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Mask of the Betrayer

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A New Suspense Novel
Available now - Whimsical Publications

When the whispers in the night, the whispers of her lover, are the whispers of a killer, will Margot escape before she becomes the next victim?

Deep in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon, a serial killer stalks. He leaves his signature—a skull mask on the corpse. But when the homicide cop realizes the crimes are the reenactment of a case never solved ten years ago--all fingers point to Michael DeVeccio. And when Margot realizes she is married to the killer, her life becomes a living nightmare.

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excerpt

When the whispers in the night, the whispers of her lover, are the whispers of a killer, will Margot escape before she becomes the next victim? Deep in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon, a serial killer stalks. He leaves his signature—a skull mask on the corpse. But when the homicide cop realizes the crimes are the reenactment of a case never solved ten years ago--all fingers point
to Michael DeVeccio. And when Margot realizes she is married to the killer, her life becomes a living nightmare.

Suspecting her affair with Carlos, he had surveillance equipment installed all over the mansion. Once he showed her the very graphic video of her and his uncle going at it in the satin-lined coffin, he’d used it to his advantage.

Michael suspected his uncle knew more about his parents’ accident than he’d let on, but couldn’t prove a thing. Desperate to uncover the truth, Michael blackmailed Candace into getting Carlos to confess on tape. If she failed, she’d be killed. Stuck between a rock and a hard spot, Candace had done things to the old coot that disgusted even her. But those things had made the old man sing like a canary and the taped confession had saved her life. After her mission was a done deal, Michael kicked her out of Vegas and told her if she ever returned, he would rip her lungs out.

Reaching Carlos DeVeccio’s bedroom, she got a little thrill as old memories surfaced. Just a few more seconds and she’d fall into the arms of her lover. She smiled to herself. She had returned to Vegas for a reason. She was flat broke. But after tonight, Michael would be her ticket back into the world of luxury. Then she’d be mistress of the manor once more. And more to the point, she’d have access to his billion dollar bank roll.

With a devious smile, she pushed her way through the heavy mahogany door. Crossing the threshold, she entered the house of horrors. Carlos DeVeccio had been a real nut, one straight out of the books. But with her fetish for face masks, she loved his collection and had often come into his wing just to admire them. What a thrill it had been to have sex in the coffin, howling along with the werewolf. Some might think it a bit kinky, but they didn’t know what they were missing. Calling out to her lover, her pulse quickened a beat. “Michael? Are you here yet, darling?”

That’s when she heard it, manic laughter from the final circle of hell. A slither of fear trickled down her spine, releasing a wild rush of adrenaline. Carlos? She thought about the death of Lacy Diamond. Two Ninja assassinations were no coincidence. Sensing danger, she felt for her sword. It was gone. Panic soared through her. Where the hell was it?

The laughter got louder and louder, moving in closer and closer. It seemed to be bouncing off the walls. She couldn’t tell from which direction it was coming. Just then, the bell in the tower gonged, thundering off the walls like canon balls. Instinctively, she covered her ears with her hands. Where the hell was Michael?

Evil eyes from the face masks followed her every move. She had to escape this hell before it was too late. She couldn’t think over the gonging of the bell. Every few seconds, the werewolf howled at the moon. She screamed, even though she knew no one would ever hear her. Floundering in wild disarray, disoriented by the darkness and relentless gonging, she searched in vain for the door. Her arms swam in mid-air, like a person drowning, desperate for an anchor, something to hold onto. She reached out and grabbed at nothing. She had to find a way out of this mausoleum of the living dead before it was too late. Where the hell was Michael? The laughter got closer. Perspiration drenched her skin. The chilling laughter echoed in her ears, louder and louder, closer and closer. The bell in the bell tower broke through the thin filament of sanity she had left. The werewolf open his mouth and howled at the moon. Where was Michael? He’d know what to do. He was a master swordsman. His fencing skills were extraordinary. He could wield a Ninja star with his eyes closed and hit the mark. Where was he?

Blood thundered in her ears, but not loud enough to block out the manic laughter. It was close but she couldn’t see a thing. She wished she had her sword. She turned to run; it was too late. She heard a distinct click. The killer had just depressed the button on her Zorro sword, releasing the thirty-seven inch blade. His psychotic laughter reached an ear-splitting crescendo just as the bell in the tower gonged out its last chime. From the dark shadows, Valentino pounced, her Zorro sword gleaming in the moonlight.

“Surprise!” he thrust the sword into her heart. “I promised to make you scream, darling Candace. Let me hear you scream.”

 

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Reviews

Donovan builds character in subtle but powerful ways. For all of the character depth, plot twists and intriguing lifestyles, this story remains fast-paced throughout. You will simply not want to stop turning the pages. There’s more to it than just suspense, just mystery, or just romance; but all those layers of meaning and suggestions are so cleverly imparted that the story never slows You can read the full review here

Beneath all the bright lights, glitter, and glamour of Las Vegas beats the heart of a sociopath. In most novels you have to wait until the end for the “whodunit,” but in Mask of the Betrayer, you know who from the beginning, but must keep reading to learn why he’s killing off all his family members, and how someone is going to finally stop him.

Mask of the Betrayer is filled with so many twists, turns and surprises, you’ll be hooked from the first chapter. An amazing cast of characters lend to the tension and suspense, and even if you read with an editorial eye, you probably won’t mind that the POV shifts from one paragraph to another in places.

Supposedly, only NY-rated writers could pull this off, but Ms. Donovan proves that rumor to be a fallacy. You can find this book for sale at Whimsical Publications. You can find out more about this awesome author on her website

Posted by Ginger Simpson The Examiner
Read full review here

5.0 out of 5 stars
A psycological Thriller To Blow You Away, June 16, 2010 By Mary R
This review is from: Mask of the Betrayer (Paperback)
I just finished Sharon Donovan's Mask of The Betrayer and it blew me away. I couldn't put it down and kept thinking. What would I do????? One of the best reads I have had in an awfully long time!

5.0 out of 5 stars
 Have a strong heart and mind when reading this one!, June 11, 2010 By Miss Mae "I read what I write..."
(USA) - This review is from: Mask of the Betrayer (Paperback) Have you ever watched a really scary, creepy movie where the heroine is all alone in this spooky house, and goose-bumpy music is playing, and the heroine reaches for a door where the bad guy is lurking, and you're sitting on the edge of your seat screaming, "Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't do it!" That's how you feel throughout this book. You're wanting to tell Margot, "Don't believe him! Run away! Why are you sticking around?"

And I won't tell you the reasons why she does -- Again, read the book, and find out why. Could this book become a movie, and Michael DeVeccio the next Freddy Krueger? Oh, yeah, but don't ask me to watch it. The book terrified me all by itself.

Read full review here

 

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