LITTLE HIDDEN FEARS | GEORGIANA GERMAINE MYSTERIES #11 | EBOOK

RELEASING MARCH 2025, Pre-Order Now! 

Noelle Winters has just thrown the perfect engagement party ... or so she believes.

As the evening winds down and the toast is about the commence, the lights go out. And for someone, the night has just turned deadly.

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"Kept me on the edge of my seat." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Want a sneak peek?  Here’s an exclusive look at chapter one …

Noelle Winters slipped in between the guests, humming to herself as she scooped up a few empty plates off the table and walked to the kitchen. Handing them off to one of the staff members she’d hired for the evening, she moved a hand to her hip, reminiscing over the night’s events.

The party was winding down now, a fact she was pleased about. Over the last hour, her feet had begun to hurt, making her wish she hadn’t worn heels in the first place. She wanted nothing more than to kick them off and go barefoot for the remainer of the evening. And given most attendees were at least a few wines in, she doubted anyone would notice, or care, for that matter. 

Six months of party planning had all come down to tonight, throwing the perfect engagement party for Zoe, her best friend since grade school. It was hard to believe a year ago Zoe was single and had announced she’d sworn off men for life. Noelle hadn’t believed a word of it. And sure enough, Zoe retracted the statement the second she laid eyes on the debonair Lucas Bronson.

After a whirlwind, three-month romance, Lucas proposed, and Zoe said yes. Over the next several months, they planned their wedding. In a few short weeks, they’d marry, move in together, and begin their new life in Cambria, California.

Thinking about it now, it was hard for Noelle to believe how much had changed in so little time.

But Zoe was happy, which was all Noelle had ever wanted. 

A hand brushed across Noelle’s arm, and she turned to see a beaming Zoe standing next to her in a satin, champagne-colored, split-thigh dress. She recalled the day they’d gone shopping for it. Zoe must have tried on at least fifty dresses that day. But when she stepped out of the dressing room in the one she wore now, they both knew their search had ended. 

“I can’t thank you enough for hosting my engagement party,” Zoe said. “Every single moment tonight has been amazing.”

Noelle smiled, saying, “If you’re happy, I’m happy.” 

“I am. Hey, I haven’t seen Lucas for a while. Have you?”

Noelle hadn’t.

She’d been so focused on the party, there hadn’t been much time to focus on anything else.

“Sorry, no. I’ve been preoccupied.”

Zoe draped an arm around Noelle’s neck. “I thought that’s why you hired staff tonight, so you could relax and enjoy the party along with everyone else.”

“I know, I know. I can’t help it. I want everything to be perfect.”

“It is perfect. Promise me you’ll relax now.” 

“I promise I’ll try.” 

 “Where’s Kiera? I haven’t seen her much tonight either.”

“Dominic took her up to bed about a half an hour ago. I bet he’s still with her, helping her settle in for the night,” Noelle said.

“Or hiding out somewhere upstairs. Your husband has never been comfortable in a room full of people.”

Noelle shot Zoe a wink. “That’s true, but when I suggested hosting the party here tonight, he was a good sport. I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did.”

“I’m not. He’d do anything for you.”

Almost anything.

“It’s just about time for the toast,” Noelle said. “And given the guests have gone through almost all of the champagne, I need to bring in some reinforcements.”

“Should I send someone to get more bottles?”

“Not only do I have backups, I have backups for the backups.”

They both laughed, and Noelle excused herself, heading upstairs to grab the additional bottles of champagne she’d stashed in her wine fridge upstairs. Along the way, she cracked open her daughter’s door and peeked inside. Five-year-old Kiera was curled on her side, fast asleep, her favorite white teddy bear clutched in her arms. Dominic was nowhere in sight.

Noelle pulled the bedroom door closed and rounded the corner into the master bedroom. She made her way to the wine fridge and bent down. The moment she reached inside to grab the bottles, the lights went out, cloaking the room in darkness.

She heard gasps and cries of surprise from the guests downstairs as they bumped around, trying to find their way in the dark. Noelle thought she’d considered every possible scenario tonight but losing power had been the furthest thing from her mind.

Mind racing, she searched for a solution … and then, clarity came. Each of the skinny, high-top tables she’d rented for the evening had been decorated with a candle in its center. All she needed was to grab the mini flashlight out of her desk drawer, locate the matches in the kitchen, and light the candles.

She stood and reached out, using her hands to feel her way along the wall toward her office. The moment she stepped inside, a strange sensation gripped her, like someone’s hands around her neck. And then came the squeeze, a crushing pain unlike anything she’d ever felt before.

Noelle wrestled for breath, but breath didn’t come, and as she struggled to maintain consciousness, every little hidden fear she’d ever had came collapsing down around her.

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I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek!

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