A high profile murder of a Wall Street executive in Westchester pits three people against the criminal underbelly of Manhattan nightlife. The key players are two ex-cops turned private investigators—Kevin Whitehouse, whose sharpest tool is his keen analytical mind, and David Allerton, a former Special Forces operative—and Margaret Alexander, Kevin’s lover. In their search for a killer, they are forced to travel to the edge of sanity and morality, while stumbling onto their own confusing secrets as well. The Cover of Darkness is a gritty noir saga that untangles a web of deceit in the course of tracking down a brutal murderer.
Excerpt:
The pool area was wide and reflected the sun on this hot summer day. It was edged with white marble so polished that it looked like pearl. Deck chairs lined the sides of the long pool, which was two lengths more than Olympic-sized. Outside the deck area was the carpeted lawn of the vast backyard, dappled with sun.
Hugh Osterman walked along the side of the pool wearing a heavy terry cloth robe and sandals. In his right hand, he held a martini glass. He ran his left hand through his sandy sun-streaked hair as he looked over his shoulder at the man following him.
“What’s going on? I don’t get it,” Osterman said, stopping at the end of the pool where the flotation chairs were kept.
“They said no,” the man replied. Considering the backdrop, he was incongruously dressed in a dark suit and tie.
“They said no . . . just like that?”
Osterman sat his drink down on the marble surface, and pushed a flotation chair into the deep end of the pool, sending it out and away. Then he peeled off the robe and dove smoothly into the water, emerging next to the floating chair.
“You go back and tell them that we aren’t pleased,” Osterman said sternly, pulling himself up and into the seat of the chair. “You tell them that Hugh Osterman wants to know what’s holding things up—what the problem is.”
The suit just stood at the edge of the pool, opening his jacket against the heat of the day. Osterman paddled to the side, and reached out and retrieved his martini glass. “I take it you have nothing to say about this?” he persisted, despite the other man’s silence.
The suit shook his head.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Osterman said as he tipped the glass up to his lips. Suddenly, the bottom of the stem shattered. Osterman gurgled as he dropped the glass, blood bubbling from his mouth, an open tear in his neck. He jolted upright in the chair as the suit closed the distance between them, his Colt .38 Super still trained on its victim, its silencer smoldering.
Osterman slowly sat back as the suit pumped more rounds into Osterman’s bare, well-defined chest—the hot shells of his pistol ejecting out and striking the surface of the water, settling to the bottom. His life ended as his body tumbled from the floating chair, his blood a widening crimson slick roughly in the area where his body slipped through.
The suit popped his clip, slipped in a new one, and headed for the sprawling house.
About the author:
Gregory Delaurentis spent his adult life roaming from job to job, working for Lockheed in California, various law firms in New York, and financial firms on Wall Street. Throughout this period of time, he was writing—unceasingly—finally producing a large body of work, albeit unrecognized and unpublished . . . until now. Cover of Darkness is the first in a series of upcoming books that include Edge of Darkness, Pale of Darkness and Cries of Darkness. These novels follow the lives of three individuals who do battle bringing criminals to justice, while they struggle to understand the complex relationships that exist among themselves. This intriguing trio has absorbed the attention of Mr. Delaurentis for the past year and a half, so much so he decided to self-publish their stories to bring them to a wider audience. [AUTHOR’S DISCLAIMER: These are works of fiction. Name, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.]
78 comments:
I would like the B&N card
That really is a great excerpt.
Amazon thank you.
That really is a great excerpt.
Amazon thank you.
Amazon rawr *coughs* sorry :D thank you for this opportunity.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the host of Reading In Twilight for featuring my book today, and to thank all those who participate by commenting. Have a wonderful day.
This looks interesting...Thanks for the giveaway! I would like the amazon giftcard if I won.
Thank you for hosting
Good excerpt, thank you.
Thanks for continuing to host marvelous giveaways, while putting up with greedy people!
I would want the Amazon gift card! Thanks for the great giveaway chance!
Love the evolution of the story as the tour continues!
vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com
I would love Amazon GC, thanks for the chance
I prefer the Amazon GC. Thanks for this giveaway!
Thank you everyone for commenting and dropping by. Have an excellent day.
thank you for the giveaway. I would love to win the amazon card. aidansmama77@yahoo.com
This sounds like a real page turner (er, page swiper for those of us with ereaders?). Thanks for the excerpt and the chance to win! I'd love to pick up some new books with an amazon card.
I would love an Amazon gift card :) Thank you for the giveaway!
This seems like a really cool book!! I would like the Amazon giftcard, thanks for the giveaway!
This book sounds pretty good! Thanks for hosting this giveaway. :)
IfI win, I'd like the Amazon gift card, please. :)
I would love the Amazon gift card. Thanks for the chance to win.
I would like to thank every one that dropped in and commented. Thank you for your kind remarks. I'm glad that you enjoyed the excerpt. Have an excellent day.
I would like to thank every one that dropped in and commented. Thank you for your kind remarks. I'm glad that you enjoyed the excerpt. Have an excellent day.
Thank you for the giveaway! Amazon gift card would be awesome!
Amazon. thanks for such a wonderful give away
I would love the amazon gift card...this book looks good :-)
Book sound good. Amazon please!
Amazon, thanks for the giveaway.
nachre96@yahoo.com
Awesome excerpt.added book to my to read list. i would love to win a amazon gift card. thanks for the giveaway
Amazon.com card, please!
Oh, what I could do with a B&N gift card!
Would love the Amazon card. Thank You!!
Amazon gift card thanks for the chance to win.
B&N please!!! Thank you for the giveaway!!!
Not really my usual genre, but I would definitely check it out! I would love to win the amazon gift card.
Amazon GC Than you for the giveaway!
Amazon for sure! and I <3 the cover :)
Danielle
coffeeandcharacters@gmail (dot) com
i need this gift card
Awesome excerpt! Thank you for the giveaway, I would like the Amazon please.
Thank you again everybody for your comments, and if you do purchase the book, I hope you find it enjoyable. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.
Loved the trailer of the book, and excerpt. Will be adding to my ever growing TBR! I love reading books like this. An amazon gift card would be fantastic, I promise to purchase the book! :)
An amazon Gift Card would be great thanks so much for the chance-can't wait to read more!
Of course! I would love to win an amazon gift card. I have books I want to buy.
Amazon! Thanks for the giveaway!!!
I would love to win the Amazon gift card.
Thanks for the giveaway!!! Would love to win Amazon GC.
Thanks for the giveaway. And that book sounds like a great detective novel
I'd really love an Amazon GC :-)
Thank you everyone for the comments and thank you for dropping by.
What an interesting sounding book. I'm going to have to check this one out. I would like an Amazon card. Thanks for the giveaway and introducing me to this book.
What a wonderful cover! I love it :)
I would prefer the Amazon GC, thank you for the giveaway.
Thank you Laurel and Kristia for the nice comments, I do hope you win. Have a great day.
Thank you for the giveaway! If I happen to win, I'd want amazon gift card :)
I prefer the Amazon GC. Thanks for this giveaway!
Amazon, please.
I would like the amazon gift card if I win please and thank you!
Thank you for the giveaway! I would like the amazon gift card if I win! :^D
I would choose Amazon :) Thanks so much!
Amazon please . Thanks
I would choose an Amazon gift card :)
Probably the amazon!
I would like the Amazon gift card :)
I would love an Amazon GC. Thanks for the chance!
Amazon GC please Thank you for the giveaway!
Amazon GC please Thank you for the giveaway!
Amazon GC please
That excerpt is exciting. My interest is piqued.
If I win, I'd like the Amazon giftcard please.
Amazon please
I WOULD LOVE AN AMAZON GIFT CARD! THANKS
Thanks for this fun raffle! I would love an Amazon card! My old Kindle is getting worn out and glitchy. A GC will help a long way for me to get a new one. I have to read by Kindle because my eyes get blurry read treebooks. And I have to have text-to-speech even then. Please, please, I wish, I wish! :-)
This is awesome!!
That book sounds great
Thanks for offering up the B&N gift certificate.
Amazon - because I could probably get two books with it but only 1 on B&N as their prices are higher.
Amazon
Amazon please... thanks for the giveaway
I would like the Amazon gift card.
Random comment :) ---- just now
guy on the cover is cute.. haha amazon gift card please and thank you!
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