Death Came Stalking Bk 1 of the Lambeth Croak Series
Author
Susan Clayson
Description
Book excerpt
I sat at the kitchen counter, newspaper in hand and breakfast before me. I was trying to take things slowly. My mobile buzzed and slid around on the breakfast bar. I picked it up and said, “Bev Stone.” “You’ll never guess what’s happened,” said my friend Joan.“You didn’t say hello,” I said. “Do you want to hear from someone who may be able to ease your financial woes?” I felt my heart sink. Joan finding me some money meant she wanted me to do some work for the agency. Now I am not averse to working, in fact I positively enjoy what I do. But when times are hard I help out my friend in her missing person’s agency, called, would you believe Missing You. They get some very weird responses when Shirley, the office help, answers the phone with a breezy “Missing you.” Well, you get the picture. The reason my heart sank wasn’t because Joan had probably found me some work, but because of the kind of work that it might be. Last winter we were involved in a very messy case of domestic violence and murder. At the end of the case I swore any detecting that went beyond a simple online and document search just wasn’t on.“Go on,” I said in the sort of voice you use when you’re pretty sure you are not going to like the answer. “Ha, here am I trying to do you a favour and your hackles are already up. Look I think I may have found you a nice easy piece of work. The client is looking for his missing wife.” “Probably already done away with her,” I said, thinking I spoke in a whisper. “I heard that Bev Stone and it’s definitely not that kind of case.” So you say I thought, but didn’t bother voicing.“She’s only been gone since yesterday morning. Yes, I know, virtually no time at all. I think he’s worrying unnecessarily but he wants us to see if we can locate her. My feeling is it shouldn’t take more than a day or two. All you have to do is follow a paper trail. Maybe make a couple of phone calls to set his mind at rest and it’s five hundred quid in your pocket.” “Go on, “I said, my voice beginning to sound like a record stuck in its groove. “Well that’s all I have to tell you really. I thought that we could meet this morning and I’ll fill you in on the necessaries” I tapped my foot, work, on a Saturday! “Okay,” I said, “But you’re buying breakfast as I haven’t eaten yet,”crossing my fingers at the lie. “Mine’s a sausage and egg McMuffin.” “Not that place again.” Joan sounded exasperated. “No Mc Muffin, no deal,” my voice brooked no argument. “Eight thirty. On the dot,” the receiver clicked in my ear. I shut my phone and kissed my teeth – a habit I’d picked up from my Jamaican aunts. On the bright side I would be getting a second, free, breakfast, and I didn’t have to take the job if I didn’t want it. Yeah right. As if I would turn down the very thing designed to keep the wolf from the door. Who was I kidding?
Author Bio
Susan Clayson is the pen name of Sue Jeffels freelance writer and researcher. Sue loves reading and writing crime and mystery stories and has written a number of short stories. Death Came Stalking is her first novel, it was six years in the writing, and it is available on Amazon Kindle. Death Came Stalking is an attempt at writing British noir fiction. If you like gritty, urban crime stories with a female sleuth then you should enjoy the Lambeth Croak books. The main protagonist, Bev Stone is a feisty dual heritage sleuth who lives and works in Brixton South London. Sue enjoys writing poetry as well as fiction, if you want to know more about this writer then her blog is Get Writing Now, where she blogs about writing in general, writing her novels and life in general. Sue is currently working on the second book in the series, working title is Death – Gangland Style. She is trying complete the first fifty thousand words during NaNoWriMo. Sue has a first degree in English and Religious Studies and a PhD in Feminism, Domestic Violence and Theology. When she is not either reading, freelancing or writing stories Sue enjoys cooking with her grandchildren.
Author Website
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