I am pleased to have Michigan author Maris Soule here today. I've admired her work ever since I met her more than twenty years ago. Here she is to tell you about her new release, A KILLER PAST.
Thank
you, Diane, for inviting me to your site. You write about other worlds and
switched identities. Seventy-four-year-old Mary Harrington lives in our world,
in a small town in southwest Michigan, but who is she, really?
Her
friends would say Mary is the widow of the local dentist, mother of a financial
advisor, and loving grandmother to an eighteen-year-old granddaughter. Her neighbors actually know little about her
other than she goes to the gym regularly and just recently had her picture in
an article about men and women staying active in their seventies, eighties, and
nineties. No one realizes what Mary did in her twenties—really did—or what her
name was back then.
If
the two teenaged gang members had known, maybe, when Mary’s car broke down just
two blocks from her house, those boys wouldn’t have considered her an easy
target. And maybe if one of the boys hadn’t grabbed her arm, she wouldn’t have
reverted to old habits. She’s pleased with herself for not killing them, but
not pleased that a police sergeant is now investigating the incident. No matter
how many times she tells him she wasn’t the one who put the boys in the
hospital, he keeps nosing around, looking into her past.
A Killer Past was a fun book to write. It’s an
action packed suspense as Mary tries to protect her family, save her own life,
and convince her son that just because she has some bruises, she doesn’t need
to go into a retirement home. There’s also a touch of romance as Sergeant Jack
Rossini goes from simply being curious to truly caring what happens to Mary.
I
can picture Helen Mirren as Mary Harrington, and I wish I had some of Mary’s
physical and mental abilities, but I guess I’d have to go to the gym more often,
and I certainly don’t want to kill anyone.
A Killer Past was first published in London,
England last March by Robert Hale Ltd. and was released in the US and Canada in
June. It is available as both a hardcover and e-book and can be ordered from
Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com or from ipgbook.com
A Killer Pastby Maris Soule
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books |
Books-A-MillionGenre: Mystery / Suspense
Published by:
Robert Hale / Hale BooksRelease Date: June 1, 2015
Length: 224 Pages
Most
people in the town of Rivershore, Michigan view Mary Harrington as a
quiet widow whose only oddity is that she spends a lot of time at the
gym. Her son thinks it’s time for her to move into a retirement home.
Two gang members think she’ll be an easy target. No one in Rivershore
knows what Mary did in her younger years—really did—but the two gang
members discover they’ve underestimated their victim . . . and Mary
fears reverting to old habits may have jeopardized her future.
Excerpt:
Mary limped into her living room and sagged into Harry's Lazyboy. Her
heart hadn't stopped pounding since she'd left the two boys. Even though
pain radiated up her leg, the adrenalin racing through her body
overrode the sensation. Excitement clashed with fear. My God, what had
she done?
The boys
hadn't been content to simply take her purse and run. Oh no, they
wouldn't leave it at that. The short one blocked her escape while the
tall one looked inside her purse. He said a twenty wasn't enough, wanted
to know where she'd put her credit cards, where she lived. They'd
threatened her.
When the tall one grabbed her arm and reached for the lapel of her
jacket, she didn't even think before she reacted. Forty-four years might
have passed, but her body automatically responded with ingrained moves.
A shift of position, one step back, and she had her assailant off
balance. She used her cell phone as a weapon, jamming the edge hard
against the bone of his forearm. As she applied pressure, a sweep of her
foot, along with a twist to her side, had him falling forward. The
moment he hit the ground, she dropped down and slammed her knees into
his back and ribs. Before he could react, she used the edge of the cell
phone to cuff his ear, then grabbed his arm and gave a violent twist. He
started screaming right after she heard his shoulder pop.
A quick roll to the side put her on her back. The short one stared
down at her, his mouth open and his eyes glazed with confusion. She knew
she didn't have much time, but springing to her feet was not an option.
Her joints might remember the moves, but age had robbed her body of its
elasticity. What once had taken a single maneuver now required three
stages, but she was on her feet before Shorty truly understood what was
happening.
She used
the cell phone in her hand to deliver the blow to his face, a side kick
took out his knee, and a chop to his neck put him down on the ground.
In the past, she would have finished him off then, finished both of them
off. She knew the killing points. Two strategically placed jabs, and
both of the boys would be eliminated, no more threatening old ladies.
But that was in the past.
"You stay where you are," she demanded over their whimpering.
She retrieved her purse from where the tall one had dropped it, gave
the pair one last glance, and turned away. Breathing hard, she hoped she
wouldn't have a heart attack before she reached her house.
About Award-Winning Author Maris Soule
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page
Writer, teacher, artist,
wife, mother, dog trainer, horse rider, boater. Maris Soule can list an
array of occupations and avocations. Even as a writer her 29 published
books span a variety of genres and subgenres, ranging from short stories
to romances, romantic suspense, and mystery. A two-time RITA finalist,
Soule has placed in and won several writing contests. Born and raised in
California, Soule and her husband now spend their summers in Michigan
and their winters in Florida.
Review by Diane Burton
Wow. All
I can say about this book is WOW. Since reviews should include more, I’ll say “Criminals,
watch out for Mary Harrington. She will take you down.” Looks are deceiving. Two
gang members find out the hard way that 74-year-old Mary can kick butt. When Detective
Jack Rossini probes into the situation with the injured gangmembers, Mary’s
hidden past is about to be revealed.
The outstanding
pace of this thriller made me read way into the night. Mary’s character, though
flawed, is very believable. Her son’s overprotectiveness, Jack’s bulldog
determination, her granddaughter’s enthusiasm for adventure add depth to the
story, making the characters come alive. The setting is very well done. Although
the town of Rivershore, Michigan is fictitious, the reader is grounded by
references to real places. Well done, Maris Soule.
