Mystery We Write Blog Tour ~ Anne K. Albert

Frank, Incense and Muriel takes place in western New York State, in and around Niagara Falls. I chose this setting because I’m familiar with the area, and I imagine a majority of my readers will be as well.

Not only is it a popular tourist destination, but just the mere mention of “Niagara Falls” conjures images of love and intrigue. Four seasons add to the mix. Winters can be brutal with plenty of snow and blinding winds that cause whiteouts. And since the story itself takes place the week before Christmas, I added a holiday feel to the story.

Here’s an excerpt:

Frankie pulled into a parking space on Glendale Avenue and cut the engine. I peered past the windshield to the glimmering tower of glass and steel in front of us.

“This is Rachel’s building?” I asked.

“Impressive, huh?”

“And then some. I’ve been here before. With Val when she returned from Melbourne and was apartment hunting. The bird’s eye view of Niagara Falls is spectacular.”

Equally spectacular was the uniformed man at the door who greeted us beneath the burgundy canopy that marked the entranceway. In his twenties, he looked as if he’d stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine.

I expected Frankie to ask him questions about Rachel. But other than a quick nod, he bypassed him completely. We rode the elevator to the twelfth floor in silence. I could feel Frankie looking at me, but I feigned interest on the control panel and watched the buttons light up one by one.

When the elevator doors opened, he pulled a key from his pocket. “She’s in 1224. It should be the last unit on the right.”

“You seem to know your way around. Have you been here before?”

“Nope.”

I pointed to the key. “Then where’d you get that? The key fairy?”

He grinned. “You really are jealous of Rachel, aren’t you?”

Duh. Admitting I’d harbored an image of him and a certain sixteen-year-old temptress on the dance floor for the past fifteen years would only inflate his ego. But the truth is I did, and each time I saw red. 

Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with the color of her dress or her platinum dyed hair. And not once had I considered the possibility of Rachel becoming a responsible adult, having a successful career, or living in a prestigious downtown building.

All that changed when Jack asked me to keep an eye on Frankie and report on his actions.

“Where’d you get the key?” I repeated.

Frankie unlocked the door and gave it a shove. “Jack gave me it this morning when we met in his office.”

I frowned.  Why would Jack have a key to Rachel’s condo? Before I could ask the question aloud, Frankie gestured for me to step inside.

I slipped past him into the apartment, kicked off my boots and soaked up the ambiance. White Italian marble floor tiles ran the entire length of the large foyer. A massive crystal chandelier shimmered high overhead. Crown molding topped walls painted a warm, relaxing beige. A print from Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe series hung on the wall. A large gilded framed mirror hung on the opposite wall. Beneath it stood an antique hall console table.

Three doorways stretched along the right side of the foyer, two more on the left. A quick peek inside the first room to the left indicated I’d found a bedroom. The kitchen and den were to my right. I bypassed them all, however, for the living room. My feet sunk into the plush, mushroom-colored carpet. A sofa, love seat and upholstered chair–all covered in luxurious, matching silk, brocade and leather–took advantage of the panorama beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Spellbound, I studied the Falls. A cloud of mist hung in the air.

Bio: Anne K. Albert’s award winning mystery and romantic suspense stories chill the spine, warm the heart and soothe the soul…all with a delightful touch of humor. When not at the keyboard she loves to travel, walk on a beach, visit friends and family, and of course, read using ‘Threegio’ her beloved and much cherished Kindle 3G. She can be found online at Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Goodreads, Pinterest, Amazon and her blog.

Thanks for featuring me today, Madison. I’d like to remind readers to enter my giveaway contest. Up for grabs is an e-copy of FRANK, INCENSE AND MURIEL. Leave a comment and you're automatically entered. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on my blog on December 12, 2012. Good luck!

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Anne K. Albert

Website, Blog