Shadows of the Past by Pamela McCord [BLITZ]

[The Unfinished Business of Eliot Ness]

A copycat serial killer and the ghost of Eliot Ness. Can two amateur sleuths, with the help of the famous ghost, stop the murderer before he kills again.

A ghostly figure surprises India Bennett in her study. That’s unnerving enough, but said ghost leaves a book open to a page showing a mutilated body, a body which looks just like the body in a case Indy’s homicide detective boyfriend, Danny, is currently investigating. Standing next to the body in the picture in the mysterious book is a man Indy recognizes as the ghost she saw in her study. Danny points out to her that it would be impossible for her to have seen the man in the picture, the legendary lawman Eliot Ness.

Despite Danny’s insistence, Indy knows what she saw, and she and her best friend Cara become friends with Eliot’s spirit. With ghostly assistance, the amateur sleuths begin their own investigation. After their discovery of what appears to be a journal describing the original victims from the 1930s, and with two murders already committed by the current serial killer, Indy and Cara rush to find the copycat murderer before he kills again.

In Shadows of the Past, a thrilling fusion of historical crime and supernatural suspense, the spirit of Eliot Ness becomes an unexpected ally, guiding Indy and Cara through a treacherous maze of secrets and hidden motives. With their lives on the line and the body count rising, they must navigate the shadows of the past and confront the malevolent force that seeks to perpetuate the sins of history.

The past and present collide in this captivating novel, unleashing a bone-chilling tale of danger, redemption, and the enduring power of justice. Prepare to be captivated by this gripping page-turner.

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Cozy | Ghosts | Mystery | Serial Killers | Thriller

Published: December 14, 2023

Length: 197

Tour Provided by Xpresso Book Tours

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⇛The Excerpt⇚

The body was face-up in a field bordering the railroad tracks. Not easy to spot. If it hadn’t been for the boys playing softball in one corner of the field, who knows how long it would have taken before the body was discovered. If at all.

The part of the field where the body lay was overgrown with weeds and a smattering of discarded trash. The ground sloped enough that unless you were standing far enough out in the field, or chasing a home run ball you might have missed the dark form also discarded in the parched brown weeds.

Red Williams hit a long ball over the head of Billy Peters in center field. Both teams erupted as Billy took off running after the ball while his teammates hollered at him to hurry before the batter could make it all the way around the bases to cross home plate. The hollering came to a dead stop when Billy turned around, his face red and sweaty from the late afternoon sun, frantically shouting and waving his arms in the air.

Within moments, ten middle grade boys were gathered around a figure splayed in the weeds.

“Eeww.” Red’s face was scrunched up and he waved his hand in front of his face. He wasn’t the only one blanching and gagging at the gruesome scene and the overwhelming smell of decomposition wafting off the body. The late June heat only magnified the stench.

“What happened to him?” Robbie Ewing asked. “I mean, it’s gross. Who could do something like that? Some sick SOB. I bet it hurt like hell.” Seizing on an opportunity to seem brave to his horrified teammates, Robbie scrunched his shoulders and made his hands into claws and stomped around like a zombie.

“Not funny, butthead,” Red said, taking a swing at Robbie’s shoulder as he lumbered past.

Larry Romano was bent over, groaning and losing his lunch, setting off a new round of gagging among the boys.

“I’m calling my dad,” Billy said, pulling his phone out of his back pocket.

All the boys shuffled back to where they’d left their gear, shooting glances toward the dead man lying out there in the field while they waited for Billy’s dad and the cops to show up.

“Do you think our parents won’t let us play here anymore?” Petey asked.

“That guy wasn’t on the baseball diamond,” Billy logically pointed out. “We don’t go over there by the railroad tracks. It’s not like any of us can hit the ball that far. But the smell was so bad, I wanted to check it out.”

“Yeah, but I bet they’re gonna think it’s not safe for us to be playin’ here by ourselves. You know how moms are.”

“Yeah,” Red said. “It sucks.”

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Born in Arkansas and raised in Southern California, Pamela McCord started writing later in life when she was challenged by a friend to create a book out of his story idea. Since then, she's become an internationally published author. Pam has spent over 40 years working as a legal secretary at a law firm in Orange County, California. Aside from writing, she follows the stock market, buying, selling and trading stocks and options. In contrast to that, she loves trips to Las Vegas where she can spend many happy hours at the Pai Gow tables. She shares a condo with her very own My Cat From Hell TV star, Allie, who manages to exude just enough affection to make her scary feral ways tolerable.