Sunday Snippet: Ill-Timed Case

Whew. It's been a week. Had another trip to the emergency department with a family member and, thankfully, things seem to be okay and we're getting closer to having some answers.

Had an okay week of television viewing, mainly because my brain was kind of scattered all over the place. Started out with watching the behind the scenes and episode breakdowns for Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries. Thoroughly enjoyed both.

Caught both episodes of a Silent Witness two-parter. This is one I kind of remembered and I ended up liking it a lot. Some cool intrigue mixed with the science.

Enjoyed two more arcs of Classic Who. I believe there will be a new companion joining the crew but I'm not sure how soon that happens.

Watched two more episodes of UFO Witness. This one isn't nearly as entertaining as the lost evidence series but I'll finish it out.

Caught four episodes of The Muppet Show. Pearl Bailey, Jean Stapleton, Loretta Lynn and Alice Cooper were the guest stars. I'd forgotten about the Alice episode and really enjoyed watching it again.

Enjoyed two more episodes of McCartney 3, 2, 1. It's so cool to watch the breakdown of how many happy accidents shaped the sound of Paul's career.

Watched two more Master Class lessons with LeVar Burton. The first was a case study of Roots and how that story impacted so many. The second was about the importance of the oral storytelling tradition. I'm so glad I gave this series of lessons a try.

Got two more episodes of Peak Practice viewed. I didn't finish the second episode, mainly because one of the characters annoyed me so much I couldn't watch it. I'll pick back up with the next one and see if I missed anything important.

Caught another full episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and I'm almost finished with another one. I'm sort of on the fence with this show right now. I literally hate Blackwood with a passion and I'm close to saying I'm done because I can't stand him.

Enjoyed another episode of Star Trek: Discovery. I gotta say I'm impressed with the narrative so far. There's some serious intrigue I'm enjoying along with a mix of new concepts that I'm fascinated with. Lorca is compelling to watch.

Watched another episode of Chicago Med. I'm enjoying the second season a lot and I might have to go look up the crossover episodes again.

Caught another episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries. I really love this show. I switched to a different streaming provider and should be able to continue the second season without a delay.

I'll probably finish out the week with another episode of New Rugrats and another Chicago Med. I'll discuss those next week.

That's it for television recaps. Tonight's post is from Ill-Timed Case, a novella with a little cat and mouse between the characters while they try to piece together a mystery.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Rex Van Adder, private investigator, has more cases than he can handle. Enter Gracie Lee, along with a dead body, and Rex scrambles to keep his head above water, especially since he knows Gracie is involved but can't figure out how.

And a preview snippet…

Nighttime excursions were Gracie's favorite. "But I'll have to be extra careful from this point forward." Lover boy could be bothersome.

She'd only caught a glimpse of him and, even with his hat pulled low on his head, no one could mistake the chiseled cheekbones and day-old scruff on his face. One of my weaknesses. He walked with confidence and his keen gaze missed nothing. He'd spotted her, which rarely happened when she didn't want to be seen.

She shivered a little. "And he's taking up entirely too much space in my head right now." She shifted a little closer to the burning flames under the mantel.

The heat of the fire warmed her while waited for Sam Baldwin, the deputy police commissioner. The nights they'd spent by the hearth were too numerous to count. Her lips curved. She loved the man like a father—even though he'd fired the shot that killed hers.

Glenn Lee grew up with Sam but they'd landed on opposite sides of the law. As a beat cop, Sam arrived at a private residence when the silent alarm had been tripped. He'd followed procedure, identifying himself and ordering the thief to stop. But Baldwin also followed protocol when the robber drew a weapon and fired a shot.

Sam's heart broke when he discovered Glenn Lee under the black ski mask. Baldwin had tried so hard to keep Glenn on the straight path, but old habits were hard to break. Not even having a twelve-year-old daughter made a difference. And it should have.

Of course, when Sam found Gracie sound asleep in her dad's car, he immediately took her in and raised her as his own.

"And I've been with him ever since." Going on twelve years now.

Sam came in and settled beside her. He and Gracie discussed McGuiness's murder. After giving her initial impression of the room and the shambles it had been left in, she recalled her narrow escape.

She shrugged. "Avery Marlow got the call out. And he was joined by some lo— er, lordly-looking guy in a fedora and trench coat." Geez, she'd almost used her nickname for him, but covered just in time.

Baldwin slid his gaze sideways for a moment. "I'm guessing your mystery man will end up being Rex Van Adder." He paused a moment. "You'll have to be cautious. He has a nose for solving his cases." He chuckled. "I'd love about a dozen men like Van Adder to counter my straight-shooters like Marlow, but Van Adder doesn't play by the rules."

Gracie smirked. "Neither do I."

Baldwin gave her a long, level look. "Just be careful, Gracie. There's more to this business with McGuiness and his gem. Use Van Adder if you can to find out why this rock seems to be so damned important."

Gracie nodded. She would enjoy the challenge of snaring Rex Van Adder.

I'm having a lot of fun with this one. I've got a love for trying my hand at writing with a noir flair and this story lends itself nicely to creating that style.

That's it for this week.

 

Cheers!

Skye