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
 

Romance and/or Mystery?

From the day back in grade school, when I received a handmade valentine from a boy I had a crush on, Valentine’s Day has always been my favorite holiday. Through the years, when I got candy, flowers or jewelry from the current man in my life, my feelings for the holiday were reinforced. For me, love will always be “in the air” on Valentine’s Day whether or not I’m romantically involved.

But, as a mystery writer, there’s a flip side to the coin. I still see romance on Valentine’s Day but I also see mystery. It all started many years ago when, for three consecutive years on Valentine’s Day, I received a single red rose from someone who chose to remain anonymous. There was no note and no indication of who it was from.

When I opened my apartment door the first time it happened and saw the rose on the mat, I had mixed emotions. I remember glancing around, thinking someone I knew was watching me, waiting to step out from their hiding place to tell me “Happy Valentine’s Day.” But there was no one there. Did I have a secret admirer? That thought was both intriguing and frightening.

I was determined to find out who had given me the rose. I figured it had to be from someone who lived close by because it was obvious from the condition of the rose that it hadn’t been there long. I wasn’t dating anyone at the time so I went through a mental list of possible “suspects” including a few male friends, my father and an ex-boyfriend. One by one, I asked them if they’d given me the rose. But no one admitted to it.

.

I had several male neighbors and there was one man in particular who seemed to always be lurking around. Truthfully, he gave me the chills and I hoped it wasn’t him. I have to admit to being a little paranoid; I started looking over my shoulder.

For the next two years, the same thing happened on Valentine’s Day. Until I moved. Now, I could assume it was from my weird neighbor but, as in any good mystery, without proof or a confession, I’ll never know for sure. So, it remains a mystery to this day.

We writers often use bits and pieces of our own experiences in our novels. My “rose experience” gave me the idea for my fifth Malone Mystery, which I’m currently in the process of writing. Of course, my main character won’t be me and the location and the plot will be entirely different from mine. But that’s where the fun and magic of writing fiction comes in.

Regardless of whether you see romance, mystery or a combination of the two, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Madeline Gornell has posted my article "Visiting the Scene of the Crime" at:
https://mmgornell.wordpress.com/2016/02/14/patricia-gligor-visiting-the-scene-of-the-crime/
and
Pat Hernandez is interviewing me at: 
http://palmaltas.blogspot.com/
I hope you'll stop by.