I truly love my cottage in Rocky Bluff. I leave my windows open at night so I can enjoy the ocean breezes.
When it’s time to get ready for work, I wear one of my many simple slack outfits with matching jackets instead of a uniform. My dress uniform I save for special occasions.
Most of the time the job is rather easy here as compared to San Francisco, but we’ve had a most puzzling murder. A teacher was found dead under a condemned pier with a pile of stones on his chest. He was under suspicion of having been romantically involved with a female student. My two detectives are working on the case, and I have one of the female officers questioning students in the teacher’s class.
My personal life has become more complicated as of yesterday—I received a threatening email from Omar Padweitz, a man I arrested several years ago for violent attacks on women. He was sentenced to prison, but is now out on parole. I’m not sure if he’s in town, and if he is whether or not he knows where I live.
While driving to work, I watched to see if anyone followed me. I didn’t notice any suspicious cars, but I’ll certainly be vigilant from now on.
Once I got to work, Detectives Milligan and Zachary reported to me about their progress in the murder case. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much. Because we are such a small department the stones and the body were taken to Ventura County meaning we’ll have to wait on reports.
A bit later Officer Ryan Strickland paid a visit to my office and asked me to write a letter of recommendation for him to the San Luis Obispo P.D. I’m putting it off. I don’t want him to leave because I’m not sure the city council will let me hire a replacement. Besides, he’s a good officer. I’m trying to think of a way to convince him to stay here.
Before long, I’ll probably have to let my officers know about the threat I received, though I’d prefer to handle it on my own.
So far, I haven’t really made friends with anyone here, but I’m hoping that will change soon.
A Crushing Death is the 12th book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series, published by Oak Tree Press, March 2016.
A pile of rocks is found on a dead body beneath the condemned pier, a teacher is accused of molesting a student, the new police chief is threatened by someone she once arrested for attacking women, and Detective Milligan’s teenage daughter has a big problem.
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About the author
F. M. Meredith who is also known as Marilyn Meredith is nearing the number of 40 published books. Besides being an author she is a wife, mother, grandma and great-grandmother. Though the Rocky Bluff she writes about is fictional, she lived for over twenty-years in a similar small beach town. Besides having many law enforcement officers in her family she is counts many as friends. She teaches writing, loves to give presentations to writing and other groups, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America, three chapters of Sisters in Crime and on the board of Public Safety Writers Association.
Visit F.M. at fictionforyou.com, or her blog or @MarilynMeredith and on
Facebook.
Contest: Once again, the person who comments on the most blogs during this tour, can have a character named after them in the next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery. Tomorrow you can find me at Author SD Skye blog.
All comments are welcomed.
I am so tickled to have Chief Chandra Taylor share what’s happening in her life, than you for hosting the both of us, Dru Ann!
I love your fully developed characters. This new addition to the force has brought a new dynamic. Good work, as always.l
Thank you, Lorna. I’m fond of the Chief and know I’ll enjoy seeing what she’s up to in the next book.
Sounds like Chief Taylor had best keep her eyes open and ears tuned. There’s definitely trouble ahead!
You are so right, Elaine!
Nice introduction to the character and the plotl
Thank you, John!
I shudder to think what will happen to Chandra. I hope she gathers her courage to let her officers know what’s happening. It’s hard to be vulnerable in front of those you command, but she’s gonna need help with this one! Can’t wait to see how it all works out….
Putting the chief in peril seemed like a logic plot twist, Susan.
Logical, yes, but only you can really twist her up! LOL
Sounds like an exciting series! I’m putting this on my TBR list.
I do hope you’ll try it, Mary Jane!
Oh, I love this, Marilyn. Very clever and fun way to market a new book. Hmmm…you’ve taught us something new again.
I’d love to take credit, Jackie, but Dru Ann offers this clever idea regularly to authors.
Well, thank you to Dru Ann then. It’s a great idea!
This character is certainly intriguing. I’m wondering why she made all those changes when she first arrived.
She didn’t make as many changes as she would have liked, Thonie. One was to save money since the budget is so sparse, the other she thought should be and cause a big problem.
Being the Chief of any department requires both attention to what’s happening on the job and learning to be a politician. Then you throw in a threat from a previous arrest and things can get very complicated. I think that was an excellent idea. Great work Marilyn.
I have had great fun with Chandra, and I have some more ideas to come. Thanks for following this tour, Joe.
Chandra’s stress level must be off the charts! She’s quite a compelling, challenged character. Thanks for sharing, Marilyn. I love Dru Ann’s day in the life of … series.
And I anticipate her stress level will be growing even higher in the next book–just need to write it. I love this day in the life of too, Maggie.