Title: The Long Black Night
Author: Darin Fortner
Genre: Historical Mystery
Book Blurb:
When Major Booth
Sommerlott travels into the foothills of the Appalachians for a weekend house
party, the last thing on his mind is murder. But then his host, an old college
roommate, is killed –and the guests discover that the severe storm of the night
before has washed out the roads and stranded them on the estate.
Now, with no outside
help, it is up to the major, the only one in the house with any investigative
experience, to unravel the curious circumstances of the crime. What part do a
lady’s perfume, an unusual pistol shot, an empty morphine bottle, and a missing
kitchen knife play in the explanation of the crime? And will he be able to find
the solution before the killer strikes again?
An amateur gentleman
detective, an isolated house full of suspects, a logical if unexpected
conclusion… Major Sommerlott returns in another baffling 1930s mystery.
Excerpt:
He did not go directly to his room, but
stopped and pushed open the door to Randall Holt’s bedroom. The injured man was sitting halfway up in
bed, staring at the ceiling. His niece
was seated in a chair drawn up to the foot of the bed, her eyes on her uncle’s
face with a mixture of tenderness and fear.
She swung her hopeful face to the major when he entered; Holt, on the
other hand, glanced sideways at him without moving his head and then resumed
his contemplation of the ceiling.
“Would
you excuse us, Miss Holt? I need to
speak to your uncle privately.”
She
glanced wonderingly at her uncle, but he did not lower his eyes to meet hers,
and with a quick nod she left the room.
Sommerlott sat down carefully in the chair she had vacated.
“Mr.
Holt, I think it’s time you and I had a serious talk.”
The
injured man lowered his head to meet the major’s gaze, but his expression was
blankly innocent.
“You
wanting me to tell you who it was walloped me?
I was hit from behind, you know…”
Sommerlott
shook his head. “I’m fairly confident
that I know who the responsible party was.
What I want to know is the reason why you were attacked– and I’m certain
you can tell me that.”
A
mulish look crept onto Holt’s face as he tried to convince himself that he
could bluff his way out of their conversation.
He said, “I don’t reckon I know what you mean. I’m jest as floored by what happened as
anybody else.”
The
major’s shadowy brown eyes were inscrutable.
He reached into his pocket and drew out the bloody socks that had been
retrieved earlier by Alexander, holding them up so that they were clearly
within the other man’s field of vision, and tossed them onto the bed.
“Those
are yours, aren’t they? You can guess
just where they were found. I think a
number of people would be interested in your explanation of how Donald
Easterman’s blood came to be on your clothes.”
Holt
sat bolt upright in bed– and winced sharply as he did. His eyes were wild.
“You think I killed Mr. Easterman,
don’t you? I swear–”
“As
a matter of fact, I don’t. But it would
take a good deal of convincing for the sheriff and the jury not to think
that. It’s no secret that you had a
strong motive for killing him, and with this evidence…”
The
color drained from the other man’s face, and when he spoke his voice was
husky. “You know about me and Victoria?”
Sommerlott
said only, “How long has the affair been going on?”
“
’Bout four years now.”
“Did
Easterman know about the two of you?”
“I-
I was sure he didn’t. He never said
anything to make me think he did. In… in
a way it was a sort of a game, to carry on behind his back. I never thought it would come to this…”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and
BookBub):
What makes your featured book a
must-read?
In this classic scenario, a
housebound group of suspects is trapped with a wily killer- and only one man
can sift through the clues and identify him in time.
Giveaway –
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Winner will be drawn on
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Author Biography:
Darin and Sarah Fortner have been happily married
for ten years and live in west-central Indiana, where they are the proud
parents of an adorably affectionate red tabby. They enjoy watching a variety of
TV shows and movies, especially mysteries (although Sarah tends to solve the
mystery too quickly!). They also enjoy puzzles and games of all sorts and
spending time with loved ones. In addition they serve as volunteer ministers in
their community.
Darin has held a variety of jobs over the years,
primarily in customer service. From an early age he has delighted in exploring
the world of books and has written stories to amuse himself. In recent years he
has self-published two historical mystery novels detailing the investigations
of a WWI veteran in South Carolina in the 1930s. Sarah has an Associate of
Applied Science degree in Office Administration, and has held positions in
fields ranging from retail grocery to mental health. She is a master at
learning and using different kinds of computer programs. She also shares a love
of card games with various family members and friends.
Social Media Links:
www.linkedin.com/in/darin-fortner
Website: https://fortnercreations.com/
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