In the Bleak Midwinter (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries)
Julia Spencer-Fleming
Language: English
Pages: 308
ISBN: 1250006511
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
It's a cold, snowy December in the upstate New York town of Millers Kill, and newly ordained Clare Fergusson is on thin ice as the first female priest of its small Episcopal church. The ancient regime running the parish covertly demands that she prove herself as a leader. However, her blunt manner, honed by years as an army pilot, is meeting with a chilly reception from some members of her congregation and Chief of Police Russ Van Alystyne, in particular, doesn't know what to make of her, or how to address "a lady priest" for that matter.
The last thing she needs is trouble, but that is exactly what she finds. When a newborn baby is abandoned on the church stairs and a young mother is brutally murdered, Clare has to pick her way through the secrets and silence that shadow that town like the ever-present Adirondack mountains. As the days dwindle down and the attraction between the avowed priest and the married police chief grows, Clare will need all her faith, tenacity, and courage to stand fast against a killer's icy heart.
In the Bleak Midwinter is one of the most outstanding Malice Domestic winners the contest has seen. The compelling atmosphere-the kind of very cold and snowy winter that is typical of upstate New York-will make you reach for another sweater. The characters are fully and believably drawn and you will feel like they are your old friends and find yourself rooting for them every step of the way.
A Dismal Thing to Do (Madoc Rhys, Book 3)
The House without the Door (Henry Gamadge Mysteries, Book 4)
The Problem of the Green Capsule (Dr. Gideon Fell, Book 10)
The Little Sister (Philip Marlowe Series, Book 5)
remember Katie’s parents’ address? Was it on Depot Street?” “No. I don’t know her parents’ names. Oh, whoa, she has a big sister, though. She was a senior when I was a freshman. Kristen. She works at Fleet Bank as a teller.” “The branch here in town?” “Yeah. I know because that’s our bank.” “Okay, Alyson.” Russ gathered up the photos and closed the folder. “Thank you for your cooperation. You’ve been a big help.” “I can go? I’m done?” “That’s right. I don’t need a formal statement from you,
out the cars in the parking lot. He didn’t like all-night stores, they were targets for trouble. “She’s getting into mail orders now, says she wants to make up a whole catalogue. It’s great, it’s been really just great.” “Sounds like she found her vocation. Good for her. It can be hard for some military families to readjust to civilian life. You two have any kids?” “No,” he said. “What’s your story? You came from Virginia originally?” “Born and bred in a small town outside of Norfolk,” she
relaxation. “Darrell said he knew who the baby’s father was. Said he had surprised Katie and him together last winter, in a car.” She looked at the sheaf of papers trembling in her hand. “He said he could get money from the guy. He called him that afternoon, that last afternoon.” “Darrell called someone?” “Oh my God, Ma, do you know the phone number? Do you know his name?” Brenda’s face quivered. “He didn’t tell me none of the details, honey. You know I’m not good—” “Not good with details.
her way up to her office, pausing to plug in the coffeemaker. Lois must have turned down the thermostat when she left at noon, since the parish hall was even colder than usual. Clare could up the setting by a few degrees, but her first good look at the yearly oil bills a few days ago had shown her exactly why the church was rarely warmer than 62 degrees, even in the coldest weather. She sighed. Mr. Hadley would be in at 5:30 tomorrow morning to turn the heat up before the services. She could
a clean trail, but she could put breaks in it, make it hard to follow, slow him down. If she went straight for the road, it would only make it easier for him to catch her. Even if she could manage to run in the slippery snow, he must have a vehicle somewhere, not too far from where he ran into her, near the junction of the camp road and the mountain road. He had a gun. He had a flashlight, was dressed for the environment, was bigger and probably heavier than she was. He wanted her dead. She