Crow Moon by Suzie Aspley#Extract #Giveaway #AMarthaStrangewaysInvestigationBook1

 

I am delighted to introduce the first in a new series by debut writer, Suzie Aspley. The atmospheric thriller, Crow Moon was published by Orenda on March 14th. Today I have an extract for you to read and the chance to win a print copy of Crow Moon. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.

When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed…

Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire.

Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager – a tragedy that turns even more sinister when a poem about crows is discovered inked onto his back...

When another teenager goes missing in the remote landscape, Martha is drawn into the investigation, teaming up with DI Derek Summers, as malevolent rumours begin to spread and paranoia grows.

As darkness descends on the village of Strathbran, it soon becomes clear that no one is safe, including Martha…

Both a nerve-shattering, enthralling and atmospheric thriller and a moving tale of grief and psychological damage, Crow Moon is a staggeringly accomplished debut and the start of an addictive, unforgettable series.

Extract

CHAPTER SIX

 

Martha opened her eyes a touch, just enough to let the light in. It was so bright. Peering through her eyelashes was like looking through sea grass; everything slightly blurred, her eyelids gritty. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as she swallowed, throat dry. Lifting a hand to her face, her fingers touched something grainy wrapped around her head. She traced the rough line of a gash in her cheek and wondered what had happened. A wave of nausea hit and, exhausted by the effort of looking even for a few seconds, she closed her eyes again. She wasn’t sure where she was, and right at that moment she didn’t care.

 

The soft padding of feet woke her. Gentle hands checking her wounds. She opened her eyes fully this time and watched a nurse bustling around the room.

 

‘Hello, Martha. You’re back with us. That’s good.’ Her lilting Scottish accent soothing. ‘We’ve been awfully concerned for you. I’m Staff Nurse Susan Dean. I’ll just let Dr Harris know you’ve woken up.’ The nurse had kind eyes. Martha’s gaze followed her as she left the room.

 

The doctor examined her for signs of concussion, taking her blood pressure and heart rate. She answered his questions with little effort or enthusiasm. He asked if she knew what day it was, and she shook her head.

 

‘It’s Sunday,’ he told her, smiling. ‘You had a few knocks, Martha, so now that you’re awake, we’ll send you up for a scan.’

 

She didn’t protest. Martha wasn’t sure she wanted reality to flood in just yet. But, she wondered, where was Dougie? And the dogs? What had happened in the woods? She remembered going out for the walk. Had she really fallen and woken up staring at Fraser? In amongst the flashes of recall – rushing water below, birds calling overhead, dogs barking from a distance – were images of that lad. Horrible recollections she didn’t want to believe were real.

 

‘You’ve suffered a bump to your head and may have fractured a couple of ribs,’ Susan explained. ‘Those spectacular bruises make you look like you’ve been in a road accident. You’ll need to take it easy for a bit.’

 

Martha felt like her whole life had been a car crash recently. And if she was honest, it felt quite good, just lying there, surrendering to other people’s care. Unusually for her, she didn’t have the energy right then to resist, or worry. So she just lay, staring out at the clouds crossing the grey sky, dozing and listening to the background buzz of a busy hospital, watching Susan coming and going, knowing that soon the world would crowd back in. Susan told her Dougie had visited with his dad, and again with his stepdad, but she’d been asleep both times. ‘He’s fine, and he says the dogs are too. He knows you’ll worry about them. So you just rest and you’ll see them all in good time.’

 

Relieved of any need to worry, Martha moved from long periods of unconsciousness to dozing half awake. In recent months, she hadn’t let herself dwell on what had happened with the twins. But in the calm of her hospital bed, her defences were down. Life had always been busy and Martha had never planned to have more kids. She’d never known her birth family. Before she was one, her sister had died. Her mum too. Her adoptive parents, Denise and Oliver Halliday, brought her into their family, and she grew up believing their son was her real brother. They were still close, but as soon as she was old enough and had discovered her family history, she had taken her birth mother’s name and become Martha Strangeways. A fling at college when she was twenty-one resulted in Dougie’s birth. Orla said she was mad to keep the baby, but, as usual, Martha went her own way, determined it wouldn’t sideline her plans to become a reporter. She immediately loved Dougie with a fierce power she hadn’t realised she had in her. But between bringing him up as a single parent and pursuing her career, she had little time to herself. As Dougie grew older, he often spent weekends with his dad, and weekdays with her. Her life had settled into a satisfying rhythm of caring for Dougie, work and the gym, where she pounded her body until it was strong and lean. No pain, no gain. Her motto for more than just exercise.

About the Author

Originally from the north-east of England, former journalist Suzy Aspley has lived in Scotland for almost thirty years. She writes crime and short stories, often inspired by the strange things she sees in the landscape around her. She won Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect in 2019 with the original idea for her debut novel and was shortlisted for the Capital Crime New Voices Award. In 2020, she was mentored by Jo Dickinson as part of the Hachette future bookshelf initiative. Crow Moon was also longlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award. She’s currently working on the second book in the series, and when she’s not writing, she’s either got her nose buried in a book, or is outside with her dogs dreaming up more dark stories. She lives in Stirlingshire with her family.

You can follow Suzie here: X (Twitter)

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Suzie Aspley, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for the extract, giveaway and a place on the tour.

Check out these great bloggers!

Giveaway (UK only)

 

To win a print copy of Crow Moon, just Follow and Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!

 Closing Date is 3rd April 2024 and there is one winner.

*Terms and Conditions –UK only. The winner will be selected at random via a random Tweet Selector from all valid entries and will be notified by X (Twitter) and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.