I’m celebrating the release of the Annie Crow Knoll trilogy box set!

Below is a sample from Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise, which was a Kindle Book Awards 2017 semi-finalist. I hope you enjoy it, and you can purchase the entire collection at Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

ANNIE CROW KNOLL: MOONRISE by Gail Priest

Autumn 2014

Chapter One

Working his way through the crowd of spectators clogging the sidewalk, Liam Mc Allister lost track of his friend Drew Bidwell. Assuming Drew would catch up, Liam didn’t bother to text him. Instead he searched for an opening against the police barricade near the finish line where he could watch for the cyclists he coached. He noticed a guy wearing a brown winter parka hobble away from a spot next to a group of rowdy teenagers. These avid fans, outfitted in expensive cycling paraphernalia and carrying cowbells, pointed and snickered at the odd way the man walked.  He leaned forward with his torso hunched as if he carried something weighty, but his arms were empty. His hands were stuffed deep in the coat pockets.

The unshaven man appeared to be about forty. Greasy hanks of long, blond hair poked out below his woolen cap. His filthy face wore an anxious expression, and his eyes darted at Liam for a split second before he stared straight ahead. Although parka man was likely one of many mentally ill people now wandering the streets without care or medication, something about the situation got Liam’s hackles up. He didn’t know if his unease was initiated by the rude kids, who were now ringing their cowbells and jeering, or the actual guy in the parka, who was quickly swallowed up by the mass of people jockeying for a good view of the cyclists when they came in.

Before someone else took the open space, Liam wedged himself between the teens and a harried couple whose two small children were arguing over a cowbell.

“I’ll go get another one,” the father said.

His wife shook her head.  “No, I don’t want two cowbells with that bank’s insignia on it.”

The dad picked up the younger boy in an effort to distract him with a better view, while the older sister hid the prize cowbell behind her back before her parents changed their minds.

At six foot three, Liam easily scanned the sea of people packed between the storefronts and the curbside barriers lining this side of the race course. Still no sign of Drew.

The first annual East Bay Women’s Race for the Cure, coupled with ideal weather on this warm, autumn day, brought out more fans than anticipated.  Top riders from all over the country were attracted to the event, including Drew Bidwell’s granddaughters. Breezy Bidwell, was a rising star in the world of women’s cycling. As usual, Jemma Bidwell was riding domestique for Breezy today. She would lead out her sister, while allowing Breezy to conserve energy by using Jemma’s slipstream. At the last few hundred meters, Breezy then had the power to break into a sprint for the finish line.

The California hills and mountains separating the inner East Bay and outer East Bay were perfect for a challenging and exciting sixty-five-kilometer course. The towns in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, located across the bay from San Francisco, were as diverse as the race terrain with deep economic divides between the haves and the have-nots. The selection of the race start and finish locations in these boroughs became a hot topic.  In the end, race organizers were persuaded to place the finish line on the main street of a disadvantaged neighborhood north of Berkeley in hopes of bringing some business to the hard-hit area. Drew Bidwell and Liam McAllister had been among the key supporters of this decision.

Liam had grumbled to Drew when one of the big banks that had foreclosed on many of the area’s mortgages and reneged on hundreds of thousands of student loans became the main race sponsor, but charities make for strange bedfellows. After forcing students to drop out of college and driving families out of their homes, it was obvious to Liam the bank’s Board of Directors was attempting to stem the flood of bad publicity.  They shelled out only peanuts for the race compared to what they had stolen from the community, but their image would improve.

From where he stood at the finish line, Liam had a clear view of the bigwigs from the bank all seated in designated risers directly across the street. He raised his eyebrows. Most of them weren’t even watching for the cyclists, who would be arriving soon.  They were too busy chatting up the town commissioners and other area politicians. Scrutinized the faces, Liam noticed Drew shaking hands with the mayor.  How the hell did Bidwell get up there? Liam figured his former college professor and friend must have crossed the course and schmoozed his way into the private seating area. Well, it probably didn’t take much.  Professor Bidwell was popular with the locals and friends with everyone and anyone in authority.

While Liam was fond of Drew and grateful for all his older friend had done for him, he wondered what had happened in Bidwell’s past that made him obsessed with being accepted by the powers that be.  Drew likely had dinner with some of these people last week.  Those connections, along with his granddaughter Breezy being favored to win the race, made it easy for the professor to join everyone in the VIP seating area.

When the men made eye contact across the course, Drew gestured for Liam to come join him.  Liam checked his phone.  The riders were several minutes away.  He did have time to slip under the barricade and cross the course.  He’d have a better view from up in the risers, but he shook his head no.  A flash of disappointment crossed Drew’s face, but he gave Liam the thumbs up, then slapped one of the bank managers on the back and laughed. Bidwell could charm a snake out of its skin. Knowing he wouldn’t be waiting at this finish line if it weren’t for the man’s persuasive powers brought a wry smile to Liam’s face. He wasn’t sure where he’d be if it weren’t for Drew Bidwell.

Cowbells clanged in the distance, indicating the front riders were several blocks away. The crowd nearby responded by ringing their cowbells and chanting, “Breezy, Breezy, Breezy.” The professor’s granddaughter had a solid fan base present.

Liam detected sudden movement about thirty feet past the finish line.  The guy in the heavy parka was crossing the course toward the grandstand. A race volunteer, in an orange vest, shooed him back to Liam’s side of the street. Liam’s unease returned. It was parka man that bothered him.

When the teens on his left shook their cowbells, Liam’s entire body tensed. To the right, the young parents cheered, and their little girl shook her coveted bell with both hands wrapped around it. The muted jingle momentarily transported Liam back to his Infantry Unit in Afghanistan following an ambush and particularly hellish firefight.  The relentless hammering of automatic weapons fire was followed by random, distant pops. As Liam hoisted the lifeless body of one of his men onto his shoulder, goat bells jangled from a herd ambling past the dead marines.

Liam wiped sweat from the back of his neck, half expecting to see his hand bathed in the blood of the Marine he’d carried years ago.  Settle down. He pulled himself back to the present. He took several deep breaths and worked on calming himself down. He scanned the street and didn’t see parka man anywhere. Don’t worry.  If there is a problem, race officials are handling it.

Fans repeated, “Breezy, Breezy, Breezy.” Relieved by the distraction, Liam leaned over the barrier to check for riders. He was expecting Breezy to be in the lead. The wind was in her favor, but there could be an unforeseen challenger.

When Liam had begun coaching the Bidwell girls two years ago, they were just teenagers with a lot of talent. Over time, he felt privileged to witness their maturity as cyclists and as women.  Breezy’s development into adulthood was, however, beginning to complicate his nearly ideal rapport with her.  At twenty, she wasn’t a kid anymore, and Liam had started to observe things about her that a man notices in a woman he finds attractive.

Gun-shy after his divorce, it took him awhile to acknowledge the effect Breezy was having on him.  Even before he was married, Liam had taken his time with women.  He wasn’t one to hop into the sack over a drink.  He’d found it more satisfying to know the person with whom he shared his bed.

Liam always behaved in a professional manner with his riders, and the last few months, he’d had to be especially diligent with Breezy. More and more, he was finding it difficult to mask his true affection.

Liam was wrenched from his thoughts and back to the East Bay charity race when someone shoved directly between him and the couple with children to his right.

“Take it easy, buddy.” The father of the young family jostled around manipulating a new spot for his wife and two kids against the police barricade.

The intruder was parka man, who made no eye contact with anyone now, his gaze fixated on the bleachers across the street. The hair on the back of Liam’s neck stood on end.

Shit. No way. Not here. Not now.

Cowbells rang only a block away. The riders were bearing down.  Their legs pumping like pistons.

Sweat cleared away tracks of dirt on parka man’s face, and he was panting like a cyclist pushing up a steep climb.

Not with all these innocent people around for God’s sake.

Liam glanced around for an instant.  He couldn’t believe no one else was seeing what he was. It didn’t make sense, but Liam understood what was about to happen.  His eyes shot down to locate the man’s hands.  The left hand remained buried in his coat pocket.

Parka man lurched down and darted under the barrier. He began rushing across the course toward the bank officials and Drew Bidwell. There were too many fans pressing up against Liam. He couldn’t jump over the barricade. Liam was forced to duck under in pursuit.

The chanting of Breezy’s name and the clanging of cowbells surged to a crescendo as the two lead riders made their appearance, well ahead of the peloton.

********************

Drew cheered as his two granddaughters neared the finish line.  He was surprised Jemma hadn’t dropped off after her sister sprinted. The crowd went wild when Breezy seemed to launch ahead. Drew studied the move carefully. Breezy was about to win because Jemma had backed off. While pondering this, Drew became aware of a man dashing across the course and heading directly for the bleachers. Liam tore after the intruder and tackled him, just as Breezy came across the finish line.  Drew heard no sound but saw the flash before the force of the bomb punched him back into the people and benches behind him.

The Annie Crow Knoll Complete Collection e-book box set is available at Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

ANNIE CROW KNOLL: MOONRISE has been selected as a semi-finalist in the literary fiction category of the 2017 Kindle Book Awards!