Title: The Game Master of Somerville
Series: Somerville Mysteries, Book Two
Author: A.J. Raven
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: 06/04/2024
Heat Level: 1 – No Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 45100
Genre: Contemporary, Young adult, mystery, high school, basketball, video gaming, teen crush
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Description
Being handed another mystery about an escaped prisoner, teen wannabe-detective Jerry finds himself way over his head as kids around Somerville start disappearing and panic escalates. Is the escaped prisoner responsible for the kidnappings or is there some other sinister plan afoot?
The Game Master of Somerville
A.J. Raven © 2024
All Rights Reserved
School next morning was unpleasant. The moment I stepped into the premises, a few students gathered around me. “Jerry, do you know about the kidnappings?” one of them asked. “Do you know who kidnapped the kids?” asked another. I couldn’t make out all the questions thrown at me, but they were definitely about the kidnappings. It took me two extra minutes to walk to my locker as I tried to walk as fast as I could with a bunch of inquiring students around me.
“Guys, please,” I said. I didn’t know any of them. A handful seemed to be from a grade below me. “I need to get to class.”
“But you must have some sort of an idea!” said a girl. “You’ve solved a missing person case before!”
The way she talked sounded as if she was ordering me to respond to her with a resounding yes.
“Move!” Kate’s voice boomed and the students became quiet. Walking through the little crowd, Kate came to stand beside me. “If I see anyone,” she said, addressing the people in front of her, “asking Jerry or anyone I know one more question I will destroy their pathetic excuse of an online social life!”
Her threat worked. None of the students said anything as they dispersed, grumbling and mumbling amongst themselves.
Hmm. What if there was a student who didn’t care about their social media presence? What would Kate have done then?
“They probably hate you right now,” I told Kate, opening my locker.
“As if I care, Jerry,” said Kate, brushing a strand of blonde hair away from her face. “None of them actually matter anyway.”
Okay. Harsh!
But I wasn’t in the position to argue with her. I did feel relieved she stepped in when she did.
“Thank you!” I said, taking out my biology textbook.
“Don’t mention it,” she said. “I had to do it for Ash too when her dad dropped her off.”
We began walking to our biology class taught by Mr. Ted. He was one of the best-looking teachers in the entire school. There was a conspiracy theory about how his face was the reason his classes always had more girls in it.
“Big surprise, everyone’s interested in you again at school after the kidnappings,” said Kate.
“Yeah. I’m not a fan of that,” I told her. “I prefer not being asked questions at all.”
“It’s not as if you haven’t dealt with this before.”
“I know,” I said. “But you know what, Kate? With Devona, it just felt different. The case had been solved, and I knew the answers to the questions people asked me afterward. But this time, I don’t know what to say when anyone asks me about Will and Stephen. It’s happening in real time and—”
“You need to talk to Ash about this.” Kate cut through. I should have known better. She was clearly not interested in hearing me go on about anything at the moment. Entering the classroom, we headed to our usual seats. Justin and Nick were already there, Justin talking enthusiastically to Lucy while Nick was staring out the window from his seat.
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A.J. Raven is an author who likes to write mysteries with queer characters. He likes exploring leads that have a lot to learn and aren’t perfect; they will make mistakes. So, bear with them. You can find A.J. on Twitter
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