Murder in Thistlecross by Amy M. Reade - Book Tour + Giveaway
MURDER IN THISTLECROSS
by Amy M. Reade
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
The emerald hills and violet valleys of
Wales seem the ideal place to start over after murder—and
divorce—shattered Eilidh’s life in the Scottish Highlands. But
within the stone walls of an ancient castle, a family’s dark,
violent past threatens much more than her newfound tranquility . . .
Wales seem the ideal place to start over after murder—and
divorce—shattered Eilidh’s life in the Scottish Highlands. But
within the stone walls of an ancient castle, a family’s dark,
violent past threatens much more than her newfound tranquility . . .
For the past two years, Eilidh has
called the quaint Welsh village of Thistlecross home, embracing her
new life as estate manager of a restored fifteenth-century castle.
But the long-anticipated arrival of her employer’s three estranged
sons and their wives transforms Gylfinog Castell from a welcoming
haven to a place seething with dangerous secrets. When the escalating
tensions culminate in murder, Eilidh must sift through a castle full
of suspects both upstairs and downstairs. She can trust no one as she
follows a twisting maze of greed and malice to ferret out a killer
who’s breaching every defense, preparing to make Eilidh the next to die.
called the quaint Welsh village of Thistlecross home, embracing her
new life as estate manager of a restored fifteenth-century castle.
But the long-anticipated arrival of her employer’s three estranged
sons and their wives transforms Gylfinog Castell from a welcoming
haven to a place seething with dangerous secrets. When the escalating
tensions culminate in murder, Eilidh must sift through a castle full
of suspects both upstairs and downstairs. She can trust no one as she
follows a twisting maze of greed and malice to ferret out a killer
who’s breaching every defense, preparing to make Eilidh the next to die.
I
snuggled down under the covers again and was soon dozing, but through the fog
in my sleep-addled brain I was sure I heard faint crying. I sat up again. The
room was deliciously warm from the fire that still burned low in the grate, but
I still hated to get out from under the comfort of the blankets. Reluctantly I
tucked my feet into the slippers I kept at the side of the bed and went to the
door. After opening it cautiously, I peered into the long hallway. The gas-lit
sconces provided quivering candlelight at regular intervals, making the spaces
between them eerily dark.
Even
in the dim light, though, there was no mistaking the shadow that flitted across
the hall down toward the main door to the castle. I hesitated, not knowing who
the shadow belonged to or whether I should try to figure it out. The crying
continued, now a little louder because my door was open. My mind told me to
shut the door, get back into bed, and ignore the nighttime goings-on. My heart
told me to find out who was crying and whose shadow I had seen from the safety
of my bedroom doorway.
I
followed my heart, as usual.
It
was very cold in the hallway, so I ducked back into my room for my thick robe.
Then, pulling the sash tight around my waist, I slipped into the hallway and
closed the bedroom door behind me.
I
instinctively stayed close to the wall as I followed the flickering sconces to
the castle’s great hall. In daylight, this entrance to the home was a
magnificent gallery of antique furniture, a polished stone floor, stained glass
windows, an enormous, colorfully-painted wooden coat of arms, and even an
ancient suit of armor, posed with a lance. In the dim light of night, however,
the main hall was a frightening place. The furniture gave way to dark,
shapeless forms, the suit of armor took on a more sinister stance, and the
stained glass, which depicted pastoral scenes in daylight, seemed to glow with
an evil darkness.
When
I reached the huge front door, the iron bolt that kept the door locked from the
inside had been slid to one side. Someone had left the castle. That must have
been the bang I heard. The person I had seen stealing along the corridor was
nowhere to be found. Maybe the bang was a person coming in, not going out.
Perhaps the person I had seen had just come in from outdoors. I hadn’t heard
anyone as I made my way to the great hall, and I didn’t see or hear anyone now
that I was standing by the front door.
I
was perplexed. I hadn’t dreamed it. There had been a person in the hallway and
I had come quickly to the main entrance to the castle. How could I have missed
him—or her? But I had gone back into my room to pull on my robe. Had the person
disappeared in such a short time? Had he or she gone upstairs? Downstairs? Had
the person perhaps ducked into one of the rooms on the main floor and was
waiting, listening, until I left to return to my bedroom? The thought sent
chills up to the nape of my neck.
Was
I just being silly? Maybe Hugh had gone out for Cadi’s toiletries, though it
was quite late for that. Maybe someone had gone down to the kitchen to get a
snack. That was a far more likely explanation. There were a million reasons
someone in the castle might be about during the night, so stop making up sinister
reasons, I told myself with a
grimace.
But
that didn’t explain the crying I had heard so plainly. Was the person in the
hallway the one who had been crying? And what had he—or more likely, she—been
crying about? I didn’t know Andreas or Hugh or Rhisiart very well, but none of
them seemed to be the emotional type.
I
was spooking myself and it was getting very cold standing still in the great
hall, so I turned on the lights and peeked into the sitting room and the dining
room. I didn’t see anyone in either room so I hurried back to the safety and
warmth of my own room and my own bed.
USA Today bestselling author Amy M. Reade is also the author of Secrets of Hallstead House and The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor.
She grew up in northern New York, just south of the Canadian border,
and spent her weekends and summers on the St. Lawrence River.
She graduated from Cornell University and then went on to law school at
Indiana University in Bloomington. She practiced law in New York City
before moving to southern New Jersey, where, in addition to writing,
she is a wife, a full-time mom and a volunteer in school, church and
community groups. She lives just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic
Ocean with her husband and three children as well as a dog and two
cats. She loves cooking and all things Hawaii and is currently at work on her next novel.
She grew up in northern New York, just south of the Canadian border,
and spent her weekends and summers on the St. Lawrence River.
She graduated from Cornell University and then went on to law school at
Indiana University in Bloomington. She practiced law in New York City
before moving to southern New Jersey, where, in addition to writing,
she is a wife, a full-time mom and a volunteer in school, church and
community groups. She lives just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic
Ocean with her husband and three children as well as a dog and two
cats. She loves cooking and all things Hawaii and is currently at work on her next novel.
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5 Comments
Congrats on the tour and thank you for the excerpt and giveaway. I appreciate the opportunity to win.
ReplyDeleteThanks, James!
DeleteI enjoyed getting to know your book; congrats on the tour and I hope it is a fun one for you :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa!
DeleteI apologize for the delay in visiting. I didn't know about the tour until today. I appreciate you hosting me here!
ReplyDeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.