NEW RELEASE
Cordon of Lies
(A Sgt Major Crane Crime Thriller)
(A Sgt Major Crane Crime Thriller)
by Wendy
Cartmell
Wendy Cartmell has just released Cordon of Lies, the fourth book in her crime
thriller series featuring Sgt Major Crane. Don't forget to check out the other
books in the series: Steps to Heaven (you can also read my blog post), 40 Days 40 Nights, and Violation.
No Mercy
is a series of short stories also featuring Sgt Major Crane.
Description
Two murders 10 years
apart.
An injustice wrapped
in a cordon of lies.
An SIB detective
determined to uncover the truth.
When Carol Newton
was murdered 10 years ago her killer was spirited out of the country by the
British Army. But now, it seems he’s back. Another young army wife Melanie
Green has been murdered. In the same place. In the same way. A stiletto type
dagger plunged into her heart.
Sgt Major Crane, a
Branch detective with the Royal Military Police, must battle against an army
that is closing ranks to protect their reputation, their killer and their
indiscretions. Can Crane blow the case wide open and find the killer and his
conspirators? Will he achieve justice for the two women? Or will the army win -
again?
A military mystery,
that reads like a police procedural.
Excerpt
The footsteps echoing through the underpass weren’t hers. She was wearing
trainers and the footsteps sounded like military boots. Stopping, she held her
breath and listened to the drops of moisture falling through cracks in the
concrete structure, their irregular tattoo sounding like gun fire. She inhaled
the damp air, turned and peered into the darkness behind her, but couldn’t see
anyone. The grey gloom of early evening was glowing weakly, just visible at the
tunnel entrance. Beyond that she could see the garish lights of the revered
Tesco superstore she had left a few minutes earlier. Overhead she heard the
faint rumble of tyres on tarmac, as cars hissed though the rainy night.
She tried to still her shaking hands by grabbing her bag and lifting it
higher onto her shoulder. The end of the underpass, leading towards the
relative safety of Aldershot town centre, was still some way away. As she
started walking towards it, so did the boots. Matching her step for step. She
broke into a run, her large bag weighing her down and banging against her hip.
Her husband kept telling her not to carry such a big heavy bag and tonight she
wished she’d listened to him. Her purse, umbrella, book and make up bag had
turned into heavy stones, forcing the bag off her shoulder and down her arm. It
landed with a thump on the concrete. She couldn’t leave it behind, if nothing
else she needed her purse, so she squatted down and retrieved the bag which had
up-ended on the floor. With fumbling fingers she stuffed her purse safely back
into the bag and began scrabbling for the rest of her stuff, scattered around
her feet. Her lipstick had rolled away and looking around she saw it lying up
against the wall of the underpass. As she reached for it, a black boot landed
on her hand.
“Hello Carol,” she heard over the snapping of bones, as her hand was
ground into the floor.
If he said anything else, she wasn’t aware of it. All she could feel was
the extreme pressure of his boot and intense pain as the bones along the back
of her hand cracked and crumbled. It felt like she was being been run over by a
car, but whereas a car would move off her hand as it travelled on its way,
Foster didn’t liberate it, merely slightly shifted the position of his foot and
placed it over her fingers. As he slowly pressed down on them, she blacked out.
When she came round he pulled her onto her feet from behind. His head was
next to hers. His lips by her ear. The pain in her hand was abating, but she
was incapable of moving it. She couldn’t even wiggle her fingers and the shock
of that realisation made her slump against Foster. He was muttering something
and she strained to hear.
“Oh dear, have I hurt you Carol? Well now you know what it’s like. You’re
feeling pain just like I did when you ended our relationship. The type of pain
that fills your head, so you can’t think of anything else. Well, I can’t think
of anything else apart from your betrayal. It just keeps going round and round
in my head. I’m not able to do my job properly and it’s all your fault. So I’ve
got to get rid of you. Yes. That’ll work. That’ll get you out of my head.”
“Barry, I...”
“I, what Carol? I’m sorry – is that what you wanted to say? Well sorry
just doesn’t cut it. You picked me up and then put me down, just like a
plaything you’d grown tired of.” His hand grabbed her chin, pulling her ear
even closer to his lips. He hissed, “What was I, Carol? Just a diversion while
your husband was away? A bit of fun on the side? Well, it’s not bloody funny
now is it?”
“No, Barry,” she managed, hoping that if she tried to placate him, agree
with him, he would let her go. But then she felt him release her chin and press
something cold against her neck.
“Maybe I should just slit your throat with this dagger and leave you here
to bleed out. That way, while you die, you’ll have time to think about what
you’ve done to me.”
Carol swallowed, making the tip of the blade move slightly and dig into
her skin.
“But your regret would be too little too late wouldn’t it, Carol? So no,
I don’t think I’ll do that.”
Carol’s relief was short lived as he continued, “I’ll do what you did to
me. Break your heart as you broke mine. That’s more fitting don’t you think?
Breaking your treacherous heart?”
But she wasn’t able to answer, only gasp, as the sharp point of his knife
broke through her clothes and then her skin, pressing onwards through fat and
muscle, towards her beating heart.
Review
Author Wendy Cartmell delivers again with another rip-roaring page turner
of a Sgt Crane novel.
When Carol Newton was murdered 10 years ago her killer was spirited out
of the country by the British Army. But now, it seems he's back. Another young
army wife Melanie Green has been murdered. In the same place. In the same way.
A stiletto type dagger plunged into her heart.
The pace is crisp and it's really nice to see new character perspectives
introduced which makes the book feel more rounded than the others. Overall
thought this was a great read, quick and emotive. Can't wait for the next one!
About the Author
Wendy Cartmell is the author of the internationally acclaimed British
crime thriller series featuring Sgt Major Crane. Steps to Heaven is the first in the Sgt Major Crane series. It is followed by
40 Days 40 Nights, and Violation.
No Mercy
is a series of short stories also featuring Sgt Major Crane. Wendy has just
released the fourth book in the series, Cordon of Lies.
The author states, "My inspiration for the Sgt Major Crane novels
has been my love of crime writing (which I read voraciously) and my husband’s
22 years service in the British Army. I am aiming them at the Police Procedural
market and aspire to write a series of books. I believe being set in the
British Army gives a new dimension to the books and I hope there is a gap in
the market for this type of crime novel, especially in the light of heightened
public awareness of and support for the Armed Forces."
Wendy also writes children's books, including the Professor Letters series
and is a reviewer for www.e-thriller.com.
Links
