Remote Consequences
A cozy mystery by…
Kerri Nelson
Med school drop-out Mandy Murrin
has returned home to care for her mentally handicapped, teenage sister. But
despite having multiple college degrees under her belt, Mandy finds jobs aren't
easy to come by in small town Alabama. Now instead of a stethoscope, she's
forced to sport a tool belt as a technician for the local cable company, Flicks
Vision.
But things go from bad to worse when, while on assignment at the Mayor's house, Mandy finds herself in the attic amongst cobwebs, Christmas decorations, and...a corpse? Suddenly Mandy's life is turned upside down with one missing body, a high school nemesis turned police detective, a mysterious stranger, and a town full of long buried secrets. If Mandy's not careful, this could be one dead end job where she may not make it out alive!
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Excerpt:
Two
hours, three sneezes, and a half a box of Tic Tacs later, I was crouched in the
oppressive heat of the attic. After two phone calls back to the office to ask
my boss questions, I'd finally deduced that there must be a faulty coaxial cable
somewhere in the house's wiring. Finding it was going to take time and
patience. And I was low on both.
My
stomach grumbled with hunger, and the dispatcher had radioed twice to ask when
I might be able to take the next service call. But I was stuck here in the
mayor's dreadful attic until I could find the source of the problem.
I
inched along the perimeter in the near dark. When it came to blood and anatomy,
I could stomach almost anything. But when it came to bugs and creepy crawlies,
I was as girly as they came.
Holding
my Maglite XL at arm's length to warn me of potential eight-legged predators, I
scooted my knee forward another notch and winced as a splinter made its way
through my pants leg and speared my tender flesh.
"Dammit."
I
eased back onto my bottom and surveyed the damage. A shard of laminated wood
about three inches in length protruded from my pants leg. I yanked it free and
tossed it behind me. I'd have to tend to my wound later. A brief daydream image
of sitting on a sunny beach—margarita in one hand, and a hefty worker's
compensation check in the other—made me grin. Not a likely outcome for a
splinter-induced injury, though.
Boxes
of holiday decorations, an old baby crib, stacks of books, and a deep freezer
cluttered the area. Standard stuff. Nothing special about His Honor's attic.
Deep freezer?
Who
had a deep freezer in their attic? My head snapped back to the opposite corner
where a standard eight-cubic-foot, chest-style freezer sat in the shadows. I
stood up, brushing off the back of my pants. Deep freezers were heavy suckers.
I knew this because I'd once had the corner of one dropped on my toe in my
aunt's cellar basement.
As
if in response to the memory, my toe ached deep inside my boot.
I'd
never seen anyone lug a heavy deep-freeze up to an attic. It didn't make much
sense, but at the same time—wouldn't it feel great to open that lid and feel
the mist of ice-cold frost caress my face? Memories of homemade ice cream and
preparing containers of summer vegetables for the fall trickled through my
memory. Summers had been good once. A long time ago.
Back
and knees stiff from the attic crawl, I limped toward the freezer. I doubted it
was even running. Who would be stupid enough to run it up here? What if it
defrosted and leaked down through the floorboards? Imagining worst-case
scenarios was kind of like a superpower to me.
But
as I reached out to touch the dusty lid, I heard the humming thrum of the motor
inside.
Probably shouldn't mess with it.
I
looked around the attic as if someone were going to pop out and shake their
finger at me for snooping. But when no one appeared, I lifted the lid.
The
blessed frost hit my face, and I inhaled the frigid glory. But when the mist
cleared—my breath caught in my throat. Lungs frozen in an ice block of silent
shock.
There, among the Tupperware containers, curled
into a fetal position was…one dead body.
About the author
Kerri
Nelson survived a fifteen year career in the legal field and then took her
passion for crime solving to the page. But her journey to become a mystery
author took a decade long detour into the world of romance where she penned
twenty two novels and novellas in various sub-genres.
Born and raised a true southern belle, Kerri
holds many useful secrets: how to bake a killer peach cobbler; how to charm
suspects with proper batting of the eyelashes; and how to turn your parasol
into a handy weapon.
Kerri is an active member of Sisters in Crime and
Romance Writers of America which includes various volunteer positions such as
Board Member at Large and Daphne Published Contest Category Coordinator of Kiss
of Death RWA (Chapter for Romantic Suspense Authors).
Learn more about Kerri and her new Working
Stiff Mystery Series, at her website: www.KerriNelson.com
For Contests and More, visit Kerri’s Author Blog here:
*********
Kerri is giving away a gift bag full of
goodies !!!
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Guest Post
Guest Post
Things to do in Alabama When You’re Not
Dead by Kerri Nelson
My new mystery Remote Consequences is set in real life small town, Millbrook,
Alabama. If you ask my main character,
Mandy Murrin what there is to do in Millbrook—she’ll probably say “not a heck
of a lot”—except maybe for the food, there are always places to eat. Cause southerners love their food. But, when we are not cooking out on the back
deck, trying new recipes in our beloved crock pots, or tailgating for SEC
football season, we still need other stuff to do. And, in reality, there are a lot of great
things to do in my home state and more specifically in the River Region of
central Alabama. Here are just a few
things to do when you’re not stumbling across dead bodies (like Mandy has been
doing lately):
1.
If you like to eat: Visit the
Catfish House in Millbrook. This quaint
restaurant is full of local seafood and heaping helpings of everything southern
from cole slaw, to beans, and handmade hush puppies. And, on a romantic note, right outside this
location was where my hubby first kissed me.
Is that a southern romance story, or what?
2. If you like to explore: Visit Fort Toulouse in nearby Wetumpka. This Indian reservation holds over 6,000
years of historical significance and it is just plain beautiful, too. Oh, and Creek Casino is not far away. This brings back memories for Miss Maimie
(featured in the book) who is a former Vegas showgirl.
3. If you like to soak in culture: We have the breathtaking Alabama Shakespeare
Festival in our capital city of Montgomery.
A professional theatre that will knock your socks off. It sports two theatres seating up to 1000
guests combined as well as landscaping that will take you back to historical
England and beyond. Prepare to be impressed.
4. If you like the water: Take a river boat cruise on a paddle boat
down the Alabama River. I did this last
year for my birthday. A spectacular meal
was included as well as live music. It
was a night to remember. And, in a
future Mandy mystery—be wary of searching all the nooks and crannies on the
boat!
5. If you like music: Visit the Hank Williams Museum. This singer/song writer is an icon in
American country music and a symbol of southern family tradition.
These are just some of the secrets that
locals hold dear. What are some must see
places in your hometown?
Hope you’ll visit us soon. Mandy will be waiting for you.
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