Slivers of Glass
By
Janet Elizabeth Lynn
And
Will Zeilinger
Summary
Summer 1955: The body of a woman thought to be killed three years earlier is found behind a theater in Hollywood. Movie stuntman Skylar Drake, a former LAPD detective, is dragged into the investigation. He can make no sense of the crime until he discovers a dirty underworld and unearths deep-seated… greed.
The hunt takes Drake to places he’d never expect. He’s anxious to close this case and get back to his business in L.A., but he’s constantly haunted by the memory of his wife and young daughter, killed in a mysterious house fire.
With more than enough dirty cops, politicians and crime bosses to go around, Drake can trust no one including Martin Card, the cop assigned to work with him.
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Excerpt
There were a dozen other things I could’ve been doing besides standing in line at the drug store listening to Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” piped in overhead. Though, it was a treat to watch the cashier move behind the counter in her form-fitting white smock. I shook my head and plopped a tube of Pepsodent and a couple of toothbrushes on the pharmacy counter.
She looked up and said, “That will be seventy-five cents, Mr. Drake.”
I dug in my pocket and dropped three quarters in her hand, “Thank you, Miss Abernathy.” She placed my items in a small white paper bag and folded over the top. “Here you are, and quit calling me that. My name is Emily. Anyway, this should keep you smiling brightly. I only wish I could see yours sometime.”
In all the times I’ve walked to this drug store, I couldn’t remember a day she didn’t smile at me. Too bad there was a ‘y’ at the end of Emily’s name. Women with names like Sandy, Cathy or Abby were bad luck. Those ‘y’ women were always trouble and it would be dangerous to get mixed up with another one now.
“Thanks,” I tipped my hat, "When I have something to smile about, I might just show you.” I knew Emily pretty well since this place was only a couple of blocks from my apartment, an apartment I lived in because a fire took my home along with my beautiful wife Claire and Ellen my little girl.
As I turned to leave, I winked at the two little old ladies behind me. They stepped back and stared as if I’d just sneezed in their faces. I turned and waved goodbye to Emily only to see her pointing behind me in horror. I followed her gaze and saw a dark green car hurtling toward us - right through the huge windows at the front of the store! The gigantic crash at my back sent shelves, boxes and cans hurtling in our direction. I turned around as glass, smoke and debris seemed to explode in a cloud around us. At that moment my training from the Marine Corps took over. I instinctively swept up the two ladies and Emily and pushed them to the back of the store. The other customers ran screaming out the huge opening where the storefront windows used to be. I shielded the women against the back wall with my body all the while knowing that my weight could suffocate them, but what else could I do? The ceiling could come down on us at any moment. I held them against the wall while listening to my heart pound. Slowly the tinkle of glass subsided and I released them. Tiny slivers of glass and wood had embedded themselves in my sweater and trousers. “You’d better be careful,” One of the little old women chirped, “Your backside looks like a pin cushion. Best not to sit down for a while.”
Bio:
JANET ELIZABETH LYNN was born in Queens, New York and raised in Long Island, until she was 12 years old. Her family escaped the freezing winters and hurricanes for the warmth and casual lifestyle of Southern California.
Janet has always wanted to write and made it a quest to write a novel. Ten years later, with much blood and sweat, her first murder mystery novel, South of the Pier, was published in 2011. She has since written seven more mysteries. Miss Lynn has traveled to the far reaches of the planet for work and for pleasure, collecting wonderful memories, new found friends and a large basket of shampoo and conditioner samples from hotels.
At one time Janet was an Entertainment Editor for a newspaper in Southern California.
Contact info:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.lynn.5477
LinkedIn:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanetLynn4
e-mail: janet_lynn51@yahoo.com
website: www.janetlynnauthor.com
WILL ZEILINGER has been writing for over twelve years. During that time, he took novel writing classes and joined writer’s groups, but what has helped the most are published authors who mentor, encourage, critique and listen to him while he continued to learn the craft. At the time of this writing, Will has published three novels (Ebooks.) The Naked Groom, Something’s Cooking at Dove Acres, and The Final Checkpoint (also in print).
As a youth he lived overseas with his family. As an adult he traveled the world. Will lives in Southern California with his wife Janet Elizabeth Lynn, who is also an author. Will says that finding time to write while life happens is a challenge.
Contact info:
Twitter: @Will_Zeilinger
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wzeilinger
Ambrosia
A very popular dessert in the 1950’s,
served at the famous Coconut Grove Night Club in Los Angeles. The “Grove” was
known for its great cuisine. The Coconut Grove is featured in one of the scenes
in Slivers of Glass, a Noir murder Mystery.
Ingredients
2 oranges or tangerines
Sugar
2 bananas
Shredded coconut, unsweetened
Direction
Peel the oranges or tangerines, pull the
pieces apart; cut the pieces across the middle. Peel the bananas and cut them
into thin slices.
Cover the bottom of the bowl with orange
pieces. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of sugar over the oranges (depending on the
sweetness of the oranges/tangerines). Put some banana slices on oranges, and
then sprinkle a little coconut over bananas.
Do the same thing for the next layer, first
the oranges, sugar, bananas and coconut. Make more layers, using all the fruit.
Sprinkle coconut on top. Cover with plastic
wrap, refrigerate for 1 hour. Serves 3-4
Wow, what an excerpt...adventure, danger and humor rolled into one. Nicely done. SLIVERS OF GLASS sounds like a fun intriguing read, and I love your bio pic. Nice to meet you, Janet and Will!
ReplyDeleteAn interesting combination, indeed.
DeleteThank you for stopping by, Mae!
Kudos to the authors of this mystery-- sounds adventurous and action packed. I love vintage recipes! Thanks for sharing this one. We have always had ambrosia but not made exactly this way. I will have to try it.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. The book sounds a real "who done it"story. And the recipe is something even I here could try.
DeleteThanks for leaving a comment!