GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY
Stillwater
(Jack McBride Mysteries Book 1)
(Jack McBride Mysteries Book 1)
by Melissa Lenhardt
Stillwater, the first book in Melissa Lenhardt new Jack McBride Mysteries series, is currently on tour with Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. The tour stops here today for a guest post by the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Big secrets run deep.
Former FBI agent Jack McBride took the job as Chief of Police for Stillwater, Texas, to start a new life with his teenage son, Ethan, away from the suspicions that surrounded his wife’s disappearance a year earlier.
With a low crime rate and a five-man police force, he expected it to be a nice, easy gig; hot checks, traffic violations, some drugs, occasional domestic disturbances, and petty theft. Instead, within a week he is investigating a staged murder-suicide, uncovering a decades’ old skeleton buried in the woods, and managing the first crime wave in thirty years.
For help navigating his unfamiliar, small-town surroundings, Jack turns to Ellie Martin, one of the most respected women in town - her scandal-filled past notwithstanding. Despite Jack's murky marriage status and the disapproval of Ethan and the town, they are immediately drawn to each other.
As Jack and Ellie struggle with their budding relationship, they unearth shattering secrets long buried and discover the two cases Jack is working, though fifty years apart, share a surprising connection that will rattle the town to its core.
Excerpt
Chapter One
Thursday
A line of flashing blue and red lights led the way to a pale green single-wide trailer on the north edge of Stillwater, Texas. Firemen, sheriff deputies and EMTs huddled in front of the house, talking, looking around, and laughing. All eyes turned to Jack McBride's car as it pulled into the dirt packed front yard, which doubled as the driveway.
Jack set the alarm on his phone and said, "Stay in the car," to his 13-year old son, Ethan. He opened the door, got out and leaned back in. "I mean it."
"I know, Dad."
Neighbors grouped behind yellow crime scene tape. Some wore pajamas, others wore work clothes, women held babies, children craned their necks to see better, eager for information to share at school. A young officer guarded them.
It was Officer Nathan Starling's file that fell from Jack's lap when he was startled awake by the early morning call. If Jack hadn't read Starling was the youngest and newest member of the force he would have guessed it from his role as crowd control. Starling shifted on his feet and looked over his shoulder at the crowd, as if debating whether he should leave his post to introduce himself or stay put. Jack waved an acknowledgement to him and moved toward the trailer.
Jack nodded at the group of first responders as he walked by and received a couple of muttered hellos in return. Some looked at Ethan and back at Jack. Jack climbed the uneven concrete steps, stopped at the door and put on paper booties and gloves. Behind him, he heard a low conversation start back up, the words "alone," "wife," and "no one knows" carrying across the yard as if announced through a bullhorn. He walked into the trailer. The screen door slapped shut behind him, cutting off the rest of the conversation.
The smell of chili, paprika and cumin hung in the air of the trailer. Flimsy wooden cabinets topped by a chipped orange Formica counter were wedged against the back wall of the main room by a strip of ugly, peeling linoleum. Brown shag carpet, flattened by years of traffic, marked off the living area of the room. Left of the door, under a loud window unit dripping condensation, sat a couch of indeterminate color too large for the room. A black haired man with blood-shot eyes and a green tinge underneath his dark skin sat on the couch, chewing his nails. He looked up at Jack and stopped chewing, the signal for his leg to start bouncing. A bull-necked police officer, his thumbs crooked underneath his gun belt, stood guard over the man.
"Officer Freeman," Jack said.
If Michael Freeman was surprised Jack knew who he was, he didn't show it. His face remained expressionless.
"Chief McBride."
A third officer stood at the mouth of the hallway to the right with a portly elderly man. Relief washed over the officer's face. He moved forward, hand outstretched. "Chief McBride," he said. "Miner Jesson. This here is Doc Poole."
Jack shook their hands. "Sorry to meet you under these circumstances, Dr. Poole."
"Helluva case to get on your first day, eh?" the doctor said.
Jack nodded and gave a brief smile. He pulled gloves and more paper booties from his coat pocket and handed them to Jesson and the doctor. Jack walked down the hall and entered the room. Jesson stopped at the door.
"Gilberto and Rosa Ramos," Jesson said. "Found dead this morning by Juan Vasquez." He jerked his thumb in the direction of the man sitting on the couch. "Says he's Rosa's brother. He don't speak much English but from what I gathered, he came to pick Gilberto up for work and heard the baby screaming. When no one answered, he let himself in. Door was open. Found them just like that."
They were both nude. The woman lay facedown, covering half of man's body. The right side of the man's head was blown across the pillow. Blood and brain matter were sprayed across the bed, under the woman and onto the floor. A clump of long dark hair was stuck to the window with blood. Her right arm was extended across the man's chest, a gun held lightly in her grip.
Jack walked around the bed.
Doc Poole stood next to Officer Jesson. "It takes a special kind of anger to kill someone you are in the middle of fucking, doncha think?" Doc Poole said. "Ever see that in the F-B-I?" Derision dripped from every letter.
Jack ignored him. "Where's the baby?"
Jack hoped the revulsion on Jesson's face meant scenes like this were rare in Stillwater. If he wanted to deal with shit like this on a regular basis, he would have taken a better paying job in a larger town.
"Officer Jesson?" Jack said. "Where's the baby?"
"Oh. It's with a neighbor."
"Has anyone called CPS?"
"Why?"
"To take care of the baby."
"The neighbor offered."
"And, what do we know about this neighbor?"
He shrugged. "She didn't speak much English."
"So, she could be in the next county by now?"
"Oh, I doubt that," Jesson said. "She seemed like a nice sort. Very motherly."
Jack cocked his head and puzzled over whether his most senior officer was ignorant, naive or an amazing judge of character.
He turned his attention to Doc Poole. "What's the time of death?"
"Sometime last night."
"Can you be more specific?"
"Didn't see the need. Seems pretty obvious what happened."
"Oh, are you a detective?"
"No. I'm a general practitioner."
"You're the JP, aren't you?"
"No. I used to be." He chuckled. "Too old for this now."
"Yet, here you are."
"JP is on the way, Chief," Jesson said.
Jack kept his focus on Doctor Poole. "So you heard this over the radio and decided to come? Or did someone call you?"
"Well, I —"
"Do you have the instruments necessary to establish a time of death?"
"Not with me, but —"
"Then get off my crime scene."
The little man straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. "I can see why Jane Maxwell liked you." He started to leave but turned back. "We do things different here in Stillwater."
"Not anymore we don't," Jack said.
Praise for the Book
"Dangerous things lurk beneath the placid surface in Stillwater, Texas. Secrets shunning the light of day, decades-old betrayals, lies that have taken on a life of their own. Moody and atmospheric, utterly compelling, you don’t want to miss Melissa Lenhardt’s marvelous debut novel, Stillwater." ~ Harry Hunsicker, former Executive Vice President of the Mystery Writers of America, author of The Grid
"Crisp and pacy writing pulls you in deep from page one, when Jack McBride strides into a crime scene and a world of trouble. Stillwater is the perfect combination of a tightly plotted tale peopled by rich, complex characters (plus one or two deliciously hateful true baddies). Slashed budgets, racial tensions, messy pasts – this small town is anything but cozy. The mystery itself is a classic puzzle, though: clever and convincing. Roll on Jack #2!" ~ Catriona McPherson, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity–winning author of the Edgar-nominated The Day She Died
"Secrets, lies, and betrayals run through Stillwater like irrigation through dry land. Melissa Lenhardt’s writing drips with detail to create a story that rushes like a wave toward an ever-twisting ending. Don’t let the name fool you; Stillwater’s threats lie right below the surface." ~ Diane Vallere, bestselling author of the Material Witness, Madison Night, and Style & Error Mysteries
" Stillwater runs deep with intrigue, passion, and long-buried secrets. Melissa Lenhardt weaves a rich tale of suspense as hot as the east Texas town in which it’s set." ~ Annette Dashofy, USA Today best-selling author of the Zoe Chambers mysteries
"With a twisting plot, nonstop action and a sexy, complex protagonist you’ll root for from page one, Lenhardt brings the town of Stillwater, Texas (pop. 2,436), and all its long-buried secrets, to life. Fast-paced and tightly-written, Stillwater is a must-read for anyone who loves great crime fiction. Book two can’t come soon enough!" ~ Wendy Tyson, author of Killer Image and Deadly Assets
Guest Post by the Author
Living in a Small Town
I grew up in a small town in East Texas, much like the eponymous town in my debut mystery, Stillwater. My memories of my childhood are good, but career, marriage and family meant living in the Dallas area for the last twenty-five years. But, I understand all too well the appeal of living in a small town.
Everyone Knows Everyone
This one can be filed under "Blessing and a Curse". Growing up, there was a certain feel of safety and security, due in no small part to the fact I knew everyone in town. Or at least it seemed I did. Someone honking at you as you walked down the street was a greeting, not a warning or a catcall. On the other hand, it’s tough to shake family history. I heard more than once, "Oh, well what do you expect, he’s a *insert family name here*?" as a complete explanation for someone’s behavior (usually bad) and it was always met with an understanding nod.
Come Together in Times of Need
There’s nothing to compare to the mobilization of the community when tragedy strikes, be it sickness, death, or natural disaster. You never feel like you’re on your own in a small town.
Feel Like You’re From Somewhere
Small-towners feel a heightened pride in their hometown most city/suburb dwellers just don’t feel. Maybe it’s because small towns are full of families that have lived there for generations. Maybe it’s the fact they feel like small towns get a bad rap in popular culture, a sentiment with which I agree. This deep connection to where you’re from doesn’t end when you move away.
Sense of Community
In small town Texas, school sports are a big deal and support for the team doesn’t end when your children graduate and move on. My parents went to high school football and basketball games long after my their children and grandchildren were gone, and they weren’t alone. Even now, though I haven’t lived in my hometown in twenty-seven years, when I announced I would have a book launch for Stillwater at the local arts center, my Facebook was flooded with old friends saying, "Just tell us when and we’ll be there."
The time is coming, sooner than I want to admit, when our nest will be empty and we will ask ourselves, "What next? Where next?" I’m lobbying hard for living in a small town because I know firsthand the sense of community and welcome we would be met with, whatever part of the country we choose.
About the Author
Melissa Lenhardt writes mystery, historical fiction, and women's fiction. Her short fiction has appeared in Heater Mystery Magazine, The Western Online, and Christmas Nookies, a holiday romance anthology. Her debut novel, Stillwater, was a finalist for the 2014 Whidbey Writers' MFA Alumni Emerging Writers Contest. She is a board member of the DFW Writers' Workshop and vice president of the Sisters in Crime North Dallas Chapter. Melissa lives in Texas, with her husband and two sons.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card or a copy of Stillwater by Melissa Lenhardt (US only).
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