Available Now: A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett

A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett is available now! Mystery/thriller readers do not want to miss getting their hands on this page-turning read! Find out more about A HERITAGE OF DEATH below and pick up your copy today!

 About A HERITAGE OF DEATH

An unconventional woman. A brutal murder. To solve the case, one woman will look for help from beyond the grave…

Cici Gurule wants to pretend her dream is nothing more than a meaningless nightmare. But the bruised and bloodied woman looked alarmingly like her. When a baby turns up on her porch–a baby who was reported missing days before–evidence points to a connection with the woman in Cici’s dream, and she can no longer ignore the nighttime vision. Cici and Detective Sam Chastain struggle to follow the garbled evidence, but the killer scores his victim first. Worse, a message pinned to the victim’s blouse states, “You’re next.”

Now, it’s a race against the clock to keep the baby safe and find the murderer before his trail goes cold. Cici’s only chance to solve this mystery, before she becomes the next victim, means choosing between her faith and believing a message left by her ghostly twin.

A Heritage of Death is the second novel in a compelling female sleuth mystery series for fans of Ruth Ware and Gilly MacMillan. If you like convention-shattering heroines, vivid Southwest settings, and a touch of the paranormal, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s twisty mystery.

Buy A Heritage of Death and hold on tight for a white-knuckle thrill ride today!

Add A HERITAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

Get your hands on A HERITAGE OF DEATH now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2MbpviU
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2Ikhza1
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2Ies0Ma
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2IeyE4Z

Read an Excerpt from A HERITAGE OF DEATH below:

Something in his voice, or his stare, caused Cici to feel flushed. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be by. I . . . um . . . I have more to tell you now.”

Sam stepped into the narrow galley space and squinted out Cici’s kitchen window. “Can I get a drink? Then you can tell me.”

Cici grabbed a pitcher of tea from the fridge and poured them each a glass, handing one to Sam. After a sip, she wrinkled her nose and pulled out the agave syrup, adding a thick dollop to her glass. Sam shook his head before she could offer him any.

“That’s nasty,” he muttered. “If you must drink it sweetened, why can’t you just add sugar?”

She swirled the liquid in her glass. “Because the sugar doesn’t dissolve as quickly as this stuff. That means the last few sips are straight-up sweet.”

Sam turned his focus back to the window, studying the sky. “Looks like rain.”

Cici peered out the window. “Meh. Those are hail clouds.”

Sam chuckled, easing some of the tension that had built in Cici’s neck. But her head still throbbed.

“You don’t know that,” Sam said. “Why do you even say that?”

“They’re all thick and gray, like snow clouds.” This conversation was inane. Any suggestions, Aci?

Of course, her sister was no help.

“Or rain,” Sam said. “Rain also needs thick, dark clouds.”

Cici crossed her arms over her chest. “We’ll see.” Thunder boomed—a low, harsh rumble—and Cici sighed. Sam smirked.

“But you’re not here to talk about my iced-tea drinking habit or the weather. Let me tell you about my dream. It may be nothing, but . . .” Cici shivered.

She settled her hip comfortably against the counter. “In my dream, there’s a missing woman. She has a baby with her.”

Sam stood to his full height, eyes widening. “I’ve not heard of a case like that.”

“Maybe it hasn’t happened yet,” Cici said. She shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t remember the whole thing. Just the part where . . .” She grasped the glass in her hand more tightly, needing the anchor, the reality, so she didn’t slip back into that awful place again.

“She’s been hurt by her captor. She has a friend . . . Becky. Becky shows up. Says something about . . .” Cici racked her brain. She’d lost it—that detail. It was important, too. “I don’t know. But Becky takes the baby.”

“And leaves the woman—the mom?”

Cici nodded. “She’s chained to the wall or floor. Something.”

Sam smacked his hands together. “Hold up. You saw this in your dream last night?”

Cici nodded. “And tonight. While I was walking the dogs.”

Sam sucked his lower lip into his mouth, considering her for a long moment, before asking, “Has that ever happened before?”

Cici shook her head. “I didn’t like it.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “It scared me.”

“I can tell.” Sam took a step, like he meant to get closer but he stopped. “I haven’t been brought in on a murder case since . . .”

Cici inhaled sharply through her nose. Since Cici had nearly died on top of a mountain.

And Sam had kissed her.

Then ignored her.

Sam cleared his throat. He grabbed a pad from his rear pocket. His pencil was missing from the spiral top, so Cici opened the drawer by her hip and offered him a pen. He nodded his thanks, careful not to touch her fingers.

“You think these dreams or nightmares or whatever you want to call them are from your sister?”

Cici hesitated for a moment. “Yes. She talks to me at the beginning. Not much. Just that I need to see this, understand the situation. That kind of thing.”

Sam tapped his pen on the pad, his mouth twisting in a grimace of doubt. Still, he’d been there when her sister appeared in the aspens on the top of that hiking trail. Aci had communicated with him, too, so he wasn’t willing to totally discount her recounting as grief or crazed imaginings. Yet.

“Tell me everything you remember,” Sam said, turning on his no-nonsense detective mode.

Cici cleared her throat and walked them both through all the details she could. She settled her glass on the counter and gripped the counter behind her, but her mind still tugged at her as if wanting to fall back into that space. She needed to remember something . . . something about who was there . . .

“Cici?”

She blinked, dazed. “What?”

He frowned down at her, concern dancing through his gunmetal eyes. “You okay?”

“Um.”

She slid to the floor, her mind burning as it echoed with the woman’s.

 

 

Missed A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH and want to catch up?

 

 About A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH (A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery Book 1)

When Cici discovers a body in the forest, she’s shocked to realize the victim’s wounds are identical to the ones that killed her sister a year ago. Now she’s embroiled in the takedown of a massive criminal operation, and the stakes couldn’t be higher…

“A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective” (Kirkus Reviews starred review).

Someone murdered her sister. And shot her dog. The killer won’t stop until she’s dead, too.

Cici finds a dead body while hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest. The situation deteriorates when she discovers the victim bears similar stab wounds to those that ended her twin sister’s life a year ago.

Then, her identical twin sister infiltrates her dreams. 

All of a sudden, Cici and her dogs must dodge arrows, bullets, and even a demon truck—all while she grapples with the knowledge that her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation. Worse, her twin’s death was much more sinister than a random act of violence.

Now, as she follows the clues her sister drops in her dreams, the criminals want Cici out of the way. Permanently.

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane thriller. Fans of Ruth Ware, J.D. Robb, and Angela Marsons will love Alexa’s Padgett’s new edge-of-your-seat novel.

Add A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

Get your copy of A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2KJ87fJ
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2ND0Pkb
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2NEBKW0
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2zsi9Q7

 

About Alexa Padgett

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.

Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and walk-loving Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Website Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

Preorder Now: A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett

We’re just days away from the release of A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett on October 23rd! Mystery and thriller lovers do not want to miss getting their hands on this incredible, page-turning read!

 About A HERITAGE OF DEATH

Coming October 23rd

An unconventional woman. A brutal murder. To solve the case, one woman will look for help from beyond the grave…

Cici Gurule wants to pretend her dream is nothing more than a meaningless nightmare. But the bruised and bloodied woman looked alarmingly like her. When a baby turns up on her porch–a baby who was reported missing days before–evidence points to a connection with the woman in Cici’s dream, and she can no longer ignore the nighttime vision. Cici and Detective Sam Chastain struggle to follow the garbled evidence, but the killer scores his victim first. Worse, a message pinned to the victim’s blouse states, “You’re next.”

Now, it’s a race against the clock to keep the baby safe and find the murderer before his trail goes cold. Cici’s only chance to solve this mystery, before she becomes the next victim, means choosing between her faith and believing a message left by her ghostly twin.

A Heritage of Death is the second novel in a compelling female sleuth mystery series for fans of Ruth Ware and Gilly MacMillan. If you like convention-shattering heroines, vivid Southwest settings, and a touch of the paranormal, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s twisty mystery.

Buy A Heritage of Death and hold on tight for a white-knuckle thrill ride today!

Add A HERITAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

A HERITAGE OF DEATH releases October 23rd – preorder your copy now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2MbpviU
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2Ikhza1
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2Ies0Ma
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2IeyE4Z

 

Missed A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH and want to catch up?

 

 About A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH (A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery Book 1)

When Cici discovers a body in the forest, she’s shocked to realize the victim’s wounds are identical to the ones that killed her sister a year ago. Now she’s embroiled in the takedown of a massive criminal operation, and the stakes couldn’t be higher…

“A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective” (Kirkus Reviews starred review).

Someone murdered her sister. And shot her dog. The killer won’t stop until she’s dead, too.

Cici finds a dead body while hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest. The situation deteriorates when she discovers the victim bears similar stab wounds to those that ended her twin sister’s life a year ago.

Then, her identical twin sister infiltrates her dreams. 

All of a sudden, Cici and her dogs must dodge arrows, bullets, and even a demon truck—all while she grapples with the knowledge that her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation. Worse, her twin’s death was much more sinister than a random act of violence.

Now, as she follows the clues her sister drops in her dreams, the criminals want Cici out of the way. Permanently.

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane thriller. Fans of Ruth Ware, J.D. Robb, and Angela Marsons will love Alexa’s Padgett’s new edge-of-your-seat novel.

Add A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

Get your copy of A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2KJ87fJ
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2ND0Pkb
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2NEBKW0
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2zsi9Q7

 

About Alexa Padgett

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.

Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and walk-loving Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Website Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

Excerpt Reveal: A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett

You can get your hands on A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett October 23rd – but you don’t have to wait for a sneak peek Check out an excerpt from this page-turning read below!

 About A HERITAGE OF DEATH

Coming October 23rd

An unconventional woman. A brutal murder. To solve the case, one woman will look for help from beyond the grave…

Cici Gurule wants to pretend her dream is nothing more than a meaningless nightmare. But the bruised and bloodied woman looked alarmingly like her. When a baby turns up on her porch–a baby who was reported missing days before–evidence points to a connection with the woman in Cici’s dream, and she can no longer ignore the nighttime vision. Cici and Detective Sam Chastain struggle to follow the garbled evidence, but the killer scores his victim first. Worse, a message pinned to the victim’s blouse states, “You’re next.”

Now, it’s a race against the clock to keep the baby safe and find the murderer before his trail goes cold. Cici’s only chance to solve this mystery, before she becomes the next victim, means choosing between her faith and believing a message left by her ghostly twin.

A Heritage of Death is the second novel in a compelling female sleuth mystery series for fans of Ruth Ware and Gilly MacMillan. If you like convention-shattering heroines, vivid Southwest settings, and a touch of the paranormal, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s twisty mystery.

Buy A Heritage of Death and hold on tight for a white-knuckle thrill ride today!

Add A HERITAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

A HERITAGE OF DEATH releases October 23rd – preorder your copy now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2MbpviU
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2Ikhza1
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2Ies0Ma
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2IeyE4Z

Read an Excerpt from A HERITAGE OF DEATH below:

Something in his voice, or his stare, caused Cici to feel flushed. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be by. I . . . um . . . I have more to tell you now.”

Sam stepped into the narrow galley space and squinted out Cici’s kitchen window. “Can I get a drink? Then you can tell me.”

Cici grabbed a pitcher of tea from the fridge and poured them each a glass, handing one to Sam. After a sip, she wrinkled her nose and pulled out the agave syrup, adding a thick dollop to her glass. Sam shook his head before she could offer him any.

“That’s nasty,” he muttered. “If you must drink it sweetened, why can’t you just add sugar?”

She swirled the liquid in her glass. “Because the sugar doesn’t dissolve as quickly as this stuff. That means the last few sips are straight-up sweet.”

Sam turned his focus back to the window, studying the sky. “Looks like rain.”

Cici peered out the window. “Meh. Those are hail clouds.”

Sam chuckled, easing some of the tension that had built in Cici’s neck. But her head still throbbed.

“You don’t know that,” Sam said. “Why do you even say that?”

“They’re all thick and gray, like snow clouds.” This conversation was inane. Any suggestions, Aci?

Of course, her sister was no help.

“Or rain,” Sam said. “Rain also needs thick, dark clouds.”

Cici crossed her arms over her chest. “We’ll see.” Thunder boomed—a low, harsh rumble—and Cici sighed. Sam smirked.

“But you’re not here to talk about my iced-tea drinking habit or the weather. Let me tell you about my dream. It may be nothing, but . . .” Cici shivered.

She settled her hip comfortably against the counter. “In my dream, there’s a missing woman. She has a baby with her.”

Sam stood to his full height, eyes widening. “I’ve not heard of a case like that.”

“Maybe it hasn’t happened yet,” Cici said. She shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t remember the whole thing. Just the part where . . .” She grasped the glass in her hand more tightly, needing the anchor, the reality, so she didn’t slip back into that awful place again.

“She’s been hurt by her captor. She has a friend . . . Becky. Becky shows up. Says something about . . .” Cici racked her brain. She’d lost it—that detail. It was important, too. “I don’t know. But Becky takes the baby.”

“And leaves the woman—the mom?”

Cici nodded. “She’s chained to the wall or floor. Something.”

Sam smacked his hands together. “Hold up. You saw this in your dream last night?”

Cici nodded. “And tonight. While I was walking the dogs.”

Sam sucked his lower lip into his mouth, considering her for a long moment, before asking, “Has that ever happened before?”

Cici shook her head. “I didn’t like it.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “It scared me.”

“I can tell.” Sam took a step, like he meant to get closer but he stopped. “I haven’t been brought in on a murder case since . . .”

Cici inhaled sharply through her nose. Since Cici had nearly died on top of a mountain.

And Sam had kissed her.

Then ignored her.

Sam cleared his throat. He grabbed a pad from his rear pocket. His pencil was missing from the spiral top, so Cici opened the drawer by her hip and offered him a pen. He nodded his thanks, careful not to touch her fingers.

“You think these dreams or nightmares or whatever you want to call them are from your sister?”

Cici hesitated for a moment. “Yes. She talks to me at the beginning. Not much. Just that I need to see this, understand the situation. That kind of thing.”

Sam tapped his pen on the pad, his mouth twisting in a grimace of doubt. Still, he’d been there when her sister appeared in the aspens on the top of that hiking trail. Aci had communicated with him, too, so he wasn’t willing to totally discount her recounting as grief or crazed imaginings. Yet.

“Tell me everything you remember,” Sam said, turning on his no-nonsense detective mode.

Cici cleared her throat and walked them both through all the details she could. She settled her glass on the counter and gripped the counter behind her, but her mind still tugged at her as if wanting to fall back into that space. She needed to remember something . . . something about who was there . . .

“Cici?”

She blinked, dazed. “What?”

He frowned down at her, concern dancing through his gunmetal eyes. “You okay?”

“Um.”

She slid to the floor, her mind burning as it echoed with the woman’s.

 

Missed A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH and want to catch up?

 

 About A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH (A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery Book 1)

When Cici discovers a body in the forest, she’s shocked to realize the victim’s wounds are identical to the ones that killed her sister a year ago. Now she’s embroiled in the takedown of a massive criminal operation, and the stakes couldn’t be higher…

“A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective” (Kirkus Reviews starred review).

Someone murdered her sister. And shot her dog. The killer won’t stop until she’s dead, too.

Cici finds a dead body while hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest. The situation deteriorates when she discovers the victim bears similar stab wounds to those that ended her twin sister’s life a year ago.

Then, her identical twin sister infiltrates her dreams. 

All of a sudden, Cici and her dogs must dodge arrows, bullets, and even a demon truck—all while she grapples with the knowledge that her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation. Worse, her twin’s death was much more sinister than a random act of violence.

Now, as she follows the clues her sister drops in her dreams, the criminals want Cici out of the way. Permanently.

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane thriller. Fans of Ruth Ware, J.D. Robb, and Angela Marsons will love Alexa’s Padgett’s new edge-of-your-seat novel.

Add A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

Get your copy of A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2KJ87fJ
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2ND0Pkb
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2NEBKW0
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2zsi9Q7

 

About Alexa Padgett

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.

Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and walk-loving Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Website Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

Teaser: A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett

A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett is releasing October 23rd! Mystery and thriller lovers do not want to miss getting their hands on this incredible, page-turning read!

 About A HERITAGE OF DEATH

Coming October 23rd

An unconventional woman. A brutal murder. To solve the case, one woman will look for help from beyond the grave…

Cici Gurule wants to pretend her dream is nothing more than a meaningless nightmare. But the bruised and bloodied woman looked alarmingly like her. When a baby turns up on her porch–a baby who was reported missing days before–evidence points to a connection with the woman in Cici’s dream, and she can no longer ignore the nighttime vision. Cici and Detective Sam Chastain struggle to follow the garbled evidence, but the killer scores his victim first. Worse, a message pinned to the victim’s blouse states, “You’re next.”

Now, it’s a race against the clock to keep the baby safe and find the murderer before his trail goes cold. Cici’s only chance to solve this mystery, before she becomes the next victim, means choosing between her faith and believing a message left by her ghostly twin.

A Heritage of Death is the second novel in a compelling female sleuth mystery series for fans of Ruth Ware and Gilly MacMillan. If you like convention-shattering heroines, vivid Southwest settings, and a touch of the paranormal, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s twisty mystery.

Buy A Heritage of Death and hold on tight for a white-knuckle thrill ride today!

Add A HERITAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

A HERITAGE OF DEATH releases October 23rd – preorder your copy now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2MbpviU
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2Ikhza1
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2Ies0Ma
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2IeyE4Z

 

Missed A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH and want to catch up?

 

 About A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH (A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery Book 1)

When Cici discovers a body in the forest, she’s shocked to realize the victim’s wounds are identical to the ones that killed her sister a year ago. Now she’s embroiled in the takedown of a massive criminal operation, and the stakes couldn’t be higher…

“A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective” (Kirkus Reviews starred review).

Someone murdered her sister. And shot her dog. The killer won’t stop until she’s dead, too.

Cici finds a dead body while hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest. The situation deteriorates when she discovers the victim bears similar stab wounds to those that ended her twin sister’s life a year ago.

Then, her identical twin sister infiltrates her dreams. 

All of a sudden, Cici and her dogs must dodge arrows, bullets, and even a demon truck—all while she grapples with the knowledge that her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation. Worse, her twin’s death was much more sinister than a random act of violence.

Now, as she follows the clues her sister drops in her dreams, the criminals want Cici out of the way. Permanently.

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane thriller. Fans of Ruth Ware, J.D. Robb, and Angela Marsons will love Alexa’s Padgett’s new edge-of-your-seat novel.

Add A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

Get your copy of A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2KJ87fJ
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2ND0Pkb
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2NEBKW0
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2zsi9Q7

 

About Alexa Padgett

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.

Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and walk-loving Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Website Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

Teaser: A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett

A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett is releasing October 23rd! Mystery and thriller lovers do not want to miss getting their hands on this incredible, page-turning read!

 About A HERITAGE OF DEATH

Coming October 23rd

An unconventional woman. A brutal murder. To solve the case, one woman will look for help from beyond the grave…

Cici Gurule wants to pretend her dream is nothing more than a meaningless nightmare. But the bruised and bloodied woman looked alarmingly like her. When a baby turns up on her porch–a baby who was reported missing days before–evidence points to a connection with the woman in Cici’s dream, and she can no longer ignore the nighttime vision. Cici and Detective Sam Chastain struggle to follow the garbled evidence, but the killer scores his victim first. Worse, a message pinned to the victim’s blouse states, “You’re next.”

Now, it’s a race against the clock to keep the baby safe and find the murderer before his trail goes cold. Cici’s only chance to solve this mystery, before she becomes the next victim, means choosing between her faith and believing a message left by her ghostly twin.

A Heritage of Death is the second novel in a compelling female sleuth mystery series for fans of Ruth Ware and Gilly MacMillan. If you like convention-shattering heroines, vivid Southwest settings, and a touch of the paranormal, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s twisty mystery.

Buy A Heritage of Death and hold on tight for a white-knuckle thrill ride today!

Add A HERITAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

A HERITAGE OF DEATH releases October 23rd – preorder your copy now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2MbpviU
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2Ikhza1
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2Ies0Ma
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2IeyE4Z

 

Missed A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH and want to catch up?

 

 About A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH (A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery Book 1)

When Cici discovers a body in the forest, she’s shocked to realize the victim’s wounds are identical to the ones that killed her sister a year ago. Now she’s embroiled in the takedown of a massive criminal operation, and the stakes couldn’t be higher…

“A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective” (Kirkus Reviews starred review).

Someone murdered her sister. And shot her dog. The killer won’t stop until she’s dead, too.

Cici finds a dead body while hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest. The situation deteriorates when she discovers the victim bears similar stab wounds to those that ended her twin sister’s life a year ago.

Then, her identical twin sister infiltrates her dreams. 

All of a sudden, Cici and her dogs must dodge arrows, bullets, and even a demon truck—all while she grapples with the knowledge that her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation. Worse, her twin’s death was much more sinister than a random act of violence.

Now, as she follows the clues her sister drops in her dreams, the criminals want Cici out of the way. Permanently.

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane thriller. Fans of Ruth Ware, J.D. Robb, and Angela Marsons will love Alexa’s Padgett’s new edge-of-your-seat novel.

Add A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

Get your copy of A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2KJ87fJ
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2ND0Pkb
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2NEBKW0
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2zsi9Q7

 

About Alexa Padgett

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.

Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and walk-loving Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Website Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

Preorder Alert: A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett

A HERITAGE OF DEATH by Alexa Padgett is releasing October 23rd! Mystery and thriller lovers do not want to miss getting their hands on this incredible, page-turning read!

 About A HERITAGE OF DEATH

Coming October 23rd

An unconventional woman. A brutal murder. To solve the case, one woman will look for help from beyond the grave…

Cici Gurule wants to pretend her dream is nothing more than a meaningless nightmare. But the bruised and bloodied woman looked alarmingly like her. When a baby turns up on her porch–a baby who was reported missing days before–evidence points to a connection with the woman in Cici’s dream, and she can no longer ignore the nighttime vision. Cici and Detective Sam Chastain struggle to follow the garbled evidence, but the killer scores his victim first. Worse, a message pinned to the victim’s blouse states, “You’re next.”

Now, it’s a race against the clock to keep the baby safe and find the murderer before his trail goes cold. Cici’s only chance to solve this mystery, before she becomes the next victim, means choosing between her faith and believing a message left by her ghostly twin.

A Heritage of Death is the second novel in a compelling female sleuth mystery series for fans of Ruth Ware and Gilly MacMillan. If you like convention-shattering heroines, vivid Southwest settings, and a touch of the paranormal, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s twisty mystery.

Buy A Heritage of Death and hold on tight for a white-knuckle thrill ride today!

Add A HERITAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

A HERITAGE OF DEATH releases October 23rd – preorder your copy now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2MbpviU
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2Ikhza1
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2Ies0Ma
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2IeyE4Z

Missed A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH and want to catch up?

 

 About A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH (A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery Book 1)

When Cici discovers a body in the forest, she’s shocked to realize the victim’s wounds are identical to the ones that killed her sister a year ago. Now she’s embroiled in the takedown of a massive criminal operation, and the stakes couldn’t be higher…

“A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective” (Kirkus Reviews starred review).

Someone murdered her sister. And shot her dog. The killer won’t stop until she’s dead, too.

Cici finds a dead body while hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest. The situation deteriorates when she discovers the victim bears similar stab wounds to those that ended her twin sister’s life a year ago.

Then, her identical twin sister infiltrates her dreams. 

All of a sudden, Cici and her dogs must dodge arrows, bullets, and even a demon truck—all while she grapples with the knowledge that her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation. Worse, her twin’s death was much more sinister than a random act of violence.

Now, as she follows the clues her sister drops in her dreams, the criminals want Cici out of the way. Permanently.

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane thriller. Fans of Ruth Ware, J.D. Robb, and Angela Marsons will love Alexa’s Padgett’s new edge-of-your-seat novel.

Add A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!

Get your copy of A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH now!

✦Amazon https://amzn.to/2KJ87fJ
✦iBooks https://apple.co/2ND0Pkb
✦Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2NEBKW0
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2zsi9Q7

About Alexa Padgett

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.

Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and walk-loving Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Website Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH by Alexa Padgett – Release Day Blitz

Today we have the release day blitz for Alexa Padgett’s A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH! We’re super excited to share this upcoming thriller with you! Check it out and be sure to get your today!

 

Title: A Pilgrimage to Death

Author: Alexa Padgett

Genre: Thriller

 

About A Pilgrimage to Death

They murdered her sister. They threatened her church. Their day of reckoning is at hand.

Cici Gurule is a freewheeling, progressive reverend who’ll stop at nothing to protect her flock. When she finds the dead body of a parishioner in the nearby Santa Fe National Forest, she’s horrified to realize the victim bears the same stab wounds that ended her twin sister’s life one year earlier.

 

Together with her detective friend and loyal pair of Great Pyrenees, she vows to hunt down the killer before she’s forced to officiate another funeral. Soon, however, Cici discovers her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation… and her death was no random act of violence.

 

Now that the criminals are out for Cici’s blood, the pastor must catch the wolf by the tail before it goes in for the kill.

 

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane mystery thriller. If you like motorcycling sleuths, fast-paced action, and a dash of humor, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s edge-of-your-seat novel.

 

Get Your Copy Today!

Amazon ~ Nook ~ iBooks  ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ Goodreads

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

The eerie feeling expanded as they turned the last corner back toward her house. Out front was a large, black pickup. It was wedged between Justin’s police car and a compact sedan. Cici’s steps slowed when Justin cursed, low and vicious.

“Do you know who that is?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level. Hard to do with the adrenaline dump that now pumped through her veins. She didn’t need that spot in her head pinging danger! for Cici to realize the black beast of a truck growling mere feet from her doorstep meant trouble.

Justin shook his head as he half-stepped in front of her, causing the hairs on Cici’s arms to rise. He might not know the person in the truck—hard to see through the dark tint—but the vehicle clearly upset him as much as her.

Mona backed up against Cici’s leg while Rodolfo tugged at the end of his leash, his snarl deep and guttural.

The driver’s side window rolled down about three inches. Cici squinted, but all she made out was a dark beanie pulled low over the person’s eyebrows, and large, black plastic sunglasses.

The person threw something out the window. Rodolfo leaped forward, tugging the leash from Cici’s hand as she flinched back. The dog sprinted toward the truck.

“Rodolfo, heel!” Cici called. The dog quivered to a halt, whining, as the truck’s engine roared. Within seconds, it sped down the street.

Cici’s breathing remained labored as she hurried forward, snatching up Rodolfo’s leash. The dogs whined again and nuzzled against her, bumping her hips with their heads.

Justin snatched the paper from the street. He stood there, at the curb, scanning the message.

“Did you get the license plate?” Cici asked.

Justin shook his head, still staring after the truck. “Covered in mud or something.” He swallowed, glanced down at the paper in his hand.

“What does that say?”

“I’m not sure you should read it.”

“Not really your choice.” Cici switched the dog leash to one hand and held out her free one. “The person came to my home. The message is clearly for me.”

Justin handed it over with obvious reluctance.

Your sister didn’t know when to stop snooping.

 

Advance Praise:

“Vivid, alluring, and heart-wrenching, Alexa Padgett’s A Pilgrimage to Death is every reason I love mystery. A breathtaking tale.”

–Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author

 

A reverend in New Mexico tries her hand at sleuthing when a recent homicide shares similarities with her twin sister’s unsolved murder in this mystery.

Cecilia “Cici” Gurule’s weekly hike with her detective friend Sam Chastain is cut short by a missing hiker report. Sadly, the two find lawyer Donald Johnson, who’s unmistakably dead from stab wounds. But it’s one particular laceration that most unnerves Cici: through the kidney, just like the stabbing death of her twin, Anna Carmen, over a year ago. This is followed by Cici’s vision of her sister, who tells the reverend to help Sam identify her killer. Cici, who quit as associate reverend in Boston to return to her Santa Fe hometown after her sister’s murder, now heads a local church. She gathers information, initially from her parishioners, but doesn’t like where it’s leading her. That’s because linking the two murders naturally connects Anna Carmen to Donald’s alleged exploits, from an affair to drug trafficking. It’s soon apparent, however, that the killer is watching Cici, as she receives threatening messages and eludes a menacing truck in pursuit. But this doesn’t deter the reverend, who, with Sam’s assistance, plans to see her personal investigation to the end. Padgett’s (A Moonlit Serenade, 2018, etc.) series opener, like any good detective story, gives readers a laudable sleuth. Cici is a chic woman of God: She swears and rides a vintage Harley. But her profession makes her an exceptional detective as well. Characters, for example, often seem reluctant to talk to Sam and more easily respond to the reverend. Likewise, Cici’s empathy is genuine; she speaks a line like “I need you to tell us what happened” with unequivocal concern. Despite her occasional colorful language, there are few curses and mostly implied violence. Padgett’s simple prose and short paragraphs help maintain the story’s unwavering pace. Add to that a handful of dubious characters, and the result is a rock-solid mystery with a smashing reveal near the end and even a subtle twist in the final pages.

A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective.

-Kirkus Starred Review

 

About Alexa Padgett:

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Connect with Alexa:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Enter Alexa’s Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH by Alexa Padgett – Blog Tour

Today we have the blog tour for Alexa Padgett’s A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH! We’re super excited to share this upcoming thriller with you! Check it out and be sure to preorder today!

 

Title: A Pilgrimage to Death

Author: Alexa Padgett

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: August 14th

 

Advanced Praise:

“Vivid, alluring, and heart-wrenching, Alexa Padgett’s A Pilgrimage to Death is every reason I love mystery. A breathtaking tale.”

–Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author

 

A reverend in New Mexico tries her hand at sleuthing when a recent homicide shares similarities with her twin sister’s unsolved murder in this mystery.

Cecilia “Cici” Gurule’s weekly hike with her detective friend Sam Chastain is cut short by a missing hiker report. Sadly, the two find lawyer Donald Johnson, who’s unmistakably dead from stab wounds. But it’s one particular laceration that most unnerves Cici: through the kidney, just like the stabbing death of her twin, Anna Carmen, over a year ago. This is followed by Cici’s vision of her sister, who tells the reverend to help Sam identify her killer. Cici, who quit as associate reverend in Boston to return to her Santa Fe hometown after her sister’s murder, now heads a local church. She gathers information, initially from her parishioners, but doesn’t like where it’s leading her. That’s because linking the two murders naturally connects Anna Carmen to Donald’s alleged exploits, from an affair to drug trafficking. It’s soon apparent, however, that the killer is watching Cici, as she receives threatening messages and eludes a menacing truck in pursuit. But this doesn’t deter the reverend, who, with Sam’s assistance, plans to see her personal investigation to the end. Padgett’s (A Moonlit Serenade, 2018, etc.) series opener, like any good detective story, gives readers a laudable sleuth. Cici is a chic woman of God: She swears and rides a vintage Harley. But her profession makes her an exceptional detective as well. Characters, for example, often seem reluctant to talk to Sam and more easily respond to the reverend. Likewise, Cici’s empathy is genuine; she speaks a line like “I need you to tell us what happened” with unequivocal concern. Despite her occasional colorful language, there are few curses and mostly implied violence. Padgett’s simple prose and short paragraphs help maintain the story’s unwavering pace. Add to that a handful of dubious characters, and the result is a rock-solid mystery with a smashing reveal near the end and even a subtle twist in the final pages.

A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective.

-Kirkus Starred Review

 

About A Pilgrimage to Death

They murdered her sister. They threatened her church. Their day of reckoning is at hand.

Cici Gurule is a freewheeling, progressive reverend who’ll stop at nothing to protect her flock. When she finds the dead body of a parishioner in the nearby Santa Fe National Forest, she’s horrified to realize the victim bears the same stab wounds that ended her twin sister’s life one year earlier.

Together with her detective friend and loyal pair of Great Pyrenees, she vows to hunt down the killer before she’s forced to officiate another funeral. Soon, however, Cici discovers her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation… and her death was no random act of violence.

Now that the criminals are out for Cici’s blood, the pastor must catch the wolf by the tail before it goes in for the kill.

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane mystery thriller. If you like motorcycling sleuths, fast-paced action, and a dash of humor, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s edge-of-your-seat novel.

 

Pre-order Your Copy Today!

Amazon ~ Nook ~ iBooks  ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ Goodreads

 

About Alexa Padgett:

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Connect with Alexa:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

 

Enter Alexa’s Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH by Alexa Padgett – Teaser Blitz

Today we have the teaser blitz for Alexa Padgett’s A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH! We’re super excited to share this upcoming thriller with you! Check it out and be sure to preorder today!

Title: A Pilgrimage to Death

Author: Alexa Padgett

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: August 14th

About A Pilgrimage to Death

They murdered her sister. They threatened her church. Their day of reckoning is at hand.

Cici Gurule is a freewheeling, progressive reverend who’ll stop at nothing to protect her flock. When she finds the dead body of a parishioner in the nearby Santa Fe National Forest, she’s horrified to realize the victim bears the same stab wounds that ended her twin sister’s life one year earlier.

 

Together with her detective friend and loyal pair of Great Pyrenees, she vows to hunt down the killer before she’s forced to officiate another funeral. Soon, however, Cici discovers her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation… and her death was no random act of violence.

 

Now that the criminals are out for Cici’s blood, the pastor must catch the wolf by the tail before it goes in for the kill.

 

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane mystery thriller. If you like motorcycling sleuths, fast-paced action, and a dash of humor, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s edge-of-your-seat novel.

Preorder Your Copy Today!

Amazon ~ Nook ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ Goodreads

About Alexa Padgett:

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Connect with Alexa:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

 

Enter Alexa’s Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH by Alexa Padgett – Excerpt Reveal

Today we have the excerpt reveal for Alexa Padgett’s A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH! We’re so excited to share this upcoming thriller with you! Check it out and be sure to preorder today!

 

Title: A Pilgrimage to Death

Author: Alexa Padgett

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: August 14th

 

About A Pilgrimage to Death:

They murdered her sister. They threatened her church. Their day of reckoning is at hand.

Cici Gurule is a freewheeling, progressive reverend who’ll stop at nothing to protect her flock. When she finds the dead body of a parishioner in the nearby Santa Fe National Forest, she’s horrified to realize the victim bears the same stab wounds that ended her twin sister’s life one year earlier.

 

Together with her detective friend and loyal pair of Great Pyrenees, she vows to hunt down the killer before she’s forced to officiate another funeral. Soon, however, Cici discovers her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation… and her death was no random act of violence.

 

Now that the criminals are out for Cici’s blood, the pastor must catch the wolf by the tail before it goes in for the kill.

 

A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane mystery thriller. If you like motorcycling sleuths, fast-paced action, and a dash of humor, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s edge-of-your-seat novel.

 

Preorder Your Copy Today!

Amazon ~ Nook ~ iBooks  ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ Goodreads

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

Cecilia Gurule was a reverend for God’s sake. She dealt in souls—the broken, empty, seeking, and, yes, the dead.

Bodies? Not her wheelhouse.

At least they weren’t until that Tuesday afternoon when Domine Deusdecided to test both her faith and her life.

She came within a bullet of losing both.

***

Cecilia, who much preferred Cici, met Sam in the parking lot of the Aspen Vista Trail. She was late. Not really her fault, but typical, thanks to her parishioners’ unwillingness to accept Tuesdays as her one day per week away from the church.

Wide and rocky, the trail snaked over eleven miles up the side of the mountain following an old forest service road. While the incline was never scramble steep, it rose at a consistent pace, switching back with views toward the city or up to the ski basin. A few narrow runnels of water—not big enough to be considered creeks—dribbled from the remaining snowpack.

Cici suggested it last week because both she and Sam had the weekday off, meaning fewer hikers on the bottom part of the trail, and they could spend the three-plus hours needed to reach the summit.

Unfortunately, Cici suggested the trail before she made plans to breakfast with the widowed Mrs. Sanchez, whose son worked out at the state penitentiary on NM-14.

“I don’t understand these kids.” Mrs. Sanchez wiped her mouth with her napkin, leaving a smear of bright red on the paper. Her lips were the same light bronze as her craggy skin, hints of the crimson lipstick settled into the faint lines bisecting her lower lip.

“Juanito has one more year at that fancy private school. He has a pretty girlfriend. Yet he cannot be happy? He causes his father such heartache, Reverend.” She picked up her coffee mug and shoved it toward Cici. “You talk to the boy for his father. Set him straight.”

“I’ll do what I can, Mrs. Sanchez.”

“Humph.” The woman set her mug down with a crack, her dark, deep-set eyes glaring from between folds of skin. Without the bright lipstick, her mouth seemed hidden under the wrinkles.

“I’m old, Reverend. I cannot control the boy. His father, Miguel, spent most of the last year picking up extra shifts for the tuition at St. Michaels. Juanito needs to respect the rules we set for him.”

“Which are?” Cici asked.

Mrs. Sanchez tossed her napkin onto her plate with the half-finished breakfast burrito. Cici picked up her own warm tortilla and bit into the wrap, enjoying the spicy flavors of green chile and sausage. One thing about Mrs. Sanchez: she was a fine cook.

“No seeing that girl past ten p.m. Good grades—all A’s so that he’s ready to go to Tech in a year. That’s what he needs—a good education, more choices. Not this . . . this mess with girls.”

“He did receive all A’s last year, and it’s summer break now. Shouldn’t Juan have the chance to focus on his job or maybe even spend time with Jaycee?”

“No more time with the girlfriend,” Mrs. Sanchez said with a sharp motion of her hand. “That’s how I’ll end up a great-grandmother. The boy needs more school. He is not yet eighteen.” Her face crumpled. “He is the age we lost his brother, Marco, Reverend. You know this. Juan is all the family has left.”

***

“Who was it this time?” Sam Chastain, Cici’s friend and hiking partner, asked. He pulled on a tattered ball cap—probably the one Cici’s twin sister, Anna Carmen, gave him years ago—and pulled on his backpack, settling it comfortably over his gray Red River T-shirt.

His short, dark ponytail stuck through the hole in the back like a bristle-brush. He slid on a pair of Ray-Bans to protect his gunmetal-blue eyes.

“Mrs. Sanchez. I got a great breakfast out of the deal.”

“She want you to have the talk with Juan?” Sam asked.

Sam was a detective with the Santa Fe Police department and fellow search-and-rescue teammate. The two had known each other for decades. Cici grabbed her water bottle and checked her sneakers.

“Got a hat?” Sam asked. “You know you’re going to burn if you don’t wear one.”

Sam studied her features, his gaze resting on her high cheekbones that always burned thanks to the pale skin Cici and her sister inherited from their mother, along with the oval shape of her face and the long-lashed hazel eyes.

“Yep,” Cici said, settling the cap on her head and pulling her long, jet-black pony tail through the hole in the back.

Sam offered her a radio, which she took, clipping it to her thick, brown leather belt.

“Why are we carrying these?”

Sam shrugged. “Boss man wants everyone on the trails wearing ’em. Maybe because of the helicopter extraction earlier this year?”

They started up the trail, moving in tandem as if they’d been hiking together for years.

“She’s recovered,” Cici said. “I called the woman who fell off Big Tesuque and talked to her. Her ankle’s out of the cast.”

“Lot of ruckus for a broken ankle and some bruises,” Sam replied.

“She slid four hundred feet into that ravine, Sam. Cut the woman some slack.”

“Stupid to hike alone, and you know it. We wouldn’t have had to waste so many resources on her if she’d been smarter.”

Cici did, but her job was to see others’ points of view, to help them grow, both in their humanity and spirituality. Refusing to get pulled further into an argument with Sam, she continued to hike.

They matched pace for a while in companionable silence. Cici began to feel . . . not sad. She hadn’t been happy since Anna Carmen’s death. But in this moment, with the sun shining and the aspens whispering overhead, Cici’s lips lifted at the corners.

The call came over the radio clipped to her belt. The same message squawked from Sam’s radio. He stopped, his chest expanding with each hard breath. They’d hiked the steepest part of the Aspen Trail. Sam wiped the sweat off his brow and pulled in a deep breath. He unlatched his walkie-talkie and pressed the button on the side.

“Repeat that, please.”

“Missing hiker. Wife called it in when she got off the mountain.”

“She left him out here by himself?” Cici asked, already wrinkling her nose in disgust. People continued to disappoint her.

Sam shook his head. “Not now, Cici. What’s the trail?”

“Aspen Vista,” the voice said over the bits of static.

“We’re on it. Name, age, any other stats?”

“I know.” The voice crackled but the exasperation was clear even through the bad connection. “Donald . . . fifty . . . complain . . . heart.”

“Uh oh,” Cici murmured.

“Last known whereabouts?” Sam asked.

“The summit.”

“Why’d the wife leave him there?” Cici muttered. “If he was in distress when she left him, he might not have survived while she strolled down the mountain.”

“Later,” Sam replied. He pressed the “Talk” button. “We’re a quarter mile from that location. Cici and I will start the sweep.”

“Roger . . . full crew coming in.”

“Great. From what you said, we’ll probably need it. Over and out.” Sam clipped the thick black radio to his belt again. He turned back to look at Cici, who’d crossed her arms and scowled down into the valley below.

“None of that, Cee. Not all people are your parents.”

“No, shit, detective,” she grunted.

“Hey,” Sam said, bumping her shoulder with his in a gentle gesture she’d come to expect from him over the last few years.

While they’d spent time together before her twin’s death, Cici made a point to seek him out more often after Anna Carmen’s funeral—especially once she’d made the decision to quit as the associate reverend from the large, wealthy church outside Boston—and move back home. He’d reciprocated by always being available, even during the difficult transition when he left the promising position on a joint task force in Denver. He’d been so excited to participate in that work because only the best people from the region were chosen, and Sam was one of the youngest. But, after explaining the situation to his boss, Agent Klein helped Sam move back in the detective bureau in Santa Fe.

“Priests aren’t supposed to use that kind of language,” he said.

Cici bumped him back, harder. Five male cousins within three years of her own age taught her a few important details—like how to fight dirty. “I’m not a priest. And not just because of my reproductive organs. I’m a reverend.”

“With a predilection for curse words and a willingness to abuse your fellow man,” Sam said over his shoulder as he moved back into point position on the trail. He made a tsking sound. “C’mon, Rev. Let’s go rescue our guy. Maybe you’ll make the front page of the paper. Again.” He turned to wink, his lips lifting when Cici rolled his eyes.

“Ugh. One time, Sam.”

“That’s all it took for me to be able to tease you about it for the rest of your life.” He started to chuckle. “Whatever happened to the chicken?”

Cici glared while Sam struggled to keep a straight face.

“I don’t know.” She huffed. “Hopefully, it’s living a long, chicken-y life.”

She rolled her eyes again and began to climb; Sam fell into step to the left and a half-foot in front of her.

Sam’s foot shifted as loose slag slid out from under his thick-soled hiking boot. He slowed his pace, taking more care with where he stepped. No point in getting hurt on the way up—that would just make more work for the SAR crew already on its way.

“I can’t believe that little girl asked you to bless a chicken at the Pet Parade.”

“This is Santa Fe. Home of animal lovers and weirdness.”

And murder.

Even though the sun beat down in thick, hot rays, Cici shivered. Something about this entire situation felt . . . well, off. She picked up the thread of their conversation to give herself something to do besides watch where she placed her feet and worry about what they’d find.

“Anyway, Yale wasn’t big on the cussing. Manhattan and Boston are where I picked up some choice words.”

“You were supposed to show those sinners how to rise above coarse language, sin, and all that shit.”

Cici shrugged. Not new ground here. She and Sam had bickered for years. That wasn’t saying much, really. She’d known most of the people in Santa Fe for years.

The aspen leaves rippled in the wind—a soft, fluttering roll of vegetation that sounded like a gentle, low tide—a strange phenomenon common here, high up in the Santa Fe National Forest where blue sky and slender white tree trunks seemed to merge. Typically, the sound soothed her.

Not now that she’d thought about her sister. The ache left by Anna Carmen’s death seemed to grow and weep, just as it always did when thoughts of her twin blindsided her.

Cici lifted her leg high to take her up to the next rock as sweat trickled down the middle of her back and her thighs began to ache with the deliciousness of hard use.

Cici cleared her head and organized her thoughts on these weekly hikes. Spending time outdoors with Sam became a weekly ritual more than six months ago. She looked forward to these hours-long jaunts because they helped her prepare a better sermon.

They turned the last sharp curve and Sam’s feet planted firmly into the path, blocking her view. He cursed—worse than her words. Cici’s heart hammered and the dread in her stomach shifted, heaving, as Cici edged around him.

“Wait, Cee. You don’t want to see this.”

Too late—and not as if she would have listened. Her throat tightened as she stared into the sightless eyes of Donald Johnson, one of the founding members of the church she’d taken over earlier this year.

A gust of wind slammed against her overheated skin and the soft rustling of the aspens built into the crash of waves. Or maybe it was her ears, thrumming with the rush of blood to her head.

She barely heard Sam call in their location.

Rigor mortis had already come and left his body before she and Sam found him, toppled off the large boulder, his stainless-steel canteen overturned and empty at his feet. The water stained the ground and his right hiking boot, making the leather darker, near black. Near as black as the blood on the rock and stuck to his Lobos T-shirt, trailing down onto his designer jeans.

Sam’s hand came down on her shoulder and she flinched, hard, but she didn’t look away from Donald. Two narrow gashes showed pink and a trickle of blood. His hands—large and hairy—nicked from the blade. A longer, deeper gash split open the meaty part of his hand almost as if he’d grappled with the blade.

But Cici focused on the large wolf logo. The UNM mascot seemed to have opened its mouth right above a wound in his back, ready to devour him.

Or maybe Cici, with memories of another murder. That wound . . .

 

 

About Alexa Padgett:

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Connect with Alexa:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Enter Alexa’s Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway