For inn keeper Holly White, Christmas time in Mistletoe, Maine, is the ultimate holiday gift. Business at the Reindeer Games Inn is booming, her wedding to Sheriff Evan Gray is nearly here, and the annual parade is about to begin. The town is lucky to have another gift this year, with the state’s ballet company staying for several performances of The Nutcracker. But disaster strikes when Tiffany, the lead ballerina, shows up dead on a float during the parade, the Rat King’s mask nearby. Holly will have to spruce up her sleuthing skills if she wants to catch the killer before Christmas—and her wedding day.
Immediately, Holly discovers that Tiffany had more than a few secrets. She finds out that the star of the show had a super fan that no one knows anything about. And the show’s understudy slips some other intriguing information Holly’s way: not only was Tiffany secretly seeing someone romantically, but there seems to be more than one rat in this company. When Holly discovers a secret passage leading to Tiffany’s dressing room, with footprints leading out; she wonders if this is evidence of a secret lover—or a stalking killer.
With an impending snowstorm and the ballet company on the way out of town, Holly must act quickly if she wants to find the person responsible for this terrible murder. Will she be able to save Christmas—or will her investigation turn cold like the weather?
STALKING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Book #4) by Jacqueline Frost is another entertaining and wonderful addition to the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. Mistletoe, Maine is once again having the holiday season interrupted by murder and Holly White jumps right in to solve the case because she does not want anything delaying her Christmas Eve wedding to Sheriff Evan Grey. The cast of characters in this series continue to develop and others are added to this small group of friends, so I recommend reading this series in order of publication.
The cozy mystery plot develops into two mysteries, with Holly trying to find the person who poisoned the star ballerina in the Nutcracker which has come to town and helping her finance’s sister discover if she is being stalked or is she imagining it. Both plots have plenty of red herrings and twists that kept me guessing and both have satisfying resolutions.
I highly recommend this latest Christmas Tree mystery, and the entire series is well worth the read. This cast of characters keeps me coming back and the mysteries are seamlessly intertwined throughout.
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About the Author
Jacqueline Frost is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three spunky children. Jacqueline is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sisters in Crime (SinC).
The untold history of a top-secret operation in the run-up to D-Day in which American flyers and Allied spies carried out some of the most daring cloak-and-dagger operations of World War II.
In 1943, the OSS—precursor to the CIA—came up with a plan to increase its support to the French resistance forces that were fighting the Nazis. To start, the OSS recruited some of the best American bomber pilots and crews to a secret airfield twenty miles west of London and briefed them on the intended mission. Given a choice to stay or leave, every airman volunteered for what became known as Operation Carpetbagger.
Their dangerous plan called for a new kind of flying: taking their B-24 Liberator bombers in the middle of the night across the English Channel and down to extremely low altitudes in Nazi-occupied France to find drop zones in dark fields. On the ground, resistance members waited to receive steel containers filled with everything from rifles and hand grenades to medicine and bicycle tires. Some nights, the flyers also dropped Allied secret agents by parachute to assist the French partisans.
Though their story remained classified for more than fifty years, the Carpetbaggers ultimately received a Presidential Unit Citation from the US military, which declared: “it is safe to say that no group of this size has made a greater contribution to the war effort.” Along with other members of the wartime OSS, they were also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Based on exclusive research and interviews, the definitive story of these heroic flyers—and of the brave secret agents and resistance leaders they aided—can now be told. Written in Bruce Henderson’s “spellbinding” (USA TODAY) prose, Midnight Flyboys is an astonishing tale of patriotism, courage, and sacrifice.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Veteran’s Day is a holiday to honor US veterans and victims of all wars. Bruce Henderson wrote about real life heroes of WWII.
Midnight Flyboys by Bruce Henderson details how the American bomber crews dropped Allied secret agents behind the Nazi lines to aid the French resistance. The mission, known as Operation Carpetbagger, had American aircrews flying B-24 Liberators to secret Resistance drop zones. Through their planes’ bomb hanger doors, containers of guns, explosives, grenades, radios, and food were dropped along with agents. On this Veterans Day, Americans should think about the incredible heroism displayed by these men and women.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: What do you want to say about Veteran’s Day?
Bruce Henderson: It is a day that Americans should remember. I am a veteran. I choose this day to honor the greatest generation for their duty, commitment, and mission. When darkness was descending on the world they answered the call. They tried to preserve our democracy and personal freedom. I hope today we do not let their sacrifices be in vain.
EC: Why did you write this story?
BH: I have always had a personal interest for airmen. The uncle I never knew had been lost in WWII over the North Sea. I have never written a book about pilots before. After I was approached by a carpetbagger pilot’s granddaughter, I decided to investigate it and found it to be a really good story about a specific period, about ten months before the liberation of France and the preparation for the Allied invasion over the coast of France.
EC: One of the most interesting parts of the book was the story of Nancy Wake, described as “the most feminine woman I know, until the fighting starts. Then she is like five men.” Please explain
BH: Her story is amazing. She was a British agent sent into France to organize, arm, and train the resistance forces. Interestingly, she was afraid of heights and needed a push from a crewman to parachute out of the plane. Nancy was a free spirit, capable, resourceful, instinctive, tough, hardened, and improvised. She was born an Aussie, married a Frenchman, and was a loyal British subject. She was highly motivated personally and patriotically because of her love for her adoptive country France and the love for her husband she left behind there. The Germans put a substantial bounty on her and labeled her “The White Mouse.”
EC: How would you describe the 400-mile bike ride she made?
BH: She herself said after the war that she was most proud of that event. She made that trip in 72 hours to get an urgent message to London. This was an incredible accomplishment. She felt she had to do it and after she did it, she was on her back for a week, unable to walk. Nancy succeeded and the message got to London.
EC: How would you describe the carpetbagger airmen?
BH: They were American pilots. Operation Carpetbaggers was a joint secretive operation between the American OSS and their British counterparts the SOE who trained most of the agents that were dropped. Eisenhower felt that about 9 months from the invasion there had to be a bigger effort to get the munitions into occupied France. He ordered some squadrons of the B-24s to be available. They had a high casualty rate, 230 were killed in action and about 33 planes went down.
EC: Did the Carpetbaggers have to be retrained?
BH: The B-24 Bomber were designed to fly at a high altitude in formation. Instead, they have been asked to fly solo at night to find a dark field in France. They had to fly the plane slower and lower than it was meant to fly. This could cause stalling. If they were at 1500 feet of altitude they could recover but they were 600 to 800 feet off the ground and would probably crash.
EC: How effective were they?
BH: I use the quote from Eisenhower who estimated that the French resistance forces were equal to five army divisions. They were a huge help when the Allied forces hit the beach at Normandy. They took out bridges to stop the German reinforcements coming from the South and blowing out German trains. Eisenhower thought that the organized resistance forces in the German occupied territories helped to shorten the war by six months. It was like a domino effect because the resistance would not have been effective. SOE Agents like Wake were dropped down to organize and the Carpetbaggers were the ones who dropped them. She was a leader to the resistance and was dependent on the Carpetbaggers who resupplied them.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE LIFEBOAT ORPHANS (The Runaway Evacuees Book #2) by Ellie Curzon on this Bookouture Books on Tour blog post.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Fifteen-year-old Connie is leaving war-torn England for the safer shores of America, looking after a nine-year old orphan boy with sad blue eyes. But the ocean is rife with Nazi vessels. And when their boat is torpedoed, in the fear and chaos Connie can’t stop thinking about handsome Jack, who stayed behind in London. Will the orphans survive, and will Connie ever be reunited with her first love?
Back in London, sixteen-year-old Jack desperately misses Connie, his brave, kind friend, after their tearful goodbye when her ship set sail. As bombs set the skies ablaze, he listens to an old radio for any news about the dangerous Atlantic crossing. When he intercepts a secret message that could change everything, he races to the war office. Will they listen to a young lad like him, and can he save Connie and countless other lives?
THE LIFEBOAT ORPHANS (The Runaway Evacuees Book #2) by Ellie Curzon is an emotional roller coaster of a historical fiction novel featuring a young group of WWII orphans who form their own family and come to be known as “The Blitz Kids” to all of England. This is the second book featuring this group and I feel you should read the first book, The Lost Orphans, to fully enjoy and understand their exploits, character development, and the secondary cast of characters surrounding them in both books.
I cannot get enough of all the characters, the Blitz Kids, Lisette, Mr. Wyngate, and all their friends in both books. Ms. Curzon made me feel as though I was right there in London during the air raids and feeling the loss of friends and/or family. The kids pull at your heartstrings, and you want them to stay safe, but they all want to help their friends, neighbors, and even strangers.
When Connie, Ned, and Mr. Wyngate leave for America to get Ned the operation he needed, I was on the edge of my seat worrying about their safety from German U-boats. The tale of their crossing, the disaster, and devastating news not only has you pulling out the tissues but realizing how true this story was for many during the war.
I highly recommend both Runaway Evacuees books. They are gripping and poignant historical fiction stories of family, love, endurance, and faith during WWII.
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About the Author
Ellie Curzon is the pen name of Catherine Curzon and Helen Barrell. Catherine and Helen began writing together in the spring of 2017 and swiftly discovered a shared love of the past and a uniquely British sort of story. They drink gallons of tea, spend hours discussing the importance of good tailoring and are never at a loss for a bit of derring-do.
Catherine Curzon is an author and historian of old Hollywood and even older royalty. In addition to a series of eighteenth century biographies and a sell-out play, she has written extensively for a number of international publications, and has spoken at venues and events across the United Kingdom. Catherine lives in a haze of Dean Martin atop a steep Yorkshire hill, with a rakish gentleman and a very woolly dog.
Helen Barrell has written two books on Victorian crime, and has appeared on BBC1 and Radio 4. She loves researching family history and rummaging in libraries and archives. Originally from the south-east of England, Helen now lives somewhere in the Midlands with a large ginger cat, who resembles a Viking, and a well-stocked 1960’s cocktail bar.
Roy Grace never dreamed a murder investigation would take him deep into Buckingham Palace . . .
Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is aboard the Royal Train heading to a charity event in Sussex when disaster strikes – the train is derailed.
A tragic accident or a planned attack?
When, minutes later, a trusted aide is shot dead by a sniper, the police have their answer.
Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced The Queen was the intended target. But he finds himself alone in his suspicions.
Fighting against the scepticism of his colleagues and the Palace itself, Grace pursues his own investigation. But when there is a second murder, the stakes rise even higher, and Grace is at risk of being embroiled in a very public catastrophe – and in mortal danger.
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Elise’s Thoughts
The Hawk Is Deadby Peter James, blends fiction with reality. The story features the real King and Queen of England within a suspenseful mystery.
Queen Camilla is traveling on a train that is derailed in a tunnel on the way to Brighton. Determined to find safety, they rest for a bit which is where the action begins. One of her trusted aides is murdered by a sniper and another bullet whizzes by the Queen’s head. Detective Roy Grace from the Sussex police questions if Camilla was the target or did the sniper aim for the person he shot. The inquiry moves to Buckingham Palace where another person is murdered. The investigation becomes intense as Grace tries to figure out who was the target, and why these murders are happening, knowing if he gets those answers he will find the murderer.
A bonus is how the author created a behind the scenes vision of life in Buckingham Palace. Readers learn about the royal palace’s staff, traditions, artwork, and how the Royals interact.
The story is very plausible and has riveting scenes that will have people turning the pages.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Did you start with writing crime novels?
Peter James: No – back in 1977 my then wife asked when I was going to write a novel, as I’d always talked about it. I read an article that there was a shortage of spy thrillers. So, I wrote one and to my amazement I got a two-book deal. Unfortunately, neither sold well.
EC: You seem to be known for crime novels, how did they come about?
PJ: We were robbed and a detective came to fingerprint our house. He saw my two spy thrillers and said if ever I needed research help with the police to call him. We became friends along with his wife who is also a detective. They invited me to a barbeque where I met twelve of their friends, all in the police force. After speaking with them I realized no one sees more of human life and death than a cop. Long story short, they started inviting me on-ride outs. Increasingly I was putting police characters into my books. I tried to show the human side of being a police officer and that it was not just a job for them. I was smuggled into crime scenes as well.
EC: Did any of them give advice for the Roy Grace Series?
PJ: In 1997 I met homicide detective Gaylor and we really clicked. He had been tasked with reopening all the unsolved murders in Sussex England. He said he was the last chance each victim would have for justice and the family for closure. I liked that human image about him. We started talking about the novel I was writing then and he started making suggestions. I thought how he has a real creative streak to him. He helped me on the next two books I wrote. In 2002 he was promoted to the head of homicide for Sussex police. I was offered to write a crime detective as a central character. I phoned Gaylor and asked how he would like to be a fictional cop. He loved it. We have worked together ever since on all Roy Grace books. He tells me how Roy would think and act under different circumstances and has opened doors to the police in the world.
EC: Do you think your Roy Grace novels are typical detective stories?
PJ: I wanted to do something different than the cop with a drinking problem and/or a broken marriage. No cop in the UK would last 24 hours with a drinking problem. I decided to create a detective who had a personal puzzle of his own he could not solve. In the first book, readers learn that Roy’s wife Sandy who he loved and adored had vanished off the face of the earth nine years earlier, on his 30th birthday. All his down time has been taken up with his hunting for her. He wonders if she took off with a lover, had an accident, took her own life, or got kidnapped. In the second book in the series, he starts dating Cleo, which blossoms into a love affair.
EC: What happens with Sandy?
PJ: Roy has always idolized her. Part of the difficulty of moving on is the constant fear that she will come back. In his eyes she is the perfect wife, yet readers will see another side to her. I published THEY THOUGHT I WAS DEAD a couple of years ago, which is Sandy’s story.
EC: How would you describe Roy?
PJ: If ever I was unlucky enough to have a member of my family murdered, Roy is the detective I would want to investigate. Over the years he has changed. He has moved on with his personal life, becoming a father. He becomes smarter and tougher. When I have asked police detectives I know if they have changed, they all answered yes and that they have become more cynical. They do face real danger all the time.
EC: Did you have any interaction with the Queen and King?
PJ: About ten years ago in the Daily Mail Newspaper there was a photo of the then Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, in her office, with two of my Roy Grace books right behind her head. In the article she said I was one of her two favorite authors; the other one was Jane Austen. I wrote to thank her and received a handwritten two-page letter from her telling me she is a genuine fan who has read all the Roy Grace books and some of my stand-alones too. We continued to correspond and she suggested I write a Roy Grace story set in London. I thought, hey, people who have disobeyed past Queens of England did not have things end well for them! She also wanted to see some of the filming of the TV show Grace.
EC: Where can you view the Roy Grace TV series, which is based on the novels?
PJ: It can be viewed on BritBox and is titled “Grace.” They just finished filming season 6 that will be out next spring. In April they will start filming season 7. Each season follows a book per episode although some episodes are new and not from the books. They have covered 18 of the 22 books so far.
EC: Did the Queen watch the filming of a Roy Grace episode?
PJ: We were filming an episode on the harbor waterfront near Brighton, which was a good spot because it could be easily made secure. In a warehouse, she interviewed me for her book club – and I was astonished that she knew more about Roy Grace than I do!!!! She met John Simm and the rest of the cast. I jokingly suggested she might like to be an extra and she replied, ‘Perhaps I could be a dead body???’ She has a wicked sense of humor – and fun! Then she invited me to join her for lunch back in the warehouse. Her private secretary opened her handbag and pulled out a banana, a thermos of soup, and a ham and cheese sandwich! A few months later one of her senior members of the Royal Household said to me that she really would like me to set a Roy Grace novel in Buckingham Palace – with a murder or two – or possibly three.
EC: Did the idea for the story come out of the suggestion?
PJ: I realized that the Palace is in disarray because of the renovations. The Palace is filled with over one million objects of artwork. I was given two three and a half hour tours of the Palace, literally everywhere – down in the basement, along all the floors and up on the rooftop! This is where I came up with this story of how these crooks in the Royal household stole and sold some on the dark web. I discovered it happened, but the thief put the stolen goods on eBay. I did take a tour of the Palace and had my tracker on and found out I had walked 3.5 miles. I want to make all my books as authentic as possible. Everything written in the story is true except the names of members of the Royal Household – although King Charles and Queen Camilla appear as themselves.
EC: Did you ever meet King Charles?
PJ: I met him and the Queen several times. He told me he loved how I kept his wife so entertained with my books! He is warm and charming.
EC: How would you describe Queen Camilla in the story compared to the real Queen?
PJ: I did put a lot of words into the King and Queen’s mouth – they appear extensively throughout the book. Then early in the editing, I asked her to read a draft, as now was the opportunity to change anything she was not happy with. My publishers bound a special copy for her, and I had it hand delivered to her – and then followed the most nervous week of my life!!! I was invited to Clarence house a few days later. She strode towards me with a big smile and said, ‘I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!” I asked her if there was anything she wanted changing and she replied, emphatically, ‘NOT ONE WORD!”
She is quite heroic in the book and I’ve made her appear as very well rounded. She is caring, intellectual, strong, diligent, composed, dutiful, sarcastic, and determined – all of which is true to life.
EC: Many in the US do not see the Queen with these characteristics.
PJ: She is portrayed as the wicked woman, which is really not fair. Charles and she were in love. The late Queen Mother insisted Charles had to marry a virgin and could not therefore marry the woman he truly loved and the whole tragedy of Diana began from there. Camilla was his first love. She was vilified by a lot of people, but certainly in the UK and in many other parts of the world, she has now won admiration and love. People do not realize that no one in the Royal family has made such an impact on reading. Her Instagram book club, The Queen’s Reading Room is in almost every country in the world. I think she is reading’s biggest ambassador. I love that she is not a literary snob but reads across the whole spectrum – everything from literary fiction – historical and present – right down to humble mystery writers like me!
EC: What was said about the train, is that true?
PJ: Yes. She prefers to go on a train and not going on a helicopter. The Royal train has been used for decades, like a hotel on wheels. It is very old inside: Formica tabletops, avocado bathroom, and a bullet hole in the floor of the dining room – from an over-zealous guard one night!!!!
EC: Would you ever send Roy to investigate a crime in the US?
PJ: I have often thought about Roy coming to the US on some kind of exchange. It may well happen.
EC: Next book?
PJ: One of the books I loved was Arthur Hailey’s Hotel. It is set in a hotel in New Orleans, full of characters. Ever since reading this I have always wanted to set a novel in a hotel. I have Roy investigating a big murder in a hotel in Brighton. It will be out around the same time next year.
I will also have a book coming out about writing for those who want to learn about this craft and a little bit about my life.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MURDER AT THE MOULIN ROUGE (A Blackwell & Watson Time-Travel Mysteries Book #5) by Carol Pouliot on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Promoamp giveaway. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Paris, 1895. When a cancan dancer at the Moulin Rouge falls to her death from the top of one of Montmartre’s highest staircases, the police dismiss it as an accident. But, Madeleine was one of Toulouse-Lautrec’s favorite models, and the artist is certain she was murdered. Enter Depression-era detective Steven Blackwell and 21st-century journalist Olivia Watson who travel back in time to Paris to hunt down the killer. Before long, they learn that a second dancer—a ballerina and favorite model of painter Edgar Degas—has died. Two dancers dead in two weeks. Two artists grieving. Is the killer targeting young dancers, or, does this case involve the enigmatic Paris art world?
From the moment Steven and Olivia arrive, Steven is out of his element. The small-town cop has no idea what techniques the French police use in 1895. Worse, he has no official status to investigate murder in one of the world’s largest cities. The sleuths soon discover disturbing secrets at the Paris Ballet. And when Olivia insists on going undercover to visit a suspect’s house alone, Steven fears he’s made the biggest mistake of his life.
Travel back in time with Steven and Olivia, as they enter the back-stabbing world of dance in one of the world’s greatest cities. Murder at the Moulin Rouge is their most daring and dangerous case to date.
Genre: Traditional Police Procedural with a Time-Travel Twist; Historical Mystery. Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: September 23, 2025 Number of Pages: 325
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
MURDER AT THE MOULIN ROUGE (A Blackwell & Watson Time-Travel Mystery) by Carol Pouliot is an intriguing historical mystery as well as a time-travel romance all intertwined with memorable protagonists. This is the fifth book in the series, and they keep getting better and more captivating with each story. I do recommend reading them in order, while the crime plots are completed in each book, the main protagonists, Steven and Olivia’s relationship continues to progress and evolve over the series.
Depression era detective Stephan Blackwell and 21st century journalist Olivia Watson are relaxing after their last adventure, when they are shocked by the appearance of Steven’s deceased artist mother as her younger self asking them to return with her to Paris in 1895 to help her friend, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. One of his models, Madeleine, from the Moulin Rouge has been murdered, but the Paris detectives have called it an accident. Henri has set Stephen up with a detective friend from the Surete Nationale and the three set out to discover who killed Madeleine.
The sleuths discovered Madeleine started at the Paris Ballet but moved to the Moulin Rouge. They also discover another young ballerina died from poison just a few weeks before. Are the two cases connected? Stephen and Olivia are both trying to uncover a killer while trying to navigate a time where both are trying to fit in.
I always enjoy a trip through time as Olivia helps Stephan with his cases in 1934, but this book takes both to a completely new city and time period, Paris in 1895. The descriptions of the historical artists who inhabited the city at this time and the life of the fictional dancers pulled me in and I felt like I was there. The intricately plotted and paced crime mystery kept me turning the pages and I was very satisfied with the conclusion. The research is evident in the details of the city and inhabitants’ lives. Stephen and Olivia’s relationship continues to grow even with the difficulties of living in different moments in history. I always look forward to getting the next book in this series with its great mix of history, crime mystery, and romance.
I highly recommend this engaging historical mystery/time-travel romance in the Blackwell & Watson Time-Travel Mystery series.
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Excerpt
Chapter One
December 25, 1934
Knightsbridge, New York
“I need you to come to Paris.”
“You need what?” he asked.
Detective Steven Blackwell stared at the younger version of his mother standing in the room that had been her studio. Jaw dropped, eyes like saucers. He could barely speak.
“I need you—and your friend Olivia, if you like—to come to Paris. There’s been a murder and the police aren’t doing anything,” said Evangéline. “I thought I heard a voice a minute ago. Was that Olivia? Why don’t you get her? She’s probably wondering what’s going on.”
In a daze, and feeling like he had no control over his actions, Steven turned away from the vision of his mother and stumbled out into the hallway. He saw Olivia still waiting in the doorway at the end of the hall. Her hand flew to her chest, and she heaved a great sigh. “Oh, my God, you’re okay! What’s going on? I thought I heard voices. Is somebody here?” As he came closer, she noticed the look on his face. “What’s wrong? You look funny.”
“It’s my mother. My mother’s here.”
“What?”
“She looks as real as you do, but she’s young, around our age. She said she needs me to go to Paris. And you should come too.”
“What?” For one terrifying moment, Olivia wondered if a year of grieving had unhinged Steven’s mind. How could his mother be here? Evangéline Neuilly Blackwell died last January.
Steven repeated Evangéline’s instructions. “She said I should come get you.” He held out his hand. Olivia took it and stepped over the threshold into 1934.
They moved slowly down the hall then paused at the doorway to look at each other. Steven squeezed her hand. Olivia nodded. They both took a deep breath then entered Evangéline’s studio.
There in the shadowy room stood a beautiful woman, shoulder-length copper hair shining in the lamplight. She was slender, taller than average, and wore a stunning emerald dress, the kind French women wore to perfection. A wool coat with a fur collar had been thrown over the back of a chair. She held out her hand toward Olivia.
“Hello. I’m Evangéline Neuilly. I’m so happy to meet you.”
Olivia had always wanted to meet Steven’s exotic-sounding mother—a famous French artist—but that possibility had died along with Evangéline. Or so she had thought. Olivia told herself to close her mouth, which had fallen open, and shook the woman’s hand. “Olivia Watson.”
Evangéline looked at Steven. “I can tell you’re surprised to see me. I must not have told you about my ability to time travel. Surely, you wondered why you can? And if your father or I also had that ability?”
“Eh, no. Not really.”
Evangéline rolled her eyes and gave Olivia a look that said, Men, huh?
Olivia couldn’t help grinning.
“Well,” Evangéline opened her arms wide, “here’s the answer to your unasked question. You got it from me.”
Olivia recovered first. “So, Evangéline, you traveled here from…when?”
“1895. And I really need your help. Both of you.” She shook her head and waved her hand back and forth. “I know. I know. You have a lot of questions. Let’s go downstairs and have something to drink. I’ll tell you what has happened.”
They trouped down the stairs and into the living room.
“I know I must have lived in this house for some time and I assume I decorated this room….” Evangéline turned to Steven for confirmation.
“Yes, we lived here about twenty years or so before you….” He swallowed hard.
“Before I died,” she whispered, then patted his hand. “Pauvre chouchou. Poor sweetheart. I’m so sorry. But, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know when. Of course, I have an idea. But not the exact date.” She opened a door in the sideboard. “Bon! A bottle of red.” She handed the wine to Steven.
Still dazed, he opened it and poured a glass for each of them. Evangéline curled up in a leather chair. Steven and Olivia sat facing her on the couch.
His mother took a sip and pursed her lips. “Not bad. So, listen, we must act fast. A young girl has been killed but the police do nothing. They say it was an accident. We know it was not. I want you to find out who killed Madeleine Gervaise.”
His cop’s instincts kicked in, and Steven found himself intrigued. Who was Madeleine Gervaise? How did she die? Why do the police think it was an accident? And what was her connection to Evangéline?
Suddenly, Steven remembered something Sherlock Holmes once said: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” And with that assurance, he snapped out of his stupor and accepted his mother’s bewildering appearance. He leaned forward.
“All right, let’s say, for the sake of argument, that I can and will go to Paris. Answer these questions.” He ticked them off his fingers. “Why do the police think it was an accident? How do you know it wasn’t? When did this happen?”
Evangéline placed her feet on the floor and mirrored him, ticking her answers off her fingers. Olivia almost laughed at the two of them. Talk about a chip off the old block, as her grandfather used to say. “She fell on one of the tall staircases in Montmartre. The police say she slipped on the ice. My friend Henri knows the human body and how it works. He says the…how do you say ‘marks of black and blue’?”
“Bruises,” Olivia chimed in. “We also say black-and-blue marks.”
“Ah! Bon. Henri says the bruises prove someone pushed her. It happened late Sunday night, early Monday morning. Today is already Wednesday. That is why we must move fast.”
Steven groaned, thinking of the days lost. “Is Henri a doctor?”
“No, an artist. But, believe me, Steven, he knows the body. If Henri says she was pushed, she was pushed.”
“So, again, if we were to do this, how would it work?”
“We must go with all speed. That means we must travel in Olivia’s time in one of those fast aeroplanes. That’s how I got here so quickly.”
“Wait, how do you know about Olivia?”
“Oh, mon Dieu, the questions! It is a long story but if it will help speed this up…last summer, I traveled to 1934, to America, with someone on business that had nothing to do with you or my future. When I was in New York City, I saw a photograph in a newspaper of the painting I’m working on right now. The article said a museum in Chicago had bought it and gave information about me, you, and your father. While my friend was completing his business, I had a couple of days to myself, so I took a train here and came to this house. Naturally, I was curious, so I came in and looked around. You really shouldn’t leave your doors unlocked, you know. Anyway, I saw the photograph of Olivia on your dresser. You have her name and the year 2014 written on the back. I realized you had inherited my ability to time travel and that Olivia also had the gift.” Evangéline blew out her cheeks. “Can we not return to the problem at hand now?”
Steven grinned. “Yeah, okay. You know, I always thought you learned English when you moved here with Dad. You speak really well.”
She rolled her eyes. “As you must know, my father is a professor of English at the Sorbonne. He taught me when I was a child.” She took a drink of her wine. “Now, to our problème…I went through the portal in Paris, from 1895 to Olivia’s time.”
“Why did you go into Olivia’s time?”
“If you keep interrupting me, we will never get anywhere. Just listen.” Evangéline took another drink of wine and went on. “Time is of the essence, as it’s already been almost three days. We must travel into 2014 and go to New York City as quickly as possible. Someone there will help us with what we need. Tomorrow night, we’ll fly to Paris. Once we’re there, we’ll travel back to 1895.”
“You make it sound easy. But I have so many questions,” Steven persisted. “How are we going to pay for all this? How do I get a passport fast enough to fly tomorrow? What about other things we might need?”
His mother tilted her head toward the ceiling and sighed. “You think I have come all this way without a plan? Before I left, Henri gave me a sketch. There’s a man in New York City—you will soon learn we have travel agents in cities all over the world who help us. This man in New York City, a place called Brooklyn, is selling the sketch for me, so we’ll have plenty of money. He’ll make a passport and other documents for you, Steven, just as someone in Paris made mine so I could come here.” Evangéline turned to Olivia. “Do you have a passport? Do you drive an automobile?”
“Yes. And I have a car.”
“Can you take us to New York City tomorrow morning so we can get Steven’s documents and the money to buy our tickets for the aeroplane? We must leave for Paris tomorrow night.”
“Sure. Listen, Evangéline, I’m sorry to hear about your friend Madeleine.”
“Thank you. She was lovely—a dancer and one of Henri’s favorite models. Such a waste.”
“Who is Henri? And why would anybody buy one of his sketches?”
“Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. I think he is well known in your time, Olivia.”
“Toulouse-Lautrec?” Olivia gasped. “He’s a friend of yours?”
“Yes, and he’s now your employer.”
Olivia’s jaw dropped.
Evangéline reached out toward Steven with her empty wineglass then settled back in the chair after he’d refilled it. “Now, let us talk about tomorrow. You must both pack a small bag. Steven, bring any tools or objects you will need to investigate. I don’t know what they might be, but that is most important. When we travel to my Paris in 1895, you can borrow clothes belonging to my friend Théo. He’s away on business right now. His wardrobe is filled with additional items—suits, shirts, collars, and so forth. There’s a cloak and hat as well. Olivia, we’re about the same size. I’m happy to share my clothes with you. I have plenty of skirts and dresses. I have an extra cloak, too. Just bring your personal things.”
Suddenly, Steven realized he had been given a gift. After a long, difficult year of grieving, he had the chance to spend time with the woman who would become his mother. How could he possibly say no?
“I’m sorry, but I have to interrupt again,” Steven said, grinning at Evangéline. “Before it gets too late, I need to call the chief to tell him a family emergency has come up and I need a few days off.” He stood and headed for the phone, then stopped. He turned around and walked back to Evangéline. “I know this is going to be weird for you. You don’t even know me yet. But I have missed you so much!” And he bent down and kissed his mother’s cheek.
***
Author Bio
A former language teacher and business owner, Carol Pouliot writes the acclaimed Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, traditional police procedurals with a seemingly impossible relationship between a Depression-era cop and a 21st-century journalist. With their fast pace and unexpected twists and turns, the books have earned praise from readers and mystery authors. Carol is a founding member of Sleuths and Sidekicks, 4 mystery writers who have banded together to share their love of mysteries, immediate Past President and Program Chair of her Sisters in Crime chapter, and Co-Chair of Murderous March, an online mystery conference. When not writing, Carol can be found packing her suitcase and reaching for her passport for her next travel adventure.
The death of a nameless young woman in his emergency room spurs physician AJ Docker to seek answers. Together with his policeman friend and a police dog, he sets out on a quest for justice for his lost patient, but he discovers more questions than answers as he delves into the criminal world.
Last Patient of the Night is an action packed thriller interspersed with lighthearted stories from the emergency room, featuring a cast of interesting characters.
LAST PATIENT OF THE NIGHT (AJ Docker Thriller Book #1) by Gary Gerlacher is a fast paced action/adventure crime thriller that gives the reader a mash-up of amateur sleuth in an E.R. doctor protagonist, AJ Docker, his policeman friend and K-9 police dog, and two local detectives work the case as a police procedural all intertwined with humor as well as thrills, danger, and action.
This first book in a series introduces the main characters, AJ Docker and K-9, Banshee. The Doc has a way with the ladies (think James Bond as an E.R. doctor), is smart, talented as an Emergency Room doctor, and has a penchant to help the underdog and/or persecuted. He is also sports oriented and trained in firearms and marital arts. The secondary characters are interesting in their own ways, and the dialogue is snarky and fun. The crime thriller plot is fast-paced and kept me turning the pages. This is a thriller you pick up for escapism, action, fun, and an easy read.
I am looking forward to following Doc and Banshee in future books.
***
About the Author
One of the wildest work environments imaginable, Emergency Rooms give staff the joy and satisfaction of saving lives as well as the low of pronouncing death just minutes apart. Each emergency room runs on adrenaline-fueled heroes working 24/7/365 to help patients. After thirty years in the field of medicine as a pediatric emergency physician, Gary Gerlacher has a lifetime of stories to share from his experiences. His books seek to capture the chaos and energy of life in the emergency room, while seeking justice for traumatized patients. They feature a potent mix of emotion, action, and humor, as Doc and Banshee, his K9 sidekick, travel the country to meet new challenges in each work environment. Gary is a serial entrepreneur in the healthcare space and lives in Dallas with his wife and two rescue dogs. He is currently working on opening a competitive cheer gym with his daughters (thoughts and prayers please). Last Patient of the Night, Faulty Bloodline, Sin City Treachery and Deadly Equation are currently available on Amazon. Book five, Terminal Exchanges, will be released in October, 2025.
