"Mixed Signals"

Jane Tesh lives and writes in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. A media specialist/librarian for grades K-6 for 30 years, she retired to write and exercise her creative side. A rehearsal pianist and sometime orchestra conductor for community theater, she also plays the violin, and is a certified kick-boxing instructor.

Tesh applied the Page 69 Test to her latest novel, Mixed Signals, and reported the following:

When I heard about the Page 69 Test, I couldn’t wait to try it. I was very curious to see if this page had anything to do with the central theme and the plot of my book and if it was the kind of page to keep the reader interested.

In Mixed Signals, book 2 of the Grace Street Mystery Series, PI David Randall and his friend Camden find Jared Hunter murdered at his home. Camden, who is psychic, starts having violent visions of the crime and fears he is linked in some way to the killer. Randall not only wants to solve the mystery, he wants to find a way to end Camden’s nightmares. On page 69, there is the end of a scene where Randall stops by the garage where Jared was employed and interviews some of Jared’s co-workers.

“He was a good guy,” one said. “A good mechanic. It’s a real shame.”

“What about Boyd Taylor? Did he argue with Jared over the Marlin?”

“Yeah, they had their differences,” another man said, “but Boyd’s not the kind of person who’d kill somebody.”

In my experience, I’d found out that for love, money, or plain uncontrollable rage, anybody could snap.

A definite hint of darker things to come.

Next on page 69 is the beginning of a scene in the office of Chance Baseford, art critic for the Parkland Herald, who may have some information about the city’s mysterious superhero, the Parkland Avenger, a superhero who may have ties to the crime.

When I tapped on his office door, he looked up from his computer and reared back in his chair, giving me the full glare.

“What do you want?”

“Good afternoon to you, too.” I made myself at home in the chair in front of his desk.

Baseford’s broad fleshy face went pink with annoyance. He tossed back his mane of white hair in a gesture that I’m sure sent waves of horror through timid dancers and painters trying to make it in Parkland, but I’m not easily impressed by theatrics. “Every time I see you, it means trouble. What could possibly bring you to my office?”

These pieces of scenes show Randall at work, so the plot is moving along. As for the theme, well, there is indeed love, money, and uncontrollable rage at the heart of this murder, as well as a group of annoyed amateur superheroes who have issues with the Parkland Avenger.

Learn more about the book and author at Jane Tesh's website.

--Marshal Zeringue