Attorney David Winter helps an old friend when his Aunt is accused of murdering her seventh husband. turns out she is seven for seven. Seven Husbands all dead.
Attorney, David Winter kicks back on the Florida beach soaking in the sunshine and watching the ladies stroll by. When his old Army buddy, Sean asks him to defend his aunt in a murder case, David doesn’t think twice and leaves the sun and sand for Missouri’s ice and snow to help his old pal. Seems Aunt Sharon’s past time was killing husbands and getting rich off their insurance policies. Not even Sean’s generosity—a BMW 528i with chauffeur, 100 grand plus expenses and a luxury apartment--all at David’s disposal—can save Aunt Sharon from the needle!
The more David investigates, the more accomplices keep coming out of the woodwork. When he’s shot, drugged and hit over the head, David takes it personally—but that’s only the tip of the proverbial iceberg! He faces a startling truth, which nearly destroys him and his faith in all he holds dear. But lady justice isn’t blind and unforgiving of those who shake her scales. As an instrument of law, David must once again become the hardened soldier honed on the battlefields of VietNam and stand toe to toe with unscrupulous prosecutors, and a judge wanting a quick trial. Buckle your safety belt…you are in for a wild ride.
Excerpt
Prologue
1940
A blue and yellow gas flame glowed beneath the pot of potato soup. The simmering white broth bubbled with carrots and fine cut potatoes. The delicious aroma filled the old farmhouse. Sometimes Emma added ground beef for a change of pace. Potato soup was her specialty. Her husbands loved it.
Tony Evans and his teenage daughter, Karen, sat at the kitchen table eating the soup. Karen was ill. She had been sick going on four weeks, ever since her father married Emma. He was not feeling much better. Emma, though, was immune to whatever bug was plaguing them. To help with the illness, she fed them her soup.
Feed a cold—starve a fever, was her motto.
Karen did not run a high fever. She had headaches and diarrhea—the simplest of things confused her and she was drowsy most of the time.
After thirty days her fingernails had distinctive white bands just above the base of the nail, and convulsions were common.
Tony was experiencing the same symptoms. He had suffered through colds and flu before and figured he would survive. A farmer’s work never ends and cannot wait for colds to pass.
Today was no different, except Karen’s symptoms were growing worse. She was vomiting, and unbeknownst to Tony she had blood in her urine. He did too, but along with the blood, he had cramping, hair loss, and acute stomach pain. Neither felt like eating but did so for strength.
As the two ate, Emma was out back taking the laundry off the clothesline. There was no hurry that afternoon. The clothes smelt clean and fresh. She folded them with great care and then placed them into in a large laundry basket. She tossed the clothespins into a sack hung on the line. After the long harsh winter of ‘39/’40, she wanted to soak up as much warmth as possible. Besides, Tony and Karen were not going anywhere.
Carrying the clothesbasket, she entered the house through the back door. The old hinges squeaked and the handle rattled as she opened and closed it behind her. When she was sure the old latch caught, she went through the dry room and into the kitchen sitting the basket on top of a stack of week old newspapers next to the stove. With a spoon she removed the vegetables from the bubbling pot. Then after turning the burner off, she poured the soup into the sink. She ran water to flush the mix down the wide drain and through the plumbing.
Tony leaned forward in his chair with his chest resting on his empty bowl. His face lay on the lace tablecloth—eyes closed and mouth open.
Karen lay on the floor, wide-eyed staring at the ceiling. Her bowl was on the floor upside down near her knee with the soup pooling around her.
Emma checked Tony’s pulse, and then Karen’s.
With a trembling hand she pressed her fingers across her lips, “Dear, dear, it’s over,” she whispered.
On the counter across the room was a tin box with flowers painted on its top. Each artistic blossom had a hole in the center with a wick protruding through leading to the interior of the container. The wicks soaked up arsenic.
Anderson’s Fly Paper was a simple method of killing flies. The flies landed on the wick, the legs absorbed the poison and they died moments later. There were other methods sold at the hardware store; regular flypaper with glue, or the fly tape that hung from the ceiling. Emma found these cruel. The poor flies suffered as they struggled to free themselves. She preferred the poison as it did not cause suffering unless you used low dosages, then it induced sickness and a very slow death.
She hated to use small amounts on her victims, but the deaths had to be slow in order to look like an illness. This morning as she made the soup, she decided they had suffered too long and she used more poison than normal. To her delight, it was just the right amount.
Emma washed the pot and dried it. She sat it on a shelf and then wiped her hands on her apron as she looked at Tony and Karen.
“I think there’s room for you out back. Come on, you’ll enjoy it…fresh air, and sunshine.”
Professional Reviews
A fun read
What a fun read. A likable protagonist, witty dialogue, a twisting plot and a cast of characters that come at protagonist David Winters from all angles. The prologue alone made it worth buying!
Loved the suspense and dark humor in Sylcox's story
Loved the suspense and dark humor in Sylcox's story. A quick read that I could easily see adapted for TV or a movie. I look forward to reading the next David Winter mystery.
Fun, Fast paced, easy read
I loved this story from the very first page. The author weaves several different characters, intertwining them with mystery and murder. Our protagonist David Winter, an attorney, receives a call from his old buddy Sean to represent his aunt the murder of her husband. Lies, lies, and more lies, weaving in and out on who done it! You really don't know, but do suspect a couple of the characters, but a surprise ending is in sight.....the only thing I didn't understand is why Sean called David in the first place to represent his aunt....maybe that will be known in the next book. David is funny, smart, and seems to get himself into trouble as the plots thicken. There are no explicit sex scenes, just a few kisses here and there, and no foul language...my kind of book....I would highly recommend this story for anyone who likes murder mystery.
