Excerpt Sunday: Not All’s Kosher at Stepford’s Berkshire Hope Clinic

Tags

5 star thriller, Author Lada Ray, Berkshires MA, BOOK: Stepford USA, cat mystery, cozy mystery, humor, Jade Snow, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, psychological mystery thriller, romance, STEPFORD KNITTING CLUB, Stepford USA (Accidental Spy Small Town Adventure), Stepford Wives, Stockbridge MA, whodunnit, women's literature

Not all conspiracies are global…Some are hidden in small towns with flawless facades  

Great news! Last week’s experiment with posting an excerpt from THE EARTH SHIFTER proved to be so successful that I decided to continue this new tradition (read ES excerpt here). So, going forward on Sundays, I’ll be posting excerpts from my various books.

This particular scene from STEPFORD USA (Accidental Spy Small Town Adventure) is set at a mental clinic located in the seemingly idyllic town of Stepford in the midst of the picturesque Berkshire Mountains, Massachusetts. The name of the town is fictional, but bears resemblance to the real local towns, namely Sheffield, Lenox, and especially Stockbridge, MA. While writing STEPFORD USA I lived in the area before moving back to New York. I wrote the setting in real time based on my observations and experiences, and perhaps because of that it appears so vivid, down to the smallest details.

The surreal scene at the Berkshire Hope Clinic reminds me a little of the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; and more (of course, this applies to the whole book) – of The Stepford Wives. But you be the judge!

In this scene the heroine, Jade Snow, and her friend, Rachel Weise, visit Rebbecca at the clinic where the mute victim of the long forgotten, and conveniently swept under the carpet, rape has been a long-term patient… um… prisoner. Until Jade shows up and starts questioning things that haven’t been questioned before in this town of conformity and behind the scenes deals.

In addition to whodunnit and howdunnit, STEPFORD USA contains social satire, psychic visions, adorable and pretty amazing kitty & doggie, as well as a generous helping of humor. Oh yeah, and how could I forget the Gossip Central of the Berkshires: the infamous STEPFORD KNITTING CLUB, who unwittingly help Jade solve the puzzle! Sorry – no robots, if you don’t count some Stepford residents ;).