Val Penny – an adopted daughter of Edinburgh and its keenest bard

Today I am excited to host the talented and inimitable crime writer, Val Penny. She is the author of the bestselling Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. An American in Edinburgh, she has become of this beautiful city’s proudest daughters. I can’t wait to learn about the latest book in the series, Hunter’s Rules. Over to you, Val.

Thank you for hosting me on your blog today. It is always a pleasure to visit.

My family has been moving between the U.S.A. and the U.K. for generations. It is always a bit of a lottery as to where you end up! As for me, I have been moving East all my life. Born in Northern California, I attended high school in the Mile High City of Denver then worked in Virginia before crossing the pond and marrying a Scot.

I write crime thrillers and started writing in this genre because that is what I enjoy reading. I firmly believe that to be a good author, you must first be an avid reader and it is due to my love of reading and story-telling that I began to write novels.

Hunter’s Rules is the sixth book in my Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series and there are many more to come! Although the books form a series, each works as a standalone novel, so readers can join the stories at any point.

The books are set in the beautiful city of Edinburgh which is the capital of Scotland. I chose it because it is a relatively small city and people from different walks of life and backgrounds are known to each other. That allows me to have some fun with my characters and storylines.

I am particularly proud of this book because, although the story is complete within itself, the concept follows on from a short story that I contributed to a charity anthology, Dark Scotland. The story, which is again a standalone piece, is the prequel to the novel. I hope those who read both will enjoy the conceit and those who read either will be absorbed by them.

A bloody scene brings Hunter and Meera’s romantic plans to an abrupt end.

A young woman was attacked in a hotel lift. She has life changing injuries, but she is alive. Hunter notes that her wounds are like those inflicted on two women who previously died.

Can Meera keep the injured woman alive long enough for her to identify her assailant? Is the same person responsible for all three crimes? When Hunter is identified as a suspect in the crime, can he establish his innocence and lead his team to solve the crime and keep Edinburgh safe?

Extract

Bloody hell, that was close. I hadn’t expected her to be found so soon. That’s bad luck. I thought she’d have time to bleed out and die like the others. It was hard to watch them, but so much better going forward. A rookie error that this one lived but what are the odds that a damn policeman would be dining at the same time as us? We must be paying them far too much. I’ll have to work for a week to put that money back into my savings.

I must say, her eyes are even more beautiful than the others. They are the same peculiar violet colour that Elizabeth Taylor’s were. Not that I ever met Elizabeth Taylor. I don’t mix in those circles in America, but I’ve seen pictures.

I’m pleased that I brought my jar filled with solution with me. I won’t have time even to go into my room, let alone fondling myself in front of her eyes before I pass them on. Wow, what a coming would have been! I’ll have to imagine those eyes now.

Fuck, I’m so angry. Who would have believed my luck that the first man on the scene would be police? This is too bad.

It’s a good thing I sussed the place out before I met her. I’ll go down the stairs and out through the public bar. In fact. I’ll stop for a drink there, then I’ll get a bus, not a taxi. Fast enough but harder to trace. I need to get them to him quickly, but I must remember to keep my head down.

About Val

This is the sixth book in The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series of novels. Val Penny’s other crime novels, Hunter’s Chase Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force Hunter’s Blood and Hunter’s Secret form the rest of this bestselling series set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by darkstroke.

You can also start at the beginning of The Jane Renwick Thrillers with The First Cut.

Her first non-fiction book Let’s Get Published is also available now and she has most recently contributed her short story, Cats and Dogs to a charity anthology, Dark Scotland.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and their cat.

www.valpenny.com

https://www.facebook.com/Authorvalpenny

http://www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739

www.facebook.com/groups/296295777444303

https://www.facebook.com/groups/167248300537409

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17300087.Val_Penny

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/val-penny

Buy Links

mybook.to/hunterschase

mybook.to/huntersrevenge

mybook.to/huntersforce