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LICENSED TO KILL
Grethans Exterminators Book 1
A Fractured Fairy Tale
BY DEVORAH FOX
BLURB
As if besting a deadly witch wasn’t hard enough, Gretel and her brother Hans find running their fledgling company, Grethans Exterminators, even tougher. When a gentleman rancher complains about a bite sustained by one of his prized Angora goats, Gretel’s certain a common canid predator must be to blame. But, a job’s a job, so she takes on the investigation. Then Hans falls victim, and Gretel realizes she’s up against a far more lethal perpetrator, one that has not only doomed her brother but also threatens the lives of everyone in Hip Deep. Salvation is possible, but only if Gretel makes the ultimate sacrifice.
(Shorter, earlier edition previously published in “Bloodsport.”)
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LICENSED TO KILL
Grethans Exterminators Book 1
A Fractured Fairy Tale
BY DEVORAH FOX
Excerpt
Hans gave her an appraising look. “I take it you fought a tough battle.”
Gretel cast a downward glance. A dark blotch spotted the Grethans Exterminators logo on her stained T-shirt. She took a swig from the beer bottle. Hoisting a ladder onto and off her SUV’s roof rack made for thirsty work. “It’s been a day. Or it hasn’t been a day. I finished that job but if you have something else for me …”
Closing the laptop, Hans pulled over coins and cash. He tucked in the paper ends and set a roll of quarters next to the banded bills. Check- and credit-card transactions were more convenient, but the business took cash, even barter, if that was the clients’ preference. Gretel knew Hans didn’t mind. To him, remittance, in whatever form it was made, meant a job well done.
Gretel laid a folded check on top of the currency.
Hans smiled. “I see from the payment that you got it done, and we have a contented customer.”
“Yup,” Gretel said. “Old Man Swiggert’s bluebirds won’t be bothered by that squirrel again.” She tucked a strand of dirty-blond hair behind an earlobe and waggled her shoulders. “My newest trap worked. I caught the varmint, took him way out past the town limits, and released him in the woods. He’ll have a distance to travel if he takes it into his furry head to come back. If the hawks and the coyotes don’t nail him first.” She drank more beer. “Nothing Swiggert couldn’t do himself with a live-animal trap, the right bait, and a little patience.”
“Except for the releasing-in-the-woods part. Folks around here are—”
“Afraid? And with good reason. Evil lurks in those wild places, as we found out.” The town of Hip Deep had more than its fair share of encounters with the supernatural, one of which ensnared Gretel and Hans. She shrugged. “We do what has to be done.”
Hans narrowed his eyes. “Yet, I get the impression you’re not happy.”
Gretel stood and paced the narrow space in front of Hans’s desk, stopping now and then to drink. “Nah, it’s okay. Really. It’s part of the job.” Which, to be honest, was somewhat boring. She appreciated the gratification of a task accomplished, of eliminating a problem. However, she missed the thrill of athletic competition, not to mention the pulse-igniting drama of pitting her wits, will, and wherewithal against a formidable foe. Nothing before or since quite delivered the same satisfaction.
“Swiggert will tell his friends and neighbors. We’ll get more work.”
“Word of mouth is great, but we need to get our name out there. That’s why I was considering placing ads.”
“We’re already advertising in the Hip Deep Crier. And on KHDR. Don’t you think that’s enough?”
Hans shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe social media will reach people who don’t read the paper or listen to the radio.”
“That would be the blind and the deaf.”
“Gretel!”
“Sorry. That sounded snottier than intended.”
“I’m guessing eradicating roaches and rodents is something of a come-down from besting a deadly witch,” he said.
“Right.”
“It’s not the work you want.”
“You’re happy enough with how the business is progressing.”
Hans stamped the reverse of the check with their firm’s endorsement. “We’re building a company doing what we learned we can do—rid Hip Deep of pests. Solve problems for our neighbors, remove threats to their security. Improve the quality of their life.”
“And you like your role.” Gretel flicked her index finger at the papers piled on his desk. “Pushing numbers around.”
Hans folded his long fingers over the ledger book and grinned. “I do.”
“You always were the brainy one. It was your idea to scoop up those precious metals and jewels the witch hoarded. We put them to good use, didn’t we?” Gretel glanced at the framed business license hanging on the eggshell-colored plastered wall above Hans’s National Honor Society diploma and the certificate naming Gretel the Sportslurp Player of the Year.
Hans tapped the ledger with a pencil. “Fear not, dear sister. We got a job that you can sink your teeth into.”
About Author Devorah Fox…
It’s said of Devorah Fox that she writes outside the box. Its feelings hurt, the box gets up and stomps off. So she writes about that, too.
A multi-genre author, she has written a best-selling epic fantasy series, “The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam,” as well as an acclaimed mystery and a popular thriller, and co-authored a contemporary thriller with Jed Donellie. She contributed short stories to a variety of anthologies, penned several Mystery and Fantasy Short Reads, and has several five-star ghostwriting projects to her name. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she now lives on the Texas Gulf Coast with rescued tabby cats … and a dragon named Inky.
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Links to Devorah’s websites, blogs, books, #ad etc.:
Happy Reading!
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Thanks, Devorah, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
Books sounds like a great read really looking forward to reading in Print format so I could review book sounds very interesting and intriguing
I’m with you. I prefer print myself. The print edition iscoming soon, I hope this time next week. The proof got delayed. Thanks for your interest and your patience.
My print proof is on its way. 🙂 I should receive it this weekend. Assuming I find no problems I can greenlight the print edition release as planned for May 21.
The print edition is now available at Barnes and Noble, Angus and Robertson, and Amazon, among others. Here’s the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Licensed-Kill-Grethans-Exterminators-Devorah/dp/0998478008.
A review will be greatly appreciated as I’m sure you know.
Sounds like a fun read. Thanks for sharing.
Welcome back to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, Devorah. I love this twist on the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale! It sounds like a fun read and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the story. Thanks for sharing your book with us today!
And thank you. I fell in luv with Gretel and Hans, so a sequel is underway!
Yay! Can’t wait.
Well done, Devorah!
Thanks, you two! 😊
And thank you!
Sounds intriguing!
I hope you enjoy it!