Sunday Snippet: Along the Shore

So… some good TV this week. Strike Back continues to be excellent viewing. Awesome to see Martinez and Richmond kick ass as they're trained to do. I did call the wife, which is all I'll say for now. Can't wait for the next installment!

Orphan Black, once again, totally blew everything out of the water. Seriously, every time I think I'm cool to settle back and watch, another twist has me sitting on the edge of my seat with my mouth hanging open. I love it!

Defiance returned and, geez, cleaned freaking house. Not only is the E-rep gone, with the exception of Berlin—thankfully—but three regular characters are no more. I love having Nolan and Amanda working in tandem. We'll see how long that lasts.

The premiere of Dark Matter has me intrigued enough to keep watching. I like the blend of characters so far. Hopefully, as the show unfolds, that'll stay the case. Who knows? Killjoys opens next week and I'm very much looking forward to adding it to my Friday night viewing.

More on new shows next week…

Tonight's post is from Along the Shore, a novella in the South of the Border series. Kiernan and Lars from Down in Mexico will make an appearance or two.

Here's the tagline:

Vail Ericsson, a freelance security expert and skilled tracker, can find anyone for a price. But when he trails Ellery Quantrell to Mexico, he discovers she's not an escapee but target and his role changes from pursuer to protector, whether Ellery wants him as a shield or not.

And a snippety peek…

Vail Ericcson spotted his target and strolled over to her table. "Ellery Quantrell?"

The woman in question glanced up from her book. "I'm sure you're not speaking to me. I have no idea who you mean." She went back to reading.

Vail pulled a chair out and settled across from her. "Miss Quantrell, let's not play games." He folded his hand on top of the table. "I'm very good at what I do and I've been hired to track you down and get you back to Mr. Puchenko."

Ellery closed her book again and met his gaze. "Ivan Puchenko doesn't own me, regardless of what he may think." She tucked the paperback into her oversized, straw bag. "I don't take orders from him or anyone else, including you." She rose from her seat and strolled away.

Vail frowned. He'd been led to believe Ellery would capitulate quickly and fall in with being returned to Puchenko's estate. Glancing up, he kept her in his line of sight and tried to figure his next move.

So much for easy. Vail needed her to get inside Puchenko's operation. If he could get at least one tracking device planted, he'd call it a win and walk away clean.

Rising, he followed Ellery at a discreet distance. He'd have to try a different approach. He'd been ordered not to mention the funds Ellery transferred into her account, but he might have to use that information as leverage to get her to come along.

She paused outside a market vendor and chatted with the woman operating the booth. Vail observed, taking in the relaxed demeanor. Ellery Quantrell didn't appear to have a trouble in the world. How a woman could pilfer close to half a million dollars and not bat an eyelash when caught kind of amazed Vail. Then again, she had a cool beauty working in her favor. She used her blonde hair, blue eyes, and curves to great advantage. Dressed with a casual elegance, her clothing fit the tropics. A flowing, breezy, tunic style tank top in shades of blue over a khaki miniskirt showed off her toned limbs. The wedge espadrilles weren't made for long walks, meaning she had to be staying nearby.

Vail would trail her to her hotel or rental unit and then reassess his options for getting her to cooperate.

A single flash of light in the distance gave him a split second warning.

He called out. "Ellery!"

Even after saving her life, Ellery is less than thrilled to be in Vail's company, for an excellent reason…

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin