Genre ~ cozy crime
Series ~ A Right Royal Cozy Investigation #7
Publication date ~ September 27, 2023
Page count ~ 310
I am delighted to share an extract today ~ thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for organizing.
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Intro
Lady Beatrice and her business partner Perry Juke are at Gollingham Palace, the official residence of Lady Beatrice’s uncle, King James, managing the redesign and refurbishment of several guest suites. Meanwhile Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam, who is based in the security wing of the palace, has just had a difficult conversation with Bea informing her that Chief Superintendent Tim Street was no longer prepared to investigate further into her husband James’s death fifteen years ago.
Extract
Lady Beatrice turned back to DCI Richard Fitzwilliam, who was now drinking his coffee. She cleared her throat. “I think deep down I wasn’t holding out much hope anyone could do anything after such a long time,” she said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “I just hate not knowing…” She hesitated. What is it I really want to know? It wasn’t about why James had gone home that night when he had been due to be in London or what had been bothering him in Miami. In truth, she wanted to know if a clever woman had manipulated James into leaving her and their life together or if he’d simply fallen in love. She swallowed and took another sip of her coffee.
Fitzwilliam looked up at her, his dark eyes scanning her face, then he leaned forward, his piercing gaze fixed on her. “You’re wondering if James was conned into leaving by Gill Sterling.”
Bea’s eyebrows shot up. She’d never seen Fitzwilliam as the perceptive type, especially when it came to feelings, but he seemed to have hit the nail on the head. She blushed and looked away. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly, her voice barely above a whisper as she buried her fingers in the wiry fur of Daisy’s back. “I just… I don’t understand why I didn’t notice he was so unhappy. I thought we wanted the same things…”
Fitzwilliam sighed and leaned back in his chair. He ran a hand through his hair, and she could tell he was choosing his words carefully. “It happens,” he said hesitantly. “I didn’t know my wife was having an affair until it was too late.”
Bea’s heart skipped a beat. Her gaze met Fitzwilliam’s, and he gave her a reassuring smile. She grabbed her coffee and took a large gulp. She hadn’t expected him to open up like that, especially not when he was so distant and unemotional most of the time. Well, except for when he was telling me off for interfering in his cases…
“My wife left me for another man,” Fitzwilliam continued quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself now rather than conversing with Bea. “I didn’t know she was unhappy. I was so wrapped up in my work, trying to progress my career. I never really paid enough attention to how she felt, even though now I can look back and see that she tried to tell me.” He sighed and shook his head. “I was in shock for a while. My entire world crashed down around me, and I didn’t see it coming. But as I picked up the pieces and moved on, I was able to admit I’d been so focussed on
making a future for us, I’d forgotten about living in the present.”
Bea moved her jaw from side it side. Her fingers were curled around her warm mug of coffee like a lifeline. Who was this man sitting across from her, sharing his personal story in an attempt to…what? Make her feel better about not seeing that her marriage was unravelling or to show that he, too, had been blindsided by the end of a relationship? Either way, she appreciated his effort, even if it was a little clumsy. He was seeming to imply that maybe things hadn’t been as great with James as she’d remembered.
She suppressed a groan. Had the signs been there, and she’d simply missed them? She glanced over at Fitzwilliam, now engrossed in his coffee cup again. What happened to his wife and the man she ran off with? It would be rude to ask, wouldn’t it? Yes! She sat back and let the silence, thick like fog, curl around them like a veil of understanding.
Fitzwilliam shifted in his chair and cleared his throat, as if suddenly embarrassed by what he’d shared. He gave her a forced smile and said lightly, “Anyway, it was a long time ago now.” He shrugged. “And life goes on. I’d like to think I’ve learnt my lesson and changed because of it, but I bet if you asked Elise, she’d say I’m just as work obsessed as ever.” He grinned sheepishly. Bea grinned back. She’d met Fitzwilliam’s sister last year and could imagine Elise wouldn’t hold her punches with her older brother.
Book blurb:
Uncovering a web of conspiracy that intertwines past and present, can Lady Beatrice and DCI Richard Fitzwilliam catch a killer and unveil the truth of her husband’s death at long last?
BREAKING NEWS Second Senior Police Officer Dies Within a Week
A senior officer from the Protection and Investigations (Royal) Services died unexpectedly yesterday. His death comes hot on the heels of Detective Inspector Ethan Preece (43) from City Police, who died of a suspected heart attack last week. Although he’s not yet been named, the dead officer was a greatly respected public figure, who had served in policing for over thirty years. A PaIRS spokesperson has confirmed that ‘neither men’s death is being treated as suspicious at this time’.
With the senior PaIRS officer dead, so is any hope of reopening the inquiry into Lady Beatrice’s husband’s accident fifteen years ago. Unless, of course, there is something that links the two men to the earl’s fatal car crash?
Can she and Fitzwilliam, along with their friends, work together to unravel the mystery and catch a killer before the truth is buried forever?
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Author Bio –
Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.
I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.
It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes
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