Sam’s daughter Beth has been unreachable for several days. Something is seriously wrong, and the Moores don’t know where to turn for help. No ransom note arrives, no kidnapper calls. When Beth’s roommate Zafina Azziz – a woman who slinks around like an Egyptian princess-- arrives on their doorstep worried about Beth’s whereabouts, Sam realizes it’s time to call the FBI.
The Moores unravel with worry as the green marble, a talisman connected to Sam’s dead brother Billy, thrusts Sam between past and present. When Sam’s friend, Senator Bruce MacDonald, is tapped for the Presidential nomination, the town goes berserk preparing to welcome the sitting President to the opening of a new arts center. That’s when Sam uncovers the awful truth - someone is out to destroy the soon-to-visit President, and that someone is alive and well in East Goodland.
When he discovers a link between Beth and the terrorists, Sam dives head first into the melée to avert a calamity that could rival the 911 disaster.
Excerpt
Chapter One
Sam stood over his brother’s grave. A curious combination of sorrow and liberation flitted through him. Like a tapestry of death, its weave created patterns of loss and love that gutted his soul, twisting him inside.
The agony of grieving again for his little brother had hit him hard. Although he’d mourned in stages since Billy disappeared fifty years ago, he’d never had closure. Until now. A week ago, his three best childhood friends admitted to burying Billy’s body in the pool near Healey’s cave. When the boy had slipped from the crossing log and slammed his head in a lethal fall, they’d panicked, afraid of being charged with murder. Their childish fears escalated, and they’d pinned Billy beneath heavy stones, his eyes wide open and dulled, hair waving in the water, skin wrinkled like prunes.
Sam shook himself.
Stop it. Stop torturing yourself.
He glanced at his SUV sitting under the shade a hundred yards away, its four doors gaped open to provide relief from the heat. With her motorized scooter parked alongside, his wife of forty years, Rachel, perched sideways on the passenger seat, a cell phone clamped to her ear. Their grandson Evan rhythmically tossed and caught a softball nearby. They’d accompanied him to the gravesite and had left after his request for a few minutes alone.
To think. To stare at the earth. To remember that the physical markers of Billy’s young life were just that. Placeholders. Reminders. Cold ground and stone.
Someone else’s funeral on the nearby hill ended, and its mourners scattered like dandelion feathers in the wind. Sam watched them drift toward the parking lot for a moment, and turned back to the grave.
He fingered the green marble in his pocket and looked up to the cirrus clouds that stalled overhead. Chalk white against a steel gray sky, they paused in their frenetic journey as if trying to get his attention.
I know you’re not really in the ground, Billy. I know you’re up there.
The cottonwood leaves rustled overhead, stirring in a breeze that came from out of nowhere.
Billy.
The marble warmed his fingers in response—his talisman, his connection with Billy’s spirit. He closed his hand around it so the people walking by wouldn’t see the glow of green blushing through his khakis.
The marble pulsed. Sam’s heart skipped a beat.
Billy’s spirit hovered in the clouds, the leaves, and in Sam’s heart. His very essence connected through the marble Sam clenched in his hand.
A cardinal hopped down from a nearby branch. He perched on the headstone, cocked his head at Sam, and twittered. “Weeka. Weeka.”
Sam refocused and straightened. A wry smile stole across his face. He nodded toward the bird. “You’re right. I should be going. They’re waiting for me.”
He headed for the parking lot, ambling under a sugar maple that arched overhead and cooled the grass below. He left its comfort and moved into the bright August sunshine, his steps lighter now.
A pair of young men hovered over a new grave, arguing. One man gesticulated wildly, flapping a bouquet of flowers back and forth. The stems bent and petals showered the mound of dirt below. As Sam passed, they turned their backs and lowered their voices.
Arabic? Sam thought. Strange. But not completely. The local college in Conaroga, NY, attracted students from all over the world.
The taller man hissed when he spoke. Sam couldn’t help but notice that no sense of grief arose from his tight posture and hot words. There was no quietude born of loss. No sloping shoulders from the cold misery that accompanies death.
Sam shrugged mentally and moved on, disturbed by the intensity of the argument he’d overheard.
When he reached the Highlander, Rachel looked up at him. Gray bangs kissed her forehead and fluttered in the light breeze. She snapped her phone shut and slid it into her purse.
“Beth?” Sam asked.
She shook her head. “No. I still can’t reach her. I’m worried, Sam.”
Sam patted her hand, leaning on the roof. “I’m sure there’s an explanation. She might’ve gone away for a few days, maybe with her roommate, Zafina. She’s done it before.”
“I know. But she usually sends me an email. She doesn’t like to worry us.”
He straightened and nodded. “Wasn’t Zafina’s brother supposed to visit soon? First time in the country and all? Maybe they took him on a tour of the area. Let’s try her again tonight. Did you try her work number and her cell?”
“Mmm hmm. Got her voice mail every time.”
Sam walked around and started the car, pushing the air conditioner to max. He helped Rachel slide onto the passenger seat and watched as she buckled up. “All set?”
She smiled. “I’m good.”
He closed her door and walked around to Evan. “You okay, sport?” He slid an arm around the boy’s shoulders.
Evan leaned into Sam’s chest, wrapping an arm around his middle. He squeezed, then stepped back and looked up into Sam’s face. “I’m okay. How ‘bout you?”
Sam didn’t hesitate. “I won’t lie to you, son. It’s been hard. Very hard.” He lowered the ramp for the scooter, then guided it inside. “But I’m okay. Now, let’s go get your little brother.”
Professional Reviews
Terror Comes Knocking
With literary accolades for 'Healey's Cave' in his pocket, Aaron Lazar and his Green Marble Mystery (series) featuring Sam Moore, now present 'Terror Comes Knocking'.
Retired Dr. Sam Moore and his family, Bruce--Sam's childhood friend turned U.S. Senator, along with The Green Marble itself, reappear from 'Healey's Cave' to offer excellent characterization to this second installation novel. Aaron Paul Lazar uses each of these well rounded characters to create and to sustain the thrilling plot of 'Terror Comes Knocking'.
In its opening pages, Sam and Rachel casually wonder why their college student daughter has not called. A dutiful daughter living away from home, Beth is keen on making contact with her mother on a daily basis. Where is she? The answer to that question is not forthcoming. What does come is a barrage of unimaginable events that force the upstate New York couple to realize that their daughter's missing is more serious than they both expected.
From that point on, one terror after the next knocks at the Moore's front door. From that point on, people Rachael and Sam believed would help them find Beth, prove to be unreliable.
Sam and Bruce unite to bring her home.
From that point on, Lazar skillfully crafts this mystery thriller as only he can. His natural "feel" for the mystery storytelling process masterfully comes to surface once more. By the time 'Terror Comes Knocking' arrives at its climax, readers will find themselves plenty of times exclaiming aloud,OMG!
Oh My Gosh! What an exquisitely told mystery thriller, what a fine pick for your next reading pleasure. And oh yes. Brace yourself for Terror Comes Knocking's formidable ending!
Lazar and Moore, author and character extraordinaire!
Another wonderful story by Mr. Lazar. Sam Moore is a wonderful man or woman's man that would just like to rest in his retirement, tend his gardens and love his wife and family but trouble keeps coming to find him. It appears to be his purpose in life to right wrongs and save the day whenever necessary. The character is easy to admire, laugh with and at and cheer on as he has many close calls that leave the reader breathless. The love this character has for others, especially his family and friends, is real and not presented in a patronizing manner by the author.
Many current event topics that fit in our lives today are addressed and open up the possibility for intriguing discussions. This would be a great book to be enjoyed by either gender and also be a superb bookclub choice.
Another adept ability Lazar has is that no matter the role in his books, a character is never flat, one dimensional or easily defined. This reader has found that when a character enters on a page, one should tread carefully, watching what is said and done. It almost brings the reader into the Dr. Watson role, helping to watch for hints and secrets to understand the story and urge the protagonist on to succeed on his/her journey. Making a visit to Sam and his family was pure perfection.
The only disappointing part was reading the last two words, The End.
Yes, Mr. Lazar. You have done it again. Thank you.
Excellent combination of large world themes and small town life
Sam Moore is a loving father, generous friend, retired small-town doctor, and the owner of a truly amazing green marble. The marble is the source of very gently and deftly woven hints of the paranormal in Aaron Paul Lazar's thought-provoking mystery, Terror Comes Knocking. It carries Sam, with the ghost of his long-lost brother as child-like guide, into different times and places where answers to his questions might be found. But understanding those answers proves as difficult as finding Sam's errant daughter or getting in touch with his son, away at war.
Sam's also a doting grandfather and wonderful spouse. His love for his wife is beautifully real, built on shared history and loving memories, aging appropriately and overcoming all odds. And his love for his grandchildren fills this reader with smiles and memories of my own grandparents. Sam loves his garden too, and scented air rises from the page, redolent with foodstuffs waiting to be dug, iced with winter's cold or warmed with spring.
When daughter Beth fails to phone home, her room-mate Zafina comes to help out with Sam's family. Neighbors look askance at the Middle Eastern girl in a time of terrorism and war, but surely nothing could happen in this small town, even if the President is about to visit them. And surely Beth's friend can be trusted.
Balancing human suspicions with genuine care, prejudice under its many guises with honest appraisal and love, and quiet mystery with some excellent and exciting action scenes, this novel's a pleasing read that successfully brings international concern into small town life without overwhelming either. It's the second in a series, but stands alone with no trouble and introduces some great characters with fascinating depths.
When Juliet, a young English woman, disappears from a Festival in Nerja, Spain, disgraced veteran detective Leon Prado of the Spanish National Police suspects an elusive serial abductor. A curious videographer, Amanda Salisbury, inadvertently films J
