“Damn it, why can’t we be speaking these words under different circumstances?” Kent ground his teeth in frustration.
Herculea raised a soft hand to caress his face. “This is the perfect time. This is an adventure.” She grinned. “How many other women would you ride on a helicopter with to storm the island of an immortal Silver Goddess and search for a Golden Orca?!”
Kent pressed her hand to his lips and returned her grin. “Just you, Herculea. Just you.” He pulled Herculea back into his embrace, but just as he leaned in to kiss her, the drone of another aircraft startled them both.
They looked into the sky and saw a luxury private jet swooping in for landing shockingly close to where they stood. The wind picked up strength from the approaching jet, whipping Herculea’s hair and nearly lifting her off her feet. The jet landed a moment later, and out walked Pedro, donning dark sunglasses and a matching European suit. Herculea gasped in shock as Kent stood stiffly, rage fueling his body forward to confront Pedro.
“Kent, stay here!” Herculea urged, but Kent had already advanced on Pedro.
The two men stood face to face, both wearing masks of wrath, as Herculea stood in the background holding her breath. She would not allow Kent to fight Pedro. She wanted to fight him herself! Lunging towards the insolent man, Herculea let out a shrill battle cry.
Lowering his sunglasses slightly and looking down at her arrogantly from his nose, Pedro laughed mockingly. “You are not a warrior, so don’t try to beat me. I am invincible. And I have all the time in the world to win.”
*****
SILVER GODDESS
BOOKS 1-4 COLLECTION
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES…
Amazon.com: Silver Goddess (Books 1-4) eBook: Anisa Claire West: Kindle Store
Special Preview of Anisa Claire West’s
THE FRENCH MAID MURDER
Prologue
Newport, Rhode Island
The Milton Mansion
“Follow me. The dead body is this way,” Roberta Milton the mansion matriarch instructed nonchalantly.
Trailing the flawlessly coiffed redhead down an ornate marble floored hallway, I tried to brace myself for the grotesque sight awaiting me. Even though I had been with the police force for a decade, I invariably became unraveled when dealing with death. And this case would be my nerve-wracking début as co-lead investigator. Gulping in a deep breath, I wore a mask of indifference as the lady of the house led me into a spacious den. Distastefully, I glanced around at the hunting prize heads proudly hung on the walls. Emotionlessly, as though she were a docent giving a tour of an art museum, Roberta Milton pointed to a body curled up on the floor next to a vacuum cleaner.
“There she is. Poor Fifi,” Roberta mused, dotting invisible tears from her hazel eyes.
Clad in a French maid uniform complete with a lacy white apron, black high heel shoes, and an upswept chignon, the victim appeared no older than 40 or so. I bowed my head sadly, willing myself to stay professional and not let my soft heart melt into a puddle at the victim’s feet. A summer breeze swayed in from the veranda, turning my attention to the magnificent ocean views outside the mansion. The Milton family was like a dynasty in Newport, famous for their wealth inherited from a successful wine making business. Their opulent oceanfront estate was located a short walking distance from the historical Breakers mansion where the Vanderbilts had resided during the Gilded Age. It seemed incongruous for such a tragedy to befall the Miltons’ perfect snow globe world.
“Fifi LeChou was pronounced dead 10 minutes ago,” a burly paramedic announced gravely. “Right before you got here, Detective Langford. We couldn’t revive her.”
I nodded curtly, visually inspecting the body and finding no signs of blood or trauma. “When did you find her?” I asked Lady Milton.
“Right before I called the ambulance of course,” she replied with a hint of defensiveness.
“Was she dead when you found her?” I continued.
“Dead as a doornail,” Lady Milton sighed as I flinched at the crass metaphor.
“How do you know that she was dead?” I challenged.
“Because she wasn’t moving!” Lady Milton replied as though I were a complete moron.
“Did you touch her?” I probed.
“Heavens no!” She shivered violently.
“How do you think she died?” I quizzed her.
“Well, it looks like she was electrocuted by the vacuum cleaner. The thing must have short circuited somehow,” Lady Milton theorized, pointing to the vacuum hose that the corpse was strategically gripping.
“Yes, that is what it looks like,” I said meaningfully. “But there are other possible explanations for how she died.”
“Such as?” Lady Milton asked haughtily.
“Such as murder,” I stated emphatically as Lady Milton’s eyes became glassy with fear and her breath shallow as salt water washed upon the shore…
The French Maid Murder - Kindle edition by Anisa Claire West. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Special Preview of Anisa Claire West’s
MURDER IN THE OUTBACK
Packing Checklist for Rita’s Australian Adventure
Sunscreen with SPF 15,000,000
Wide-brimmed straw hat
Insect repellant (lots of it)
Grape flavored lip balm (with more SPF)
Cute sundresses (for possible dates with Aussie hunks)
Canteen for water
Writing journal
Sunglasses
Camera & equipment
Binoculars
Bill Bryson’s indispensable & hilarious guide, In a Sunburned Country
Enough courage to make the Great Barrier Reef look minuscule…
Prologue
Santa Monica, California
Packing for the Australian Outback…
Zipping up my duffel bag, I slung the pack over my shoulder and promptly collapsed face first onto the floor from its staggering weight. Maybe I should have packed more lightly? Reluctantly I unzipped the bag and removed a few paperback books and other non-essentials, but I couldn’t bear to leave my adorable, flirty, breezy sundresses behind. Never mind that I would be spending most of my four-week trip behind the zoom lens of my camera; who knows who I might run into? Famous for its rugged, laid back, sun-kissed men, Australia beckoned to me as much for the possibility of new romance as for the exotic photo ops in the bush. Travelogues had taught me that Australia is the deadliest country in the world with the threat of snakebites and other critter attacks constantly looming, but I was sure nothing could be as toxic as the two year relationship I had just ended with a man who thought my first name was You Stupid Idiot.
“Here boy!” I called to my loyal toy poodle named Pouf.
Standing on his hind legs, he ardently gobbled up the milk bone I offered him. “Good boy.” I patted his little head, elated that he would be joining me on my adventure. All my friends told me I was crazy for bringing Pouf with me, but then again they thought I was daft for taking this trip at all and quitting my cushy but lackluster job as photo editor for a food magazine. My closest friend, Amy, warned me about the abject misery of being stung by a box jellyfish and the poisonous perils that lurked in every savage corner of the Outback.
Brushing my rising fears aside, I grabbed Pouf’s kennel and whispered to my buddy, “Time to go, boy. We have a flight to catch.”
If only I had known when the 747 soared out of LAX that day into the smog-filled sky that the venomous snakes and omnipresent insects would be the least of my worries. As I settled in with a good book for the grueling 14 hour flight, I never would have guessed that it was the people, or rather one person in particular, whom I needed to fear…
Murder in the Outback - Kindle edition by Anisa Claire West. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Dear Reader:
Thank you for reading Murder on the Riviera. I hope you enjoyed r
eading about Chelsea and Charles’ crime solving! I welcome your feedback and make an effort to personally respond to every email I receive. Write to me at [email protected].
Happy Reading!
Cordially,
Anisa Claire West
Titles Available by Anisa Claire West
COZY MYSTERY
& ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
A Fashion Felon in Rome
A Pastry Thief in Paris
Cake Battered
Cappuccino Twist
Champagne Deception
Cookie Dough Crook
Cupcake Shop Clues
Dark Chocolate Murder
Deep Dish Lies
Hotcake Homicide
Hot Fudge Fraud
Murder in the Mix
Murder in the Outback
Murder on the Riviera
Northern Moonlight
The French Maid Murder
The Scarlet Suit Murder
Vexed in Venice
Wild Autumn
FANTASY
Silver Goddess Series:
Island Tango, Book 1
Orca Dance, Book 2
Leopard Rhythm, Book 3
Mermaid Gold, Book 4
Incan Power, Book 5
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Eternal Melody
ANTHOLOGIES
Chocolate Covered Crimes
Crime Flies!
Deadly Bites
Exotic Daydream
Fashionable Crimes
Goons, Gondolas & Gelato
Passion’s Raindrops
Pick a Poison
Silver Goddess
Small Town Scary
Small Town Spooky
Sweet as Pie Crimes
Tasty Crimes
The ULTIMATE Cozy Mystery Collection
About the Author
Anisa Claire West graduated with honors from Yale University and also holds a Master of Arts degree in Literature and Teaching. Learning about cultures is Anisa’s passion, and she has studied more than half a dozen languages including French, Arabic, and Italian. A certified yoga instructor, Anisa embraces mind-body fitness, animal advocacy, and a compassionate lifestyle. She also enjoys California cuisine and has sampled more than a few of the recipes included in this book!
Murder on the Riviera Page 14