Letting love pass them by would be a crime.
Former forensic accountant Cameron has lost nearly everyone he’s ever loved, and now his vintage clothing shop has been broken into and trashed. When town police chief Will Carson asks an out-of-town cop friend of his for help, Cam takes one look at the dark-haired, blue-eyed detective and knows he’s in real trouble—and it has nothing to do with vandalism or murder.
Pete Minchelli is on leave from his job in Philadelphia due to a gunshot wound, but he figures he can help an academy buddy with some light police work. Plus, he’ll have a chance to experience small-town life. He’s tired of the big city and all its corruption. But he quickly discovers that not all the bad stuff happens in cities. What he doesn’t expect to find is death, treachery—or love.
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Cat gives this one 5 Meows...
No Tears for Darcy is a riveting suspense/ thriller that keeps you turning the page.
I immediately fell in love with Cameron and wanted to hug him. He lost his father to a hit and run, then his mother got sick and passed away. If that’s not a lot to endure, he found out his boyfriend was possibly cheating and then died on the day they were holding his mother’s Memorial.
Pete is a cop from the city that owns silent partnership in a new business in town with his brother. He is on leave from being shot in the leg and came home to recuperate. He is with his friend from the acedemy Will whom is the chief of police in town, when they were called out to investigate a break in at Cameron’s shop.
There are quite a few twists in the story but I won’t call this a mystery. I guessed the perpetrator pretty quick but not all of his involvement. Still I couldn’t put it down. The characters are well rounded. The story intriguing. And the twisted nursery rhymes chilling. The sex is all off the page but still sexy. I highly recommend this book. It’s on my favorite list.
Excerpt...
“Guten Morgen, Herr Cameron.” Albert Shenk from the deli next door stopped on his way to his shop, as he did every morning. He saw the shambles, his eyes widening in shock, his normally ruddy face going pale. “Gott im Himmel! Are you all right?”
Cameron turned to him, his mind on who had trashed his store. “What? Oh. Yes. I’m fine.”
Albert pulled a cell phone from his pocket and punched 911. “Hello? Dis is ein emergency. Ve need die politzei—ach—the police at Twenty-seven South Oak Street. There has been a break-in at the clothing store.” He listened a moment. “Ja, the owner ist here. He ist okay. Send the police.”
He cut the connection and wrapped a beefy arm around Cameron’s shoulders. If Cam hadn’t been so angry, he’d have smiled at the older man. Albert spoke excellent, though accented, English—except when he was upset or trying to put someone on, as he often did in their little tourist town.
“Come, you should not be in here until the police have seen. Come.”
“No! Is he all right?”
“He is in shock, I think.”
The older couple bustled Cameron into their deli. Any other time he’d savor the aroma of fresh strudel and bitter German chocolate, but now all he could think about was his store and who had done this and why. The analytical side of his brain started making lists. Albert pulled a chair out for him at one of the little cafĂ© tables next to the front window while Levi poured him a heavy mug of cocoa. He’d often enjoyed sharing a cup with the elderly couple, discussing business and the latest gossip of their little town of Maple Grove. But not now. Now the mug was something solid to hold on to—something to do while he waited. Was this how other people felt when they’d been violated? This sense of wanting to lash out but not having anyone to direct the anger at? As a “cubicle person,” he’d never met the victims of the various crimes his team had investigated, but now he understood their anguish.
Cameron wrapped his hands around the mug and stared at the dark liquid. “Who would do this? Why?”
He asked the questions, not really expecting an answer. Levi patted his arm but kept silent. A few minutes later, Cameron saw the flashing lights of the town patrol car as it arrived. He knew the driver, Will Carson, quite well.
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Excerpt...
CAMERON WINTERS stared at the shambles of his store, Charisma and Couture. Expensive vintage clothes and costumes lay scattered on the floor amid broken glass and upended displays. Bright red epithets stained the wall behind the counter, and red paint colored his inventory. The fall window display that had taken him an entire weekend to set up was unrecognizable. Shards of ceramic pumpkins and orange-and-black streamers mingled with pieces of costumes on the floor of the window. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, and he struggled to keep them back.
He took two steps in, his feet crunching on the broken glass from the front door. Though he didn’t hear anything, that didn’t mean someone wasn’t still there, although his instincts told him otherwise. And he’d learned very young to trust his instincts. His early years had taught him that lesson well. Not everyone was as accepting of his lifestyle as his family had been.“Guten Morgen, Herr Cameron.” Albert Shenk from the deli next door stopped on his way to his shop, as he did every morning. He saw the shambles, his eyes widening in shock, his normally ruddy face going pale. “Gott im Himmel! Are you all right?”
Cameron turned to him, his mind on who had trashed his store. “What? Oh. Yes. I’m fine.”
Albert pulled a cell phone from his pocket and punched 911. “Hello? Dis is ein emergency. Ve need die politzei—ach—the police at Twenty-seven South Oak Street. There has been a break-in at the clothing store.” He listened a moment. “Ja, the owner ist here. He ist okay. Send the police.”
He cut the connection and wrapped a beefy arm around Cameron’s shoulders. If Cam hadn’t been so angry, he’d have smiled at the older man. Albert spoke excellent, though accented, English—except when he was upset or trying to put someone on, as he often did in their little tourist town.
“Come, you should not be in here until the police have seen. Come.”
Cam reluctantly allowed Albert to lead him out of his shop and next door where Albert’s partner, Levi, was opening the door to their deli. Cameron wanted to go back and check out the store, but knew he shouldn’t. He had some training with the FBI, but not in this kind of investigation. He was a forensic accountant, not a crime-scene person. His kind of work involved spreadsheets not violence. His dad had always told him to let the experts handle things, and this was one of those times when he had to trust someone else. He was a storeowner now, not a member of a team and especially not an investigator. His life had changed when he’d found out his boyfriend was cheating on him. Then his mother got sick and he had to move back home. He’d left his investigator life behind in DC. Well, mostly. He thought about the flash drive he had hidden in his office. Cold cases he was looking into for his former bosses. Had the thief been after that? Had it been taken?
Cam really wanted to check and make sure the file was still there but couldn’t without making a scene. He clenched his jaw and let his gentle neighbor lead him away. The bell above the shop door rang as they entered the aromatic place.
“Ah, there you are, Albert. I was wondering….” Levi’s voice trailed off. “What happened?”
“Cameron’s store has been broken into. I’ve called the police.”“No! Is he all right?”
“He is in shock, I think.”
The older couple bustled Cameron into their deli. Any other time he’d savor the aroma of fresh strudel and bitter German chocolate, but now all he could think about was his store and who had done this and why. The analytical side of his brain started making lists. Albert pulled a chair out for him at one of the little cafĂ© tables next to the front window while Levi poured him a heavy mug of cocoa. He’d often enjoyed sharing a cup with the elderly couple, discussing business and the latest gossip of their little town of Maple Grove. But not now. Now the mug was something solid to hold on to—something to do while he waited. Was this how other people felt when they’d been violated? This sense of wanting to lash out but not having anyone to direct the anger at? As a “cubicle person,” he’d never met the victims of the various crimes his team had investigated, but now he understood their anguish.
Cameron wrapped his hands around the mug and stared at the dark liquid. “Who would do this? Why?”
He asked the questions, not really expecting an answer. Levi patted his arm but kept silent. A few minutes later, Cameron saw the flashing lights of the town patrol car as it arrived. He knew the driver, Will Carson, quite well.
Vicki Reese has been married forever to the one person who accepts that she lives in a fantasy world most of the time. She’s even been seen at the beach building worlds for her stories. In addition to creating fun characters, fantasy worlds, and suspenseful situations, she also enjoys and is very good at things like writing policy and procedures manuals and setting up continuity and organizational spreadsheets, both of which she has actually earned money doing. She has a master’s degree in library science so likes things organized. Okay, so her family thinks having the spice rack alphabetized it a bit much, but she has no trouble finding what she needs when she needs it. And just because her extensive library is cataloged and organized, that doesn’t mean she’s obsessive. Honest.
When not writing, Vicki works as an editor, helping other authors with their works. When not doing either one of those, she can be found in the kitchen whipping up gluten-free, lactose-free, other allergy-free meals for her family. Or watching the world go by from her front porch swing.
Thanks for the great review, Cat. I like a good thrilling suspense like this, and Winters would be a new author for me. Sounds great. - Purple Reader,
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ReplyDeleteenjoyed the blog today
ReplyDeleteThank you for the blog post. It sounds like a fun read.
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