Dark at the Top of the Stairs: An Electric Eclectic Book

By Elizabeth Horton-Newton

In true crime noir style, two hard-boiled detectives investigate the apparently accidental death of a wealthy older man. Found lying dead at the bottom of the stairs in his expensive home, the only other person at home was his wife. While it looks like an accident, the detectives smell a rat. But, even when the crime is solved and the bad guys are wrapped up in neat packages, the story isn't over.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elizabeth Horton-Newton
• Release date: Jun 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386294474

Elizabeth Horton-Newton

Elizabeth Horton-Newton was born in New York City, and was 10 years old when President John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. As she watched the events unfold on television she became fascinated. This lifelong interest resulted in her first novel, "View From the Sixth Floor: An Oswald Tale". With the release of her second book, "Riddle", she once again tackles a social issue; the illegal adoption of First Nations babies separated from their families. Small town prejudices against people of color and "outsiders" results in a unique friendship between two young people. Weaving a romantic thriller around the issues, she creates rich characters in all her writing, drawing the reader into their lives. With her education in Criminal Psychology, Sociology, and Media Communications she offers a unique insight into how criminals think and how society responds to their crimes. Volunteering in local Domestic Violence groups in her hometown, she likes to confront social problems in her stories. Elizabeth currently lives in a 100-year old haunted house with her husband, writer Neil Douglas Newton, and her dog, Scout (named for a character in "To Kill a Mockingbird"). Not limited to a single genre, she has written erotic romance, "Carved Wooden Heart" (with the mysterious Starla Hartless), and the suspenseful "Stolen Gypsy", as well as novelettes through Electric Eclectic Books. For more information on Elizabeth, check out her website at http://bit.ly/homeEHN.

Book preview

Introduction

Growing up in New York City, with a father who was a security guard, I was often exposed to what became crime noir fiction. My father loved the films and I loved watching them with him. The thirties through the fifties were filled with authors who embraced crime noir and their books were often made into films. Many men’s magazines also carried stories in the genre: Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Manhunt, and Detective Story Magazine among the most popular. It seemed a natural homage to the genre and to my father to write a story I know he would have enjoyed. I think you will enjoy it as well. Think you solved the crime? Keep reading!

Part 1.

There’s something about walking into a room where a dead body is sprawled on the floor. Before you even see it, you can smell it. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been laying there. Could be one hour, could be one day, could be one week. It may smell worse or stronger over time, but it smells right away. As a homicide detective, you’d think I’d have grown used to the smell. I haven’t.

Walking into the hall of the Foster mansion I smelled him immediately. According to the first cops on the scene, he had fallen down the stairs, breaking his neck, about forty-five minutes earlier. When I arrived with my partner Joe Wilder the medical examiner was already there, poking around the stiff. It was really just procedure. The angle of his head pretty much told us he was dead and why he was dead. My job was to find out how he got to the bottom of the stairs.

Glancing up toward the dark at the top of the stairs I saw one of the most beautiful dames I had ever laid eyes on. That wasn’t only my opinion. Beside me, Joe let out a low whistle. Will ya get a load of that tall glass of water?

Although I agreed with his observation I shot him a