Praise from Traci Abramson and Betsy Brannon Green:
Motive for Murder is fresh, captivating, and cleverly written.
The colorful cast of characters will enthrall readers as they try to navigate
the clever twists and turns of this captivating mystery. Intriguing, memorable
characters, and a skillfully written mystery make Motive for Murder Marlene Bateman's finest work yet—a must
read! Traci Abramson
With a fresh, crisp writing style, Marlene Bateman introduces
readers to a fascinating cast of characters and skillfully unravels an
intricate plot full of twists and surprises!
I loved Motive for Murder and
you will too! Betsy Brannon Green
Marlene: What do you think that beam of light I’m shining
ahead of us is? If you’d stay a little closer, you’d miss the garbage . . .
Shirley: Ah, so that smell isn't you. Now I'm your shadow. Are you super organized, like Erica Coleman in your book “Motive for
Murder?” How did you come up with the idea to make her OCD (Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder) if you don’t have that trait yourself? (And will you please stop
lining up the mustard, ketchup, relish, and mayonnaise alphabetically?)
Marlene: I’m very organized—and proud of it. Think what the world
would be like if we lived in a world of slobs—like those who don’t line condiments alphabetically. Organized,
neat-freak types perform a great service for humanity. I came up with the idea
of making Erica OCD because I thought it would be fun for a private detective
to have a trait that could help her solve mysteries while annoying others!
Shirley: Whatever we are, something feels really
weird around here, like… maybe we’re going to trip over a body or something.
But that would never happen, would it?
Marlene: It’s only happened once, but dead bodies have a way of popping
up whenever Erica is around. Just wait
for her next book—you’ll see.
Shirley: Really? Where do you
come up with ideas for such intense suspense? Did you have a secret desire as a
child to be a detective when you grew up?
Marlene: Every year I had to figure out where my brother’s hid
their Halloween candy—and I got quite good at it. J I’ve never had a desire to be a detective (although I am nosy) but I do read a lot of
mysteries. I find Agatha Christie fascinating. And I’m in love with Hercule
Poirot. Now, there’s a man who knows how
to use his little gray cells! Alas, I was born too late. . .
Shirley: Wait...what’s that smell?
No, it’s not garbage. We left all that behind when we came out onto this twisty
street that has about as many turns as your plot. It’s kind of like… chocolate.
Do you have chocolate in your pocket? Aren’t you going to share?
Marlene: I always share. It’s kind of funny though, that somehow my
piece always ends up a little bigger than whoever I’m sharing with. Weird,
huh? Oh, and any chocolate with pocket lint
is yours.
Shirley: You're too kind. Oh, look! I see
lights up ahead. A diner! We’re safe. And oh, it smells good in here. Do you
want to order the mystery meat surprise? Are you a good cook, Marlene? Is that
why you put recipes in your murder mystery? (I hope there’s nothing wrong with that
tomato sauce...I hope it really IS tomato sauce.)
Marlene: Yes, we’re safe, and also safe from my cooking. I HATE to
cook. To me, it’s a chore that ranks right
up there with cleaning toilets. I
decided to put recipes in because many years ago, I read a national, southern
author who had recipes in her book. I thought that was a pretty cool idea—and
copied it. Apparently a lot of other people also thought it was cool and did
the same thing so you see a lot of it now. But two things that are special about
Erica’s recipes is that they are easy to fix and taste great. Oh, and
if you’re going to order the mystery meat surprise, use lots of ketchup—it looks
much more like blood than tomato sauce.
Shirley: Now tell readers
where they can get this great mystery, while I dig into this mystery meat.
Marlene: According to my
timetable of fast-acting poisons, I have about 2 minutes before your head falls
into your mystery meat, so here are the links. And yes, it’s available on CD;
Synopsis of Motive for Murder
Meet Erica Coleman—a gifted
and quirky private investigator with an OCD-like passion for neatness and symmetry, a penchant for cooking,
(ten terrific recipes are included), and a weakness for chocolate.
Erica imagined that her trip
to Florida would be a slice of heaven—a chance to get away from it all and
catch up with her best friend, Wendy. But one day into her vacation, all hope
of fun in the sun is dashed when she stumbles, literally, over a dead man on Wendy’s driveway. With police closing in on her
friend as their main suspect, Erica must find
the real killer before Wendy ends up behind
bars.
With Erica’s skill, solving
the mystery should be a piece of cake but then a second homicide-attempt hits
close to home and generates a whole new list of suspects. There’s no way to
sugarcoat it, a murderer is on the prowl, and no one is above suspicion.
As the plot thickens, it
appears Erica may have bitten off more than she can chew, but she forges on,
sifting through mounting evidence until she hones in on the killer who has a
surprising motive for murder. With a dash of romance and some surprising
twists, this thrilling mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat until the
very last page.
Excerpt
“As
she drove back to Wendy’s house, the headlights cleaved the darkness and shone
through the rain, which was falling harder now. Erica parked across the street
and was nearly to Wendy’s door when she stopped suddenly, catching herself as
she nearly fell over something.
It was the still figure
of a man lying face down on the driveway. He was strangely unmoving. The light
from the porch illuminated a puddle alongside him, which was growing bigger by
the second. A chill shivered down Erica’s spine as she noticed that the puddle
was streaked by dark red threads that ran and merged with rivulets of rain.”
Biography
Marlene Bateman Sullivan was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah
with a BA in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan and they are the
parents of seven children.
Her hobbies are gardening, camping, and reading. Marlene has been published extensively in
magazines and newspapers and has written a number of non-fiction books,
including: Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, And There Were Angels Among Them,
Visit’s From Beyond the Veil, By the Ministering of Angels, and Brigham’s Boys. Marlene also wrote the
best-selling novel, Light on Fire Island.
A busy writer, Marlene is set to have three books published
this year. Gaze Into Heaven, a
fascinating collection of over 50 documented near-death experiences in early
church history, was published earlier this year. Next is Motive for Murder, the first in a mystery series featuring the
quirky Erica Coleman. In July, Heroes of Faith, a collection of stories
about people who risked their life for the gospel, will be released by Cedar
Fort Inc.
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