Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com for some intriguing excerpts. Mine is from Murder and Bitter Tea and following Katherine as she decides to go undercover as a nurse at an exclusive nursing home
BLURB:
Katherine’s newest tenant is estranged from her family and is the granddaughter of one of Katherine’s friends. When her friend falls and fractures her hip, the elderly woman is taken to Hudson House nursing home, an exclusive house.
Katherine’s friend becomes concerned about several recent and unexpected deaths. When she dies Katherine’s curiosity and suspicions send her undercover as a nurse. Soon she’s deeply involved.
Can she learn who is behind the scheme to end the lives of wealthy patients without becoming a victim?
Excerpt:
After unlocking the brakes, I pushed
her along the hall to one of the elevators. We exited on the ground floor and
moved through what had been the ballroom and now was a dining/activity center. The
wide French doors opened onto a terrace where a ramp allowed easy access to the
gardens. I found a sunny spot beside a white bench.
“Why all the secrecy?” I asked.
She heaved a sigh. “The intercom.”
Her answer puzzled me. Yes, health
care facilities had intercom systems, but listening in on conversations was
difficult. Sometimes, the static and crackle made the patients who called for
help hard to hear. “What don’t you want heard?”
“In a minute.’ She clutched her purse to her chest. “Yesterday
afternoon, I heard the man across the hall arguing with one of his sons. The
man refused to sign some kind of paper. The son shouted. ‘If you don’t, you’re
signing your death warrant. I need the power of attorney. Steve is just the one
to see you dead.’ A nurse sent the son
away.”
“Sounds like a family quarrel. People
often say things they don’t mean when they’re upset.”
“That man died last night. I heard
the nurses call the code and saw them pushing that red cart into the room.”
“Are you sure the one who died was
the same man you heard earlier?”
“His room was directly across the
hall from mine.”
“Do you know why he was here?”
She shook her head. “Another odd
thing happened at dinner. One of the other residents asked why my neighbor
hadn’t come to the dining room. He said they had planned a card game. The aide
said the patient was too tired to leave his bed.”
“He could have had a relapse.”
“I suppose. When I asked the nurse
what had happened, she said he’d had a heart attack. She also said deaths were
expected when people are old and in poor health. I just thought his death
coming so soon after the threat was odd.”
“Are you worried about yourself?”
She shook her head. “No, but I am
pushing eighty.” She frowned. “Last night, Marcus and I had words about Jenna. I
don’t understand his anger toward her. She wasn’t the driver. He insists a
witness saw her behind the wheel, but he refused to say who saw the accident. I
told him I planned to make some changes in my will.”
“How did he react?”
“Told me to think long and hard. I
didn’t tell him the changes had been made months ago. I mailed two letters to
the attorney just before the accident. They’ll explain why I acted the way I
have.”
“Why not tell him?”
“I wanted them to be surprised.”
Though a million questions swirled in
my thoughts, I kept silent. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired. A bit short of breath.”
“Have you noticed any swelling in
your feet or ankles?”
“Hard to tell when you’re not moving
about.”
“Why don’t you ask Dr. Brookes to
stop by?”
My Places
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/
Buy Mark
https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/
3 comments:
You're definitely building the suspense and tension here, Janet. Well done!
A murder mystery in a rehab facility -- good setting. It's fresh, and the options for killing abound.
Great excerpt. So much tension and suspense.
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