This week Crime Cymru’s Mary Grand gives us a peek at her new novel – Death at St Jude’s, a murder mystery set on the Isle of Wight.
Death at St Jude’s – A murder mystery set on the Isle of Wight.
Introduction to Death at St Jude’s
This is the second in my new series, The Isle of Wight Killings.
Once again we meet Susan Flynn, a recently divorced, retired teacher, dog walker, and now, amateur detective.
In this story Susan has moved, with her cocker spaniels, Rocco and Libs, to the peaceful village of Bishopstone on the Isle of Wight.
Susan loves the sense of community in her new home, and immediately throws herself into village life, volunteering at the local primary school and joining the choir of St Jude’s. So, when there is an altercation at the meeting of the choir committee, followed by a shocking accident involving head teacher Lawrence, Susan is dismayed to realise her powers of deduction may be needed again.
There is a dangerous criminal hiding in plain sight and with the police reluctant to investigate, Susan must put together the pieces of the fiendish puzzle to flush out a killer before they strike again.
Extract from Death at St Jude’s.
Prologue.
Leaving the warm summer’s evening, I enter this dark, silent place. I reach out and touch the cold, damp wall. As I climb up the ancient stone spiral steps of the bell tower, I know ghosts are watching me.
I am strangely calm; I feel no guilt: this is about you, not me. If you were different, then we could have resolved this. But you will never see any other way than your own. This is on you; you leave me no choice.
This tower is hundreds of years old, but until tonight, it’s never been a place of execution. Tonight, I shall add a page to its history. Unfortunately, my name will not be mentioned; no one will know I was here. But your name will be in that book; ‘On Friday, 6 May 2016, Lawrence Stone, local head teacher, died in a tragic accident.’ I’ve made you immortal.
I am nearly at the top. Thin, cold fingers of night air touch my face. I see glimpses of the night sky, a sprinkling of stars. You love it up here, high above the world. It’s the right time, the right place for you to die.
Chapter Five/Six
Susan heard St Jude’s clock strike ten and wondered if Lawrence was still up the tower. She stood looking over the village from her window. All was very still and quiet. Susan still missed the sea, which she could always see and hear from her old home in Ventnor. However, it was only about a mile down the road, and she could smell and feel it in the air.
Susan was climbing into bed when she heard rain crashing against the window. It had started with no warning, as if a hole had been ripped in the sky. Susan glanced at her clock: ten past ten. She listened for the dogs, but there wasn’t a sound.
Going back to the window, she saw that as so often happens after a dry spell, the rain was bouncing off the ground, the drains seeming to panic and spit back the water. The noise was deafening.
Closing the curtains, Susan climbed back into bed and switched off the light. The rain calmed to a steady patter about ten minutes later and eventually she fell asleep.
She was woken by blue flashing lights piercing her bedroom curtains. She saw that it was still dark out and, checking her clock, she saw it was three o’clock. Susan went to look out of the window. There were actually two police cars there now. The lights on the one that had just arrived were turned off and she saw an officer go into Hazel’s house.
What had happened? Had there been a break-in? She remembered how she had laughed off her daughter’s warnings about ‘sticking herself down a side street’ and how vulnerable her house would be.
Pulling on her dressing gown, Susan raced downstairs. The dogs rushed out of the kitchen, wagging their tails. As she pulled on some shoes, she talked to them. ‘Stay here, I’m going to find out what’s going on.’
Susan opened her front door just as a police officer was emerging from Hazel’s.
‘Has something happened? Can I help?’ she called.
‘Are you Hazel’s neighbour?’
‘Yes, Susan Flynn.’
‘I see.’ He paused. ‘Um, could you just wait there a moment?’
He went back into Hazel’s house and quickly returned.
‘I’ve spoken to Hazel. She’d be grateful if you could go in to be with her. Do you want a moment to put on something a bit warmer?’
‘Thank you.’ Susan ran inside, changed and gave the dogs quick treats. ‘I won’t be long.’
By the time she was back, one of the police cars had left. Susan walked along her wet path and then to Hazel’s door, where a different police officer let her in.
Hazel sat huddled in the corner of a white velvet sofa, red-eyed. She looked at Susan with such distress and heartache that Susan ran over and sat next to her. ‘Whatever has happened?’
‘It’s Lawrence,’ Hazel gulped. She held her arms around herself tightly, rocked slightly, and silently sobbed.
The police officer interjected, speaking gently. ‘My name is Detective Constable Ian Price. I’m sorry to have to tell you that Hazel’s husband, Lawrence, was found an hour ago in the churchyard. He appeared to have had a fall. It was fatal.’
Book Link https://mybook.to/jGKnT
Mary’s Bio
My Bio.
Before coming to the Isle of Wight, I worked as a teacher of Deaf children. I grew up in Wales and my first three self-published novels are set in Wales.
I am now working with Boldwood Books and to date have had four novels published with them, all murder mysteries set on the Isle of Wight.
All my books are available in eBook and paperback, are on Amazon, and available to order from libraries and bookshops.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarygrand
Twitter: @authormaryg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marygrandwriter/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Email: marygrand90@yahoo.co.uk
Website: marygrand.net
Crime Cymru 