Within twenty minutes of bidding his friends good night and leaving the tavern, Adam Brandon became aware that he was being followed. This was annoying on several counts. He had no idea who would go to the trouble of setting a tail on him or why they would since, just at the moment, he didn’t imagine he could be of any particular interest to anyone. Admittedly, that wasn’t always true … but right now it was. Then there was the possibility that this wasn’t the first time someone had dogged his steps; that it had happened before and he hadn’t noticed. That pricked his pride. He’d thought himself better than that.
He continued on his way without altering his pace. He considered luring the tail into a dark alley where he could be grabbed, pinned to a wall and questioned. It wouldn’t be very difficult. On the other hand, it might be premature. There was a chance, however small, that he was merely being followed by the only footpad in Paris stupid enough to tackle an armed man for the sake of a few coins. And that being so, the sensible course was to simply stroll onwards, taking a few sudden detours, to see if the fellow stuck with him.
He did … and was still there when Adam reached his lodgings on the Rue des Minimes. With a brief nod for the concierge, he ran swiftly upstairs to the nearest window and was just in time to see his follower raise a hand as if signalling to someone before melting into the shadows on the far side of the street.
Not a footpad, thought Adam with a sort of amused grimness. And not alone. What, then? And why? What possible reason could anyone have for wanting to know my every move? But whoever it is, they’re making a mistake because now I’ll have to do something about it. And that’s just tiresome.
Want to know what happens next? Pre-order now from Amazon, B&N, Kobo or Apple and find out on March 27th.
Hopefully it will hit my Kindle app at about 0300 on 27th NZ time. Should just have enough time for first reading before doing my syndicate Lotto numbers and watching SuperRugby! I will then do a slower reread and send off my review. A very full Saturday! Thanks in advance.
It’s somewhat longer than usual, Margo – about 30,000 words longer – so I hope you enjoy it. Good luck with the Lotto numbers!
So excited about this new book. Thanks for this teaser! ?
It’s the opening of the book. Glad you enjoyed it!
Dear Ms. Riley,
I’ve had this book on pre-order since you first announced it’s availability, and it’s impeding release date has been the Highlight of my Spring. (I was going to say ‘second only to the lifting of these draconian COVID restrictions,’ but those suggested dates continue to be cancelled by the powers-that-be, whereas YOU are always faithful to your word.)
Indeed, I can HARDLY WAIT to read UNDER A DARK MOON!!!! Each and every one of your novels are all so exquisitely Superb, and with each one I always vow that I’m going to savor it slowly… but alas, the pages just turn so fast for me that that never happens until my second or third (and fourth+++ readings). 🙂
This teaser certainly does serve to whet my appetite, and thank you for posting it (big smiles again). I’ve already set up my schedule for next Saturday, getting all chores done in advance and accepting NO INTERRUPTIONS after that, just settling in to enjoy a lovely read-fest of your newest book.
Thank you so much for your magnificent stories. I appreciate so much all the time and research and care you always put in them to make them THE VERY BEST !!!
Thank you so much, Susan! Your comments gave me a lift after a frustrating few days which, amongst other things, included computer failure. The teaser comprises the opening paragraphs of the book … something which tells you quite a bit about Adam Brandon. Needless to say, I’ve become rather fond of him and hope to meet him again quite soon. Dark Moon took far longer to write than I anticipated. This was partly due to the general malaise caused by Covid but also to extensive research and a field trip. The result is something rather different to Rockliffe or even A Trick of Fate. I hope you enjoy it.
So unfair to whet our appetites when we still have to wait, not knowing a date, for the hardback or paperback to come out. Not everyone who adores the Stella Riley books has a Kindle.
I realise that not everyone uses an e-reader, Jenny – that’s one of the reasons I do print editions. Regarding the Dark Moon paperback, I’ve said in various posts that it would be released a few days after the ebook. It should be available on or around April 3rd.