Fun Is For Shallow People

Elizabeth Myrddin

Elizabeth Myrddin works, lives, and plays in beautiful San Francisco. She writes for enjoyment and because the individuals and experiences that pepper her life, for good or for ill, inspire her. Although her writing tends to lurk on the darker side of storytelling, she finds the soft-boiled pulp mystery subgenre appealing. Fun Is For Shallow People is her first full-length novel. The penning of Part Two of the story is already in progress.

Author Links

Writing blog: inkyheels.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/InkyHeels
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7362068-elizabeth-myrddin
Link to book on
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18654243-fun-is-for-shallow-people
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fun-Shallow-People-Elizabeth-Myrddin/dp/1492807532/

Book Genre: Mystery

Publisher: CreateSpace, self-published.
Release Date: September 29, 2013
Buy Link(s): http://www.amazon.com/Fun-Shallow-People-Elizabeth-Myrddin/dp/1492807532/ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18654243-fun-is-for-shallow-people https://www.createspace.com/4455452

Book Description:

Parlors, petticoats, and poison! A half-empty bottle of absinthe and a dead man in costume are found in a drifting rowboat. As Detectives Ted Rose and Alexa Sheldon unravel intrigue and ferret out motive, they bump up against the heaving bosom of theatrics that is the Laurel Bay Costume Society. Soon, a group of suspects emerge from the clique of unconventional people. Two beautiful women seek to influence the proceedings. One is Trina, the blond, wanna-be femme fatale. The other is Yvette, the cunning, red-haired scene queen. Yvette and Trina turn their battle for social standing among peers into an extreme sport as they try to sway the investigation. Ted and Alexa are determined to out-maneuver the manipulators in order to crack the case.

Excerpt

They entered the flat and Ted spent a few moments taking it in. The front room resembled a cluttered Victorian parlor. Memento mori décor dominated the space. A row of antique cabinets lined one wall – one a large taxidermy display filled with stuffed birds and reptiles, a black rabbit sitting on its haunches, and a sleeping fox. The other cases held old-fashioned apothecary containers, teacups, and various other decorative items – all vintage looking. The décor in the room was overwrought, but he was fascinated by the more macabre items, one of which was a large casket in a corner propped on end being used as a sort of open closet for wigs, hats, scarves, and gloves.

Ted watched Yvette closely as he asked, “You know a Nathan Collier, correct?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Nathan is my ex-husband. We’ve been divorced for a short while, and we travel in the same social circles, but only out of necessity. Whatever trouble he’s in, I don’t want any part of it.”

As she spoke, Yvette straightened her posture and tilted her chin slightly upward. Her attitude made it clear she wanted to exhibit disdain, which she did in an exaggerated fashion that was almost comical. With an affected gesture, she tossed her long hair behind her shoulders and awarded Ted a polite smile.

He scrutinized Yvette, his gut pinging. The way she talked and presented herself mirrored that of the Meryl Streep character in She-Devil. Instead of blond hair like Streep in that movie, Yvette’s was a bold plum red, long and wavy. What was that character’s name?

After Yvette breathed a heavy sigh, she said, “I’d really like to finish my makeup. Please continue with this business of yours, whatever it is.”

“At the park event on Sunday, did you notice Mr. Collier or anyone else missing at any time?” asked Alexa.

A frown creased Yvette’s forehead. “I am the organizer and hostess for that event. I had too much going on to pay attention to Nathan’s whereabouts. He was probably screwing around somewhere, which would be typical. And I certainly can’t recall the location of everyone else. I was focused on my poetry recitation and those of the others who participated.”

“Where did you go after you left the park?” pressed Alexa. “Did you return home or go elsewhere that same night? If you were with another person, we’ll need him or her to verify your whereabouts.”

Yvette raised her eyebrows in surprise and stiffened. She replied as though affronted. “After the event ended at four, I returned here to change out of my Mary Shelley costume. Then I met up with my current paramour, Gabriel, at his place at about six or seven for supper. We stayed in at his apartment the rest of the night and I returned home the next afternoon.” Yvette gestured to a nearby couch, “Would you two care to sit? I get the impression this might take a while.”