Stolen Hearts
Page 27
For more details: www.elise-noble.com/copper
If you’d like to read about the Fidda Hilal murder Emmy mentions, you can find that story in Trouble in Paradise, the first book in my Trouble series.
When Callie Shawcross's wedding plans fall apart, a friend convinces her that a relaxing break in the sleepy Egyptian town of Fidda Hilal is just what she needs.
As she arrives in the former Bedouin fishing village, Callie feels a sense of peace. The sun is shining, the locals seem friendly and the sparkling azure sea is calling out to her. The day she meets a sexy stranger, she finds a welcome distraction from the life she left back home. But as her feelings for him get more serious, events in paradise take a dark turn.
After a series of mysterious disappearances, Callie is left hunting for answers, and during her frantic search, she finds out it's not only the town that has secrets.
For more details: www.elise-noble.com/trouble-in-paradise
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END OF BOOK STUFF
The town of Dahab has cropped up in a few of my Blackwood books now, and was also the inspiration behind the fictional town of Fidda Hilal in Trouble in Paradise. I first travelled there in 2012 for a last-minute beach holiday because I was craving some sun. Problem is, I’m not really cut out for sitting around doing nothing, and I lasted one day on a sunlounger before I got bored. A sign nearby offered free introductory scuba dives, and as I squeezed myself into a borrowed wetsuit, I didn’t realise quite how addictive diving could be. Honestly, parts of that first week weren’t particularly pleasant—days spent doing mask-off/kit-off drills underwater and evenings spent studying for tests—but by the time I left, I’d got my open water qualification. And I was hooked.
I’ve been back every year since, and I figured it was about time I wrote a story set there. Emmy and Black’s adventures aside, crime rates in Dahab are actually pretty low, and the town itself is special. It’s not modern and shiny, and that’s part of its charm. The weather’s nearly always good, the sea’s awesome, and the people are super friendly.
After loads of requests for another Emmy and Black book, I figured last year that I’d better pull my finger out and get it done, so I decided to use my holiday as a research trip. And of course, people helped because that’s what Dahabians do. This story definitely turned into more of a team effort than usual!
First problem, I needed to work out where to dump Carmela’s body, and who better to ask than a bunch of divers. Big thanks to Eid, Hamed, and Thorsten from Sinai Divers Backpackers for all the brainstorming! After a bunch of discussions, we decided on the spot by the Caves, and one day when we were out on the boat, Eid came sprinting outside and herded me over to the railing. “Look! Do you think he’s dumping a body?” Sure enough, there was a white pickup parked in exactly the right spot, but I wasn’t about to dive down and find out.
The kitesurf chase came to life one tipsy night in Jackie’s restaurant (the Mexican restaurant by the bridge). The lighting wasn’t so good, so we were basically sitting in the dark eating tacos. At that point, the local police’s theme was “thou shalt not drink alcohol,” so Jackie’s got these neat little hollow stools with lift-off lids for people to hide their booze if the cops came. Needless to say, the stools were pretty full that night.
At first, I was going to have Emmy and Black borrow a boat to hunt down the bad guys, but that seemed so tame. Then Toby and Fiona, both kitesurf instructors, pointed out that kites can go faster than boats and the new idea was born. Thanks also to veterinarian Liz for reminding me how much blood there would be, everywhere. Even Jackie, who’s a technical diver when he’s not running his restaurant, got involved, supplying churros and information on the kit Emmy and Black would need on their little expedition.
To share the Dahab love, my lovely friend Kristina took photos of the places that inspired the book, and I’ve put them on my website. If you’d like to take a tour of the town and see the places Emmy and Black visited, you can do that here:
www.elise-noble.com/stolen-hearts-dahab
Sadly, I couldn’t find a transplant scientist in Dahab, but I did bump into one a few weeks later in the UK. Thank you, Alasdair, for answering my questions, even if it was a strange conversation to be having at a funeral! And yes, a few years ago, people really did carry organs in picnic coolers across London on the Tube!
I hope you enjoyed Emmy and Black’s first thriller book. I had a blast writing about them again, and if there’s enough interest, you may see them back in another adventure. Watch this space!
Elise
OTHER BOOKS BY ELISE NOBLE
The Blackwood Security Series
For the Love of Animals (Nate & Carmen - prequel)
Black is my Heart (prequel)
Pitch Black
Into the Black
Forever Black
Gold Rush
Gray is my Heart
Neon (novella)
Out of the Blue
Ultraviolet
Glitter (novella) (2019)
Red Alert
White Hot
The Scarlet Affair
Quicksilver
The Girl with the Emerald Ring (2020)
The Blackwood Elements Series
Oxygen
Lithium
Carbon
Rhodium
Platinum
Lead
Copper (2019)
Bronze (2019)
Nickel (2020)
The Blackwood UK Series
Joker in the Pack
Cherry on Top (novella)
Roses are Dead
Shallow Graves
Indigo Rain
Pass the Parcel (TBA)
Blackwood Casefiles
Stolen Hearts
Blackstone House
Hard Lines (TBA)
Hard Tide (TBA)
The Electi Series
Cursed
Spooked
Possessed
Demented (2020)
The Trouble Series
Trouble in Paradise
Nothing but Trouble
24 Hours of Trouble
Standalone
Life
Twisted (short stories)
A Very Happy Christmas (novella)