Book Excerpt No Trouble At All ~ Bookish Madness

Book Excerpt

They left I-95 and after twists and turns along numerous side roads, finally sat in the car outside the brick and stone mini-mansion of Mr. Robert Dade. He was the current black sheep and estranged relative of the Dade clan, business partners with the Lovely’s. Once it had been an impressive estate, but today the house looked weathered and abandoned. Wisps of brown grass volleyed with weeds in abandoned flowerbeds. The windows were shielded by mismatched drapes of various colors and lengths. Though she couldn’t see inside, Sophie thought there was movement upstairs. Curtains gently swayed back and forth.

It looked disturbing and gave her a chill. The gray misty air and dark clouds hanging overhead added to the spookiness.

“I’ll be back soon. Stay here.” Jackson planted a kiss on her cheek in a move that was becoming comfortably familiar before exiting and heading up the walkway to the door.

Sophie watched as he knocked, shoulders squared as he waited for someone to answer. After a few moments, a short, slim, white-haired man in an old tailored suit opened it. Sophie noticed the binoculars draped around his neck. Super creepy. Peeping tom old man. Instead of heading inside as she anticipated, Jackson stood in the entry way engaging the man in what looked like a heated debate. After a few minutes of raised voices and exaggerated hand movements, Jackson stalked back to the car.

“He won’t talk to me unless you come inside.”

“Me? Why?” Sophie’s palms instantly turning clammy.

“I don’t know.” Jackson’s fists clenched at his side. “Dade said he’ll refuse the interview and call his lawyer unless you’re present as a witness. Do you mind?”

“I guess not.” Sophie’s tone implied something different.

“Does it hurt the investigation if I go in? Isn’t it against official policy?”

“Only if they find out about it at the office, but that’s probably why Dade wants you there. He feels it will compromise the investigation if we charge him with anything.”

“Will it?”

“This isn’t an official interview. I’m not interrogating him, just gathering information. I’m fact finding and getting some background. It might cause some concern, but overall, no.”

“Okay, I’m in.” Her voice wobbled.

“Be careful what you say. This guy is definitely a little off.”

About the Book

Title: No Trouble At All

Author: Lisa Acerbo

Genre: Romantic Thriller

Trouble from the Past can Kill your Future.

It’s a bad day for Sophie Carter when she stumbles across a dead body in the woods. But when the suspected murderer turns out to be a leather-clad vagabond who died in 1889, her carefully controlled quiet life explodes. Not only is Sophie in the wrong place at the wrong time, but as a local history buff who loves old legends, she knows too much about the past to remain uninvolved. Trouble is a killer and no one can escape.

Detective Jackson Lynch asks Sophie to help him decipher the legend of the Old Leather Man and unravel the mystery of the murdered woman. Going against her best judgment, Sophie joins forces with the distractingly sexy detective on the police investigation and in pursuit of a killer. Jackson is hot to solve the case as they follow the clues through Connecticut and New York State, uncovering both legend and fact.

As they move closer to solving the murder, a series of missteps shove Sophie into Jackson’s arms and straight into the media. Trouble is everywhere. Jackson’s career begins to crumble and Sophie becomes a suspect in the heinous crime. The case unravels. The past and present collide. Sophie is swept into more danger than she could ever imagine when the Old Leather Man comes looking for her hide to tan.

Author Bio

Lisa Acerbo is a high school teacher and adjunct instructor at the college level, holding an EdD in Educational Leadership. No Trouble at All is her third novel. Her first novel about zombies, vampires and romance, Apocalipstick, was published in 2013 followed by a young adult science fiction novel title Remote in 2014. In addition, she has contributed to local newspapers, news and travel blogs including The Patch and Hollywood Scriptwriter. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two daughters, three cats, and horse.