Good morning! I’m kicking off the month and the week with a sneak peek at the new book from Mark Tilbury, titled Song of the Psychopath. Scroll down to have a look at the fabulous cover, read what the book is all about and then enjoy the prologue.
Author : Mark Tilbury
Title : Song of the Psychopath
Pages : n/a
Publisher : Tilbury Publishing
Publication date : February 4, 2021
| ABOUT THE BOOK |
A year after going missing from home, Tommy Scarlett is found unconscious in an isolated country road. He has a fractured skull, broken wrist, and numerous other injuries. Recovering in hospital, Tommy has no recollection of the past. He doesn’t even recognize his own family.
After returning home, Tommy suffers severe headaches and acute depression. Desperate to help him, his father puts him into the care of a private therapist. But Tommy soon learns his troubles are far from over.
As the past is slowly unlocked, it becomes increasingly clear that Tommy has suffered an ordeal so horrendous it beggars belief. And those responsible are determined to silence him by any means possible.
Can Tommy find out what really happened to him and bring those responsible to justice?
Or will the past finally catch up with him and finish him off for good?
| EXTRACT |
PROLOGUE
Eight years earlier.
The girl sits alone in the dark with no discernible memory of who she is, where she is, or how she got there. The sounds of wind and rain swirl around inside her head, but external awareness is absent.
A fleeting image: sitting above the ocean, waves kissing the rocks below with foaming lips. Gulls overhead, their piercing cries ripping jagged holes in the darkening sky.
‘I am,’ she whispers. ‘I am, I am, I am.’
The room is about ten feet square. It houses a single bed, the chair the girl’s sitting in, and a large fifty-five-inch monitor fixed to the wall opposite the bed. The chair is wooden, and similar to those used to electrocute inmates on Death Row. The girl’s wrists are strapped to the arms. Time no longer exists. Reality is an illusion, and that illusion is reality.
Music suddenly blares through speakers fitted into the ceiling. Karma Chameleon by Culture Club. Boy George’s sultry voice weaving like treacle through the lyrics. The rich melody instantly addictive. The music inspires to dance, and her heart thumps to the rhythm.
‘The colour of love,’ she mumbles. ‘The colour of love is… black… black… black.’
A blinding white light illuminates the room. As the music fades, she is suddenly aware of her identity. The door opens, and a man walks in. Black jeans and a white tee-shirt. He is tall, slim, with neatly parted dark hair. His tee-shirt makes it appear as if his head is floating in the light surrounding him.
The man smiles, but his dark eyes remain predatory. ‘Good afternoon. How are you today?’
‘Okay.’
‘Did you sleep well?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did you dream?’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Of what?’
‘I was by the sea at Granny’s.’
‘Granny Meredith?’
‘Yes.’
‘How was it?’
She tightens an imaginary ponytail. ‘We had scones and strawberry jam for tea.’
‘Sounds good.’
‘I like Granny Meredith, but I like her dog, Murphy, the best.’
‘What kind of dog’s she got?’
‘A black Labrador.’
The man chews his lip, continues. ‘I’m going to ask you a series of questions, okay?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you remember your name?’
‘Of course I do. It’s Bella.’
‘Bella who?’
‘Bella Rosenberg.’
‘And how old are you, Bella?’
‘Thirteen.’
‘Do you remember why you’re here?’
‘’Cos my mum and dad died in a car crash.’
‘That’s right. Then you went to live with Granny Meredith, but she couldn’t look after you anymore, so you came here to stay with us.’
‘I miss her.’
‘I know. But it’s for the best. You have to be a big girl now. Suck it up, as the Americans say.’
‘Can I put my makeup on today?’
‘Have you been a good girl?’
‘Yes.’
‘Okay. But on one condition.’
‘What?’
‘There’s somebody who wants to see you tonight. If you promise to be good to him, you can wear your makeup.’
Bella’s stomach tingles. ‘Who is he?’
‘Just a man.’
‘Have I met him?’
‘No. But he says Bella’s the prettiest name ever.’
‘Oh.’
‘Don’t you like your name?’
‘Not really.’
‘It suits you. You’re the Belle of the ball.’
She giggles.
‘Beautiful, too.’
‘Thank you.’
‘I want you to take a shower later and put on your makeup and a pretty dress. How does that sound?’
‘Cool! And my long blonde wig?’
A smile creeps onto the man’s lips. ‘I don’t see why not.’
‘I like dressing up. Especially when you say nice things about me.’
The man flaps a hand. ‘I only say what I see.’
‘Is the man coming here or am I going to his house?’
‘You’re going to his place.’
Bella’s stomach flips over. ‘Is Dave driving me?’
‘Yes.’
‘I don’t like Dave.’
‘Don’t worry about him. I’ll tell him to be especially nice to you and buy you a pizza on the way home.’
This pacified Bella; pizza was the next best thing to her phone. ‘Great.’
‘Good girl. I’ll get Dave to come and take the straps off soon.’
‘My wrists hurt.’
He nods. ‘I only strap you in to stop you hurting yourself when you have a seizure.’
‘Why don’t I ever remember the fits?’ Bella asks.
‘Because you have blackouts. But I’ve found a new medication that will help stop them.’
‘What is it?’
‘A drug called Low Sensory Disruption.’
‘What does it do?’
‘Blocks the pathway to the part of your brain that’s damaged.’
‘Oh.’
‘But don’t worry about that for now. All you need to know is I’m working extremely hard to make you better.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Anything else before I leave, Bella?’
‘Can I have some ice cream?’
The man grinned. ‘Tonight, Bella, you can have whatever you want.’ He walked out of the room and locked the door behind him.
A soft, female voice whispered through the speakers. The lights went out, and Bella was once again plunged into darkness. The voice told Bella to accompany her to the forest and sit with her amongst the trees. To embrace the warm rays of the sun filtering through the shade.
This was the safest place on earth. For now.
Sounds ominous, don’t it? And if you’re in any way familiar with Twisted Tilbury, you know things will only get worse. 😉
If you’d like to read on, Song of the Psychopath will be published on Thursday and is available from Amazon UK
| ABOUT THE AUTHOR |
Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although his books are set in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised.
After being widowed and raising his two daughters, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused.
He’s always had a keen interest in writing, and is extremely proud to have had seven novels published by Bloodhound Books. He’s also recently self-published, The Last One To See Her.
When he’s not writing, Mark can be found playing guitar, reading and walking.
Novel Deelights 
Sounds good! Thanks for sharing the extract. xx
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😘
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