Welcome to my stop on the
Excerpt Tour, presented by Goddess Fish
Promotions, for A Staged Murder by Jo A. Hiestand. Please leave
a comment or quesiton for Jo to let her know you stopped by. You may enter her tour wide giveaway, where
one (1) randomly chosen commenter will be awarded a handmade lapis lazuli
necklace on a bamboo cord (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), by filling
out the Rafflecopter form below. You may
follow all of the stops on the tour by clicking on the banner above. The more stops you visit, the better your
odds of winning. I will be posting a
review of this book later this week.
Good Luck!
A Staged Murder
By Jo A. Hiestand
A Peak District Mystery, Book 1
Publisher: Cousins House
Release Date: March 23, 2017
Genre: Cozy/British Mystery
Length: 326 Pages
ISBN: 978-1544695150
ASIN: B06XTPBZLK
Buy Links: Amazon US | B&N |
IndieBound |
About the book:
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.
Exclusive Excerpt“Never knew the wind so fierce as it was up at Leadlove’s farm. God, it was like I had bloody well nothin’ on. Cut right through to the bone, that cold did. Ain’t much better tonight.”They paused, turning toward the front door, and listened. The wind moaned between the door and its frame, rattling the brass knocker. A tree branch bumped against a window, as though it wanted to come in from the cold. Returning to their drinks, the men seemed suddenly colder and talked quietly of a past snow storm. “Never found his body till next spring, it were,” one man reminded the group. “Found him up around Fenig’s Hill, near the pool. Frozen solid as a board and twice as stiff. ‘Course, it’s near always certain death up there that time of year, ain’t it? Cold.”Silently, I agreed, knowing that patch of Thunor Moor. It was desolate, wild land, planed by fierce wintry winds that left nothing growing taller than grasses. Sheep refused to graze there, seeking instead the warmer, more sheltered dales. A pool of bracken-infested water along a walking track further chilled the wind as it swept across the pool’s black surface. Frost and ice, always thicker and more abundant on the pool’s eastern shore, seemed to linger into the summer, when it took refuge in the crevices of ruined stone walls. ‘Cold’ hardly described the moor.“It will be our fortieth year of caroling,” Evan said. “We ought to have a celebration after finishing at the last house. toast another ten years of the Upper Kingsleigh Carolers.”“Ought to print up another fancy paper with members’ names listedl,” Derek said. “Show our spirit—”“Speaking of spirit,” Byron said. “If I may interrupt your meal, Mr. Graham...”As though on cue, every head in the room turned to us. I felt their curiosity, their eyes darting between Graham and me.“Are you any nearer to an arrest?”A few throats cleared, a few feet shuffled as the interested waited for the news.Graham eyed me as though we shared a secret, then turned to the men. “The Constabulary, although dealing with many dozen cases simultaneously, has utilized all its available resources for the swift and successful conclusion of this case. It has received the top priority of the Chief Constable, since murder receives priority status. The expeditious completion and apprehension of the miscreant, although an honorary pursuit, must also be tempered with lawful procedures, else we should be confronted with a vigilante episode. I have conferred both with the Assistant Commissioner and the Chief Constable, and we feel that an arrest, while being of major concern to the emotional and mental well-being of the citizenry—not to mention their physical survivalis imminently pending.”Did he take a course on officialeze—I wondered, sharing a wink with him—or had he a natural talent?The men nodded, mumbled that they had thought so all along, and occupied themselves with their drinks.
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.
Website: https://www.johiestand.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jo-A.-Hiestand
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting my excerpt today -- I appreciate it!
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