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The Avalanche Murders

by William F. Thomas

180 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-0846; ISBN 1-4120-3019-6; US$18.50, C$21.00, EUR15.50, £11.00

It was a shock to the beautiful Kelli Kendall to learn that her widowed mother was a drunk, but a bigger shock to learn that her husband was a womanizer.

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About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

The beautiful Kelli Kendall thought her life was complete when she married Robb, a handsome Attorney, with a prestigious, San Francisco, law firm. She soon learned that there were women who threw themselves at him, and he couldn't or wouldn't leave them alone. That proved to be his downfall.

Suddenly, she found herself a prime suspect in a murder, with nowhere to turn. She couldn't turn to her drunken mother, a widow, who lived in up state New York. Her only friend appeared to be the homicide detective, Ken Garrett.

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About the Author

I am a veteran of the Korean War who was born and raised, in a small California town. My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Cora Alice Longfellow. This may be why I have always had a passion to write, and become an author. Yes, her father, a Baptist Minister and Henry, were purported to be first cousins.

After the war I spent about ten years in engineering and surveying, and the next thirty years in the title and escrow business, most of which was spent as a County Manager, retiring in 1991. The next several years were spent learning the craft or art of becoming a writer.

Fifty-three years ago I married my highschool sweetheart. We were blessed with three sons and three beautiful daughters-in-law. We have four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

One of our granddaughter's pictures is used on the cover.

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Excerpts

Excerpt 1

She immediately recognized the familiar voice of Ken Garrett, who said, "you must not have come straight home from the bank. I have been trying to reach you for the last hour. I called the bank first, but they said you had already left for home. Being a good detective I already had your home number."

Kelli laughed, "I had some errands to run. I'm sorry. Did you find out anything?"

"I've got good news, and some bad news. First the good news, your husband's body is being shipped out to Denver today. The bad news is, the autopsies have been completed, and both your husband and Mrs. Palmer were shot at close range." He hesitated before continuing, "It would appear that the third body was that of the killer. The autopsy proved he was killed in the avalanche, dying of suffocation, and trauma from the fall. We think that conditions were just right, and the shots triggered the avalanche." "Why would anybody want to kill my husband or her for that matter?" Kelli asked. "It doesn't make any sense. My husband was a corporate attorney. He was never in criminal law."

Excerpt 2

The last message on the answering machine startled her. It was an urgent message from Lieutenant Garrett, and he needed to talk to her immediately. She couldn't imagine what could be wrong as she dialed the number. The phone rang once, and a mans voice answered, "Carson County Sheriff's Department, Can I help you?" "Lieutenant Garrett please."

"Yes ma'am, one moment please."

In a few seconds a familiar voice answered, "Ken Garrett."

"This is Kelli Kendall, and I got your urgent message. What's up?"

"Yesterday, probably while you were still here, the team that had been out at the avalanche site discovered another man's body." He hesitated a minute as if searching for words," I guess there is no other way to say this, but John Guardino, being the good cop that he is, checked his finger prints trying to identify him. Once he identified him, John discovered that he had crime family connections. His name was Vito Bolari."

Kelli asked, "Is this important? Has it got something to do with Robbs death?"

"We don't know for sure, but it means that we must do an autopsy on both your husband and Virginia Palmer. We had no reason to do one, thinking that they were killed in the avalanche."

"Do you suspect foul play?" She asked. "Not really, but the fact that he was a suspected hit man causes us to have second thoughts." He paused a moment, before continuing, "I wanted you to know so you can inform the family that the body won't be shipped to Denver until after the autopsy is complete. That will probably take three or four days to finish. I still have to get in touch with the doctor, but as soon as I find out anything I'll call you back."

Excerpt 3

She immediately recognized the familiar voice of Ken Garrett, who said, "you must not have come straight home from the bank. I have been trying to reach you for the last hour. I called the bank first, but they said you had already left for home. Being a good detective I already had your home number."

Kelli laughed, "I had some errands to run. I'm sorry. Did you find out anything?"

"I've got good news, and some bad news. First the good news, your husband's body is being shipped out to Denver today. The bad news is, the autopsies have been completed, and both your husband and Mrs. Palmer were shot at close range." He hesitated before continuing, "It would appear that the third body was that of the killer. The autopsy proved he was killed in the avalanche, dying of suffocation, and trauma from the fall. We think that conditions were just right, and the shots triggered the avalanche." "Why would anybody want to kill my husband or her for that matter?" Kelli asked. "It doesn't make any sense. My husband was a corporate attorney. He was never in criminal law."

Excerpt 4

It was a ten-minute walk to the Hilton, but Ken made it in just under eight. He went straight to the bar. No one could miss the lady. Laura Jensen sitting at one of the little oval shaped cocktail tables near the bar. She was everything Kelli had described, and more. He tried to give her the complete once over as he approached the table. He liked what he saw. She was dressed in a bright green sheath dress that had a low neckline that revealed her ample cleavage. The tight, very short skirt gave way exposing her long well shaped legs. She sat with her legs crossed, and was rotating one ankle in a circular motion purposely, or so Ken thought, to call attention to her legs. Her skin bore flawlessly applied makeup that was accented by a well-tanned creamy complexion. All this was topped off with her exquisite long strawberry blonde hair that reached her shoulder blades. A wisp of hair hung diagonally across her forehead almost touching her left eye.

Ken was the first to speak, "Laura Jensen?" She appeared to be sizing him up before she answered. She took her time, still slowly moving her ankle in a circular motion. Finally she decided to answer. "You' re not at all what I expected. I thought you would be a fat, bald, old detective in a rumpled suit, with gravy stains on his tie. How could I be so lucky, you don't fit that bill at all" She gave him another million-dollar smile, as her eyes, slowly gave him another once over. When she finished, she said. "Now, I will let you buy me another glass of white wine."

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Catalogue Information

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