In our previous post we began a refresh of the Donaghue and Stainer Crime Novel series with Blood Passage. We now move the clock forward to the second novel in the series: Marcie's Murder.
Premise
While on vacation four months after the events of Blood Passage, Hank Donaghue stops overnight in the small town of Harmony, Virginia. Without warning, local police kick down the door of his motel room in the middle of the night and drag him off to jail on suspicion of having strangled a local woman. Hank calls Detective Karen Stainer to help him get released from custody and find the real killer.
The Story
Hank Donaghue sees Marcie Askew briefly as he walks into a bar in Harmony for a beer before turning in for the night. She looks upset, and is clearly waiting to meet someone. As Hank later learns, within an hour or so of this chance encounter she has been strangled to death behind the bar and her body dumped in the ravine beyond. An eyewitness in the kitchen believes he saw Hank walk around the back of the bar at about that time, and the local chief of police is determined to make Hank pay for the crime, because the victim is his wife!
Hank and Karen must convince the powers that be in Harmony that he had nothing to do with Marcie's brutal murder. Beyond that, Hank can't help but take personally the knowledge that if he'd done something differently he might have saved Marcie Askew's life. As a result, he's determined to probe Marcie's personal secrets to find the identity of her killer. Their suspects include the abbot of a monastery in Burke's Garden which operates a free health clinic, an instructor at the local college, and the chief of police himself!
The Inspiration for the Story
Tazewell County is a rugged, beautiful spot located in the rolling hills of the Appalachians in southwest Virginia. Home to only 40,000 people, it has a proud rural heritage and rich local history, and violent crime is a rarity. The story ranges from Harmony up to Bluefield, on the border of West Virginia, down to Tazewell, the county seat, and over to spectacular Burke's Garden.
Cast of Characters
Hank and Karen are joined by Deputy Chief Neil Branham, the tall, handsome local cop who's sweet on Karen, Detective Ansell Hall, the alcoholic cursed with a perfect memory, and Chief Billy Askew, the violent, distraught husband of the victim.
Where to Buy It
Marcie's Murder is available in paperback from any bookstore that has online access to the Ingram Catalog. They can order it for you right away. It's also available online from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other sources throughout the world.
Marcie's Murder is available in eBook format from Amazon for Kindle, Barnes & Noble for the Nook, iTunes for any Apple device with an e-reader app, Kobo, and Sony.
