Cristelle Comby will be awarding all four books of the series, signed by the author (International Giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don't miss the interview at the end of the post either.
Blind Chess
by Cristelle Comby
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GENRE: Mystery & Detectives
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BLIND CHESS Blurb:
It is supposed to be Neve and Egan. Two partners, a team. What happens when a member of this team of Private Investigators is shot, prognosis unknown?
As Alexandra Neve lays comatose and defenceless, Ashford Egan must take on their enemy alone, and find the cagiest criminal Scotland Yard has seen in decades. Determined to succeed, Egan will stop at nothing. He’ll hit on married women, plant bugs, hire hitmen. And he’ll do it all blind, which makes things ten times as difficult.
Double-crossed by friends, convinced there is corruption in those sworn to uphold the law, Egan is forced to form unlikely alliances as he moves forward in a game that requires skills, nerves of steel, and a willingness to play against all odds.
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BLIND CHESS Excerpt:
There is something Dimitri isn’t telling me. It is there in his voice. Hidden behind the words, behind the constructs he is trying to project. He isn’t being honest, I am convinced of it. He has the means to get in touch with The Sorter, if he so wants, but that service won’t come for free.
‘You’re a merchant,’ I say.
‘Da,’ he replies. ‘I am.’
‘And you accept all kinds of currencies?’
‘Da.’
‘Well,’ I sigh, ‘what will it cost me?’
Dimitri chuckles again. There is a dark sincerity to the sound. ‘I like you, Ashford,’ he says. ‘I have always liked you. You’re blind, but you see more than most. You understand how life works and you accept it. You’re not of my world, but you fit right in.’
I grit my teeth in reply, waiting for the penny to drop.
I hear Dimitri snap his fingers and then footsteps coming closer—a man, judging by the sounds, tall and a little on the heavy side, according to his stride and the echo his boots make on the tiled floor.
‘Sir?’ the newcomer says. He sounds younger than Dimitri, closer to Lexa’s age, I would guess, and eager to please.
Dimitri addresses him in his mother tongue.
‘Yes, sir,’ the newcomer replies before turning on his heel and walking away at a brisk pace.
‘There is a certain something you could help me with,’ Dimitri tells me.
‘Anything,’ I say.
‘A man I have been doing business with has... how would you say... played me.’ He spits the words out as if they are distasteful. ‘He’s been missing since Monday.’
‘What did he do?’ I ask.
‘He ran away with my money.’
‘And?’
‘And I can’t find him. He’s hiding, but his wife is still in town.’
‘And you think she knows where to find him?’ I ask, guessing what I am being “hired” for.
‘Maybe, maybe not. Alas, she has connections and I have to be careful.’
‘Connections?’ I ask.
‘Her sister is police.’ Again he says the word as if it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. ‘My men are keeping an eye on her, making sure the husband doesn’t come for a visit, but that’s all we can do. We can’t be seen. I don’t want the cops to get near me. They are like bloodhounds once they have your scent.’
‘But,’ I say, ‘if someone who isn’t part of your organisation were to do the job and get caught by the dogs... it wouldn’t inconvenience you too much, would it?’
I can hear the smile in Dimitri’s reply. ‘No, it would not.’
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| Author Cristelle Comby |
Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.
Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.
She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.
BLIND CHESS is her fourth new-adult novel in the Neve & Egan series.
Links :
Website: http://cristelle-comby.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Cristelle
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CristelleComby
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Cristelle has graciously agreed to an interview.
What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?
I had a few books as a child, but the titles now escape me. The only one I can recall from my early, early childhood is ‘The Little Red Hen’; I had it on a cassette tape. I played it so many times, I’m sure my mum still remembers the story and the oh-so-merry-and-jolly-it-gets-annoying-fast music that goes with it.
What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
I’m really into Urban Fantasy or Heroic Fantasy, and I like to read books which are part of a series. It’s great to see the characters grow and evolve throughout the volumes.
I love a series, also. When did you start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I’ve been writing for ever, but I started to do it seriously in 2012. I published my first book, RUSSIAN DOLLS, in March 2013.
Describe Neve and Egan in 3 words each.
For Neve: open-minded, headstrong, astute. And for Egan: though, vulnerable, smart.
Why do you write crime fiction?
I’ve always enjoyed a good mystery — that’s what decided me to try and make a private detectives’ novels.
I’ve loved mysteries since I first discovered Nancy Drew. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
I might edit my first book a bit differently, make a few more cuts to tighten the pace. It’s something that comes with experience. Back then, I was working on my first book and the idea of cutting anything was heartbreaking. It was my baby. I’d spend months on it, and the idea of going anywhere near it with scissors was unthinkable. Now I know and understand that it’s a part of the process.
Say you have unlimited funds (wouldn’t that be nice?): What kind of writing office/cottage would you create for yourself?
I’d love to have a little house on a beach shore somewhere, on some tropical island. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, a large modern kitchen, and a little garden with an ocean view where I could write in the shade. Maybe toss in a hammock while you’re at it.
