All text and photos © Louise Marley unless otherwise stated Site Design: Seaweed Hut
Marley
Louise
More than a decade ago, the body of eighteen-year-old Sarah Grove was found floating among the water lilies in the pond at Castle Vyne. The case was never solved. Now her sister Natalie is determined to finally uncover the truth.
But when Natalie appears publicly to discuss Sarah's murder, she never expects it to unleash a deadly chain of events. Within hours, bodies start turning up in the nearby village of Calahurst… it seems someone will do anything to keep the past buried.
As Natalie delves deeper into her family's history – with the help of mysterious castle gardener Bryn Llewellyn – she finds that nothing is truly what it seems. Behind the charming castle walls and chocolate-box cottages, the respectable villagers of Calahurst are hiding some very deadly secrets indeed.
When another young woman is found dead in the very same lily pond where Sarah died, Natalie realises the killer has returned to finish what they started. But in a village where everyone has something to hide, who can she trust? And will she become the next victim of Castle Vyne's deadly legacy?
Note: This story features DCI Doug Cameron as the investigating officer and is set BEFORE the events of Murder at Raven’s Edge. Ben, Harriet and Milla do NOT appear.
**Previously published as Nemesis**
Murder at Castle Vyne
Extract
Prologue
Fourteen Years Previously
Leaning out of her bedroom window, sixteen-year-old Natalie Grove watched a cascade of shimmering fireworks light up the night sky. Tonight was the regatta, where everyone gathered at the marina to watch the yachts sail down the river. Wistfully, she stood on tiptoe, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the illuminated boats or even the funfair. When everyone was talking about it at school tomorrow, she wanted to be able to drop in enough detail to make her classmates believe she’d been there.
But as she craned her neck, she caught a flash of movement below and heard the click of the front door closing.
Down in the garden, a slight figure ran along the path.
Sarah?
As though she’d spoken the name aloud, her sister paused with one hand on the gate and glanced back at the lodge.
Where was she going?
To the regatta? Without her?
Natalie’s fingers tightened on the windowsill. It was so unfair. Why was she always the one to get left behind? She was only two years younger than Sarah.
A man stepped from beneath the shadowy trees.
Sarah ran towards him, flinging her arms around his neck. He lifted her up, whirling her around before setting her back on her feet and hugging her close.
Natalie frowned. Who was he?
But before Natalie could think to call out, Sarah had taken hold of his hand and followed him into the dark.