Yvonne‘WRITTEN IN BLOOD‘ – Chapter One
The body was lying face-up on a sheepskin rug, the top of the head caved like a squashed plum. Detective Joe “Preach” Everson kneeled to view the corpse. To him, the splayed limbs suggested an uninhibited fall, rather than a careful arrangement of the body.
Which didn’t fit with the two miniature crosses, one wood and one copper, placed side by side on the slain man’s chest.
Officer Scott Kirby eyed the battered skull and let out a slow whistle. “What did that? A sledgehammer?”
Preach replied without averting his gaze from the body. “It’s a blunt force trauma, for sure.”
“How come the eyes are open?” Kirby asked. “I thought that was for TV.”
“Gravity. The muscles relax, the lids peel back.”
“Huh. Smell’s not as bad as I thought,” Kirby said, though Peach had seen the junior officer’s brown skin blanch when they entered the living room of the fashionable townhome.
Detective Everson knew it was Officer Kirby’s first body, his first whiff of rotting flesh tinged with the sticky sweet odor of spilled blood. Kirby had been on the force for just two years, fresh out of community college and a string of dead end jobs before that, and the number of murders in Creekville, North Carolina in the last two years was an easy one to remember.
Zero.
…
Clicking on the book’s title will link you directly with it’s Goodreads listing.
Check out Mailbox Monday for more details about both book and author.
…
WHAT IS ‘BOOK BEGINNINGS’?
Would the first few lines of your book make you want to read on?
If so, would you like to share them with us, (without revealing too many spoilers of course) ?
Visit your host, Gilion @ ‘Rose City Reader’
You can then leave a link to your own book beginnings post, or just browse for some great reads, there are always plenty of new authors and titles to be discovered.
Don’t forget that Gilion and all the other contributors to this meme love to hear from you, so why not leave a comment or two at the same time?
I can’t wait to do a little blog hopping myself and check out all the great Book Beginnings you have!
…
Fantastic choice, Yvonne!
I do love the bookish book cover, too. 🙂
Here’s my choice for this week http://bit.ly/2y00q06
Close to Home, by Cara Hunter.
Have a great weekend!
Hi Sassy,
I have to admit that I didn’t choose this book, it more or less chose me!
I have been promoting and applauding Layton’s skills as an author, almost since he first began publishing fiction and with the exception of the fantasy series he appears to be developing and in which I must confess, I have little interest, I am pleased that he is branching out into more stand alone stories, which are all totally unique and interesting.
Of course this particular book was always going to make its way onto my list, not only because of that amazing book shop cover art, but because of the excellent sounding bookish story line!
Thanks for visiting today, I always look forward to reading your comments 🙂
This one definitely gets off to an exciting start! It’s a stand-alone, right? I might have to keep it in mind for future reference.
Hi Kelly,
Yes, this is definitely a stand alone at the moment, although even should Layton develop the character of Joe “Preach” Everson any further, this will presumably remain as book #1
Layton has assured me that he is going to continue developing the occult series featuring Dominic Grey (which is great for Halloween and R.I.P challenges) and I see that he is also working hard on establishing a new fantasy series.
Layton is definitely adept at writing across a multiplicity of genres, whilst maintaining the quality and interest in all!
Thanks for the interest in this week’s ‘Book Beginnings’ post and enjoy your weekend 🙂
I was just thinking it is about time for a good mystery. This book’s opening makes me think this might be a good choice. My quotes from Hamilton REvolutionary
Hi Anne,
Not just any old mystery, this is most definitely a literary mystery, perpetrated by a killer with a disturbed mind, but one who knows his classical death scenes well.
It is now that my lack of knowledge about many of the classics is going to show, or I might have been able to spot some of the books he, or indeed she, is using in their crimes. As it is, I am going to have to hope that “Preach” is a little more educated than me!
Thanks for stopping by this time, I love receiving and answering comments
Creepy snippet to share Yvonne, sounds like a good read! ewww about the eyelids. Enjoy it.
Hi Naida,
I had also never really thought about eyes staying locked open after death, so whilst not wishing to cast aspersions on Layton’s research, I just had to check out the phenomenon for myself ….
“Eyes naturally remain partially open after death due to muscle relaxation. For many years, cotton was placed under the eyelids to help keep them shut and maintain the proper shape for open casket services. Now spiky “contacts” called eye caps hold the eyelids in place”
A bit of a gory subject to be discussing I know, but at least it goes to show that the detail in the narrative is accurate and has provenance.
Thanks for all the catch-up comments, you really don’t have to, but I truly appreciate it all the same
I haven’t been reading much lately, but this certainly sounds up my street. I love a good crime novel.
Hi Nikki,
My reading has been painfully slow of late, so I am grateful that I have plenty of Blog Tour and promotional posts in store, just to keep content on Fiction Books relevant and up to date!
Layton is one of my favourite authors, who writes so well across multiple genres, so I am rather hoping that Detective Joe “Preach” Everson, is going to be solving the first of many cases?
I hope that all is well with you and that you have enjoyed this beautiful October Sunday sunshine 🙂
Well that sounds intense! Thanks for sharing!
Lauren @ Always Me
Hi Lauren,
Intense, definitely!
I do enjoy good, descriptive writing and Layton always obliges on that score.
If you check out the premise, you will also see just how creepy this one gets.
Can’t wait to start reading 🙂