Bomb Blast: A Thriller
by Solange Ritchie
About Bomb Blast
Bomb Blast: A Thriller
Thriller
4th in Series
Middle River Press (February 24, 2023)
Paperback : 206 pages
ISBN-10 : 1946886432
ISBN-13 : 978-1946886439
Digital ASIN : B0BWZH8M65
In the fourth novel in the Dr. Catherine (Cat) Powers series, top FBI forensic pathologist and special agent Dr. Cat Powers is called as two Syrian-born bombers wreak havoc on “soft targets” in the United States.
Starting with the New York Stock Exchange, these bombers are intent on causing as much murder and mayhem as they can. As their bombing spree takes them cross-country, Cat is appointed the eyes and ears of the president of the United States. Teamed with Special Ops and bombing expert Sam Patterson, Cat must figure out who these bombers are, what their motives are, who is funding them, and ultimately, if they can be caught. As the bombings become more violent and deadly, Cat and Sam are in a race against time to catch these savage killers before they kill again.
Will they succeed or will the bombers avoid detection and escape?
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER EIGHT:
March 14. 3:40 a.m.
Chicago Fire rolled up to the inferno, sirens blaring. The air was
filled with black smoke mixed with the toxic smell of melting and
burning fibers, carpet, fabric, furniture, plastics, and even people.
The smell was of acrid chemicals—all being burned together.
A battalion chief was barking orders over the roar of the fire and sirens,
“I need Hook & Ladder Company 5. Right now. As high as we can go.”
The firemen got to work connecting lines to hydrants trying to
douse the flames that they can reach with high-pressure water hoses.
From the looks of it, any sprinkler system inside the Water Tower either
wasn’t working properly or wasn’t working at all. Firemen were
shouting at one another to get water on the flames.
Fast.
But fast was not fast enough.
Cat could smell the caustic fire from a half block away. Within a
minute, Cat was on the scene with Sam. She was facing north towards
the lake, looking straight at the leading edge of the biggest, blackest,
most ravenous fire she had ever seen.
My God, how did it get so big so fast?
She felt goose bumps rise on her skin.
I’m not ready for this.
She felt overwhelmed by the initial sight of it.
The sheer scope and fury of it.
Ahead of her, the line of fire was huge, rolling through everything
it touched, like a hungry animal feeding on hapless prey. Consuming
all in its path. Feeding with each second. Growing with each second.
And up, up, up, until Cat had to bend her neck to see the top of it. This
close, she couldn’t only see the fire, she could feel its heat on her skin.
She had seen dramatic fires before but never one like this. Nothing as
overwhelming in its strength and fury as this sight. The whole front
line of the flames burning hot as it marched ever upward.
Ashes flittered through a strong breeze coming in from the north
in front of Cat’s eyes. Cat could feel the storm winds’ intensity growing
each minute. It was at her back coming off Michigan Avenue just
where it meets the beginning of the Magnificent Mile.
Cat could hear the fire’s roar grow as she got closer. The only word
to describe the sound was thunderous—like a low rumbling, roaring
sound all around her that seemed to grow louder with each second.
Then the sound turned into more of a howling, as the wind picked up
a clip off Lake Michigan feeding the fire with oxygen. All around her,
small pieces of things that were on fire swirled in the air. The trees that
lined Michigan Avenue bowed and leaned in the approaching storm.
Beyond the shores of Lake Michigan, a black oily layer of clouds, Cat
watched a funnel cloud form, dip, and rise back up into the sky like a
gossamer ghost. If she hadn’t witnessed it for herself, she would hardly
have believed it was there at all.
But as dramatic and ominous as the storm was, as Cat turned her
attention back to the fire, the scene above Michigan Avenue was far
more frightening. People in the apartments across the street and down
from the Water Tower were glued to the sight of the fire in their own
apartments. Cat could make them out—standing next to floor-toceiling
windows, their faces frozen in fear. Some were shouting. Some
seemed to be praying.
Cat knew they couldn’t believe what they were seeing, hearing, and
smelling.
It’s like a horror movie that won’t stop.
She gazed up. Before her, the scene was utter chaos. The top floors
of the Water Tower were almost fully engulfed by flames. The flames
seemed to have a mind of their own. She watched as they licked the
outside of the building and curled upward from floor to floor. The
fire blew out windows and then retreated into the interior shell of the
structure. This fire was ferocious. That much was clear.
Looking up through the smoke directly into the heart of the fire,
Cat knew that oxygen, furniture, people’s bodies, as well as a strong
northward wind off the lake were feeding it. The sound was terrifying.
Deafening. Like a train that wouldn’t stop. She watched the fire whirl,
twist, and grow—consuming objects in its path—consuming people.
Good God.
Sam had a look on his face that told Cat he was thinking the same
thing. With all the conflict and war and chaos he has seen in his life,
she was sure, he has never seen anything like this. Sam was silent, taking
it all in. Cat knew what he was thinking because she was thinking
it too.
How many people would die tonight?
About Solange Ritchie
BORN ON THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL ISLAND of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.
Words have always been Solange’s passion – now so more than ever.
Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trial,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange handled intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in the areas of business, labor, and employment law. In 2014, she received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm’s Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award. It is given to only one attorney each year in California.
When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a leading Southern California hospital. This life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.
Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel in the series, Firestorm, was released to critical acclaim, on May 15, 2018. Dying Declaration is the third novel in the Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers series. Bomb Blast is Solange’s fourth novel in the series. Solange plans at least two more books in the Dr. Catherine Powers series. A fan of things that go bump in the night, Solange has also penned a Southern Gothic novel called Fiona’s Box, which will be released shortly.
Solange lives in Southern Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, gardening, time with her family, as well as good food and conversation. Solange is available for speaking engagements. She especially enjoys talking with book clubs. To receive her Sunday blog post, Notes from Solange, just go to her author website, http://www.solangeritchie.com, and leave your e-mail address. Nothing negative or political is ever posted. Her author website, www.authorsolange.com, includes a blog, reviews, recipes, events, and the latest on Solange’s adventures. Solange welcomes your comments, reviews, and suggestions, and invites you to contact her at:
Author website: https://www.authorsolange.com/
Legal website: http://solangeritchielaw.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solange.ritchie
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/solange-ritchie-5276486
Twitter: @solangeritchie and @solangeauthor
Purchase Link – Amazon
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
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The Nassau Public Libraries tour began June 12 and ends today, August 12. For two months, visitors to the 58 libraries received a blue sticker placed on a map of the county’s libraries. Prizes were awarded for the 5th, 15th, 30th, 50th, and 58th stops. Certain libraries were designated as ones where the 30th and 50th prizes were distributed. Those who visited all the libraries, earned a certificate along with a chance to win a special raffle. The theme for the tour was “All Together Now.” Libraries promoted this theme with signs and events, many paying tribute to the music of the 60’s and 70’s. I especially liked the logo of two cats traveling in a car.
My daughter and I got a late start on the tour. Recently passing her road test, she was using the tour to learn how to navigate and learn the various roads around Long Island. While we didn’t earn many prizes, we had fun visiting the libraries and the nearby attractions and plan to continue visiting libraries to “check out” their individual and varied designs and offerings.
Ruff Drafts 