THE SAPPHIRE ASTONISHMENT - A NICK FIRESTONE MYSTERY by Edward C. Patterson

 

Night fell on Ashbury Street as surely as the rain. The Painted Lady embraced its tenants (and a guest) and, although they were as dry as the situation permitted, the wind made for a damp companion — a chilled-to-the-bone companion. Garments were shod immediately and draped over towel racks and windowsills. Still, despite the weather’s relentless presence, Nick Firestone and friends managed to install themselves in their hospitable warren for the evening. There had been no further discussion — the race home silently stifled by tender considerations. Nor did the conversation blossom once they were in the loft — John quietly retreated to his room, while Nick slung the backpack on the bedroom chair. Still locked in his soul’s confusion, his heart rose when he saw Amy head for bed — in her nightie. No pajama slumber party this evening. Nick grinned, tried to put his troubles behind him and disrobed to his tighty whities, which were damp. But he knew they’d be gone soon after diving under the sheets.

 

Lust has a way of erasing, even for a moment, life’s quandary. No matter what brand of sexual indulgence on the mattress, the world flew to a zone devoid of heartaches and fears. That worry’s tidal wave would return after the primal urges were satisfied held no doubt, but at least they would wash up on a different shore — a shared margin where the honeyed waters’ sleek glistening anointed knotted breasts and loitered loins. It was neither love nor a lofty totem. Animalistic, it represented naught but a dash in time unless meant to produce a legacy, which in this case it was not. Still, erasing tension with an indelible memory was as fine a thing as could be imagined and, if it became a blister in the aftermath, could always be renewed on some future beach head.

 

Also Availble on KindleUnlimited

 

254 pages

 

What Readers say:

 

"The spirit of the Jade Owl Series next generation!!! With our older friends included!!! An amazimg start of a new series featuring Nicky F irestone and his friends." - ellen

 

"The Pricilla Queen of the Desert type romp over the Golden Gate Bridge in a convertible 1967 Cadillac was priceless." - S. M. Reaves

 

"This is a terrific way to fill a day! I purchased this book right after finishing the fifth book of The Jade Owl series. I really enjoyed reading about Nick Firestone along with John and Amy Gray in this new mystery series. I'm lookinf forward to reading the next book about Old Friend Cane." - Nancy.

 

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The last time we encountered Nick Firestone (in The People’s Treasure and In the Shadow of Her Hem - Book 4 and 5 of The Jade Owl Legacy) he was a five year old scamp, precocious and filled with the spirit of adventure. Now he’s all grow’d up, as Simone DeFleurry would say, and itching for an occupation worthy of the scratch. It’s 2025 in San Francisco (post-earthquake of 2020) and things have changed for the adventurer as he wakes up to the sparkle of a rare relic – a Chinese hat-pin called The Sapphire Astonishment. 

 

This first Nick Firestone mystery will take you on a wild ride through the city by the bay as young Firestone seeks the provenance of the curious hat-pin and its secrets. Many want this prize, including characters familiar to the readers of The Jade Owl Legacy series, but you won’t need that story to enjoy this one. So, slip into your eShirts and hold on to your gillifrickers for a ride down the hills of San Francisco into the world of the youngest China Hand. Your GlimmerGlasses will never feel the same.  

 

This book is dedicated in Memory of Timothy Mulder — eBook author and pioneer.

 

Also available on Amazon

Old Friend Cane - the Second Nick Firestone Mystery on the Kindle and KindleUnlimited.

 

The Sapphire Astonishment — a Nick Firestone Mystery