A Staged Murder
by Jo A. Hiestand
GENRE: Mystery
Bonfire Night! The four
hundred-year-old tradition of burning the straw effigy is beginning in Upper
Kingsleigh, England. The torch extends… But it’s no mock figure at the end of
the rope; it’s the body of a man, an American tourist. Brenna Taylor,
Derbyshire C.I.D., is assigned to the case on a team of detectives under
Detective-Chief Inspector Geoffrey Graham. It is the chance Brenna has been
waiting for, and she is anxious to impress him.
Most villagers suspect an outsider
as the killer. But when the frost-covered body of a resident is discovered,
apprehension shifts and suspects multiply. Among them are the American's
brother-in-law, still angry over his sister's death; the husband, who fears his
wife will desert him for the American; the inebriated, penniless uncle, who
clings to his nephew's fortune tighter than a cork in a wine bottle. Then
Brenna becomes the target of a series of frightening pranks--the work of a
harassing male colleague, or a deadly warning to leave the case? Her hunt is
personal now.
“The
man’s a lunatic!” Derek snapped. “He side-stepped normality years ago. Claims
some type of relation to me, but of course he’s never bothered to bring forth
any evidence of this fantastic yarn. Instead, he continues to gripe and
complain that it should be him up there every third of November. Honestly, the
man wants mental care, the way he talks on about it. I don’t mind so much for
myself, but I’m concerned about my wife. She hates any kind of emotional
outburst in public, and that’s Talbot’s forte. The man’s totally round the
twist.”
“He’s
not violent, is he?”
Villages
aren’t as peaceful and cozy as they appeared. They held all the human emotions
harbored in cities.
Derek
snorted and leaned forward, his hands on his knees. “Who’s to say, if Talbot
gets angry enough? We’ve seen the occasional temper tantrum, heard the string
of vulgarities, but usually Talbot’s an easy-going chap.”
“Except
around the third of November,” I reiterated, wondering if a full moon made it
worse.
“He
seems to have it in for me personally. And for Arthur, though Arthur’s as
innocent of the dole’s regulations as I am. We just show up, do our bit, and I
collect the money. Yet Talbot looks at the both of us like it’s some huge
conspiracy against him. I tell, you, miss, I wouldn’t be surprised if some
Mischief Night or Guy Fawkes Night I fall into a trap that Talbot’s laid for
me. He’s a queer one.”
“Maybe
Steve wandered into some trap Talbot laid for you.”
A month-long trip to England
during her college years introduced Jo to the joys of Things British. Since then, she has been lured back nearly a
dozen times, and lived there during her professional folksinging stint. This intimate knowledge of Britain forms the
backbone of the Peak District mystery series.
Jo’s insistence for
accuracy--from police methods and location layout to the general “feel” of the
area--has driven her innumerable times to Derbyshire for research. These explorations and conferences with
police friends provide the detail filling the books.
In 1999 she returned to
Webster University to major in English.
She graduated in 2001 with a BA degree and departmental honors.
Jo founded the Greater St.
Louis Chapter of Sisters in Crime, serving as its first president. Besides her love of mysteries and early
music, she also enjoys photography, reading, creating recipes, and her backyard
wildlife. Her cat, Tennyson, shares her
St. Louis home.
BOOK WILL BE $0.99 DURING THE TOUR
Jo will be awarding a handmade lapis lazuli necklace
on a bamboo cord to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour -
International giveaway. The cord is adjustable and the necklace is comprised of
three stones ranging in length from 1 5/8" to 2 1/8". (It's like the
one Brenna Taylor in the book wears)
4 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you so much for giving my book a spot on your site -- I appreciate it!
Thank you, Gwendolyn.
Thank you, Angels, for the post today. Glad to spend some time with you!
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