The need to right a wrong against an innocent victim triggers a hailstorm of revenge ➱ Flames of Wrath Crime Thriller by J.L. Campbell Book Tour with Guest Post and giveaway
The need to right a wrong against an innocent victim triggers a hailstorm of revenge.
Flames of Wrath
by J.L. Campbell
Genre: Crime Thriller
A mother’s quest for justice turns
into a race against time to stop insidious murders that mysteriously
begin populating throughout the city. Fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth
Ware will be enthralled by this emotionally chilling thriller!
The
need to right a wrong against an innocent victim triggers a hailstorm
of revenge!
In less than twenty-four hours—before
Alexia Leighton is scheduled to return to Miami from spring break in
Jamaica—a group of friends betray her in a grisly assault that
stops a heartbeat away from murder. The seventeen-year-old prays for
the mercy of death. She survives. While on the road to recovery,
Alexia's attackers become victims of mysterious acts of violence,
leaving authorities confounded and racing against time to prevent
another deadly attack. Concern looms, as the perpetrator has proven
to be two steps ahead of them at every turn.
When
the attention swings to Alexia's mother, a cyber-security expert, the
family closes ranks. Geneva Leighton must quickly eliminate herself
as a suspect, but not without handing down more punishment. The
offenders fear for their own safety and the secrets that plague them.
Can they trust the police to find the killer before someone else
dies, or has their fate been sealed—leaving them with no place to
run, and no place to hide . . .
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Excerpt 1
Alexia’s eyes
were half open, but she wasn’t conscious. The doctor had explained a moment ago
that Alexia was in an induced coma to stabilize her system.
Aside from head
trauma, she suffered broken bones, a dislocated knee, and a long list of
internal injuries. Only God knew what brain function she’d have when they woke her
up, and whether she’d be able to breathe without the ventilator. The neck brace
was another source of worry. The doctor didn’t think she’d have permanent
spinal damage, but they couldn’t be sure.
A slash, closed
by neat stitches, marred her forehead. Vivid red trails leaked across the white
of one sunken eye, and the area around Alexia’s cheek was bruised and swollen.
Her smooth, reddish-brown skin was otherwise unmarked. Alexia’s nails were broken,
which brought Geneva a tinge of satisfaction. My baby fought back.
“What happened
to her face?” Geneva’s voice was loud in the small room.
“Her cheekbone
and the lower part of her eye socket were fractured. We did a closed reduction
to reset …”
His voice faded
against the nightmarish reality Geneva faced. What kind of animals would do
this to a friend? What could Alexia have done to deserve this beatdown? The
little Geneva’s mother knew about what was supposed to be a farewell party in no
way equated to the ravages visited on Alexia.
With a gentle
touch, she stroked Alexia’s cheek. “Will she be able to see?”
The light
glinted across Dr. Harewood’s glasses as he nodded. “Her vision may be blurred
for a while but should return to normal.”
She sank in the
chair next to the bed, her mind a hive of jumbled thoughts. The questions
tumbled over each other, demanding to be asked. For now, only one was critical.
“How soon can we
fly her back to Miami?”
The hunched
doctor with pale skin glanced at the nurse, then said, “As things stand, that’s
not a good idea. To be on the safe side, I’d give it a week or more before
moving her, especially since she’s had several seizures. That will allow us to
stabilize her.”
“So, the
breathing tube…?”
“Part of that
process.”
Geneva’s gaze
drifted back to the bed. “This is a lot to absorb.”
“I understand.”
He bobbed his balding head.
Frowning, Geneva
asked. “Was anyone else brought in with similar injuries or from the same
location?”
Eyes narrowed,
the doctor shook his head. “Not to my knowledge.”
“Thank you. My
mother is waiting to see her, so I’ll allow her to come in.”
“I’m sorry,
but—”
Geneva held up
one hand. “I know, only one person at a time.”
Can I come back
in after she sees her?”
“Of course.”
She discarded
the gown, gloves, and mask, then left the room behind the doctor, who faced her
outside the door. “We’re doing everything we can for her, Mrs. Leighton.”
Looking him dead
in the eyes, she asked, “What would you say are her chances of survival, in
terms of percentages?”
He lowered his
head, then cleared his throat. “At this point, somewhere between five and ten.
Her injuries …”
Geneva stopped
listening.
Dr. Harewood was
duty-bound to convey what he saw as the facts laid out on the bed inside that
room. She didn’t have to accept them.
Excerpt 2
Christian almost
had Geneva’s sympathy, until she remembered what he did to Alexia.
Geneva paced her
office while recording Christian and his stepmother. The woman had chutzpah.
Not to mention a healthy appetite. She’d give her that, but she could also be
described as too stupid to live. Surely, she had options outside her home. But
it wasn’t Geneva’s business. This was excellent fodder that would make that
boy’s life a replica of hell before she rained her fury on him.
She’d been
spying on him through his webcam, and this afternoon her vigilance had finally
paid off. One fake message from the university, and a link click at his end
that led nowhere, gave her access to Christian’s computer. Time and opportunity
would determine what she did with this new information.
When Mrs. Skyers
eventually finished with Christian, Geneva closed her laptop and prepared to
visit Alexia. But before that, she had a date with Deja.
Her care and
concern for Alexia would have been more appreciated when it mattered. Still,
Deja had her uses. Her personal history made her eager to please and easy to
manipulate. When
she
met Deja, the girl had just migrated to Florida. She’d been reserved, but
observant. Watching her told Geneva that she didn’t like to be touched or
fawned over. Geneva could guess why. She
kept
her own counsel and never said a word about her assessment to Camille, her aunt.
Gradually, Deja grew more confident and forged a friendship with Alexia. But
all of that was negated that one night in Jamaica. Friends were there for the
long haul. They protected each other. Deja had failed that test.
Excerpt 3
“Officer Harrison, did that DNA test prove
conclusively that Skyers assaulted my daughter?”
His curt nod surprised Geneva.
She sagged against the back of the chair
and looked across at Spence, who seemed stricken. “Thank you. I appreciate
that.”
Harrison waved away her thanks. “That’s
okay. In the meantime, I’d urge you not to do anything foolish.”
Her response was quick. “The thought never
crossed my mind.”
“I wish I could believe you.” He shifted a
file to the side in an impatient sweep of his hand. In a grudging tone, he
said, “You may think you’re slick, but one day…”
Every shred of good will disappeared, and
she snapped, “Why don’t you actually do what the government pays you for? To
serve and protect, not harass a grieving parent.”
His eyes glimmered. “Mrs. Leighton, you’re
out of line.”
Geneva pulled in a breath to speak, but
Spence’s glare stopped her. A few dozen choice words came to her lips, but she
kept her cool and said nothing. He could play Mr. Nice Guy with
the know-it-all, slow-acting officer
sitting opposite them, but the police weren’t leaving her any choice.
Christian Skyers may have run, but he
couldn’t hide. Not as long as technology was her friend. It didn’t matter where
he went; she’d find him.
The seriousness of the charges dictated
that the law would deal harshly with him, but she didn’t have the confidence
they would close their investigation swiftly enough to bring his case to trial.
Radcliff Skyers was an influential man, which made it possible for justice to
fall by the wayside. Either Christian or she would die before that happened.
Her resolve hardened while Officer Harrison
pinned her with a steely gaze, as if she were a nuisance he couldn’t wait to be
rid of. If he knew what was good for him, he’d find that rapist before the sun
set this evening.
She picked up her handbag and took Spence’s
hand, urging him out of the chair. “I have to get back to Alexia, plus there’s
something important I must do before that.”
Officer Harrison’s eyes sharpened, and she
gave him a smug smile. Let him wonder what her next move would be. She had more
than enough tricks to keep him occupied.
About the Characters
While crime fiction and thrillers tend to be plot-driven,
Flames of Wrath is different in that the main character almost becomes the
driving force behind the book. That is because of her frustration with the legal
system in getting justice for her daughter, who’d been assaulted while on
spring break in Jamaica.
At the outset, I didn’t intend for Geneva Leighton to be the
main character. My intention was to have one of her daughter’s friends leading
the way in getting revenge for Alexia. After a discussion with the editor, we
switched things up and the main character became the mother, who would do
anything to help her child. That way, she had more experience to carry out the
supposed accidents that are part of the plot line. Also, she’d be more
convincing in that role.
I’m big on family so it was good to write about people who
were facing difficulty but banded together as a unit to make things right for
one of their own. As in life, the characters aren’t perfect. We have a mother
who is fierce and determined, a father who’s a workaholic and is trying to make
amends to his wife for past mistakes, and a son who is able to help with
information and advice, as he’s also into technology.
Bringing Geneva and her husband back together, despite all
their challenges, was satisfying and I hope readers will enjoy this story which
carries so many layers. Aside from Geneva’s exploits, Flames of Wrath speaks to
choices, forgiveness, and the importance of family support.
National Bestselling Author, J.L. Campbell lives in Jamaica and writes across several genres. She is a certified editor, and book coach, who has produced over forty books. When she’s not writing, Campbell adds to her extensive collection of photos featuring Jamaica’s natural beauty.
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