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 Beatriceās 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 Jamesās death fifteen years ago.
Extract
Lady Beatrice turned back to DCI Richard Fitzwilliam, who was now drinking his coffee. She cleared her throat. āI think deep down I wasnāt holding out much hope anyone could do anything after such a long time,ā she said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. āI just hate not knowingā¦ā She hesitated. What is it I really want to know? It wasnāt 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 heād 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. āYouāre wondering if James was conned into leaving by Gill Sterling.ā
Beaās eyebrows shot up. Sheād 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. āI donāt know,ā she answered honestly, her voice barely above a whisper as she buried her fingers in the wiry fur of Daisyās back. āI just… I donāt understand why I didnāt notice he was so unhappy. I thought we wanted the same thingsā¦ā
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. āIt happens,ā he said hesitantly. āI didnāt know my wife was having an affair until it was too late.ā
Beaās heart skipped a beat. Her gaze met Fitzwilliamās, and he gave her a reassuring smile. She grabbed her coffee and took a large gulp. She hadnāt 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 casesā¦
āMy wife left me for another man,ā Fitzwilliam continued quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself now rather than conversing with Bea. āI didnāt 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.ā He sighed and shook his head. āI was in shock for a while. My entire world crashed down around me, and I didnāt see it coming. But as I picked up the pieces and moved on, I was able to admit Iād been so focussed on
making a future for us, Iād forgotten about living in the present.ā
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 toā¦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 hadnāt been as great with James as sheād remembered.
She suppressed a groan. Had the signs been there, and sheād 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, wouldnāt 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 heād shared. He gave her a forced smile and said lightly, āAnyway, it was a long time ago now.ā He shrugged. āAnd life goes on. Iād like to think Iāve learnt my lesson and changed because of it, but I bet if you asked Elise, sheād say Iām just as work obsessed as ever.ā He grinned sheepishly. Bea grinned back. Sheād met Fitzwilliamās sister last year and could imagine Elise wouldnāt 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 husbandās 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 heās 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 āneither menās death is being treated as suspicious at this timeā.
With the senior PaIRS officer dead, so is any hope of reopening the inquiry into Lady Beatriceās husbandās accident fifteen years ago. Unless, of course, there is something that links the two men to the earlās 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 ā
Hello. Iām 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.
Itās crazy busy at our house, so when Iām 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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