Christmas Murder Mystery/Romantic Suspense
The first body is found under a trimmed Christmas
tree, the second as they ring in the New Year (1947), the third goes head long
out a window. Will a young pediatric nurse determined to make it on her own be
able to care for an infant whose mother was murdered and escape the killer who
has struck again? Can she trust the stalwart village detective with her life
and her heart as he works to catch this killer before somebody else dies?
Pediatric nurse, Katrina Lenart, grew up strong
willed and independent minded, while sharing her mother's flair for high
fashion. When the police chief gives her an orphaned baby to care for, her
maternal instincts take over and she's willing to fight anyone who might not
have the infant's best interests at heart, even the man she's growing to love.
After an attempt is made to kidnap the baby, she and the resolute village
detective team up and do some sleuthing, undercover at a cult as well as at a
fancy ball.
Detective Ian Daltry is a widower with a child and
is not interested in a new love. Hunting a killer who stops at nothing has
placed him in the position where he must protect a beautiful young woman he's
drawn to. Is there's something he's overlooked in analyzing the case? Will he
find out what that is before this ruthless murderer kills someone he loves?
Excerpt:
Chapt 5, scene 1
Long Island, New
York
Late December,
1946
Katrina wanted to throw Detective Daltry
into a snow bank. The nerve of him, barging into their house twice in two days,
demanding she bundle the baby up and take him into the cold. How could that man
not recall their harrowing, nighttime drive through the storm of the decade?
She tossed her hair back over her shoulder, and with great difficulty held her
tongue.
Momma apparently
had no such reservations. "Detective, what you are doing is very
wrong."
Katrina came up
beside her mother, to show a united front. "This is outrageous." Her
eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. She hated the tone of
her voice, but this baby wasn't a ping-pong ball to be batted back and forth as
the detective moved forward with his murder case.
He ignored her
and continued addressing her mother.
"I'm sorry,
ma'am." He removed his fedora. "Chief Ferguson has already made the
necessary phone calls and arrangements have been made. I must take Leslie Janos
Bauer with me to the home of his aunt in Bay Shore. The chief would prefer your
daughter come along in an official capacity as a nurse. It's up to her, but I
have to take the baby."
Momma's face
flushed beet-red, a sure sign she'd become enraged. "This is not good for
him… this hustle from place to place."
"With all
due respect, ma'am, a child belongs with his family, if at all possible."
The detective took a step toward Katrina. "Now, will you please fetch the
baby." It wasn't a request.
Katrina made
sure she stood tall. "Yes, I'll get Leslie." She clenched her fists
at her side and jutted her chin. "This is disgraceful. You are using this
infant to solve your murder case. Perhaps your own tragic life experience
clouds your judgment?"
His mouth fell
open and he took a step back.
"If you
have it within your heart, give me one minute. I'll get him ready and get my
coat and boots on." Without giving him a chance to reply, Katrina turned
and stormed up the stairs.
Leslie lay
sleeping in the baby-doll cradle Poppa had made for her when she was a little
girl. Poppa had that kind of talent. He could make anything. In her heart she
knew, he'd figured it would be her baby's bassinet. At least now, it had a real
purpose. She ran a finger over the hand carved leaves in the headboard.
"Milachku,
time to wake up." She took the infant into her arms inhaling the smell of
baby, sweeter than the most expensive imported perfume.
Leslie yawned
and she snuggled her nose in the soft folds of skin between his head and
shoulder, kissing his neck. He cooed, so safe in her arms.
She brought him
to her heart, holding him, rocking him and spoke softly to her reflection in
the mirror above her bureau. "Fat chance I'll ever walk down the aisle or
have a family of my own with the man shortage since the war." Something
deep in the core of her female-self rebelled, a throbbing turbulence, from
which deep hunger erupted.
She stroked
Leslie's cheek and made a funny face. The softness of his skin melted her
heart.
He smiled at her
and kicked.
"I'm so
sorry. I promised I'd protect you and I can't." She forced a smile and
made clucking noises.
He grabbed her
hair and yanked.
"Ouch."
She laughed, removing strands of her hair from his little fist.
A tear escaped
and ran down the side of her cheek. "I can do this." She lifted her
chin, sucked in a long breath, wrapped Leslie in a heavy quilt, and picked up
his tote bag.
Author Bio:
Like so many writers, Nike Chillemi started writing
at a very young age. She still has the Crayola, fully illustrated book she penned
(penciled might be more accurate) as a little girl about her then off-the-chart
love of horses. Today, you might call her a crime fictionista. Her passion is
crime fiction. She likes her bad guys really bad and her good guys smarter and
better.
She is the founding board member of the Grace Awards
and is its Chairman, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian
fiction. She writes book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. She
was an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category and a
judge in the 2011 and 2012 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic
suspense categories. BURNING HEARTS, the first book in the crime wave that is
sweeping the south shore of Long Island in The Sanctuary Point series, finaled in
the Grace Awards 2011 in the Romance/Historical Romance category. GOODBYE NOEL,
the second book in the series released in December, 2011 won the Grace Award
2011 in the Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller category. PERILOUS SHADOWS,
third in the series released July, 2012, and DARKEST HOUR, the fourth in the
series released in February, 2013. She
is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Edgy Christian
Fiction Lovers (Ning). http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/
Reviews/Notices/Awards:
"Wow! Nike Chillemi knows how to set the hook
into readers right from the first page and refuses to let go. GOODBYE NOEL is a
taut thriller, peopled with intriguing characters and crafted by an author at
the top of her game. Don’t miss this one!" ~~
Robert Liparulo, Award winning author of THE 13th TRIBE, COMES A
HORSEMAN, GERM, and THE DREAMHOUSE KINGS
"All I can say is WOW. I can see how Ms.
Chillemi got her nickname of the Crime Fictionista. She sure does know how to
build a story - and a crime plot... It's heartwarming, gut wrenching, edge of
your seat intriguing, and just plain sweet all rolled into one. Check it out
for yourself, it's a wonderful read!"
~~ Donna B. Snow, Acclaimed
author of DAFFODILS
"Nike, you are such an example of what one
person can do by living full-throttle heart and soul. Goodbye Noel looks
great." ~~ Sibella Giorello, Acclaimed author of the Raleigh Harmon (FBI)
series
Why did Nike write this novel?
I'd wanted to write a Christmas story for the longest time. I'm a murder mystery fan and as many crime fiction readers do, I love a good Christmas whodunit. I also wanted to write a love story, more than a romance. So, I thought I'd pair Ian Daltry, a detective who had a moral purpose to seek justice for the murder victim with Katrina Lenart, a pediatric nurse who is not only beautiful, but smart, compassionate and independent. Of course there were a few fireworks because Katrina can be obstinate. But more than that, I wanted to show their growing relationship as a deep one, where honesty, trust and a shared faith were so important.Tell us something topical, interesting, funny, or something we would not expect about the writing or research of this novel.
Well, I wanted go have my main characters be believable, warts and all,
yet also sympathetic. So, I'd say the hardest and yet most interesting part for me as a writer was showing their less than
perfect side and yet somehow getting the reader to cheer them on. There were
times when they might come across as obstinate, willful, or tenacious. In these instances I wanted to present Ian and Katrina in ways so that the reader will understand their inner turmoil and root for them. I wanted to show how
two ordinary people could rise up, face evil, and do the right thing. A
difficult challenge.
Purchas Links:
Amazon/Kindle
Christianbooks.com
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