Detectives Hawkins and Clark have a double murder; bodies with .45 bullet holes are the clues. Psychiatrist Samoa Tate is the key no one knows exists.
Detectives Hall Hawkins and Edward Clark of the 30th Precinct Homicide Division are assigned the daunting task of solving the brutal murders of handsome Exquisite Wheels owner, David Bass, and his beautiful fashion designer date, Kay Spencer. The case is every homicide detective's nightmare: A double murder with only one clue . . . corpses riddled with bullets from a .45.
As Hawkins and Clark pursue this cunning, cold-blooded killer, they uncover one sordid detail after another about the lives of the wealthy and worldly victims, shedding no light on the case. A string of unsolved mirders following on the heels of the Bass and Spencer case deepens the mystery.
Detective Hall Hawkins' stunning family friend, psychiatrist Samoa Tate, is introduced to the sophisticated and charming Detective Edward Clark and finds herself embroiled in a love triangle she alone knows all about and a murder mystery of which she is completely unaware.
Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
The handsome couple’s sudden burst of laughter rang out and bounced from pillar to pillar as they entered the silent parking garage. He was an elegantly dressed man with a long, black cashmere coat¾tall, golden, with glorious green eyes and black hair. She was a rich, chestnut brown woman with a sleek, glossy haircut and seductive red lips, wearing red spike heels and a full-length silver fox coat. As their laughter subsided and they walked toward his car, he remotely disarmed the alarm system and released the locks. He encased her arm in his, and their footfalls on the cement floor were all that could be heard. Before opening the passenger door of his gold Mercedes-Benz CL500, he cradled her chin in his hand and placed an intimate kiss on her lips.
The muffled thud of the Mercedes’ handle nearly obscured the metallic slide and clack of the 45. The couple looked up in surprise in the direction of the unfamiliar sound. The first bullet tore through her chest and violently thrust her back into his arms. The second bullet tore through her skull, exited, and bore into his throat. The final three bullets riddled the couple’s bodies as they crumpled and danced to the cold, gray floor. His body struck the panel of the car next to them and the shrill car alarm echoed through the wide, flat, steel and cement structure.
* * *
Watching the eleven o’clock news, Samoa Tate lay in bed clutching her white terry cloth robe, shivering, sneezing and sniffling. Samoa dabbed at her beet red, sore nose with a tissue and swore she would never again be lured out on a window ledge in the middle of the winter with another patient¾no matter what. They would just have to jump and if they survived, she would counsel them in the cozy comfort of a hospital. Never, that Samoa could recall, had anyone ever mentioned pneumonia being one of the hazards of psychiatry.
As usual, the news began with the goriest local news. The only thing that could possibly change the opening format would be if something exceedingly gory had happened elsewhere in the world.
The pretty female commentator flashed a cosmetically perfected, glossy smile and said, “Tonight there has been a gruesome shooting of an affluent couple in the parking garage of the posh Tilton Condominiums. Kay Spencer, a fashion designer, was pronounced dead on the scene. Her date, David Bass, owner of Exquisite Wheels, a national Mercedes-Benz dealership chain, is in critical condition at Samaritan Hospital. The two were attending a party hosted by Theodore and Barbara Leland of Leland Furnishings in Society Hill. Detective Hall Hawkins reported that there were no known witnesses or motives at this time.”
A cursory shot of Detective Hall Hawkins and his partner, Detective Edward Clark, examining the scene filled the screen, and the commentator quickly moved on to the next equally gory report. As the commentator continued, “The drug war has claimed three victims in our city tonight . . .” Samoa clicked the mute button, rolled over, and sniffed. The ringing telephone interrupted her greatly anticipated fall into unconsciousness.
An unbelievably cheerful Christine Hawkins, Samoa’s best friend since childhood, chirped into the telephone, “I know you saw my big, fine husband all over that corpse on the television just now.”
Samoa sneezed and replied, “Yeah, I saw him. Hall kneels over a dead body like no one else I know, Chris. He will surely be nominated by the academy this year. Who was the new guy with him?”
“Oh, that’s his new partner, Eddie Clark. He’s not bad at all either, girl. Kneeling . . . standing . . . walking . . . whatever. Not bad at all. Just don’t tell Hall I said that.”
“What happened to Hall’s last partner, Mack?”
“Promoted to captain. They wanted to promote Hall too, but he says he’s not ready to sit behind a desk and tell everybody else what to do all day just yet. Hall swears that twenty-five pounds are hidden in the armrest that will wrap around his waist and fifty pounds are hidden in the seat of the chair that will attach to his ass permanently if he sits down in that office.”
“Is that what happens? Jesus, I don’t blame him. It would take more than a prestigious title and a few extra dollars to let someone do that to me too.”
Chris sucked her teeth and said, “Honey, you’re a psychiatrist. All you do is sit on your butt all day and listen to folks tell lies on their parents, and your butt looks just fine to me.”
“If you were a guy, I would really appreciate the compliment.”
“Be glad no man talks about your butt, Sam. The things Hall says about mine sometime make me wish I could pass it off to someone less fortunate. And what about booty-call Kevin? You do make him say it’s cute first, don’t you?”
“No. The less said, the better we like it. Silent sex reinforces our illusion of not needing anything more than the physical friction from another human.”
“That turns you on?”
Samoa sneezed, reached for a tissue, and Christine added, “Hey, you sound awful. Are you taking anything for that cold, Sam? Your mother will never forgive you if you die from a cold, you know. You can go from anything else and she’ll accept it.”
“Please don’t mention her. I’m ducking her right now. She will want to know exactly how I got a cold in the first place, why I was risking my life and limb on a ledge with an obviously unstable person who could have jumped and held onto my foot¾hence, making her identify a big red spot on the sidewalk.”
“Your mom is dramatic, but you’ve gotta love her. I’ll let you get some rest. Call me.”
Samoa hung up the telephone, pulled the cover up over her shoulders, snuggled down, and drifted off to sleep. Her drug-induced dreams were filled with people jumping from ledges, being shot in parking lots, and Hall, his new partner, Eddie, and her mother examining one spot after another on the ground.
* * *
The following day, at the law firm of Stiles and Pennypacker, a perfectly wrapped package lay in the Parcel Express outbound mail bin with about ten other packages scheduled for a four o’clock pickup. It was from the office of Samuel Stiles and addressed to Nathaniel Dawes in the lower east side housing development called Hayward Homes.
Professional Reviews
Robert Hooks, Actor, Producer, CEO-Rock Creek Entertainment
With her new novel, “The Parcel Express Murders”, author Bernadette Y. Connor has convinced me once again she is indeed one of the most important, creative and innovative writers of the new millennium. Having blessed us with her strikingly original, heart-wrenching novel, “DAMAGED!”, Connor has followed with this remarkable new murder mystery laced with sex, romance, intrigue and a cast of characters that should create quite a stir out in Hollywood.
As in her brilliant “DAMAGED!”, “The Parcel Express Murders” centers around the life and loves of a stunning female psychiatrist. Here, the lovely Samoa Tate struggles with her painful past family history (a disdain and hate for a father who walked out on her mother before she was born) and her new found, yet cautious love for Eddie Clark, the handsome homicide detective charged with solving a series of the city’s recent murders.
In my many years in the film industry I can’t recall seeing on the silver screen such a rich array of quality African American professionals as have been created here by Ms. Connor. If you are a fan of the likes of James Elroy or Raymond Chandler you will love reading “The Parcel Express Murders.”
Julie A. Dawson,
I don't like murder mysteries. I don't like romance novels. But I loved this book! To understand why, just read the opening few pages of this wonderful tale of intrigue, murder, old wounds and new loves. Author Bernadette Y. Connor does a great job of developing a strong plot and memorable characters to deliver an exciting and emotionally charged story.
Like her debut novel, Damaged!, the story focuses on a psychiatrist. Dr. Samoa Tate finds herself involved in both the investigation of a series of grisly murders and a budding romance with the primary investigator on the case. Dr. Tate, though smart, rational, and sensitive, has deep issues regarding relationships that stem from her childhood, and this complicates the already complex chemistry between the two.
The actual mystery begins with the murder of a prominent Philadelphia businessman and his mistress, and soon the bodies start to pile up. With enough twists and turns to make even the most die-hard mystery fan wonder who-dun-it, Connor spins a great story.
What I appreciated most about this book is that, while it will definitely appeal to both fans of mysteries and fans of romance, Connor avoids all the clique stereotypes that have been overdone in both genres and creates a truly original work.
Diane Marbury - Rawsistaz Reviewer
The Parcel Express Murders is an action packed story filled with twists, turns
and spirited characters. Set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a prominent
business man and his mistress are murdered after a swank party and Detectives
Hawkins and Clark are charged with solving the crime. As they investigate the
seemingly unsolvable felony, the body count mounts. And the widow of the
deceased sets her sights on Detective Clark as he tries to start
a romance with the aloof Dr. Somoa Tate. Somoa is a psychiatrist and the
best friend of Detective Hall Hawkins wife, Christine. Running parallel to
the murder investigation is the strongest part of the novel -- the
interpersonal relationships of the four main characters. Each character is
presented richly, interspersed with the storyline and their relationships to
each other.
As the story progresses, readers will try to guess who the murderer is and will
undoubtedly be surprised by the outcome. Bernadette Connor weaves an intense
story that comes together perfectly in the end. The mystery is an added
attraction in this book, as readers will enjoy the camaraderie of the four
main characters as well as the life issues that each one confronts during the course of the tale.
When Goldie Silver receives the wrong shipment of antique Russian samovars at her shop in Juneau, Alaska they sell quickly but people begin to die. What makes those tea dispensers worth killing for?
