A BROKEN REFLECTION

 

 

A BROKEN REFLECTION

by Shelly M. Patel

October 7 - November 1, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

 

 

Synopsis:

In the game of deception and betrayal, nothing is ever as it seems, not even murder.

Secrets would be revealed in the dead of night, and lives would be changed forever. With each body count rising, Claire and Stephen began to unveil the truth, exposing the dark side of their seemingly perfect lives. In the shadows, Jessica watched from the sidelines with grave anticipation, ready to take hold of her moment. The game of cat and mouse had begun. Will Claire and Stephen be able to ride out the storm and rebuild their lives? Will Jessica seal her place next to Stephen no matter what the cost? Will the killer ever be caught?

 

 

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Published by: Self-Published
Publication Date: October 2024
Number of Pages: 256
ISBN: 9798350963038
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Enjoy an Excerpt:

Chapter 1

Claire

It’s probably going to sound crazy to you, but I felt as though someone was watching me all the time, night, and day. You know how it is—you sense these things. Well, I did, anyway.

That’s right; I could sense it. A hole the size of a crater slowly burned in the back of my head, created by their stares. By ‘they,’ it wasn’t clear who it was that watched me yet.

But they were there, for sure.

An eerie silence had seemed to follow me everywhere, and it was impossible to shake that feeling of someone observing from afar. Someone spying, tracking me.

Knowing everything…

I shook my head quickly as if it could banish the intrusiveness from my head.

Damn, these wretched thoughts! I said to myself. But every time, a chill would run down my spine like icy fingertips tracing their way up and down my back. Taunting me, Poking fun at me.

My eyes darted, nervously searching for any sign of movement in the crowd, but there wasn’t anyone out of place; everyone seemed totally normal. Well, except for me, of course.

Okay, I’m just exaggerating, but you know how it is when you feel pursued like that.

I almost dared not glance back, afraid to ask who it could be, feeling as if they were observing me again, peering in on everything like a pervert.

The idea sent shivers up my spine, making the hair on my arms and back stand on end. And my gut clenched as if it would make me vomit, just that sensation of someone there, knowing everything I did, every tiny move. Initially, a tingling came to my scalp, which gradually traveled down my head and neck before settling into the back of my skull.

It was the same nervousness that had pervaded me when taking my dental admission test; it was that cold bite gnawing at my gut, a feeling unwilling to go away. This was a warning, and that was clear; a terrible thing was about to occur.

It was an omen, a premonition if you like. Something very bad would be coming my way.

Soon.

To try and regain my composure, I closed my eyes.

There was little doubt that if Stephen had overheard me saying all this, he’d have me committed to a mental institution.

I needed to zero down on the task at hand.

So, I took a half-day off work, using it to come here.

I’m all by myself now. See. Look around! Who can wish me harm?

Choosing the proper dress for the charity ball hadn’t been easy either; after all, who liked wasting time wandering from store to store? I supposed some girls didn’t mind it. Some even claimed to like shopping. As for me, it was loathsome, a chore, and irritating.

However, the attire had to be suitable for the occasion. The planning committee had chosen to preserve the masquerade ball theme for this year’s event.

Phyllis was in charge this year, so Stephen and I wanted to show our support.

I had little interest in the woman, but as Stephen often reminded me, I should “be nice, Claire.” He played golf with her husband, Bob, you see, and Bob happened to be Stephen’s long-time friend and business partner. Both were decent guys; they wanted me to back Phyllis up and ensure the event went well. It was something I had to do—according to Stephen.

And Stephen was never wrong about this kind of thing, was he?

But Phyllis was the kind of person who always seemed to try too hard. She needed to be liked to extremes, so she was a bit of a people pleaser, always fussing about something.

It all had to be just so, just perfect. So annoying. Everyone had to love everything about her, big or small as if she would implode if you missed a moment’s flattery.

Phyllis had an oblong face framed by a short blonde bob hairstyle that she thought made her look stylish and sophisticated, but to me, it smacked of desperation and made her look maternal.

But despite this, people seemed to love her enthusiastic and friendly demeanor. Phyllis would pop up no matter where she went or what group she joined.

“Everything all right for you, dear?”

Or “Oh, your hair is lovely, dear,” she would say.

Or “Wherever did you buy such a divine dress?”

“Look at you,” she enthused. “Your makeup is so on point today! Very pretty, sweetie.”

Ugh. Her words were creepy, all this excessive enthusiasm about every topic imaginable. I’d look around me when it happened, and the weird thing was that everyone around Phyllis looked as if they felt charmed by her efforts. But weren’t they ultimately exhausted from all the energy being thrown their way, like I was?

And then there was that other thing—the other side of her.

***

Excerpt from A Broken Reflection by Shelly M. Patel. Copyright 2024 by Shelly M. Patel. Reproduced with permission from Shelly M. Patel. All rights reserved.

 

 

About the Author:

Shelly M. Patel enjoys writing mystery books. Her first Children's book, Jake has Dyslexia, entered the Reader's Choice award in 2021. In 2023, she won second place in CloutBooks for the Reader's Choice Award for her novel When Secrets Kill. She lives in Virginia Beach with her husband, three beautiful children, and their dog, Teddy.

Q&A With the Author:

Who is your favorite author and why? To say I have one favorite author would be unjust. I have a few: 

1. Mary Higgins Clark- (When she was alive)- Mary was the Queen of suspense. Her style appealed to me. Her characters were women-centric and clean, with the perfect amount of surprises.

 

1. Frieda McFadden is a medical professional like me. She kept writing a secret from her colleagues until she became successful. Her writing style is simple, similar to my style. I love how she can weave multiple characters and plots and tie everything together. Her female characters are retable and have ordinary jobs, as seen in her books, The Housemaid, The Inmate, and Never Lie…

1. Agatha Christie. What I love about her style is that she can shift multiple points of view so easily. Her books are cleverly slow-paced enhancing the drama in the content. When I think of a great suspense writer, I think of Agatha Christie even after her demise, 48 years later her books are still read and movies are being made. 

What is something unique/quirky about you?

I am an emotionally/spiritually intelligent person. I can read other people’s energies and sense how they are at the core.  One of my quirk is my mind runs mile a minute flooded with millions of thoughts from scientific to creative writing. It’s almost like a mad scientist.

What was your inspiration for writing this book?

I’ve always enjoyed writing since I was a kid, I wrote a lot of pottery. I have a soft corner for women and children and specially those who have gone through trauma.   A Broken Reflection is for others to understand how a human mind works. It’s so complex with billions of cells which house our memory, emotions, thoughts, movements and so forth. We are always quick to assume but we really don’t understand what another person is going through- I wanted to bring light to the topic.  Humans are complex beings and until we don’t understand what someone else is going through, we should empathize more and judge less. 

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Creating different characters and how they all work together to solve a case. 

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about? - Yes, it’s called The Perfect One. Jack and Layla, who appeared to be a blissful married couple, found their lives turned upside down when Layla's lover, Brent, was murdered at their rustic cabin. As the appointed sheriff, Jack had to confront the heart-wrenching evidence that seemed to implicate Layla. Despite being a seasoned District Attorney, Layla found herself in a race against time to untangle the web of deceit. Just when she thought the situation couldn't get any grimmer, a shocking discovery shook her to the core – her missing stepfather's lifeless body, concealed in the depths of Layla's childhood home.  

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans? 

A Broken Reflection is set to be released on October 21, 2024 on Amazon platform.  Feel free to grab your copy and share your thoughts with me on Instagram. Your reviews on Amazon are also greatly appreciated!

Catch Up With Shelly M. Patel:

BooksByShelly.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @shellymauthor
Instagram - @shellympatel
Facebook - @ShellyPatelauthor

 

 

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