The Tarnished Son
Author: Elizabeth McKenna
Genre: Domestic Suspense
Setting: Wisconsin
Release Date: July 23, 2024, by Independently Published
Pages: 324
Summary:
“This is a nice, quiet town with good people. Things like that don’t happen around here.”
But they do.
In THE TARNISHED SON, a tourist’s death, an alluring young teacher, a father’s carnal desires, and a stepdaughter’s vendetta ultimately destroy a village dynasty.
The respected Clark family has governed Williams Bay since 1837. On a hot August day, seventeen-year-old Liam causes a tragic boating accident. What happens next—infidelity, drugs, theft, and more—deepens long-hidden cracks in the family’s façade, exposing their secrets and tarnishing their golden image.
Meet the family:
William Sr., the grandfather who rules the family and the village with an iron fist
Hank, the father who lets temptations lead him on a path of self-destruction
Liam, the shining son who gets away with everything
Rose, the stepdaughter who has had enough and pushes the whole house downGrab some popcorn and watch the destruction unfold in Elizabeth McKenna’s unpredictable family drama!
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Excerpt
Wednesday, September 6
We hadn’t even tasted our pork chops at dinner before Grandpa wielded his fork at Rose.
“The DA wants your account of the paddleboarder accident. Apparently, you neglected to give a statement to the police. They won’t close the case until you do.”
She froze like a cornered animal, and I almost felt sorry for her. For the most part, she flew under Grandpa’s radar, being too insignificant in his world to bother with. She turned a panicky face toward her mom, silently begging for rescue.
Nora patted her daughter’s hand. “I’ll take Rose to the station tomorrow after school. Will that be soon enough for you?”
Grandpa grunted. “Make sure her version matches Liam’s. I want this investigation to end.”
“What else would she say?” I asked, searching everyone’s expressions. “Do you all think I’m lying?”
Dad and Nora made soothing sounds at me while Grandpa picked at his teeth. Rose shrank further into her chair.
“Truth or lie, it doesn’t matter as long as we show a united front.” Grandpa sawed off a piece of meat and inspected it, his lip curling with disgust. “I hope your wife learns to cook someday for your sake, Hank.”
“Do something, or I will,” Nora growled in a low voice to Dad, who was in mid-swallow and started coughing, making him unable or unwilling to stand up for his wife.
I slammed a fist on the table, and the silverware jumped, adding an exclamation point to my anger. “I want to know if you believe me.”
Grandpa looked up from his plate with cold eyes. “Stop being so dramatic, Liam.”
“This is bullshit.” I bolted from the dining room, and Grandpa yelled for me to come back. I was rarely so disrespectful to him, and my feet slowed on the stairs as I considered the consequences. But then, the thought of falling into a drug-induced sleep, void of any nightmares featuring an old man drowning, had me moving again.
About Elizabeth McKenna
Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). She combined her love of history, romance, and a happy ending to write Cera’s Place and Venice in the Moonlight. Her contemporary romance novel, First Crush Last Love, is loosely based on her life during her teens and twenties. The Great Jewel Robbery is her debut cozy mystery, and she hopes readers will like it as much as they have enjoyed her romances.
Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.
Giveaway
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