A Woman Scorned

By James Heneghan

Vancouver city councilor George Hamilton Nash has left his wife of twenty years and moved into a posh West End condo. A wealthy man about town, Nash appears to be enjoying all the pleasures the city has to offer—until he turns up dead. The note left behind indicates suicide, and the police are satisfied with this. But Sebastian Casey, a reporter for the West End Clarion who knew something of Nash's reputation as a lady's man, is not so sure. He doesn't buy suicide and sets out to prove otherwise, amidst trouble in his own relationship, and with no shortage of suspects, including the wife left behind. The break Casey needs comes from a most unlikely source.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: Oct 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781459804081

Book preview

A WOMAN

SCORNED

JAMES HENEGHAN

Copyright © 2013 James Heneghan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording or by any information storage

and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission

in writing from the publisher.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Heneghan, James, 1930-

A woman scorned [electronic resource] / James Heneghan.

(Rapid reads)

Electronic monograph.

Issued also in print format.

ISBN 978-1-4598-0407-4 (PDF).--ISBN 978-1-4598-0408-1 (EPUB)

I. Title. II. Series: Rapid reads (Online)

PS8565.E581W66 2013       C813’.54       C2013-901928-6

First published in the United States, 2013

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013904966

Summary: When a prominent city councilor turns up dead in his posh

condo, the police are content to call it suicide. But reporter Sebastian Casey

thinks otherwise and sets out to prove it on his own. (RL 4.5)

Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for

its publishing programs provided by the following agencies:

the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the

Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia

through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

Design by Teresa Bubela

Cover photography by Getty Images

www.orcabook.com

16 15 14 13 • 4 3 2 1

For my family:

Ann, Robert, John, Leah, Margaux, Lee, Arran,

Rebecca, Hank, Ruth and Bethiah.

And for Lucy, as always.

Heaven has no rage, like love to hatred turned,

Nor hell a fury, like a woman scorned.

—WILLIAM CONGREVE, THE MOURNING BRIDE

1697

1

Rain and blustering winds pounded the West End. Muddy pink blossoms littered the streets and clogged the drains. April was always an unpredictable month in Vancouver.

It was Sunday morning. In the luxury penthouse suite of the Roosevelt Building overlooking Stanley Park, a man and a woman were finishing breakfast. The man had eaten hardly a thing, merely pushing the food around his plate. Finally he put down his knife and fork.

I’m moving out, Moira, he said quietly.

The woman stared. What?

I’ve already packed a few things. I’ll be gone by noon.

He was forty-four-year-old Vancouver City Councilor George Hamilton Nash. Slim from regular exercise, he had a narrow face, brown eyes and dark hair. He was wearing his black Lacoste bathrobe and tartan slippers.

His wife, Moira, forty-three, had pale skin and gray eyes. She wore her dark hair short to the jawline. On Friday her hairdresser had taken care of the advancing gray, adding several blond highlights. She seldom wore makeup before breakfast.

High-school sweethearts, they had been married for twenty-one years.

There were no children.

Moving out? I don’t understand, she said. She became agitated, pushing back her chair. Her table napkin fell to the floor. Moving where?

Not far. I bought a condo in the Shangri-La Hotel.

You’re leaving me?

Don’t think of it that way, Moira. I’m not leaving you. I just won’t live here anymore. My new place is less than ten blocks from here. I’ll be very close.

But why? I don’t get it.

I don’t expect you to get it, Moira, but I want to live my own life. I’ve been thinking of this for a long time. I need to be alone. I need to explore new things. New life experiences.

Life experiences? You’ve gone mad!

I knew you wouldn’t understand. Look—I’ve lived with someone all my life. First it was my parents. Then when I went to college I had roommates. Then I met you and we got married. Twenty years we’ve been together—

Twenty-one.

—and I’ve never lived alone. I’m forty-four years old, Moira. My life is half over and I’ve never known what it’s like to live alone. In complete freedom.

So it’s freedom you want, is it? I know what you’re up to, George. It’s all those young women at city hall. Making eyes at handsome City Councilor George Hamilton Nash. They even call you at home. Your slutty city-hall clerks, she said angrily. Don’t try to deny it. I can pick up the phone in the bedroom and hear you talking to them from your study. I’m not stupid.

Spying on me. Exactly why I need to move out.

How can you talk of leaving? she said, shaking her head in disbelief. I need you here with me, George. My surgery is next week. You know that very well. She stood and faced him across the table. Wait. Just wait till I can manage on my own. Until I’m back on my feet and we’ve had a chance to discuss everything. A few weeks at least.

He shook his head.

She started to weep. George will never leave me, I always tell myself. George is strong. George is good. How wrong I was! Casting me off like an old sweater. How can you do this, George? Her weeping grew in intensity.

He threw down his napkin and bounded up from the table.

Wait! she said. Come back here! She hurried after him, clawing at his back. He tried to shrug her off, but she clung to him, her nails buried in his bathrobe. You will regret this, you bastard, she screamed.

He shoved her violently, and she fell to the floor.

You’ll be sorry, she said between sobs.

He marched into his study and locked the door.

It would be good to be rid of her, he thought. He should have left years ago. Live his own life. Do whatever he wanted. A free agent. No wet blanket of a wife to slow him down. His new luxury condo was on the fortieth floor. Views of the yacht club, ocean and mountains.

Alone. Sweet word. With occasional guests. He grinned at the thought.

Moira hammered his door with her fists and then collapsed to her knees. After a while, she got up and made her way to the bathroom. She swallowed several pills and then lay on their unmade bed, eyes closed.

She didn’t hear him go.

Some time later, still in her housecoat, she paced furiously about their apartment. Eventually she crumpled into a loveseat near the high windows. She looked out. Wind and rain swept

Reviews for A Woman Scorned

[jendoyle2000 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this book as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewers program and, well, I'm not entirely sure how I felt about it. As part of the Rapid Reads" series -- something I didn't quite register when I requested it -- it was definitely a quick read. As such (it is only 130 pages), there really wasn't a lot of depth to it. I actually felt it read sort of like an adult version of an Encyclopedia Brown mystery. For example -- SPOILER ALERT -- the main character, journalist Sebastian Casey, is able to convince the police that the city councilor's death is not a suicide because the note left behind spells his wife' name wrong. Really? The police wouldn't notice that on their own? The murderer would be smart enough to avoid well-concealed security cameras but wouldn't check out the correct spelling?There were a lot of other issues I had with this book, but I'm not sure how fair it is for me to go into them since I think they're more a function of the convention of a short(ish) story/novella rather than an issue with the writing itself. If this were a side project of an ongoin series than I would say that I was interested enough in the characters and thought the writing was overall good enough for me to pursue the series' full-length novels. But I don't think I'll be on the lookout for other rapid reads.

[booksgaloreca · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is part of the "Rapid Reads" collection and it is that at only 130 pages. I found it an enjoyable mystery. It takes place in Vancouver, BC. As I am from BC it is always fun to read a book that takes place in areas that I am familiar with. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a light, fast read with some local flavour.I received a free copy of this book from the LibraryThing's early reviewers program in exchange for an unbiased review.

[brianewilliams · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a well-crafted murder mystery novella that's easy to read which I guess is the point of the "Rapid Reads" series to which it belongs. The plot is complex enough to keep you interested, but is not overly complicated with too many characters to keep track of. The protagonist is an interesting guy - a not too ambitious reporter for a small weekly newspaper - who lives simply. For example, he goes everywhere by bus because he doesn't own a car and until recently he got his wardrobe at thrift stores. Included in the story is a wry episode involving a security guard -- it's almost comic relief.There's a sub-plot about his romantic relationship with a woman who just happens to be off in Ireland tending to her dying mother. Nothing turns on this sidebar except to add a dimension to the protagonist's character. (I think there's an earlier book -- and maybe a future one -- where the relationship is more significant).I read this book in an hour or so which would make it a good choice for a short trip or similar situation.I received my copy as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer.There is a couple of "copy edit" errors for those detail-oriented readers to catch.

[docwalt10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the book. Simple plot but good twists to revealing who was the murderer. I'm more of an action reader. I would recommend it as a good quick read.

[groundedforlife · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is part of a series called "Rapid Reads" by the publisher and a rapid read it is. Start to finish about two hours coming in at 130 pages in the copy I had. I liked the story, although not really original I was still intrigued. However, it really just never comes together. Not much character development (hard to do in such a short book) which wouldn't have been a problem except there were so many characters. I don't won't to give any of the story away in case you do want too read it but what man acts like Casey and what woman speaks like Emma. It's a very strange relationship and we don't get much on it. It's a quick who dunnit and not much else.

[debralu_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a quick read (only 130 pages!) but was entertaining. I'm sure with some imagination and creativity the author could have expanded on character development more as well as relationships between characters to expand the book by 80 to 100 pagers as the core development was there and quite good.. However, the premise of the book was interesting and I did enjoy it. I probably would not purchase this book if it was being sold at the usual paper back price. This was an Early Review book.

[schatje_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

George Hamilton Nash, a Vancouver councilor, is found dead and police initially rule the death a suicide; Sebastian Casey, a city hall and police beat reporter, is unconvinced and sets out to investigate. Soon the suicide is deemed a homicide.This novella is intended for ESL or reluctant/struggling adult readers. As a former English teacher/teacher-librarian, I am familiar with the need for high interest fiction for these readers. The language level is appropriate and the book includes a contemporary Canadian setting and adult themes, all necessary elements for this niche market. My problem with the book is that Casey seems more like a police investigator than a reporter. People often express reluctance to speak to a reporter, but Casey has no difficulty getting people to talk to him; no one ever turns him away and a business partner of the deceased even says, “’I’m glad you’re here.’” His questioning certainly sounds like that of a police officer; he even ends his interviews by saying, “’If you think of anything, please give me a call.’”The ineptitude of the police is also problematic. The police immediately conclude the death is a suicide, an “open-and-shut case . . . [n]o signs of monkey business,” and don’t even check whether the victim was left- or right-handed though that detail is something that bears directly on the case. Casey emerges as the true investigator and provides the police with crucial information. It is doubtful that an investigation into a death, especially that of a prominent community leader, would be conducted so shoddily.There is an attempt to provide the reader with more than one possible guilty party. In fact, so many characters are introduced that readers may have difficulty remembering them all. Several people have motives, but the identity of the murderer can be quite easily surmised because of rather obvious clues. I found myself becoming frustrated because of what is missing in the book. Casey’s relationship with Emma lacks development; the entire relationship is reduced to his waiting for her once weekly calls from Ireland. He also seems insufficiently affected by something Emma tells him she has done. Since this book is intended more as a mystery, perhaps it might have been best to omit this romance interest since it really does not add much to the book as a whole.What I did enjoy is the references to the politics of Vancouver city council. There are references to urban farming, the Olympic Village financial crisis, and the Falun Gong protests outside the Chinese consulate – all actual topics discussed at Vancouver city council meetings. The discussion of backyard chickens is hilarious and the turns of phrase and puns like “ruffled feathers” and cries of “Fowl” and “eggstrordinary” provide developing readers with an interesting aspect of the English language.This book needs to be approached as a fast read. It lacks the character development I look for in a book, but it fulfills a need – providing interesting reading for adults wanting to improve their literacy skills. If it encourages someone to read for enjoyment, then it belongs in all public/school libraries.

[whitmelb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is from Raven Books, an imprint of Orca Book Publishers, under the rubric “Rapid Reads”and is classed as Adult Fiction. My copy is an advanced one from uncorrected proofs. The author, James Heneghan, was a fingerprint specialist for the Vancouver Police Department and has won numerous awards for his books for young children. This novel is not for children by any means but follows the Rapid Reader genre put out by Raven Books. This is the second of these books I have read and reviewed and now that I have more experience with them I can understand where the publishers want to go: to those adults who are not highly literate but are interested reading. As a result the grammar is spare and the adjectives strong. Subtle nuances are not in this genre and endings can be seen coming.At the same time the plot has interesting turns and one can quickly come to enjoy the activities of the protagonist. In A Woman Scorned the hero is Sebastian Casey, a reporter for the West End Clarion. Casey, a transplanted Irishman, is not very ambitious, seeking neither fame and fortune but with a bump of curiosity. Normally assigned to City Hall, Casey finds himself suddenly sent to cover police activities or the “cop shop” as they call it. A fortunate happenstance as a City Councilman is found a suicide but did he truly cut his wrist and bleed to death in his high rise luxury condo? Casey is not so sure and off we go on an adventurous mission as he starts to unravel the skein of facts. Mixed in with the above Casey also has to cope with the fact that the love of his life, while in Ireland caring for her dying mother, has apparently taken up with a writer there. Oh the vicissitudes.A good Rapid Reader, I finished it in two hours, and I believe it is spot on for the audience Raven Books intends.

[callmejacx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

City Councilor and successful business owner, George Hamilton Nash has everything to live for. He has a new life. He decided to leave his wife saying that he needs to do this because he has never lived on his own in his forty-four years. He wants to experience life. He wants complete freedom.His wife, Moria, accuses him of leaving so he could continue to have his affairs with the city councilor’s. A month has gone by, when George Hamilton Nash is found dead in his bedroom with a suicide note written to his wife.It doesn’t make sense to Sebastian Casey, who is an investigating journalist. It wasn’t that long ago when Casey had spoken with Nash. Casey didn’t think that Nash was the suicide type. Casey was going to find out what did happen to Nash.I enjoyed the story, but at times got confused on who was who. Looking back, I don’t think that it mattered much. The characters that were important were easy to remember.I felt that too much emphasis was on Vancouver, and what people were wearing.For a rapid read, it still had mystery and suspense.