Welcome to Tuesday Tales, powered by a small group of authors, where word prompts inspire passages in the books we’re writing. I’m working on a cozy mystery, Pumpkin Patch Murder. Our word of the day is violent. When you finish the passage, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
From the loquacious lady behind the convenience store counter where I had stopped to fill the tank, I learned that the little library was no more. Instead, the fine citizens of Glisten were now served by an expansive, modern regional facility in the neighboring town of Blanton. It catered to several surrounding communities both in and outside the county, including Glisten. The clerk, whose name was Frieda, shared her memories of children’s story hour and best seller waiting lists, while I iced up my big gulp diet drink and she bagged my groceries. Afterward, I planned to pull under a huge sycamore at the edge of the parking lot and enjoy my prepackaged Li’l Rex sandwich, plain salty chips, and freshly made chocolate covered pretzel before heading on to Blanton. Most of the sycamore’s yellow and brown leaves had been wrenched off by last night’s violent storm and were scattered over the ground, but I would relish the quiet healing vibes and “after the storm” relief.
I had finished most of the sandwich and was chewing a bite of chocolate covered pretzel when Dovie’s ringtone sounded. “Peri, the doctors have discovered that Jack was drugged before he fell. They only found out by re-examining all the tests he’s had since the beginning, starting back in Georgia.” The shrill sound of her voice was like tiny cuts on my skin.
My throat had tightened, and I swallowed pretzel with difficulty. “Drugged with what?”
“There’s no current residue, so they can’t verify it one hundred percent, but from the old test markers they’re postulating that it’s a toxic substance called ‘mad honey.’ Apparently, the effects typically wear off by the following day. Unfortunately, he fell and hit his head while under its influence. That part is the same. I can’t believe it, Peri. He wouldn’t knowingly eat that. Where would he get such a thing? Who would do that to him?”
“I don’t know. What is it? What does it do?”
“They said it can cause dizziness, hallucinations, and heart palpitations. My poor Jack!”
“What did they say about the toxin? It’s a type of honey?”
“Yes, it’s originally from the East, particularly Nepal, they said.”
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the piece inspired by the word violent. If you haven’t done so already, check out the other excerpts at Tuesday Tales.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories
All rights reserved, copyright @ 2025 Flossie Benton Rogers
And the plot thickens! So who have we met with connections that might lead to mad honey? I can’t wait to find out. Well done.
Mad honey might be someone’s downfall.
Oh, a clue! I feel so bad for Jack, but his attacker narrows down to someone with connections to Nepal. Love this excerpt. Great job!
Thanks, Tricia!
So how does Mad Honey makt it from Nepal to Glisten? Yes, the plot is thickening nicely. Now we really need to know who had motive and opportunity! Where could you get Mad Honey in Glisten? Or did they buy it from Amazon? Great suspense here. I’m on the edge of my seat!
It should eliminate a few people!