Homecoming Queen by Chad Boudreaux
Release date: August 6, 2024
Sub-genre: Thriller, political Thriller
About Homecoming Queen:
Homecoming Queen is a thriller chronicling the plight of Anika
Raven, who faces the challenge of a lifetime after returning to Miranda, Texas,
to rescue her little sister.
Time
is of the essence as the hurricane of the century, predicted to obliterate
everything in its path, barrels toward Anika’s hometown. But the deadly storm
is not her biggest problem. Not long ago, she was the high school’s beloved
homecoming queen, but now she finds herself on the run from the law and running
out of time after family troubles force her to pursue vigilante justice. With
the storm approaching and tensions in town increasing, factions brace for
battle with Anika and her sister trying to survive.
Homecoming Queen was written for adults of all ages with a love for
fast-paced thrillers. With a unique plot line, memorable characters, and
page-turning storytelling, the book packs intriguing substance into a quick
read.
Excerpt:
Anika and Sam, holding sweaty hands, walked up the creaky
steps of the Alamo Opera House. Even at sunrise, the humidity held moisture
like a sponge, but Anika would’ve perspired anyway. Though the sheriff’s
headquarters were located in the Upper West Side of Miranda, several deputies
lingered around the mayor’s office, and Anika knew there was a holding cell in
the back. She had only felt this vulnerable once before, five years ago, when
the terrible secret she now carried was birthed. As bad as that day was, the
stakes were higher now with Sam’s welfare on the line.
Pasty old men on the porch played Texas hold ’em using Old
West playing cards without numbers. They sipped joe and flashed toothless smiles
as Anika and Sam marched toward the Alamo entrance. Though their smiles
appeared genuine, even endearing, these weren’t the innocent grandpas from
central casting. And they didn’t possess the eyes of casual observers but of
scheming men with an agenda. Eyes of small-town henchmen who orchestrate
meaningful events. Eyes of mischievous malcontents who delight in their roles
as instruments of fate.
Anika recognized one of the old men, the one who had stalked
her at the Kwik Mart. The one with the thick handlebar mustache.
Walking through the swinging doors, Anika and Sam entered the saloon-cum-General
Store. Relics from another generation covered the walls, including a huge
shoulder mount of a buffalo. The smell of eggs and bacon overtook Anika’s
senses. Unlike the solemn card playing on the porch, lively activity filled
this room. She noticed the Western-era bar and three circular card tables, each
surrounded by four wooden chairs. Beyond the aged furnace extending from floor
to roof, a young man wrapped breakfast tacos in foil behind the bar. He wore a
“Don’t Mess with Texas” apron with his name, Timmy, imprinted in cursive.
“Welcome to the Alamo, Anika,” a male voice of authority
emerged from behind. “Probably don’t remember me; name’s Curtis Worden. I’m the
caretaker here. You’re here to meet with the mayor.” It was a statement, not a
question.
***
After brief introductions, Mayor Auntie Dodd invited them into
her office. The spacious area was under the same roof but set apart from the General
Store. As the sisters sat in front of Dodd’s wooden desk, Anika noticed a
framed remnant of the “Come and Take It” flag in the corner, several photos of
children on the credenza, and a strange picture on the wall. In the picture,
five men in top hats huddled around an old car that had a box on top labeled
“Precinct 13.”
“Anika Raven,” she said, staring at Anika’s engagement ring.
“I remember you. I presided over your graduation ceremony. Handed you an
honorarium, right? Weren’t you salutatorian?”
“Valedictorian. Don’t want to boast, but—”
“No, please—brag all you want, girl! What an amazing
accomplishment! I’m always happy when a woman takes home a blue ribbon. Tell me
what’s going on.”
Anika scarcely began her story when, distracted, Mayor Dodd
said, “Excuse me, darlin’,” and turned her attention to Sam, who was eyeing the
thingamabob at the corner of her desk. “Young lady, do you know what that is?”
Samantha squeezed Faux Pooh and shook her head.
“That’s called a Rubik’s Cube,” she said, picking it up and
tossing it in Sam’s lap. “You have to match all the same colors on the same
sides.” Sam set aside Pooh, picked up the toy puzzle, and began fiddling with
it. Only then did Mayor Dodd turn her attention back to Anika, repeatedly
glancing down at her engagement ring. Something about the ring disturbed her. “Go
ahead, darlin’. Sorry to interrupt.”
Anika continued her story as the mayor nodded along, cradling
her “Mayor Days Be Merry and Bright” coffee mug. Occasionally, Dodd would take
a note, and her squinty eyes kept darting to the Rubik’s Cube as Sam worked her
tiny fingers over the square contraption. Anika took her time outlining the
facts concerning their plight. She was careful to include specifics but avoid
hyperbole. Meanwhile, Dodd seemed to be listening, but she was obsessed by
Sam’s pursuit of matching a color on one side.
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About Chad Boudreaux:
Chad Boudreaux is the author of the award-winning political and legal thriller, Scavenger Hunt. A longtime Washington insider, he was hired by the U.S. Department of Justice the night before the September 11, 2001, attacks, launching him immediately into counter-terrorism work that earned him high accolades at an early age. Boudreaux’s success at the Justice Department carried him to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where his role as Deputy Chief of Staff allowed him to work directly with Secretary Michael Chertoff, advising him on significant policy, operational, and legal issues facing the department. He currently is the chief legal officer of a publicly traded, Fortune 300 company and America’s largest military shipbuilder. Boudreaux leverages his unique, high-level experience in global security matters and his extensive legal expertise to craft breathtaking, insider stories of mystery and intrigue that are ripped from today’s headlines and are sure to shock his readers. As part of the promotion of his first novel, Scavenger Hunt, Boudreaux participated in several TV and radio shows throughout the country. He resides in Yorktown, Virginia.
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