“You went to school with Faith Hunter. What do you have on her or Steve Davis? Better yet, both of them.” My editor’s eyes gleamed as she slid onto my desk. “Their names are being dropped everywhere around town.”
Faith Hunter. Faith Hunter. Faith Hunter. I was so sick of that name. All the big—newsworthy—events in Eden revolved around her.
“There’s nothing of interest about her,” I said.
“She’s dating Steve Davis, the cousin of the man she married who turned out to be a murderer. That’s not nothing. Become her BFF. Faith is a story. A huge one.”
“She wants to downplay that part of her life, and Steve Davis is mute on the subject of his cousin.”
“Talk to other family members. Make one of them confide in you.”
I shook my head. “Not a good plan. James Davis is a legal terror. If we get on his bad side, he’d sue and would end up owning this paper.” And with my luck, he’d hand ownership over to Faith and I’d have to answer to her for the rest of my career.
“What happened to you, Karen? Where’s your edge? Your fight? All I’m hearing are excuses of why you can’t. . .let me correct myself, won’t go after a story. One that will sell papers.”
“I haven’t lost anything. I’m trying to make sure we keep what we have. And I don’t think there’s any meaningful story there. Everyone knows about Faith’s past. It’s old news.”
“If you’re only planning on listing the facts, that’s true. But life is more than the what. Get into the whys, and how it happened. How did Faith win? She was conned into marrying a murderer, and now solves murders. She’s a great story.”
“I’m an investigative reporter. I don’t do human interest pieces.”
“If you don’t do something that increases our circulation, Karen, you won’t be writing anything here.” My boss stood so she could glare down at me.
Just what I wanted, giving Faith more attention. “The only interesting thing about her situation is how come the police allow her to interfere. What does she have on someone? Or is it because of her relationship with Steve, or someone else on the force, or possibly the fact her grandmother is dating Chief Moore.”
My editor grinned. “That’s the Karen I know. Small towns love a homegrown hero or villain. I don’t care which one give me.”
“This town will be talking soon.”
“Good. I want to hear everyone gossiping about Faith Hunter and the police.”
What would I have to do to get the town talking about Karen England? I didn’t want to write a story that was all about Faith. I wanted it about my reporting skills. My drive. My talent for digging out the truth.
And a story on Faith wouldn’t do that.
I closed my eyes and drew in cleansing breaths, searching my internal database for a story. There was nothing of interest in Eden, West Virginia—or nothing I could write about. I hadn’t lost my edge. The paper caged it up. My editor might have forgotten she vetoed my story about the designer drug rumored to have found its way to our teens, but I hadn’t.
That was what the town needed to talk about. If there was story to fight for, it was that one. I knew the drug was out there. So did other. There wasn’t any solid proof—yet. I’d find it. Even if it took me to where my feared.
Eden High School football team.
Framed To Death is the fourth book in the Faith Hunter Scrap This mystery series, published by Henery Press, April 2016.
Eden has turned into a hotspot of crime, and Faith finds herself smack dab in the middle of the flare-up. When a favor for a friend links Faith to the synthetic marijuana problem invading her town, no good deed goes unpunished becomes the title of her life. The town accuses the police of favoritism toward her, putting a strain between Faith and Ted, and a new officer is determined to prove Faith’s guilt.
When the criminal is outed, Faith’s relief is short-lived. A fire takes out the store—along with the suspected dealer—and she’s now number one on an officer’s suspect list. Faith sets out to prove her own innocence, and her digging sparks the truth to life. Instead of the truth setting the town free, Faith finds out it might destroy Eden, the friends she holds dear, and smother out her own life.
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About the author
Christina Freeburn served in the US Army JAG Corps and also worked as a paralegal, librarian, and church secretary. The Scrap This Mystery Series (Cropped to Death, Designed to Death, Embellished to Death and Framed to Death) brings together her love of mysteries, scrapbooking, and West Virginia. She’s working on future books in the Faith Hunter Scrap This mystery series published by Henery Press. Visit Christina at christinafreeburn.com, @ChristinaFreeb1 and on Facebook
Giveaway: Leave comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Framed To Death. US entries only, please. The giveaway will end May 4, 2016 at 12 AM EST. Good luck everyone!
All comments are welcomed.
Would love a print copy of Framed To Death. Thank you for the chance.
Sounds like a fascinating read. Thank you for the chance to win.
Thank you for an opportunity to enter your giveaway. Framed to Death sounds like a great read. robeader53@yahoo.com
Framed to Death sounds like a must read. This is a new to me series and I’m always excited to learn about a new series and author.
I don’t believe I’ve read a book by this author yet but I would like to start. Thanks for the opportunity.
Interesting cover. Thank you for the chance to win a copy of “Framed to Death”.
wfnren at aol dot com
Framed to Death would be captivating and intriguing. Thanks for this feature and giveaway.
I haven’t read any of this series. Thank you for the chance to win a copy of Framed To Death.
New author for me, and this sounds like a good book to start with getting to know her. hanks you Dru for the introduction. Thanks to Christina for a chance to win a copy.
I would love to read this book. Sounds fun.
My interest is piqued, would enjoy reading
Framed to Death. Thanks for the chance to win it.
The person you want nothing to do with and the boss who wants you to practically move in with them.
Hi Dru! Thanks for the giveaway — I would love to win a copy of Framed to Death ~
Sounds like lots of twists and turns. I love police novels.Small towns can be jammed packed with gossip and problems. Thanks for the chance to win!
Sounds like a great read.
Framed to Death sounds like a very interesting book and I am sure the series is also. Fingers crossed.
Sounds great. Thanks for a chance to win a copy.
I would enjoy reading. I am craft challenged and admire those people who are good at crafting. Maybe I could pick up a few tricks to making crafting easier for me.
sounds wonderful..thanks for the chance..
Interesting premise. Guess I’ll have to start with the first one and work my way through to this newest one – that TBR list just keeps growing. Thanks for cluing me in to another author new to me.
This does sound good, I think we’d both enjoy it. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
I think I would enjoy this series. thanks for the chance
Interesting lead I’d love to read this one.
Another new for me series! I’d love to get to know it.
Sounds like a very intrigue book to read 👍👍 Thank you for a chance to win 🙂 I love to read cozie’s daily if I can.( which I mostly do lol ) 💟
Fun series! Thanks for the chance to win.
This series is new to me and sounds interesting. Thanks for introducing me to all of these new books that need to go on my to read list.