Model Murder - Chapter 1

Wish I was going downhill instead of up, the youth thought, panting heavily as he cycled towards Great Camden and home.  His parents weren’t going to be happy – polite way of putting it, he grimaced, sweat pouring down his fair face.  More like bloody mad at him for being late.  But he and his mate, Dave, had to finish the game, didn’t they?  You can’t leave it at the most exciting part. And it’s only six-thirty now.  He sighed – half-an-hour late!

What’s that? he thought as the road levelled out and he could see something lying in the road ahead of him.  As he came nearer he could see what it was. ‘Fucking Hell!  A body?’

He stopped and stood straddling his bike, his feet looking far too big for the spindly jeans clad legs - as if waiting for the legs to catch up growth wise.  It was a woman in a blue dress. ‘Miss?  Miss, are you alright?’  And he wondered why he’d asked when it was obvious she wasn’t.  It didn’t look as if she was breathing and he didn’t want to touch her.  Yuck! How would he find out if she was alive?

Panic subsided and he pulled out his phone to call the three nines.  Thank goodness it was just the one number. He was sure that if he’d had to find other numbers he would have screwed it up as his fingers were shaking and wet.

‘There’s a lady laying in the road.’

‘Is she alive?’

‘Don’t know.  Can’t see ‘er breathing.’

‘Have you checked?’

‘Don’t know ‘ow.  Look, I’m late getting ‘ome.  Mum and Dad’ll be mad.’

‘How old are you?’

‘Fourteen.  Why?’

‘You sound older.  Can you wait there until someone comes?’

‘Like the cops or someone?’

‘Exactly like the cops.  Where are you?’

‘On the road what comes up towards Great Camden, it turns off a turning off the A twenty-seven.  ‘Bout ten minutes by bike from the town.’

‘What’s your name?’

‘Jezz Watson.’

‘Can you describe yourself?’

‘Why?’

‘So they’ll recognise you.’

‘But I’m the only person ‘ere!’  And he switched off the phone.  No way did he want to waste the battery.  He kept looking around – anywhere but at the body.  The trees, the hedges, back the way he’d come.  And towards Great Camden and home. Then he heard the siren.  All blues and twos as the car approached fast.  He waved like mad to stop them. Be a bloody crime if they run over her, he thought.
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Available on Kindle:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JALI8MM

Model Murder - 5* Review

This Five Star Review is published on Goodreads.com.  There is also a 5* review on Kindle!

'This the first mystery book I have read for years and I really enjoyed it. I loved the introduction, - I was right there with the boy on his bike when the body was found, and I liked the extensive use of dialogue, giving us an insight into the characters, moving the action on or revealing past events or situations. Flashbacks are smoothly integrated into the plot and a few carefully chosen details, such as cars or dancing, add an extra dimension to characters and scenes.

'There are several plausible motives and suspects and you wait in anticipation to see how the threads will be unravelled. The emotional states of the different characters are clearly put across and for me, this is a brilliant psychological thriller where, I'm glad to say, gore and over dramatisation have no place. All in all, it's a book about what makes people tick and how detectives finally find their answers through understanding human emotions and the pressures of society, especially if you happen to be famous. Both the choice of language and the complex web of emotions ground the book firmly into the modern world.

'Model Murder' made me realise how much I have missed by leaving 'mysteries' out of my reading list for so long. Time to catch up.' (Solange Hando).

Book Sales Increasing

I'm feeling very happy - the sales of my books are increasing by leaps and bounds.  Especially the Cleo Marjoribanks Murder Mysteries - the first one 'Homicide in Hampshire' is excelling itself! 

Cleo is a lady somewhere the wrong side of 40 and from the east end of London.  Having won the lottery she packed up her job and retired to the New Forest where she bought an old house.  DCI 'Steaming' Kettle came on the scene to resolve the murder of Cleo's housekeeper and they immediately recognised each other.  They had known each other when children.

Following on from Homicide is 'Dirty Deeds in Downdene' where Cleo again gets involved and, as a friend of my said, 'There are as many bodies as in a Midsomer murder'.  The why is a bit of a problem as estate agents and golfers are involved.

The latest Cleo book is 'Poltergeists in the Parador'.  She and Steaming are on holiday in an up-market boutique hotel on the Costa del Sol and come across a body.  Then a pair of English teenaged tourists disappear and.... yes, Cleo and Steaming help the local police with their enquiries.

My most recently published book is 'Model Murder' which is the second book in the South Downs Mysteries series.  In the first book 'Antiques in the Attic' Sarah found some antique silver in the loft but it mysteriously disappeared.  First her ex-husband died - was he murdered? - then strange events occurred and a secretary with whom Sarah works disappeared.  Being scared to stay on her own in the house Sarah moved in with her friend Zelda.  The police team is headed up by DI Sinclair.  Both books contain police procedures and are set in West Sussex.  As the title suggests, Model Murder is about the murder of a model.  Lots of lovely suspects!

Two of my books are set in Florida (where I used to live).  The murder mystery is 'Death of a Copycat' (on Kobo it is called 'Writing can be Murder' - I never did work out how to change the title!).  Trudi is English, belongs to the writing circle and, when another member is murdered the local Sheriff, who is always seeking votes, is sure that she is the killer.  Especially when a second writer is also murdered.  Fortunately Detective Gomez doesn't believe Trudi had anything to do with the killings.  The second book, 'Irresistible You' (using the pen name Jemma Linley) is a romance that takes place in Miami Beach.  Yes, that city with lots of lovely Art Deco, the lively Ocean Boulevard and jazz.  Both Mel and Andy are English musicians with ex-spouses who cause trouble.

Want to know what the rock and roll scene was like in 1958?  'Rock'n'Roll Murders' will tell you.  Blue police boxes, black Wolsey police cars with bells, an inept senior detective who doesn't like teenagers or rock'n'roll.  Two bodies, vandalism and a big surprise at the end.

As well as being available on Amazon Kindle (links alongside), my books are on Kobo, I-pad, Sony, Nook and umpteen others plus www.smashwords.com