Widowed single mother Ellen Lange is caught in the middle of a police investigation after two of her elderly residents are murdered. She never figured being the administrator of the Kingsley nursing home would include fending off questions about a serial killer from one very attractive detective. Between parenting her 10-year-old daughter and still reeling from the death of her beloved husband, Ellen finds herself shying away from the attraction she feels for the detective.
Special Investigator Bill Watts is on the case of the Ponytail Perp and has more than just questioning in mind when he meets Ellen. With a killer at large, and his concern for Ellen escalating, as new evidence appears that may concern her, Bill finds himself wanting to spend more and more time with her and her daughter. He just has to convince Ellen that he is there for the long haul.
Reviewed by Teagan of BookWenches, an independent reviewer.
In this story, the interaction among the characters is wonderfully written, giving the reader a dose of witty humor and edge-of-your-seat suspense. I even teared up at one point and had to grab the tissues. This book intrigues the reader on so many levels. It will appeal to many people, as it weaves so many different genres into one story. I enjoyed Ellen’s strength of character and her commitment to her daughter. It spoke to me as a parent, and added to the realistic feel of this story. The author has wrapped a sweet romance, fraught with the typical problems of relationships, inside a suspense that seems straight out of true crime. It meshes together for an exceptional story. I found myself unable to put it down and at no point did I suspect what the mystery might be, Ms. Painter does a fabulous job of keeping the reader guessing right up to the end. If you are in the mood for a story that will play on your emotions, and keep you in suspense at the same time, this is a book for you.
--Teagan
Excerpt
A few nights later, Ellen and Patti were putting supper together. Sherman was curled safely off in the corner, watching for the signal that his dinner was ready.
“Mom, do you ever get lonely?”
Ellen put the pot back on the stove and looked at Patti. “Sure. I miss your father terribly. You must miss him, too.”
Patti picked up the dog’s dish and began ladling dry dog food into it. She faced her mother, spoon in the air. “I think about him a lot, Mom. Sandy’s parents have been really nice to me. They include me in a lot of their family stuff, but sometimes I feel like a charity case. It’s not like when we used to get together--when Daddy was here and the weekends were... fun.”
“We can’t expect the Millers to include us the way they used to. Les is their dad and he sets the pace with his own family. I don’t think he wants the widow...” Ellen’s voice caught in her throat. “...the neighbor lady tagging along on their family outings.”
“We had so much fun when Daddy was here. He knew all about baseball.” Patti paused. “He was...”
“Special?”
“Yeah.” Patti put the spoon on the counter and walked into her mother’s arms. “I miss him, Mom. The KidzCamp counselor said I always would. Doesn’t it ever stop hurting?”
“It will hurt less someday, especially if they find the person who was driving the car that caused the accident. But for both of us, there will always be an empty space where your daddy was.”
“I get scared sometimes. I woke up this morning, and I couldn’t remember what he looked like.”
“You’ll remember him again, just the way he was when you were little. You have his pictures to remind you. We should get one laminated so you can carry it with you in your backpack.”
“You moved them downstairs, but I know where they are. I went to look for the pictures this morning. I just couldn’t go to school without seeing him. Is that okay? Is that normal?”
“Sit down a minute, honey. Let me explain something.”
Patti sat.
“Everything you’re feeling is normal. It’s okay to remember your dad any way you want to. No one should talk you out of it.”
“Do you think about him... a lot... when you’re at work?”
“Sometimes. Mostly I think about him at home and on those long, empty weekends you mentioned.”
“When the kids have things they do with their families. That’s the worst.”
“Maybe you and I could go see Great-gramma some weekend soon--when the weather in Pennsylvania gets better, before your softball season begins.”
“I’d like that. She’s very old, Mom. Is she gonna die, too?”
“We all die. We just don’t know when. She’s quite the miracle at her age.”
“Daddy wasn’t old. He was only forty-five when… And you’re forty. Are you--? But his was an accident.”
“People die when it’s their time.” Ellen had never told Patti she thought Tom might have been deliberately hit. At her age, Patti shouldn’t know about that kind of meanness. “We just have to move along in our lives and trust that we have enough time left to do what we came for.”
“I hope you have a hundred years, Mom.”
Ellen hugged her daughter. A hundred years without Tom sounded like a life sentence.
~ * ~
Professional Reviews
BookWenches
Widowed single mother Ellen Lange is caught in the middle of a police investigation after two of her elderly residents are murdered. She never figured being the administrator of the Kingsley nursing home would include fending off questions about a serial killer from one very attractive detective. Between parenting her 10-year-old daughter and still reeling from the death of her beloved husband, Ellen finds herself shying away from the attraction she feels for the detective.
Special Investigator Bill Watts is on the case of the Ponytail murderer and has more than just questioning in mind when he meets Ellen. With a killer at large, and his concern for Ellen escalating as new evidence appears that may concern her, Bill finds himself wanting to spend more and more time with her and her daughter. He just has to convince Ellen he is there for the long haul.
********
In this story, the interaction among the characters is wonderfully written, giving the reader a dose of witty humor and edge-of-your-seat suspense. I even teared up at one point and had to grab the tissues. This books intrigues the reader on so many levels. It will appeal to many people, as it weaves so many different genres into one story. I enjoyed Ellen’s strength of character and her commitment to her daughter. It spoke to me as a parent, and added to the realistic feel of this story. The author has wrapped a sweet romance, fraught with the typical problems of relationships, inside a suspense that seems straight out of true crime. It meshes together for an exceptional story. I found myself unable to put it down and at no point did I suspect what the mystery might be, Ms. Painter does a fabulous job of keeping the reader guessing right up to the end. If you are in the mood for a story that will play on your emotions, and keep you in suspense at the same time, this is a book for you.
--Teagan
6/4/09
Marcia Ford Blurb
Julie Eberhart Painter is a talented writer whose voice needs to be heard. She is an accomplished storyteller, but her novels are always more than mere stories. Mortal Coil is no exception; here Julie weaves an intricate tale of vengeful murder, corporate greed, and family troubles. I highly recommend Mortal Coil---and all of Julie's books.
---Marcia Ford, author of 22 books, including We the Purple: Faith, Politics and the Independent Voter
Shelley Fraser Mickle Blurb
Julie Painter is a fine writer who always delivers a whopping good tale, and Mortal Coil is no exception, rife with intrigue, get-down-and-happy relationship stuff,and important issues at the bottom. You can't go wrong spending a weekend with Mortal Coil.
Shelley Fraser Mickle, author of The Assigned Visit and Barbaro, America's Horse. "
