Title: Gone Before
Author: Terry Korth Fischer
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Book Blurb:
A murderer who doesn’t leave a clue. Small-town detective, Rory Naysmith, thought he’d seen it all, but a young woman’s brutal murder is especially hard to stomach. Doubly so, when he recognizes the murder’s MO is identical to that of Tobias Snearl, the killer he put behind bars a decade before. His frustration grows after a series of senseless accidents plague those dearest to him, and a second woman dies. Searching for answers, Rory races against time, plunging deep into the murder investigations, drawing ever closer to becoming a casualty of the dark, angry deeds himself, until he finds no one is who they pretend to be—and none are beyond evil’s reach.
Excerpt:
Rory heard Thacker coming before he saw him. Spit and polish, dressed in his police blues, with a broad face that would give him the perpetual look of youth, he stepped out of the tree line and said, “The band's still playing at the pavilion, but it won't be long before the mass exodus to town.” He carried an army trenching tool in one hand and the tire-jack handle from the police cruiser in the other. He raised them in a show-and-tell manner for Rory to see. “I'm scheduled to report in at ten. Until I go on duty, I'm all yours.” The police radio crackled at his shoulder.
“This shouldn't take that long.” Rory had managed to shift his weight and, with his free leg extended over the rocks, achieve a semi-natural reclining position, as if he were relaxing while perched on the large boulders and taking in the view of the river. His predicament couldn't have been evident to the young officer.
Moving closer, Thacker asked, “What's up?”
“I got my damn foot caught between these rocks.”
Thacker frowned. He placed the tools on a nearby boulder and took an oversized flashlight from his belt. He pointed the light beam down the crevice. Rory leaned out of the way, giving him as wide a berth as possible.
“I can't see a thing. Pull your pant leg out of the way.”
“I think my guardian angel is off for the Fourth.” The detective studied the cloudless sky, and tried not to think about his foot. It didn’t work. “Just use the crowbar to break one of these frickin' stones loose.”
The jack handle didn't do the trick. Opening the trenching tool and using the pick end, Thacker swung it against the largest stone. It bounced off the surface. Rory suppressed a scream as pain shot from his knee down his encased leg. “Easy!”
“Sorry, boss.”
“Try removing one of the outer stones. Loosen them, and maybe we'll be able to budge these. I'll hold the light, and you make room for these damn jaws to unclasp. Try finding the cornerstone.” A fine layer of perspiration covered Rory's face. He felt defeated and a little nauseous. He leaned back on his elbows and looked at the sky. “Thacker,” he said, “this is damn unlucky.”
The rookie moved down the mound to the edge of the pile. Using the crowbar and a lot of muscle, he attacked. Finally, he was able to roll one stone out of position. Then another. He was still three feet from Rory's crevice, working his way toward the more enormous boulders and Rory's ultimate freedom, when the rock he was prying loose rolled out of place. He hesitated. “There is something funny here, boss.”
“I could use a good laugh.”
“Not ha-ha funny, peculiar funny.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“There's someone else in this rock pile.”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pxOQWs
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3sBQxnn
Googleplay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Terry_Korth_Fischer_Gone_Before?id=bW9YEAAAQBAJ
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3mE67v1
Author Biography:
Terry Korth Fischer writes short stories, memoirs, and mysteries. Her debut mystery, Gone Astray, introduces Detective Rory Naysmith, a seasoned city cop relocated to small-town Winterset, Nebraska. The Rory Naysmith Mysteries continue with Gone Before. Transplanted from the Midwest, Terry lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and two guard cats. When not writing, she loves reading, frolicking with the kitties, and basking in the sunshine. Yet, her heart often wanders to the country's heartland, where she spent a memorable—ordinary but charmed—childhood. Learn more about Terry at her author website: https://terrykorthfischer.com
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