Inga+Lish+manuscript

This excerpt of the manuscript of Inga Lish’s latest book was courteously provided by her publisher.

Lizzie’s hand shook as she lifted the bottle of poison. She gently tipped it into the mixing bowl. One drop, two drops, three drops… No more. Lizzie liked precision. Only enough to do the job; not enough to be detected. The swirling death drops disappeared into the chocolate mixture.

Lizzie continued to stir. For one insane, suicidal moment she almost forgot what she had done, almost reached her finger in to sample her confections as she always did. But then she remembered. These were special chocolates. These were magic chocolates. When these chocolates were eaten, her problems would all be gone. She slapped the chocolate onto the stone slab on her kitchen counter, and worked it back and forth until it was smooth and perfect. Then she began to roll the chocolates into perfect little balls. Coconut, crushed walnuts, mini-peppermints, and other delicious toppings sat in small bowls next to her sink. They would top these chocolates, and the chocolates would become irresistible. Only one more day, and her revenge would be complete.