Murder on the Mountain by Carolyn LaRoche
Series: Marshall Brothers #1
Publication date: May 2nd, 2020
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
Emma Thomas hasn't been home in years. Only back in Staunton for a few months, she plans to put her investigative reporter skills to use in exposing the trafficking group using her peaceful, idyllic hometown to move drugs. But when she stumbles onto more than drugs, bullets start flying and she has to ask the one person she left Virginia to avoid for help.
Detective Adam Marshall has been working this cartel case for months. On the precipice of breaking the organization wide open, he can't believe the one woman he'd never been able to get over now holds the key to closing his case. His head warns him to steer clear, but his heart won't let him walk away when Emma's life is on the line.
Thrown together by chance after so many years, Adam and Emma work together to break the biggest case of both of their careers and heal some old wounds in the process. Falling in love wasn't on the docket for either of them, but things don't always go as planned.
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Excerpt
"Sir?"
Adam looked up at the sound of the voice and tap on his office door. "What's up, Murphy?"
"There is a--woman--at the desk demanding to see you. She says it's an emergency."
Adam narrowed his eyes at the young uniformed officer. The other man had a tendency toward the dramatic, but he'd proven himself in the field. At the moment, he looked really concerned. "Are you not sure if she is a woman?"
Officer Murphy shook his head. "It's not that. You, um, have to see for yourself."
"Okay." Adam pushed his chair back from his desk and stood up. "Show me what you got."
Adam followed him out to the lobby desk but froze when he saw the woman standing there. Sticks and leaves tangled in her shoulder-length brown waves. Dirt and dried blood smudged her face, a tear in her jeans bared a scraped knee, and her light blue fleece jacket had a variety of colorful stains on it. He hadn't seen her in so long he might not have recognized her under all the debris, except he'd know that woman anywhere.
"Emma." He walked a little closer. "What happened?" What he really wanted to ask was What are you doing here?
"We need to talk." She glanced around at all the people staring at them. "In private." Emma leaned in a little, lowering her voice as though it would matter. "It's about a crime."
He motioned toward the way he'd come. "We can talk in my office." To Murphy he said, "Please get Ms. Thomas a bottle of water."
"Yes, sir." Officer Murphy disappeared in the direction of the break room, and Adam led Emma to his office.
When they were inside and the door was closed, Emma collapsed into one of the chairs, shaking. Tears ran down her face, leaving streaks in the dirt as they trailed to her chin and dropped onto the front of her jacket.
Adam perched awkwardly on the edge of his desk, a box of tissues extended to her. Emma grabbed a couple and wiped at her eyes, then blew her nose.
"I'm sorry. I'm so not a crier." She threw the tissues in the trash can. Her hands shook noticeably.
He remembered that about her. "It's the adrenaline dump. Nothing to apologize for." A knock sounded on the door. "Come in!" Adam called.
Officer Murphy walked in and handed the bottle of water to Emma. "Do you need anything else, miss?"
She shook her head, and Adam gave him a nod of dismissal.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Adam finally asked. And maybe why you specifically asked for me out of all the cops in this precinct.
Emma nodded and wrung her hands in her lap. "Yes. I just--I need a minute to gather my thoughts."
"How did you know I'd even be here?"
She shrugged. "I didn't. I just hoped you would be."
Adam looked up at the sound of the voice and tap on his office door. "What's up, Murphy?"
"There is a--woman--at the desk demanding to see you. She says it's an emergency."
Adam narrowed his eyes at the young uniformed officer. The other man had a tendency toward the dramatic, but he'd proven himself in the field. At the moment, he looked really concerned. "Are you not sure if she is a woman?"
Officer Murphy shook his head. "It's not that. You, um, have to see for yourself."
"Okay." Adam pushed his chair back from his desk and stood up. "Show me what you got."
Adam followed him out to the lobby desk but froze when he saw the woman standing there. Sticks and leaves tangled in her shoulder-length brown waves. Dirt and dried blood smudged her face, a tear in her jeans bared a scraped knee, and her light blue fleece jacket had a variety of colorful stains on it. He hadn't seen her in so long he might not have recognized her under all the debris, except he'd know that woman anywhere.
"Emma." He walked a little closer. "What happened?" What he really wanted to ask was What are you doing here?
"We need to talk." She glanced around at all the people staring at them. "In private." Emma leaned in a little, lowering her voice as though it would matter. "It's about a crime."
He motioned toward the way he'd come. "We can talk in my office." To Murphy he said, "Please get Ms. Thomas a bottle of water."
"Yes, sir." Officer Murphy disappeared in the direction of the break room, and Adam led Emma to his office.
When they were inside and the door was closed, Emma collapsed into one of the chairs, shaking. Tears ran down her face, leaving streaks in the dirt as they trailed to her chin and dropped onto the front of her jacket.
Adam perched awkwardly on the edge of his desk, a box of tissues extended to her. Emma grabbed a couple and wiped at her eyes, then blew her nose.
"I'm sorry. I'm so not a crier." She threw the tissues in the trash can. Her hands shook noticeably.
He remembered that about her. "It's the adrenaline dump. Nothing to apologize for." A knock sounded on the door. "Come in!" Adam called.
Officer Murphy walked in and handed the bottle of water to Emma. "Do you need anything else, miss?"
She shook her head, and Adam gave him a nod of dismissal.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Adam finally asked. And maybe why you specifically asked for me out of all the cops in this precinct.
Emma nodded and wrung her hands in her lap. "Yes. I just--I need a minute to gather my thoughts."
"How did you know I'd even be here?"
She shrugged. "I didn't. I just hoped you would be."
About the Author:
Carolyn LaRoche grew up in snow country but fled the cold and ice several years ago. She now lives near the beach with her husband and their two sons. She's been known to lug her laptop to the baseball fields and keeps a notebook by her bed to jot down the next big story idea in the wee hours of the night.
There is a giveaway for a $5 Amazon gift card + an ecopy of Murder on the Mountain (1 winner)
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