Russian Dolls
By Cristelle
Comby
New Adult -
Mystery&Detective
Date
Published:3/13/2013
Alexandra Neve is a student at University College
London whose world suddenly falls apart. When her best friend jumps
from the university’s rooftop, she can’t stop herself from
asking, ‘Why?’ The police rule her friend’s death a suicide and
for them the case is closed — so whom can she turn to for
help?
Sometimes the person you need the most is the one you
least expect to find, and in this case it’s none other than Ashford
Egan, a blind middle-aged history professor, who’s more willing
than most to listen to what she has to say.
Neve and Egan are as different as they come. She’s
restless, careless at times, and fearless when the need arises, while
he’s almost the complete opposite: a deep thinker with an
analytical mind, a highly rational and collected
individual.
As they enter the violent world of the Russian mafia,
they must overcome their differences and learn to work together. It’s
their only chance if they want to survive.
EXCERPT
I don’t find much more information on Anthony
Anderson and eventually stop researching for lack of interesting
leads. I spend Monday morning tailing him, instead. I leave the flat
at the crack of dawn in my mother’s old blue Fiat Punto and drive
all the way up to the Andersons’, my camera on the
passenger seat.
I park a little farther up the road, turn off the
engine and check the camera. Mr Anderson’s dark Mercedes passes me,
at six thirty. I snap two pictures, before turning on the ignition
and following him at a reasonable distance.
He goes straight to work and disappears in an
underground car park that requires an ID card.
I open the car door and move to the boot. I reach down
for one of my short winter duffle jackets and a black cap. I shrug
both on and then grab a small parcel, before closing the boot and
walking to the Credit Suisse building.
I force myself to walk in as casually as I can, and
approach the reception with a look I hope is confident.
‘Morning,’ I say to the young man at the desk.
‘Urgent delivery for Anthony Anderson.’
The young lad narrows his eyes on the parcel and then
looks me up and down. I square my jaw. Time to see whether my plan’s
going to work.
I pinned a badge on my chest. I made it up on my
laptop, with a fake logistic company name and logo, and my name and
picture. The cap on my head bears the same logo. It’s actually one
of my old white caps that I craftily hand-painted last
night.
‘Sure,’ the man says with an easy smile. ‘Leave
it here; I’ll see that it’s delivered with the morning
mail.’
‘Sorry, but it’s hand delivery only.’ I shrug
apologetically.
‘Fine.’ The man motions to one of the men minding
the elevator. ‘He’ll escort you.’
That’s not what I had planned. I smile nonetheless
and follow the bulky man through the lobby.
The elevator doors close after us and I stand immobile
in a corner. Porca vacca, Lexa! Why didn’t you
think it through? I’ve been too hasty again.
How could I think that they would just let me wander the hallways on
my own? My cover will be blown if Anderson catches sight of me, and
there I am, being escorted straight to him. Way to
go, Lexa!
My escort takes me to an office and we stop in front
of a secretary.
‘Parcel for Mr Anderson,’ I tell her, fighting
hard to prevent my voice from quivering.
He has to be here, just behind the large wooden doors
that bear his name. She’s going to call him and he’ll come right
out and see me and then it’ll be goodnight Vienna!
Author
Bio:
Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the
French-speaking area of Switzerland, somewhere between Geneva and
Lausanne, where she still resides.
Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and
British action films and television dramas, her English is
fluent.
She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful
nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art,
which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.
Russian Dolls is her first new-adult novel, and
she’s hard at work on the next titles in the series.
Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.
