NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Friday, February 15, 2013

Her Fatal Valentine, Part 6

If you’re just joining us, you should know that Not Your Usual Suspect authors are treating our fans to an eight-part mystery round robin, Her Fatal Valentine. It started on February 4, so it’s easy to get caught up!

We continue our Valentine mystery round robin with Part 6 of Her Fatal Valentine by Elise Warner

Lauren stared at the man she once loved. The eyes that had enveloped her in love were now pinpoints of hate. She couldn’t believe he was the same man—gentle, kind—he had transformed into a vehicle for vengeance. How could she have loved him? A single tear escaped and she hoped he hadn’t noticed.

She needed to see Kyle’s body once more. There was something about the way he had been positioned on the floor, something familiar about the table setting. She had to get back into the house. She would use tears or pretend to faint. Something. Anything.

Lauren moved toward the door, her shoe caught in a floorboard, she stumbled and fell. Carter reached her side, grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. A cry of pain escaped her mouth and she let the tears fall.

“My ankle,” she said. “I twisted my ankle.”

He half-dragged her inside the living room and pushed her down on a hard chair.

Lauren took a fleeting look at Kyle’s body and the hole in his shirt—a replica of the shot that had killed Caroline. A casual glance was enough to know that the table mirrored her own on the night Caroline was murdered and Mike—what had happened to Mike? Flowers and candles were on the table and the mantel, she was sure there was champagne on ice and two filets waiting to be chilled. The room she had decorated for a Valentine’s celebration with Mike had been replicated.

“You did this. It was you,” she screamed at Carter. “You murdered Caroline. You—no one else was so familiar with the house I shared with my sister, no one knew me the way you did. You set it up. Kyle’s murder is a copycat murder.”

Carter raised his arm about to strike. “You’re crazy. Out of your mind,” he said.

Lauren buried her face in her hands.

The door burst open. “We’re here, Carter,” a deep, burly voice said.

Is Carter the murderer? Has Lauren lost her mind? And what happened to Mike? Join us on Monday, February 18 for part 7 by Julie Moffett.

8 comments:

Kathy Ivan said...

This just keeps getting better and better. I'm just sorry it only has 2 more scenes to go. Can't wait to see how these talented authors tie it all up.

Copy cat murder indeed!

Julie Moffett said...

You rocked it, Elise!! Only 2 more to go! Who did it? :)

Anne Marie Becker said...

Wow! It's going to be a challenge to wrap up all these delicious details. :) And where's Mike??

Clare London said...

I find myself wandering around the house saying "Mike! Where's Mike?" How sad am I? And still the mystery deepens ... :)

Rita said...

Now how is this going to end? I see three trails here.

Elise Warner said...

I think we all want to know more about the mysterious Mike.

Jean Harrington said...

What if there is no Mike? Then what?

Elise Warner said...

AhHah, Jean...the plot thickens.

More Popular Posts