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Glass Angels

by Dorothy Musmanno

324 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-0594; ISBN 1-4120-0225-7; US$26.50, C$30.00, EUR21.50, £15.50

Breathless real-time thriller where two young women find that life is not a black-and-white photograph but a woven tapestry of events and nothing is as it appears...

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about the book      about the author      excerpt      catalogue info

About the Book Once in every girl's life there comes a time when the woman separates from the child and a third person is born. This is a story of first love and first betrayals but it is also a multifaceted mystery that unfolds one layer at a time. Colleen, a high-spirited but self-doubting schemer and Abby, precocious and sarcastic, are attempting to pass the summer at the Geneva Resort until the beautiful Sara arrives and disrupts Collen's plans for romance. The pair instinctively dislike the eye-catching Sara who has come to hide from a past that even she can not remember. Only the self-assured Mavis seems to warm to the girl. But they will all soon learn the fragility of life when one of the young girls at the resort turns up missing. This is a tale rich in startling parallels between several seemingly diverse girls, whose lives are all connected through memories of maternal loss, complicated by duplicity and guilt. At the same time they are precariously trying to mature into womanhood and endeavoring not to get broken in the process. As time passes they begin to investigate the disappearance of Michelle in an effort to clear one of their friends. They inadvertently unravel the mystery, only to discover a truth too horrible to imagine. While struggling to come to grips with their own anonymity, they must find the courage to disconnect from their mothers' influences and prove to themselves that they are not 'glass angels' after all. This is not a coming of age book but rather a sweet road to maturity filled with poignant yet often humorous insights into a young woman's mind.

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About the Author Glass Angels is the first, but certainly not the last novel by author Dorothy Musmanno. She is a published poet and color artist. Prior to this, she spent many years in the arena of corporate insurance and risk management. Her background in investigating fraudulent cases has given her great insight into the inner workings of the criminal mind, yet she remained unfulfilled in her profession. For that reason, she decided to abandon the safe road, explore her creative aspect and pursue a career in the arts.

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Excerpt

... Martin Montrose proceeded to solicit information from the girls on what they knew about Michele Simmons. Unfortunately, they could tell him nothing beyond what they had already told Max. He glanced over to the suitcases sitting obediently by the last bunk awaiting their owner. "Are these the suitcases?" the sheriff asked Max.

"Yep," answered Max succinctly.

"Any of you girls touch these cases?"

The girls all replied they peeked at the name tags but nothing beyond that. "We'll need to bag these. We can't take them out in this rain. I'll send someone back in a few minutes to pick these up. Please don't touch them again."

"We won't touch anything," answered Colleen. "But what's this all about Max?"

"I wish we knew," said Max. The sheriff turned his face to the girls, replaced his hat on his head and tipped it in their direction. "Ladies, sorry for the interruption." The two men walked out into the dismal downpour and back toward the main office. As they went, the girls snuck a quick look out the door of their cottage and watched as the two men plodded through the mud. There were several police cars parked down the road near the office.

"I didn't know there were that many police cars in Whitfield," said Colleen. "Actually, come to think of it, they don't all look like they are from town."

Sara saw the red flashing lights on the squad cars and her head began to spin. She felt a queasy dizziness come over her and plopped back down on her bunk. Her complexion turned sallow. Colleen looked at her and thought she was going to pass out. "My god, Sara. You look awful. Are you all right?"

Sara could hear Colleen's voice but it sounded as though it were off in a distance. She could still see red lights flashing through the window blinds like the strobe lights of a discothèque. Without effort, she was remembering the night her mother died. Somehow, she suddenly knew there were police cars and ambulances that night too, but why, she could not say.

"Sara? Sara, are you okay?" Colleen asked again. Sara just sat there shivering and silent trying to absorb what Colleen was saying. Colleen knelt in front of her and cupped her hands inside of her own. "It's going to be okay. Really, it is. It's just some police cars," she said soothingly but Sara did not move. "Kate, something is really wrong with her. You better go and get her brother Jack."

"Go get him yourself. I'm not your freaking maid."

"What is wrong with you?" Colleen snapped. She turned back to Sara's blank expression. "Sara, honey. I'm going to get Jack

"Doesn't look like she's going anywhere," remarked Kate irreverently.

Colleen clenched her hand into a fist. She wanted to punch Kate's lights out but Sara's countenance was frightening her too much to delay. Colleen stood up and grabbed an umbrella. She glared at Kate and then hurried to find Jack.

There was another knock on the door. This time it was Janice. She came into the room and saw Sara sitting on the bunk motionless, her eyes glazed over with fear. "Are you all right sweetie?" Sara looked up at Janice briefly and said something disjointed about scissors and police cars. "What's wrong with her?" asked Janice.

"I don't know. Something spooked her. Guess she never saw a police car before."

Janice went over to Sara and felt her forehead. She was as cold as a two day old corpse and Janice worried the girl might be going into shock. "Help me get this girl into bed and get some warm blankets on her." Kate knew better than to refuse Janice now. The two women helped the trembling Sara to lie down and Janice pulled the blankets from the empty bed and put them over the terrified girl.

Sara turned and looked at Janice and began to sob and Janice held the young girl in her arms and rocked her in a gentle pitch. "It'll be okay. Not to worry. Everything will be just fine." Sara looked up at Janice and the elder woman wiped the tears from her face. Kate was standing behind Janice drumming her fingers impatiently on the dresser. She could not understand what the big deal was. "Oh, da big bad powice man scarwed the wittle girl," taunted Kate. Janice's neck rotated around and she shouted to Kate. "Are you packed yet?"

"Almost."

"Then I suggest you finish."

The sheriff and an officer returned and knocked on the door. Janice let them into the room and went to the tray table to make a cup of tea for Sara. "This is like Grand fucking Central Station," muttere d Kate under her breath.

The policemen bagged the suitcases and were about to leave when Jack and the two girls arrived. Jack raced inside the room and over to his sister followed closely behind by Mavis and Colleen. He squatted down next to the bed and asked her if she was all right. By this time, Sara was sitting up in bed and drinking her tea. "I'm fine now. I was just a little shaken. Honestly, I don't even know what happened. One minute the sheriff was talking to us and the next I was in bed. It was just like the night that mother..." and her voice trailed off; her last words dangling mysteriously in the air. Her brother sensed her frightening uneasiness and declared, "I'm getting you out of here right now and taking you home."

"I'm sorry, but that's impossible," said the sheriff.

"Why?"

"Well, as I am sure you must be aware by now, there is a young girl missing and until we complete our preliminary investigation, I'm afraid that no one can leave. Of course once that's finalized you'll be free to go."

Martin Montrose turned to Colleen. "When your friend Abby gets back, ask her to come over to Max's office. I'd like to ask her the same questions I asked you girls earlier."

"She doesn't know anything we haven't told you already."

"All the same, I'd like to talk to her myself." Martin tipped his hat again. "Hopefully, we won't need to bother you again tonight." As he turned to leave he nodded at Janice. "Ma'am," and then closed the door behind him

The room was as silent as a graveyard. A shroud of dark uncertainty had permeated the cabin. No one spoke but they all felt it. Something was terribly wrong. Everyone looked wretched. Everyone except Kate who stood in the background with a huge grin on her face knowing she would not have to leave after all.

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Catalogue Information

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