Thrilled today to be sharing an extract from Blood Loss
'...in the same league as Ian Rankin and L J Ross...' Graham Rolph
'. My arms broke out in goose-bumps! Wow!' Susan Hampson, Books From Dust Till Dawn Kerena Swan’s brilliant novel explores how honest mistakes and human frailty can have terrifying and long-reaching consequences. It’s a tale of family ties and loyalty, revenge and redemption that you won’t want to put down. Sarah With one eye on the rear view mirror and the other on the road ahead, Sarah is desperate to get as far away from the remote Scottish cabin as she can without attracting attention. But being inconspicuous isn't easy with a black eye and clothes soaked in blood... ... and now the fuel tank is empty. DI Paton When a body is discovered in a remote cabin in Scotland, DI Paton feels a pang of guilt as he wonders if this is the career break he has been waiting for. But the victim is unidentifiable and the killer has left few clues. Jenna With the death of her father and her mother's failing health, Jenna accepts her future plans must change but nothing can prepare her for the trauma yet to come. Fleeing south to rebuild her life Sarah uncovers long-hidden family secrets. Determined to get back what she believes is rightfully hers, Sarah thinks her future looks brighter. But Paton is still pursuing her... ... and he's getting closer.
I was inspired to write this novel after reading a news article about people who undertook DNA tests to find out more about their heritage with shocking results.
Blood Loss is book one in a series featuring DI Paton and his son Tommy, a boy with Down’ Syndrome. After writing Who’s There? I was asked many times to write a sequel with the main character, Arnold. Tommy is a reincarnation of Arnold with a few subtle differences. You can discover the characters in a free novella available on my website. www.kerenaswan.com DI Paton Detective Inspector Dave Paton disconnected the call to his mobile and looked at his son who was pulling on his coat. This wouldn’t go down well. ‘I’m sorry, Tommy, we can’t go bowling today after all. Something has come up at work. I promise we’ll go next Saturday instead.’ Paton couldn’t deny the shiver he’d felt across his skin when the Chief Inspector said a murder victim had been discovered, and he couldn’t quite decide if it had been alarm or excitement. He longed for a case to challenge him and help him get promotion. Something that would prove he was capable of being the senior investigating officer. After all, he was forty-eight now and if he didn’t achieve this soon it would be too late in his career. With the demands his family placed on him he’d never had the opportunity before. Would this be his chance? Tommy paused with one arm in a sleeve. His flat face and slanted eyes, typical of a child with Down’s syndrome, gave nothing away but his voice was aggrieved. He was nearly as tall as his father and he looked him straight in the eye. ‘You promised, Dad.’ Paton grabbed his car keys. ‘I know, son, but this is important. I’ll take you to Auntie Ursula’s instead and Mum will pick you up when she finishes work.’ Tommy might be fifteen but he couldn’t be left alone. To Paton’s relief, Tommy nodded. He was a nice-natured boy and he understood his dad had important work to do. The cold air pinched Paton’s cheeks as they rushed to the car outside. Scotland always seemed much colder compared to Weymouth in the south of England where he grew up. ‘Get in the back please, Tommy. We need to collect Cheryl.’ Ten minutes later Paton pulled up at the kerb and Detective Constable Cheryl Campbell scrambled in. ‘Hi, boss. Any more info?’ She clipped her seat belt on quickly as he accelerated away. He did have more information, but he couldn’t tell her yet. ‘Hello, DC Cheryl.’ She swivelled in her seat to look behind her. ‘Tommy! I didn’t realise you were with us.’ She smiled at the boy then glanced across at Paton with her eyebrows raised. Tommy leaned forward and patted her shoulder. ‘I’m coming to work with you.’ His round face was creased into a wide smile and his thick tongue muffled his speech. ‘Sorry. Not today, Plodders.’ Paton flashed Tommy a quick smile, using the nickname he’d earned as a small boy when he’d insisted on being called PC Plod. ‘I’m dropping you at Auntie Ursula’s like we agreed. We’ll do some investigating another day. Perhaps we can track down the thief who’s been raiding the biscuit jar.’ ‘Oh, Dad, I know it was you.’ Tommy laughed and sat back in his seat. ‘He ate all the Fox’s Crunch Creams again,’ Tommy told Cheryl. ‘Mum will be cross.’ ‘How is your mum?’ Paton glanced sideways at Cheryl. She knew about Wendy’s bouts of depression which confined her to bed for a week or two and sometimes longer. In fact, his whole team knew but he wasn’t keen on discussing it in front of Tommy, or at all for that matter. Paton’s private life was just that. Private. He couldn’t have people feeling sorry for him and thinking he couldn’t do his job properly. They got by… just, although it was difficult at times. ‘Mum’s upset. She found three grey hairs the other day,’ Tommy said with a small shake of his head. Cheryl grinned. ‘I wish I could come to work there again. Where are you and Cheryl going, Dad?’ Paton looked at his son in the rear-view mirror and felt a rush of affection. Tommy had his heart set on being a detective like his father and Grandfather and had recently been given the opportunity of two weeks’ work experience in the police station staff canteen, He was devastated when it finished. He’d even helped solve a problem case for Paton, albeit unwittingly. ‘Will you need your handcuffs? Is someone stealing again?’ Tommy pulled a plastic set of cuffs from his pocket. ‘You can borrow mine if you’ve forgotten yours.’ He dangled them between the front seats. ‘I won’t, but thanks for the offer.’ Paton stopped outside his sister’s house. ‘Come on, out you get. Maybe Mum will buy you fish and chips when she finishes work.’ Paton’s stomach growled at the thought of food and he sighed. ‘Tell her I’ll grab a sandwich somewhere.’
Purchase Links
US - https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Loss-Paton-Investigates-Book-ebook/dp/B08ZLPV615/ UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Loss-Paton-Investigates-Book-ebook/dp/B08ZLPV615/ Blood Loss will be just 99p for a limited time only! About Kerena Swan We are thrilled to be introducing DI Dave Paton and his son Tommy, the stars of the first novel in Kerena Swan’s new series, to the world. Before coming to Hobeck, Kerena had published three novels, Dying To See You, Scared to Breathe and Who’s There? and has built a solid fan base around her writing career thus far. She is a juggler extraordinaire: driving forward a successful care business she runs with her husband yet finding time to write. She loves to write, here and there and everywhere when she’s not working. We don’t know how she does it but we are glad that she does! Kerena talks about her writing, her influences and how she came to Hobeck in this video. Social Media Links Website: https://kerenaswan.wordpress.com/ Twitter: @kerenaswan Facebook : @kerenaswan · Author
1 Comment
19/4/2021 12:23:20 pm
Thank you for sharing the excerpt of Blood Loss. I really appreciate it.
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