There was a deathly silence.
Then Baptiste Crocé leaned out from the driver's side and beckoned the startled Lao barman. 'I'll have a large cognac,' he said in French.
There was a ripple of applause from the western journalists, who were also drunk. Any madness was a welcome diversion. At that moment Baptiste saw Noelle, stood on the bench seat of the Packard, and gave her a low bow.
'Imbecile,' Noelle's escort muttered. 'He's drunk. A disgrace.'
Marcel Rivelini was her father's choice for her escort that evening; he certainly would not have been hers. He was one of his business associates from Bangkok, wealthy, sophisticated and insufferable. He was also almost as old as her father. I would not have minded that so much if he had a sense of humour, she thought.
The barman brought the Corsican his cognac. He raised the glass towards her in salute and climbed out of the Packard. He made his way, a little unsteadily, across the bar towards them. Rivelini looked tense.
This should be interesting.
'May I have the pleasure of this dance?'
Noelle smiled. 'But monsieur, there is no music,' she said.
'That is beside the point, mademoiselle. All I want is the exquisite pleasure of having such a lovely young woman in my arms.'
Rivelini stood up and punched him under the jaw. The Corsican fell backwards, breaking another rattan table. There was a hiss of disappointment from the gathered journalists.
Noelle stood up.
'I'm sorry if he offended you,' Rivelini said to her.
Noelle threw her Pernod at him. He gasped in surprise, staring in horror at the stain on his silk shirt. The journalists cheered again.
'You little bitch,' he muttered.
Noelle pushed him in the chest, harder than she intended. He fell backwards, his legs tangled in his chair, and landed in a sprawl among the tables. He twisted his knee as he fell.
Noelle knelt down beside the Corsican.
'Are you all right?' she said.
He was bleeding from the lip. He felt around the inside of his mouth with his tongue. 'Are any teeth missing?' he said.
'You're lucky he didn't kill you. He's a gangster from Bangkok. Are you crazy?'
'Look, my suit's ruined. Bastard.'
'Here, I'll help you up. You're drunk.'
'Just a little.' As she held out her hand he pulled her towards him. 'But not so drunk that I don't know I've just met the most beautiful woman in Asia.'
'Get back in the car.'
Rivelini had struggled to his feet. His knee would not take his weight and he had to lean on a table for support. 'Where are you going?'
'Thank you for an entertaining evening, Marcel,' she said and helped the Corsican into the Packard. Then, to a final chorus of cheers from the journalists, she got behind the wheel and reversed out. A rattan chair was tangled in the rear bumper and got dragged along behind as she drove off down the street.
Purchase
NAKED SERIES
Will Magdalena ever see Reyes again? How will she survive in Miami?
Purchase
Or you can email Jen Talty at [email protected] and purchase the entire series for just ($12.99) - that’s a saving of 50%!
JERUSALEM SERIES
Will Rishou ever see Sarah again? Can Netanel and his father escape the coming holocaust?
Purchase
Or you can email Jen Talty at [email protected] and purchase the entire series for just ($12.99) - that’s a saving of 50%!
Other books by Colin Falconer
New Historical Fiction by Colin Falconer
The Famous Woman Series
'Falconer's grasp of period and places is almost flawless ... He's my kind of writer.' - Peter Corris, The Australian
Purchase
“His work takes the reader through a never-ending labyrinth of twists and turns that grips and entertains. Get this book. It is a magnificent piece of work!” – History and Women
Purchase
“Spectacular historical fiction blazing with intrigue, romance and dramatic action” --Booklist
Purchase
"A page-turner . . . This peek behind the walls of the seraglio will seduce lovers of large-scale historical fiction." - Booklist
Purchase
“... a rollicking historical tale of love and revenge rendered in rich detail by a master of the genre.” - Booklover
Purchase
Ebook Short Stories
"If you haven’t read one of Colin Falconer’s novels, then I promise you are in for a real roller-coaster ride …’ Mirella Patzer, Historical Novel Review
Purchase
'It was the year I broke a bone in my leg, the year I got my first kiss and the year Jesus got himself shot.'
One dead Japanese pearl diver is starting to smell. A big, slow Filipino crewman is making trouble in Sheba Lane. And a beautiful girl called Amy O'Rourke has stirred his dreams.
Purchase
Other Historicals
“If you haven’t read one of Colin Falconer’s novels, then I promise you are in for a real roller-coaster ride of never ending intrigue ...” --Mirella Patzer, Historical Novel Review
Purchase
Santa Maria, the Solomon Islands, 1941.
According to Father Goode, the worst thing Corrigan ever did was impregnate his housekeeper during the Sunday service.
Purchase
Other Books by Colin Falconers
What is the most terrible secret a father could hide from his daughter?
Purchase
“Nick Davis first saw Daniela Simonici in the American Bar of the Athenee Palace Hotel in Bucharest in June of 1940. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The city was full of beautiful women, penniless countesses and fox-furred demi-mondaines looking to be rescued, and until that moment he had spared them only an appreciative glance. But this woman was different . . .”
Purchase
“I just figured what with guns going off and things blowing up, there’d be plenty of deep truths and penetrating insights.” --P.J. O’Rourke, Holidays in Hell
Purchase
'Falconer, whose books have been translated into 17 languages over the last 25 years, has spun together a fiction which will appeal to readers of all ages. With several twists to keep the reader engaged until the very last, Silk Road is sure to find its way onto the bookshelves of lovers of a thrilling tale.' - Liverpool Daily Post
Purchase
Purchase
“Colin Falconer is one of those historical fiction authors that takes a subject and not only researches it thoroughly but also has the talent to take you to the heart of the matter whilst making you feel that you’re seeing history being made at the time of the events. As with his other work the story has a cracking pace, the lead character Philip of Vercy believable and when blended with religious heresy alongside crusade, makes for an edge of your seat read. Add to this top notch prose a wonderfully almost cinematic feel to the story and of course a lead character that you can really get behind and all in it’s a wonderful read. Great stuff.” - Dros Delnoch, Falcatta Times
About the Author
Colin Falconer has published over 40 books in the last 26 years. HAREM was an enormous bestseller in Germany, selling over 200,000 copies.
AZTEC stayed on the bestseller lists in Mexico for four months.
He is a bestseller in Eastern Europe and his work has sold into translation in 23 countries.
He did not write for over five years but returned to publishing in 2010 with the release of SILK ROAD and STIGMATA the following year. ISABELLA was published in 2013. NAKED IN HAVANA and NAKED IN LA, the first two books in a trilogy set in the sixties, was published in November.
He likens his fiction most closely to Ken Follett - books with romance and high adventure, drawn from many periods of history.
His latest legacy novel is due for release by Atlantic London in January, 2014 and St Martins Press, in New York in August 2014.
"A page-turner . . . This peek behind the walls of the seraglio will seduce lovers of large-scale historical fiction." - Booklist
"A wonderful story ... not just a rehash of history but rather a refreshing look at this clever and charismatic leader ... pulsating with the passion of a woman."- Womens Weekly Book of the Month
"Makes dry history into a real rip-roaring read. In Falconer's hands, Cleopatra is a smart, sexy and sassy heroine." - Australian Womens Forum Book of the Month
'Falconer's Cleopatra is vulnerable, intelligent and liberated, defined by her wit as much as her beauty" - Publishers Weekly
"Falconer paints an enthralling fictional portrait of the one of the most powerful and beguiling women of all ages." - Margaret Flanagan, American Library Association
"Falconer's grasp of period and places is almost flawless ... He's my kind of writer." - Peter Corris, The Australian
"Falconer weaves a pacy story of obsession, love, greed and corruption ... Really well done." - Sydney Morning Herald
'Murder, scandal and romance all play their part . . . plausible and engrossing.' - Woman's Day
'If you haven't read one of Colin Falconer's novels, then I promise you are in for a real roller-coaster ride of never ending intrigue with both these novels.' - History and Women
Each chapter ends with a gripping cliff-hanger that makes the book irresistible and unputdownable." - Mirella Patzer, Historical Novel Review
'A magisterial tale.' - UK Daily Mail
'Falconer, whose books have been translated into 17 languages over the last 25 years, has spun together a fiction which will appeal to readers of all ages. With several twists to keep the reader engaged until the very last, Silk Road is sure to find its way onto the bookshelves of lovers of a thrilling tale." - Liverpool Daily Post
"It's wonderfully written, the characters gripping and with an epic story to unfurl within, it's one that keeps you going from the start to the end." - Dros Delnoch, Falcatta Times.
"I enjoyed his storytelling voice so much that, had this book been say, set in modern times, the intriguing main characters would still have been able to pull it off. Thoroughly recommended.' - Bookbag
"... Silk Road then is a highly recommended read. Falconer demonstrates exceptional characterization ...' Bookgeeks
'... an epic and eventful journey that spans a huge swathe of the middle and far east, and it is one that provides action, romance, and beautifully descriptive writing by the cartload." - Des Greene, Novel Suggestions
'This epic adventure story is ... living history at its best, fictionalized yet immensely believable.' Alan Gold, Good Reading.
'Loved, loved, loved this novel. Riveting!' - Historical Novel Review
"Beautifully written in typical Falconer style with plenty of snap and sharpness, and wonderfully researched, I enjoyed every page of this book." - Great Historicals
Falconer's descriptive narrative is exquisite at times. Each short chapter opens with a flowing brush of words that paint precisely, yet mellifluously, in a manner that is almost poetic. - Historical Writers Association
Honest reviews are important to an author. Please feel free to leave an honest review a Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you.
To find out more about Colin Falconer, please visit his website at: http://colinfalconer.org. You can also follow Colin on Twitter and Facebook as well as signing up on his Author Central Page on Amazon where you will be notified about his latest releases.
Copyright
Cool Gus Publishing
http://coolgus.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance of fictional characters to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Revised edition copyright © 2014 by Colin Falconer
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author and publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
ISBN 9781621251514
Table of Contents
THE BLACK WITCH OF MEXICO
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Other books by Colin Falconer
About the Author
Copyright
The Black Witch of Mexico Page 22