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 Beatriceâs 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 Jamesâs death fifteen years ago.
Extract
Lady Beatrice turned back to DCI Richard Fitzwilliam, who was now drinking his coffee. She cleared her throat. âI think deep down I wasnât holding out much hope anyone could do anything after such a long time,â she said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. âI just hate not knowingâŠâ She hesitated. What is it I really want to know? It wasnât 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 heâd 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. âYouâre wondering if James was conned into leaving by Gill Sterling.â
Beaâs eyebrows shot up. Sheâd 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. âI donât know,â she answered honestly, her voice barely above a whisper as she buried her fingers in the wiry fur of Daisyâs back. âI just… I donât understand why I didnât notice he was so unhappy. I thought we wanted the same thingsâŠâ
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. âIt happens,â he said hesitantly. âI didnât know my wife was having an affair until it was too late.â
Beaâs heart skipped a beat. Her gaze met Fitzwilliamâs, and he gave her a reassuring smile. She grabbed her coffee and took a large gulp. She hadnât 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 casesâŠ
âMy wife left me for another man,â Fitzwilliam continued quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself now rather than conversing with Bea. âI didnât 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.â He sighed and shook his head. âI was in shock for a while. My entire world crashed down around me, and I didnât see it coming. But as I picked up the pieces and moved on, I was able to admit Iâd been so focussed on
making a future for us, Iâd forgotten about living in the present.â
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 toâŠwhat? 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 hadnât been as great with James as sheâd remembered.
She suppressed a groan. Had the signs been there, and sheâd 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, wouldnât 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 heâd shared. He gave her a forced smile and said lightly, âAnyway, it was a long time ago now.â He shrugged. âAnd life goes on. Iâd like to think Iâve learnt my lesson and changed because of it, but I bet if you asked Elise, sheâd say Iâm just as work obsessed as ever.â He grinned sheepishly. Bea grinned back. Sheâd met Fitzwilliamâs sister last year and could imagine Elise wouldnât 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 husbandâs 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 heâs 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 âneither menâs death is being treated as suspicious at this timeâ.
With the senior PaIRS officer dead, so is any hope of reopening the inquiry into Lady Beatriceâs husbandâs accident fifteen years ago. Unless, of course, there is something that links the two men to the earlâs 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 â
Hello. Iâm 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.
Itâs crazy busy at our house, so when Iâm 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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