キャミー・タング著「戌年」連載小説 プロのドッグトレーナーであるマリ・ムトウは、厄年を迎えている。 犬小屋と訓練所の改築をしながら、いつも不服そうにしている家族と同居することになった。母と姉に言わせれば、犬の毛とよだれかけにまみれる仕事は、家族にとって恥ずべきものだという。彼女は元カレを説得し、数ヶ月間犬を預かってもらうことにした。しかし、彼の兄は、数週間前に彼女が誤って車に追突した、怒り狂ったセキュリティ専門家であることが判明する。 アシュウィン・ケイトウは十分な問題を抱えている。叔母が玄関先に現れ、同居を希望している。彼は彼女にすべてを借りているので、断ることができません。母親が家を出て行った後、ネルおばさんはアシュウィンと弟を引き取り、愛のあるキリスト教の家庭で育てた。しかも、弟のダスティもアパートを追い出され、居場所を求めている。しかし、彼は犬を飼っている。そして、その犬の飼い主は誰だと思いますか? しかし、旧友でオアフ島のノースショアでデイスパを経営する私立探偵のエディサ・ゲレロから依頼を受ける。マリの施設で奇妙な破壊行為があり、3年前に失踪したエディサの妹の財布を発見する。エディサはマリが危険な目に遭っているのではと心配する。警備の専門家であるアシュウィンがすでにマリを知っていることを知ったエディサは、忙しい若い女性を密かに監視することを彼に依頼する。 アシュウィンは、活発でのんびりとしたドッグトレーナーに不本意ながら惹かれていく。彼女は、幸せそうな母親を思い出させる。その母親の裏切りによって、彼は人と距離を置くようになったのだ。マリは、アシュウィンの冷たい外見を見抜き、彼が家族に忠実な男であることを認める。彼は、彼女のキャリア選択を批判するだけの母親や姉とは違う。 マリのバラバラな家庭とアシュウィンのバラバラな家庭の中で、過去を隠そうとする人たちから、彼らの周りに危険が迫ってくるようになる。彼らは、影で動く秘密に光を当てることができるのか? 過去に発表されたパートへのリンクはこちら。 *** 第8章 - 恐ろしくも真っ白な不動産書類 『みんな仲良くできないのかな?』 マリは無用に力を込めて箱に本を投げ入れた。最近、なぜ彼女は人生の中で全員と言い争いをしているのだろう?もしかすると、これは本当に悪いアイデア
I first discovered Elizabeth Ford when I enjoyed a Victorian romance she wrote under her other pseudonym, Mary Ann Gibbs, titled Horatia. I completely enjoyed the book--it had great characters I liked and admired and a softly rolling plotline that kept me interested to the very end. I discovered I had picked up some of her other titles through garage sales and thrift stores, so I read them, too, and they were all highly entertaining.
I did more research and discovered she also wrote mysteries under the pseudonym Elizabeth Ford, but when I tried to find those books at online booksellers, it was really hard because they were all hardcovers that had been issued only in the UK. All her Mary Ann Gibbs romances were mass market paperbacks published (or reprinted) in the US.
I got all Mary Ann Gibbs’ romances but pined for Elizabeth Ford’s mysteries. :(
But I recently got a new contract with Guideposts books, writing work-for-hire for one of their book club series, and I realized I haven’t bought myself a present in a while.
So last night I went online (why is it I tend to buy books late at night online? Hmm...) and bought a bunch of Elizabeth Ford books from UK online sellers!!! Can you hear the scream of disbelief as I realize what I did???
I used Bookfinder.com and was able to find the best prices for each of the books, although I did end up paying a dollar or two more for some of them because I’m trying to refrain from buying books from Amazon and so I bought them from other online booksellers like Abebooks.com and Biblio.com.
Yes, I, um, spent a lot of money. {sheepish look and glancing around to make sure Captain Caffeine didn’t hear that. Or at least doesn’t know yet.} But these are books I’ve wanted for a very long time. I even had them listed in my book catalog with the note to myself: “GET THIS BOOK!”
So now I am happily awaiting some hardcover books winging their way to me from England. I anticipate some wonderful nights reading with a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits!
I did more research and discovered she also wrote mysteries under the pseudonym Elizabeth Ford, but when I tried to find those books at online booksellers, it was really hard because they were all hardcovers that had been issued only in the UK. All her Mary Ann Gibbs romances were mass market paperbacks published (or reprinted) in the US.
I got all Mary Ann Gibbs’ romances but pined for Elizabeth Ford’s mysteries. :(
But I recently got a new contract with Guideposts books, writing work-for-hire for one of their book club series, and I realized I haven’t bought myself a present in a while.
So last night I went online (why is it I tend to buy books late at night online? Hmm...) and bought a bunch of Elizabeth Ford books from UK online sellers!!! Can you hear the scream of disbelief as I realize what I did???
I used Bookfinder.com and was able to find the best prices for each of the books, although I did end up paying a dollar or two more for some of them because I’m trying to refrain from buying books from Amazon and so I bought them from other online booksellers like Abebooks.com and Biblio.com.
Yes, I, um, spent a lot of money. {sheepish look and glancing around to make sure Captain Caffeine didn’t hear that. Or at least doesn’t know yet.} But these are books I’ve wanted for a very long time. I even had them listed in my book catalog with the note to myself: “GET THIS BOOK!”
So now I am happily awaiting some hardcover books winging their way to me from England. I anticipate some wonderful nights reading with a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits!
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