A Valentine's Day mystery!

Someone is stalking Marnie.

It’s Marnie’s last week at the law firm of Cliburn & Reeves and she feels like she’s riding an emotional roller coaster. Up when she wins the divorce and custody battle for Callie Jackson against her abusive husband, Jed. And plummeting down when one witness after another decides not to testify against Mark Hall, an attorney at another Charleston firm and an “alleged” serial rapist.

Marnie receives one threat after another and she constantly feels the need to look over her shoulder, convinced that someone is stalking her. With Sam out of town on business, she’s alone in the big, old farmhouse and strange things are happening. Noises in the attic, creaking floorboards and someone watching her from the woods.

As she tries to determine the identity of the stalker, the list of men who have grudges against her grows longer each day. In her line of work she’s made enemies. Is the stalker someone from the past or one of the men on her list? And, how far will he go?

Here's an excerpt from the book: 

A sudden realization hit her like one of the bolts of lightning that continued to streak through the room every few minutes. Oh, my God! The gun! How could I have forgotten about it? Relief surged through her body. She was going to get through this alive!

But she had to hurry. She knew her intruder would be back any second and she needed to be ready. She quickly turned to her left, stretched out her hands and burrowed them under Sam’s pillow, expecting to find the revolver she had hidden there.

But she couldn’t find it. Her heart raced. Oh, my God! What if he found it while I was unconscious? 

The gun was her only hope. Without it, she was as good as dead. She pictured Sam coming home in the morning and finding her mutilated body. The word “mutilated” sent a shiver down her spine. But she knew her attacker was so full of rage that he would take it out on her. It wouldn’t be an easy death. He would make sure she suffered first.

She stretched her arms out farther and farther and, finally, the tips of her fingers felt the cold steel of the barrel. But it was just beyond her reach. She couldn’t help groaning as she rolled on her side, stretching her body as far as her ankle restraints allowed. Perspiration dripped down her face as she was finally able to grasp the revolver with both of her hands. 

The candle on the nightstand flickered. Marnie looked up and saw her attacker standing in the doorway. She gasped as he sauntered back into the bedroom wearing nothing but a smirk.

“Ready to get started? I am.”

 

http://tinyurl.com/gnvn4kq
 

Casualty of Court by L.S. Fellows

I'm thrilled to have fellow Mystery Authors International member, author L.S. (Lynne) Fellows, with us to talk about her soon to be released novel.

Casualty of Court releases on March 21^st and follows on from where The Fifth Wheel ended, taking the characters back to Portugal for the trial of Stefan Pereira.

As a frustrated, would-have-loved-to-be lawyer myself, I couldn’t let him get away with it, could I? That doesn’t happen in my world. I’m a sucker for legal thrillers and courtroom dramas, always rooting for the underdog - assuming he/she is in the right, of course.

The trial story was inevitable, and placing it in my favourite part of the world a foregone conclusion. So, against a backdrop of sunshine and holiday fun, the court case rolls on. Mind games come into play, ratcheting up the tension. But, of course, not everyone is playing fair. 

It’s a cosy-style saga with a hint of psychopath, a whiff of Chick-lit, a dalliance with drama, and an air of mystery. In short, I’m an ‘all-or-nothing’ writer with a healthy aversion to sitting in any one box or genre. 

The story is told from the viewpoint of four principal characters, each with a stake in the outcome. It mixes the suspense of a court case with their personal stories, showing how they have been influenced by life events such as abandonment, disability, and family responsibilities.

Little did I expect these characters to become as much a part of my life as they have done. I can visualise each of them, I know them so well (cue Elaine Paige & Barbara Dixon). But, it doesn’t end here. I'm already several chapters into a third book and have plans for more. Writing a series is definitely addictive! They’ve got under my skin – I hope readers feel the same way too.

Four lives – Three friends – Two sides – One verdict

Fern Mortimer wants her life back.
After five years recovering from a hit-and-run accident, the last thing she needed was a maniac trying to kill her.
Now, eight months after that attempt on her life, she returns to Portugal to face her nemesis in court. 

Raven - her closest ally - offers support throughout. In return she wants a business partner.

Stefan Pereira, has no intention of languishing in prison any longer.
He’ll do whatever it takes to secure his freedom and complete his mission.
He wants Fern dead.

Nessa - his girlfriend - is at his side. She risks losing her best friends for the family she always wanted.

The trial pits them against each other.
Can Fern hold her nerve? She has a strong case, after all … and a witness.
Does that even matter, when Stefan has his father’s money, the face of an angel and an ability to lie convincingly in three languages?

Inevitably, someone will be the Casualty of Court.

Casualty of Court picks up where The Fifth Wheel - A Prequel ended, and introduces The Blackleaf Agency Series.

Buy (Pre-Order) Link: Casualty of Court

Author Bio:

Fate determined the path for the author who, despite proud roots, bade Britain a fond farewell to follow her heart to Iberia, convinced she had been born in the wrong country.  

After starting her writing adventure with NaNoWriMo back in 2012, she now pens her favourite mysteries with a sunnier, European flavour.

A translator and fur-mum to two adorable mutts, she might be spotted with her nose in a book, armed with just the teeniest chunk of chocolate and a zillion pomegranates!

From the author:

To read the prequel – The Fifth Wheel – before the release of Casualty of Court, you can get a copy here. (http://getbook.at/TheFifthWheel) It’s a short read, only 50 pages, and it sets the scene for the main book. Although it’s not necessary to read this first, it sure does help.

I hope this has piqued your interest, and I’d love to hear from you if you have any questions or comments.

Thanks for reading – and I hope to make your acquaintance soon. 

Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LFWrites 
Twitter: @lfwrites - https://twitter.com/lfwrites

Website/Blog: https://just4mybooks.wordpress.com

Subscribe: https://tinyletter.com/lfwrites

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/lsfellows