Black Widow – Nicky Shearsby

Sequel to Green Monsters

My brain began the painful process of shutting down, leaving behind only an empty vessel that breathed good air, a heart still beating inside a cold dead chest, lungs that tasted nothing but a bitter infusion of oxygen and nitrogen, already rancid, sour.

Stacey Adams finds herself in a living nightmare, a personal hell of her own making. Her beloved Jason Cole is lying dead in the hallway of his own home, blood-soaked, naked, exactly where she left him. When the police arrive at her sister’s grave, Stacey is waiting. She knows this would happen, the brutal attack on her once prized man had left him dead and bloodied, no way to cover the crime, his body unrecognisable beneath the wrath of a woman scorned. This was no accident. Her sister’s death was easy to cover. A tragedy. Jason’s death, however, would never be so easy to disguise.

 After being interviewed by the police, an unforced confession sees Stacey up on a murder charge. She cannot hide, the evidence all too compelling. Such a brutal attack might be hidden beneath a veil of self-defence, but Stacey knows the truth. Jason had scorned her, lied to her, behaved too badly for him to be left alive, forcing her to kill… again. Now pregnant, she is imprisoned, her life firmly over. No one can understand her reasons, the logic behind such a grim discovery. After receiving counselling, Stacey breaks down, offers a second confession to her sister’s murder, divulging the pattern of events that led to a double murder, a dead cat, a life unravelled.

Stacey must now wage personal battle of her own trauma alongside that of the prison system. After an attempt to commit suicide fails, she is transferred to a secure mental unit where Stacey meets Mia, a twenty-three year old woman suffering with bulimia. Mia is black, gay, often bullied beyond rational logic, her own mental state too low for her to defend herself against the brutish attacks of the other women in the unit. Mia reminds Stacey of her sister in many ways, including a hidden condition she was once forced to suffer alone. Stacey feels that she failed her sister. Failed her parents, failed her own child. The two women strike up a remarkable friendship that threatens to challenge even the most diverse of experiences. Stacey is a killer after all, an unfortunate truth neither of them will be able to escape from.

When Stacey meets Alistair Stuard, everything changes, propelling her towards a brand new future that even she did not see coming. One thing is for certain; the life of Stacey Adams will never be the same again.

Read the first chapter here.

Nicky Shearsby

Born in England, breaking into serious novel writing wasn’t something Nicky began in earnest until taking early retirement. She spent two decades running businesses in graphic design, magazine publication and web development before setting up an organic vegan skincare manufacturing company. She has written several non-fiction books including training courses on nutrition, skincare, self-help coaching and business mentoring, and is trained in psychology, life coaching, counselling and nutrition.

Nicky’s serious passion is for fiction writing. For as long as she can remember, she has been fascinated by the human mind. Our emotions, how we think, those nonsensical things we do, the struggles life too often throws our way. Because of this, her writing reflects the questions she feels are not asked often enough. Nicky’s writing pushes boundaries, challenging reader perspective by tackling complex issues through powerful characterization.

Nicky’s work asks serious questions that promote deeper and more profound thinking. Her aim is simple; to open up emotional and inspirational thinking that guides others within their own lives, helping them to see things differently. We all struggle, and escaping into fiction is the perfect way to unburden a busy mind, whilst hopefully learning valuable life lessons along the way.

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