needs their help
Teenager Tom has always blended into the background of life. After a row with his dad and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library. Pensioner Maggie has been happily alone with her beloved novels for ten years – at least, that’s what she tells herself. When they meet, they recognise something in each other that will change both their lives for ever. Then the library comes under threat of closure, and they must join forces to prove that it’s not just about books – it’s the heart of their community. They are determined to save it – because some things are worth fighting for.
Bella Osborne has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. In 2016, her debut novel, It Started At Sunset Cottage, was shortlisted for the Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year and RNA Joan Hessayon New Writers Award. Bella’s stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She likes to find the humour in the darker moments of life and weaves these into her stories. Bella believes that writing your own story really is the best fun ever, closely followed by talking, eating chocolate, drinking fizz and planning holidays. She lives in the Midlands, UK with her lovely husband and wonderful daughter, who thankfully, both accept her as she is (with mad morning hair and a penchant for skipping).
My thoughts: once upon a time I was a librarian, I practically lived in various libraries growing up so it made sense. I love libraries, I love the random hodge podge of books and the way they smell and the people who work in them (all of whom are incredibly interesting) and the fact that it’s all free. That you can read any book you like and never have to worry about whether you can afford it is wonderful. Whole worlds live in libraries.
Terry Pratchett wrote that book shops are genteel black holes that know how to read – so are most libraries. Even the small ones, like the one in this book.
Sadly the threatened closure of libraries is all too real, we live in a world now that doesn’t really value them properly. It’s not just a quiet place full of aging hardbacks; they’re vital and alive.
This book celebrates all of these uniquely wonderful places and brings Tom and Maggie together – a lonely teenage boy and an equally friendless old woman. They both have deep sadness inside them, and when they become friends, they start to heal. The fight to save their library, to protect what makes it special, helps them too. Both make new friends, and come out of their shells.
Tom’s unhappy home life starts to mend as Maggie encourages him to speak to his dad and gives him a place to stay when home isn’t safe anymore. In turn Tom helps Maggie face up to her past and confront the mistakes she made. There’s also lambs and puppies being born and a lot of cake. It’s a warm, gentle and hopeful book, people can change and can grow. They just need some love. Much like libraries.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
She’s hunting arms smugglers. But who is hunting her?
One dead body, two badly injured operatives and five crates of hijacked rifles.
In Rome, former French special forces intelligence analyst Mélisende des Pittones is frustrated by obnoxious local cops and ruthless thugs. Despite the backing of the powerful European Investigation and Regulation Service, her case is going nowhere. Then an unknown woman tries to blow her head off.
As Mel and fellow investigator Jeff McCracken attempt to get a grip on the criminal network as well as on their own unpredictable relationship, all roads point to the place she dreads – the arid and remote African Sahel – where she was once betrayed and nearly died. Can Mel conquer her fear as she races to smash the network and save her colleague’s life?
Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her nine-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue.
She blends her deep love of France with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.
Alison now lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her latest two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.
Other works
The Carina strand INCEPTIO where New Yorker Karen Brown is thrown into a new life in mysterious Roma Nova and fights to stay alive with a killer hunting her CARINA, a novella, Carina’s first mission abroad. What could go wrong? PERFIDITAS, six years on, where betrayal and rebellion are in the air, threatening to topple Roma Nova and ruin Carina’s life. SUCCESSIO, where a mistake from the past threatens to destroy the next generation.
The Aurelia strand AURELIA, in late 1960s Roma Nova, Aurelia Mitela battles her life-long nemesis, silver smuggling and is forced to choose between her love, her child and her country NEXUS Mid 1970s, London, where a simple favour for a friend becomes a chilling pursuit across Europe INSURRECTIO, where Aurelia Mitela struggles against a manipulative tyrant grabbing power. But it may already be too late to save Roma Nova… RETALIO, a classic tale of resistance and retribution – the endgame between Aurelia and Caius
Extras ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories from AD 370 to the present
Contributions ‘A Roman Intervenes‘ in 1066 Turned Upside Down How Galla Mitela, Roma Novan imperial councillor, attempts to stop the Norman invasion of England. One of a series of possible alternative outcomes of 1066.
‘The Mystery of Victory’ in Rubicon (HWA/Sharpe Books) What did happen to the Altar of Victory in the dusk of the Roman Empire?
‘The Idealist’ in Betrayal (Historical Fictioneers, 2020)
Non Fiction Military or civilians? The curious anomaly of the German Women’s Auxiliary Services during the Second World War.
The 500 Word Writing Buddy: 35 Inner Secrets for the New Writer
My thoughts: having read the first Melisende book, I was pleased to get an early look at the sequel, and enjoyed it a lot. I like Mel, I like her no compromise, take no prisoners attitude and how she combines her military training with intelligence and teamwork to solve the case. I also like her colleagues, especially Joanna and Andreas. Even her boss, Stevenson, with all his secrets, is interesting.
In this adventure, Mel and Jeff are on the trail of missing weapons, ones meant for the French military but somehow in the hands of terrorists. Mel has some suspicions around her ex-fiance’s overly meddlesome sister, especially when she catches someone following them.
This case will take her out of Europe and into Africa, but not before she goes to Rome, the UK and all over France and Belgium. They put in a lot of travel time tracking leads and interviewing suspects, with the sometimes begrudging help of local law enforcement.
Mel’s feelings for Jeff complicate things after he’s injured and puts himself in danger – his hard headedness is no match for serious concussion. But Mel always gets her man – even if it is someone from her past.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
When Hope loses her husband, she fears her happiest days are behind her. With her only connection to London broken, she moves home to York to be near her family and to begin to build a new life.
Taking a job at the antique shop she has always admired, she finds herself crossing paths with two very different men. Will, who has recently become the guardian to his niece after the tragic death of her parents. And Ciaran, who she enlists to help solve the mystery of an Egyptian antique. Two men who represent two different happy endings.
But can she trust herself to choose the right man? And will that bring her everything she really needs?
My thoughts:
This was lovely, I cried, I laughed and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hope’s story. I want a sequel! I want to know what happens next with Hope and Will and how Brodie grows up and the kittens and the wonderful shop that brought them together.
Originally published as a 4 part ebook, this is a sweet, charming story about grief and love and moving on. Hope has moved to York, closer to her family, following her husband’s early death, and applies to work at a wonderful antiques shop – The Ever After Emporium. There she meets Will and Brodie and discovers a mystery. Unravelling it introduces her to more new friends and a wonderful romantic love story from the 1930s.
She begins to live again, finally feeling happy and content. She starts to date, takes up belly dancing and develops new skills at her work, but it’s the friendships that take centre stage, and could lead to more. The characters are so well written and the book feels infused with joy and love. Something Holly Hepburn is very good at doing.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
For Lara and her daughter Eliza, it has always been just the two of them. But when Eliza turns eighteen and wants to connect with her father, Lara is forced to admit a secret that she has been keeping from her daughter her whole life.
Eliza needs answers – and so does Lara. Their journey to the truth will take them on a road trip across England and eventually to New York, where it all began. Dreams might have been broken and opportunities missed, but there are still surprises in store…
Anything Could Happen is a warm, wise, funny and uplifting novel about love, second chances and the unexpected and extraordinary paths life can take us down.
My thoughts: this was a lovely, fun read about family and not having any regrets. Eliza wants to find her biological dad, Laura isn’t so sure about digging in the past, she thinks she’s moved on, but she does have some questions.
Ben has no idea about any of this, he’s living in Cambridge and blissfully unaware of how much his life is about to change.
This book cut right through the winter gloom, it’s upbeat and everyone in it gets their lives stirred up but not in necessarily bad ways, maybe it’s time to make some changes in their lives.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
FOUR FRIENDS. THREE ENEMIES. TWO TRAGEDIES. ONE TERRIBLE TRUTH.
A small English town is rocked by the disappearance of a local woman, Tina. As the search continues, someone is targeting her former best friends for revenge. Lauren, Jess, Claire. They all hide secrets. Who knows what they did? Who’s watching them? The truth is stranger and far more sinister than they can ever imagine.
A dark, twisty thriller which will grip you until the very last page.
N S Ford is a book fanatic, blogger and cat lover who lives in the UK with her family. She has a First Class degree in English. When not reading or blogging, she juggles her writing time with parenting, working in heritage and playing the piano.
My thoughts: this was an interesting thriller about secrets and friendship. Lauren and her friends know something about the missing Tina – something they’ve held over her since they were teenagers. Are they responsible for her disappearance?
As Lauren digs into where her former friend has gone, someone from her past resurfaces and she’s pretty sure she’s being followed. Then Jess is in a car accident, Lauren’s flat is broken into and Claire is fired – are these connected?
There’s a very odd twist at the end, one that jarred somewhat with the rest of the book, and definitely needs more explanation. However it also fills in a few gaps in the preceding narrative too, as the reader pieces together all the differing perspectives that form the story.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
When Tartelin Brown accepts a job with the reclusive Marianne Stourbridge, she finds herself on a wild island with a mysterious history.
Tartelin is tasked with hunting butterflies for Marianne’s research. But she quickly uncovers something far more intriguing than the curious creatures that inhabit the landscape.
Because the island and Marianne share a remarkable history, and what happened all those years ago has left its scars, and some terrible secrets.
As Tartelin pieces together Marianne’s connection to the island, she must confront her own reasons for being there. Can the two women finally face up to the painful memories that bind them so tightly to the past?
Atmospheric and deeply emotional, The Unravelling is the captivating novel from the author of The Illustrated Child.
My thoughts: despite coming from one, there’s something a bit spooky about islands – especially the small ones. Part way between the UK and Holland, the island here – Dohhuhland – aka Dogger Bank (the remains of ancient Doggerland – Google it if you’re interested in ancient history – I found it really interesting) in the shipping forecast, is certainly very creepy in this story of generational trauma and family.
Inspired by the history of Orford Ness – a place I am definitely going to have to visit next time we go to my in-laws, the number of books it’s popped up in, the story Marianne slowly reveals to Tartelin is one of terrible sadness and loss.
Tartelin is no stranger to grief herself – she has recently lost her beloved mother, and she empathises deeply with the older woman, at the same time as finding her extremely difficult. She also begins a sweet romance with a young tourist on the island – Jacob, there to see the wildlife (Orford Ness is a nature reserve now) and he provides an outlet from the claustrophobia of Marianne’s partly closed up house.
Marianne has lost almost everyone in her life – and is haunted by her losses, but there is someone she hurt who might return, if Tartelin can convince her. In doing so Tartelin also learns to say goodbye to her beloved mother. Moving and quietly beautiful, this was a beguiling piece of historic/contemporary fiction with Gothic undertones and a gently redemptive conclusion.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Politically blacklisted detective Luke Campbell’s last chance in law-enforcement is a job with the police department of rural Granton, Vermont. It’s a beautiful town, home to a beautiful, intriguing girl who’s caught his eye, and it’s a chance at redemption. Even if his new boss seems strange, secretive, and vaguely sinister, Campbell is willing to give this opportunity a shot. And no sooner does he make that decision than the first in a series of murders is discovered, starting a chain of events that will change the lives of everyone in this once-quiet town…
Excerpt May 1992 The tall bag of bones swung a vicious right that seemed to whistle in the stillness of the thin night air, scraping through the empty space between my chin and throat, just barely avoiding contact with flesh. Seemingly in the same motion, as if using the momentum from his swinging fist, he turned and dashed off into the dim recesses of the alley he'd been hanging around the mouth of — for hours, if Rosalie Stompanato was to be believed. I had no reason to doubt her. “Police! Get back here!” Shouting was pointless, but I had to try. I gave chase to the already- vanished figure, plunging after him into the deeper darkness between two aging apartment houses. My fist, which I only then realized I was making, unclenched and I reached for the holster under my left shoulder, muttering, “God damn it.” It was pushing midnight and in just over nine hours, both Rosalie Stompanato and I were due in court for the attempted murder trial of her mid-level racketeer husband, Thomas “Tommy Stomper” Stompanato. Stompanato, loosely connected to the much larger Castella crime organization, had been on a lot of people's radars for years, for everything from small-time protection rackets to credit card scams and money laundering for bigger outfits. Major investigations by Albany city police, New York state police and even federal authorities produced charges and convictions against numerous Stompanato pawns, and even a couple of lieutenants, but Tommy Stomper himself somehow always remained clean enough to skate away. It took a domestic situation, a middle of the night, literal knock- down-drag-out in which he pulled Mrs. Stompanato out of their lavish home in suburban Malta and, according to witnesses and Rosalie herself, tried to remove her teeth with the aid of a conveniently placed curb. “Stomper” wasn't just a clever play on his family name. When I got the tip about a disturbance at the Stompanato residence from a state-trooper friend, I couldn't help being just a bit grateful for this bit of rage-fueled stupidity. The man had been so clever for so long that it looked like he'd never fuck up, that we'd never find the crack that would pull open his operation and let us drag him out into the light. For Rosalie Stompanato, it was a nightmare, but a lot of us who were after her husband felt gratitude and guilt in equal measures. One woman's nightmare was a godsend for multiple agencies. After the incident, Rosalie Stompanato moved out of her stylish home in nearby Malta to a small apartment in the area where she grew up, inside the city proper. Family and friends she knew there were long gone, but the return to a familiar place apparently brought a measure of comfort. It was understandable and it made both the county prosecutor's work in prepping her for the trial, and my department's in protecting her, that much easier. Despite the charges against him, not to mention his associations, Stompanato made bail and his organization worked on. With a trial looming over his head, but no date set, the mobster seemed to keep his nose relatively clean, knowing the state's attorney would be more than happy to tack additional charges onto the list he was already facing. That and time, as weeks became months, allowed Rosalie Stompanato to make a life for herself unmolested. “At least the kids are already grown and out on their own,” Rosalie told me once, in a private moment. “If this happened ten years ago...” She broke down without finishing, but I knew what she was thinking. I kept in regular touch with her after that, partially because I felt she needed the support, but also hoping to pick up something that would further widen the chink in Tommy Stomper's armor. She seemed to be doing as well as could be expected. She was even starting to feel safe again, she told me — until the night before the trial finally began. It was past eleven o'clock when I received the woman's call; I'd given her my home number and told her to call any time, for any reason. She noticed a figure, she said —a tall, gangly man she didn't remember ever seeing in the neighborhood before, who spent hours standing in the mouth of the alley directly across from her apartment. “It's probably nothing,” I told her, as much to convince myself. Tommy Stomper proved he wasn't stupid, but with so much riding on the events of the next day, maybe he was becoming desperate. “But I'm happy to check it out.” When I arrived on Rosalie's street, fifteen minutes after her call, I saw exactly who she was worried about and exactly why. He stood just outside the circle of light cast by a streetlamp, hanging around the mouth of an alley. I watched for a few minutes and he did nothing at all — not so much as light a cigarette, shuffle his feet or cough. He wasn't worried about seen. I exited the vehicle and approached. Closer up, I could see he was a sickly thin young man, skin so pale it almost seemed to glow in the dimness. He wore a faded blue hooded sweatshirt that hung from him like laundry on a line and his hair was short, mussed and unwashed, making it look like blond barbed wire. I'd have bet his diet consisted largely of amphetamines. The guy's eyes, watchful and wary, scanned me as I approached. I flashed my badge and said, “Evening.” That was all it took. Those animal-alert eyes went wide and his fist swung out in an arc and then he was gone, rabbiting towards the nearest hole. My feet pounded the pavement, echoing sharply in the narrow, trash-strewn space, all senses searching for signs of the danger I was rushing headlong into. Light beckoned from a short distance and after a moment, I burst out into the next street. Even the soft yellow glow of sodium lamps seemed brilliant after the pitch-dark of the alley and, as my eyes adjusted, I turned left then right, spotting a figure disappearing around the corner. I followed, telling myself I was being stupid, telling myself I should go back to Rosalie Stompanato's, make sure she was all right, call it in, ask for additional officers, all while my feet took me closer to where I saw that retreating form. I turned the corner, saw a flash duck around yet another corner. At the mouth of the alley, I allowed myself an instant's rest before entering. Even from the street, it was clear this was a dead-end. There was nothing but darkness down this brick corridor — the alley was blocked up midway down. I drew my weapon, fumbled in my coat pocket for my penlight, flicked it on, then aimed it and the weapon down the length of the alley, sweeping the narrow width of the space. “C'mon out. There's nowhere left to go.” My heart pounded in my chest and there was a stitch in my side, but I felt good all the same. Stompanato's intimidation failed, and I caught his crony in the act. Witness tampering charges would be a bonus year or two on Stompanato's sentence. There was a rustle behind a pile of discarded cardboard boxes. “Let's go,” I commanded. “Now.” The figure rose like a scarecrow in a concrete field, arms lifted in a half-hearted pose of surrender. I flicked the flashlight's beam upwards; he shied away, blinded by the brilliance, his head turning and one arm flying up to protect his eyes. I shifted the light so I could hold both it and my weapon in my right hand then started forward, plucking a pair of handcuffs from my pocket. With my left hand, I reached for the man's wrist. Up close, I could see he was barely more than a kid. “You're under arrest for disobeying a lawful command, resisting an officer and—” I never got to finish. The fist I'd narrowly avoided before thrust out again, catching me hard in the right shoulder, a wave of pain and shock jolting down the length of my arm. He was a lot stronger than his frailness suggested. He followed up with a two-handed push that sent me spinning off to one side, banging my other shoulder off of the rough stone wall of the alley, before rushing past, trying again to escape. I threw out a hand, grabbing a fistful of his sweatshirt. It stopped him, but only long enough for him to half-turn and chop an open-handed blow down onto my elbow. Fresh pain skittered along my nerves, but I didn't let go, instead raising my right hand, only to discover it was empty. Somewhere in those chaotic two or three seconds, I dropped my gun. I cursed and struggled for a better grip on the kid's clothing. He was thrashing wildly, yelling, “Let go! Let go!” his voice shrill and his mind going into panic mode. The decision between fight or flight was no longer his to make, but it seemed as if he was trying to choose both options simultaneously. “Settle down! Cut it out, God damn it!” I snarled, freeing one hand to cuff him alongside the back of the neck, trying to startle him into a semblance of calm. “Nobody's going to hurt you, but you're digging yourself one hell of a hole!” He ignored the words and continued to flail around. I tried to tackle him around the waist and ended up dragging both of us down to the filthy floor of the alley, where we rolled around for a few seconds, trading a punch a two. We were making enough noise that lights in the surrounding buildings came on. I hoped someone would have the sense to call 911, but even if they did, I knew nobody would arrive soon enough to help me get out of this. I was on my own. Just as the thought flew through my head, the kid stopped moving. I allowed myself to hope he was coming to his senses at last. Then his hand shot out, straining to reach beyond my head, and when it came back into view, his fingers were wrapped around a chunk of brick the size of a small loaf of bread. He reared up, holding the thing above his head, prepared to end things between us. In the scant light of the nearly forgotten flashlight, his eyes looked huge and empty. My own eyes flew all around, frantic, searching for a way out. The other man was straddling my chest and his knees kept me effectively pinned to the ground, but my arms were free and my fingers scrabbled across the rough, cold ground, searching for something, anything, to break this deadlock. They closed around something even colder, something metallic and familiar. As the brick came down, my fist came up, and the explosion of noise and light only inches from my face all but knocked me senseless.
Brandon Barrows is the author of the novels STRANGERS’ KINGDOM, BURN ME OUT, and THIS ROUGH OLD WORLD. He has published over seventy stories, selected of which are collected in the books THE ALTAR IN THE HILLS and THE CASTLE-TOWN TRAGEDY. He is an active member of Private Eye Writers of America and International Thriller Writers and was a 2021 Mustang Award finalist. Brandon Barrows
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My thoughts: this was very clever and although I figured it out fairly quickly, I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way as Luke investigates a series of suspicious deaths that seem to be connected to a tragic accident some years earlier.
Small towns can hide big secrets and this idyllic seeming Vermont one is no different. Luke is the outsider, unfamiliar with the ins and outs of people’s connections and history, casting a trained eye over these crimes and spotting the inconsistencies to the narrative he’s being fed.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 