Turtle Island will be available Feb 4th 2008.
Pre-order now from www.cnpublishing.co.uk
A brief synopsis follows
When the body of a man is washed up in the river, Turtle Island, Missouri awakes from being a peaceful haven and thrust into the attention of the national media. The case is solved too conveniently and F.B.I agent Georgina O’Neil is left with severe doubts - have they caught the right man? A feeling that is justified after case Detective Montoya and his family are kidnapped and a web site (www.deathcam.net) is set up promising America its first ‘live execution.’ Turtle Island is now thrust into global spotlight and the world gets to vote on who the killer will choose next. As O’Neil digs deeper she finds evidence of a paedophile ring that could run into the heart of the police. No longer sure who they can trust, Agent O’Neil and Detective LaPortiere have to find the Montoya’s and save them before an 8pm deadline. The clock is ticking…
Turtle Island
Prologue
Smile you're Dead!
Max Dalton did not struggle nor fight; his body hit the water with a stinging embrace, though he did not feel any pain. He was past caring, technically still alive, but more than ready to welcome death.
The water was warm, inviting. Max had no real comprehension of where he was and even less now of who he was. Slowly he submerged. The warm fluid filled his mouth, the cavern enlarged by the removal of his tongue, lips and teeth. He breathed the water in through his nose; at first panic at the realisation that there was no way of expelling it, then only the comfort of allowing it to fill his lungs.
Part One
HELL WAITS
Chapter One
The alarm was ringing in his ears with a fuck you attitude that was sure to get Leroy LaPortiere out of bed but on the wrong side. The heat was closing in already and his clock cheerfully told him that it was just after five thirty in the morning. His girlfriend, Lia, was lying on top of the sheets, her body glistening with perspiration like morning dew. Her arm outstretched touching his naked back.
‘Go to sleep, hon.’ Leroy wanted to roll on top of her and slip deep inside her.
‘Be careful, baby.’
‘Sure, hon. Nothing ever happens around here.’
And he was right. He was on the money one hundred per cent of the time, but a winning streak like that has to end some day.
After a cold shower, Leroy was ready to face another day. Breakfast, would consist of an artery hardening and unsatisfying stop at Wendell’s Diner for an early morning mixed grill, hash browns and a gallon of extra strong coffee. The longevity of police officers on Turtle Island was not dictated by the rising tide of crime but by the accelerating spread of saturated fats through increasingly narrowing arteries.
‘You gonna die.’
‘That is the most sense you’ve talked in a long time my man, we all gonna die.’ Leroy didn’t need to lift his head from his grease sodden breakfast to know his partner was standing behind him, the smell of Giorgio Armani aftershave followed Rick Montoya around like a dust cloud announced his arrival. Montoya dragged a chair over the stone tiled floor and sat next to LaPortiere. He waited patiently for a passing waitress before ordering his morning meal.
This is Groundhog Day, TV, Basketball, Sex and Living. The game plan was that they would meet everyday for the next twenty years, doing the same thing until they cashed their pensions, sold their homes and sailed around the world.
Rick Montoya, like his partner, Leroy LaPortiere, worked for Missouri Police Department. LaPortiere for the past twelve years; Montoya, only one year in Missouri, twelve in Chicago before that.
Rick dropped a small brown envelope onto the table next to Leroy.
‘What’s this?’
LaPortiere opened the manila envelope, noticing that it was addressed to Captain Norman Frusco, his chief. He withdrew a small bundle of Polaroid photographs, knowing that it wasn’t going to be Rick’s holiday snaps.
‘You know I really thought that this sort of thing was confined to the big cities.’ He shuffled through the photos. ‘This is the John Doe?’ Leroy studied the victim, or what was left of him. He stared into the white bloated face, the lifeless eyes; it was something a movie could never capture, no matter how good the actor. The mask of death was something that could never be faked even with the best special effects and yet here he was looking at a cheap Polaroid and the look was unmistakable.
LaPortiere shivered. ‘Like I told you, we all gotta die someday.’
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Reviews for "Turtle Island"
Reviewed by Tim Smith
5/4/2003
With an intriguing and attention-grabbing opening like this, I can't wait to read the whole book. Moody, atmospheric, attention to detail and a potentially suspenseful premise - what else could you ask for?
First, let me say this: Oooooooh!
I love this kind of story! You put the reader inside Leroy's life with such ease, and the intriguing plot beckons like a lover's sultry glance. Can't wait to read this!
Reviewed by Jacqueline Schumacher
5/1/2003
You have a scary way with words. This book is to be read with the lights on. Sounds incredible. Congratulations. Now I have to go and make sure my doors are locked.
Jackie
Reviewed by Betsie
5/1/2003
Suspense/Thriller: Unremarkable storytelling! Sounds as chilling as the Bone Collector and as intruiging as the Truman Show... what a combination.
If made into a movie...
WHO WOULD WANT TO SEE IT? Fans of this talented author or of other thrillers of course!
A cunning serial killer obviously has an extremely bad attitude, with a taste for virtual reality.
With the atmosphere of a cat-and-mouse game, providing clues, essentially challenging police.
It boasts of interesting ideas. Such as the fascinating element of how an investigator or an investigation can empower a mass murderer.
Sounds like my kind of book! You've penned a gripping intro to this story and my appetite has been wetted. Your writing style is fast-paced, and descriptive enough to give the reader a good sense of your characters right from the start. I'm looking forward to reading more...
Reviewed by Tyrone Banks
5/1/2003
Darren,
I read "Mourning Sun" before viewing this piece and as I said on my review there, this will be a winner!!
Reviewed by
4/30/2003
With Mr. Law's vision, scrutiny to detail, and scrupulous use of language, this small introduction promises to be but the foyer to a mansion of mystery and adventure.
Reviewed by Mary Dresser
4/29/2003
You got style, sexual choice, atmosphere, time and POV in the same first sentence. A Dick Frances touch. Very professional.
Wow! An amazing tease of an introduction for all of us! Such a mystery to only tempt the reader into turning to the next page. A must read for all those intrigued by suspense and seduction.
Darren, Sounds like a winner! Full of suspense and intrigue. Very well written, sounds like a must read book. "A peaceful haven, now turned to fear, a body washed ashore up the river." This is exciting and sounds like it is full of intrigue! Best to you, Darren, with your new upcoming book...Val
PI novel set in Manhattan during the 1980s when art galleries and model agencies were the two most glamorous businesses in the world. Dangerously well written.
Read Chapter 1 here: https://www.lit4u.com/art-and-beauty-chapter-1/
Literary Titan
A raw in your face story of teenage love, lust, murder, and revenge set in the Bronx in the early seventies, where the cold business world of organize crime melds with the brutality of street gang warlords that ignites a winner takes all battle for u
