A Clue in a Book

A Clue in a Book

“You know,” I said, “I was looking again at Marvie Saunder’s book.”             “No, Ned,” Pat interrupted. “Remember, you’ve given that up. You’re going to let Cade and Gerald handle whatever is going on about that house. You are fixating on that book of poetry so, stop it!”             Stung, I said, “What a thing […]

Shadows

Shadows

I had stopped shaking by the time I reached home. In the comfort of my living room, normalcy began to return. Ulysses licked my hand, grinning a hound dog welcome, and Penny looked up from her cushion. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was safe. I was home, and now I could try to […]

Lost in the Darkness

Lost in the Darkness

Stuffing the phone back into my pocket, and wiping my eyes, I shone the flashlight at walls and ceiling. Nothing there gave me any hope. The beam above me groaned as more dirt sifted down.             How long would it be until the ceiling collapsed? Even though it looked like the builders of this tunnel […]

The Unfriendly Woods

This is an excerpt from the latest Ned McNeil cozy, Murder By Moonlight. Usually, Ned enjoyed a walk through autumn woods, but today something went painfully wrong. I sang as I drove, windows rolled down. Ulysses didn’t object, so I took that as a sign of approval. My mind was on the events of the […]

The Cave-In

Scrambling to my feet, I yelled, “Cade!”  My voice echoed eerily, bouncing off the walls until the echo faded. Oppressive silence pressed in around me. My heart hammered and I couldn’t breathe. Panic rose in my throat. I had always hated confined places and complete darkness. Would Cade know I was here? Would he be […]

A Burst of May Energy

A Burst of May Energy

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day, too pretty to stay indoors. So, I went for more plants and herbs. Only thing about my yard is that most plants require a degree of sunshine and my back yard is shady. This is due to a willow oak, a maple, and a mulberry tree. So, instead of […]