Category Archives: Suspense

April 22, 2022 · 12:02 am

Review: The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman

Title: The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman
Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Series Book Seven
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

An ancient mystery resurfaces with ramifications for the present day in this gripping chapter in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series from New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman.

Sergeant Jim Chee’s vacation to beautiful Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell has a deeper purpose. He’s on a quest to unravel a sacred mystery his mentor, the Legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, stumbled across decades earlier.

Chee’s journey takes a deadly turn when, after a prayerful visit to the sacred Rainbow Bridge, he spots a body floating in the lake. The dead man, a Navajo with a passion for the canyon’s ancient rock art, lived a life filled with many secrets. Discovering why he died and who was responsible involves Chee in an investigation that puts his own life at risk.

Back in Shiprock, Officer Bernadette Manuelito is driving home when she witnesses an expensive sedan purposely kill a hitchhiker. The search to find the killer leads her to uncover a dangerous chain of interconnected revelations involving a Navajo Nation cannabis enterprise.

But the evil that is unleashed jeopardizes her mother and sister Darleen, and puts Bernie in the deadliest situation of her law enforcement career.

Review:

The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman is a suspenseful mystery. Although this latest release is the seventh installment in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, it easily stands on its own.

After a much-needed vacation, Navajo Nation tribal police Sergeant Jim Chee stays for a few extra days while his wife Officer Bernadette “Bernie” Manuelito and her sister Darleen return to their home in Shiprock. Jim is at a bit of a crossroads as he decides whether or not he wants to remain in law enforcement.  While out hiking, he spots a body floating in Lake Powell. Although he is out of his jurisdiction, Jim agrees to assist Park Ranger Ted Morris and Sheriff Bo Carter in the investigation into Curtis Walker’s death.

While her husband finds himself in the midst of an unexpected case, Bernie is on her way to work when she spots a man who appears to be in some kind of trouble. Before she can get any helpful information from him, he becomes the victim of a deliberate hit and run. Fully invested in finding out who murdered the unidentified man, Bernie becomes involved in an investigation of a local hemp farm run by Dino Begay Perez. But the case is quickly complicated by Dino’s friends and family’s concern about his whereabouts. Then there is an unexpected discovery in the hit and run victim’s belongings. Bernie goes undercover at the hemp operation in order to uncover the truth about Dino’s whereabouts and the suspicious goings on the farm.

The Sacred Bridge is an intriguing mystery with fascinating story arcs. Jim, Bernie and Darleen are well-drawn, multi-layered characters who continue to grow and evolve.  The various settings are interesting and  spring vividly to life.  As in previous novels, the Native American elements provide readers with riveting details about the Navajo culture. The storyline is engrossing and while some elements are easy to predict, this does not lessen the story’s enjoyment. As a dangerous situation heats up, Anne Hillerman brings this brilliant mystery to a breathless conclusion. Old and new fans enjoy this latest addition to the stellar Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series.

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Filed under Anne Hillerman, Contemporary, Harper, Leaphorn Chee & Manuelito Series, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Sacred Bridge

April 14, 2022 · 12:01 am

Review: Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett

Title: Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense, Horror
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this spine-tingling, atmospheric debut for fans of Jennifer McMahon, Simone St. James, and Chris Bohjalian, a woman returns to her hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide at a local haunted house—the same place where a traumatic incident shattered their lives twenty years ago.

Few in sleepy Sumner’s Mills have stumbled across the Octagon House hidden deep in the woods. Even fewer are brave enough to trespass. A man had killed his wife and two young daughters there, a shocking, gruesome crime that the sleepy upstate New York town tried to bury. One summer night, an emboldened fourteen-year-old Clare and her best friend, Abby, ventured into the Octagon House. Clare came out, but a piece of Abby never did.

Twenty years later, an adult Clare receives word that Abby has attempted suicide at the Octagon House and now lies in a coma. With little to lose and still grieving after a personal tragedy, Clare returns to her roots to uncover the darkness responsible for Abby’s accident.

An eerie page-turner, Beneath the Stairs is about the trauma that follows us from childhood to adulthood and returning to the beginning to reach the end.

Review:

Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett is a ghostly mystery that is quite chilling.

Clare Madden returns to Sumner’s Mills, NY when she learns her estranged childhood friend, Abby Lindsay is in the hospital. Once inseparable, Clare and Abby lost touch after a terrifying incident at an abandoned house near their town. They first went into the house with their friends, Lori and Monica, but they are shaken by a frightening event. Later that night, they end up returning the Octagon House and Abby is never the same. Twenty years later, Abby inexplicably goes back into the house and afterward,  her parents ask Clare to come visit her in the hospital. At loose ends, Clare agrees to come back so she can try to finally put the past to rest.

Clare is a teacher and currently lives in Chicago. Her father has recently moved from Sumner’s Mills and when she is ready, he will sell her childhood home. Clare has never resolved the guilt she feels over what happened in the dilapidated house. When Abby sent her a few emails several months back, Clare’s nightmares about their childhood trips to the Octagon House begin again.

Upon returning to Sumner Mills, Clare agrees to meet Lori for the first time in years. During their discussion about Octagon House, she discovers unsettling information about the home’s history. Once she learns the identity of the house’s owner, Clare hopes to find answers about what happened to the person who built the house. Uncovering startling details, Clare knows the only way to get answers about why Abby was in the house is to return there herself. Will Clare finally understand exactly what exactly she believes she saw all those years ago? Can she find out the truth about Abby’s reason for going back into a place that inarguably changed the course of her life?

Beneath the Stairs is a spellbinding mystery with a slight element of horror. The small -own setting is a little claustrophobic and adds tension to the unfolding story. Clare is a sympathetic character whose habit of ignoring her problems and pushing away loved ones leaves her feeling very alone. Her investigation into Octagon house is quite compelling but will she be able to accept what she unearths? Seamlessly weaving both and forth in time, Jennifer Fawcett brings this suspenseful novel to a fully satisfying conclusion.

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Filed under Atria Books, Beneath the Stairs, Contemporary, Horror, Jennifer Fawcett, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

April 12, 2022 · 12:01 am

Review: The Cage by Bonnie Kistler

Title: The Cage by Bonnie Kistler
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Contemporary, Legal Mystery, Suspense
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Combining the propulsive narrative drive of The Firm with the psychological complexity of The Silent Patient,a gripping and original thriller about two professional women—colleagues at an international fashion conglomerate—who enter an elevator together . . . but only one is alive when they reach the ground floor.

On a cold, misty Sunday night, two women are alone in the offices of fashion conglomerate Claudine de Martineau International. One is the company’s human resources director. Impeccably dressed and perfectly coiffed, she sits at her desk and stares somberly out the window. Down the hall, her colleague, one of the company’s lawyers, is buried under a pile of paperwork, frantically rushing to finish.

Leaving at the same time, the two women, each preoccupied by her own thoughts, enter the elevator that will take them down from the 30th floor.

When they arrive at the lobby, one of the women is dead. Was it murder or suicide?

An incredibly original novel that turns the office thriller on its head, The Cage is a wild ride that begins with a bang and picks up speed as it races to its dramatic end.

Review:

The Cage by Bonnie Kistler is an absolutely brilliant “locked room” mystery.

Lucy Barton-Jones is the human resources director at Claudine de Martineau International. She is married with two children and she is very loyal to the company. Lucy’s family has a bit of a past that she has worked hard to distance herself from. Working from the office on a Sunday evening, she and employee, Shay Lambert, are on the same elevator as they depart from work.

Shay is a lawyer whose excitement over her new job has waned a bit with her first assignment. She and her husband, David, were hit hard during the downturn in the economy and she welcomes this opportunity to get back on her feet. Shay has noticed a few anomalies on the case she has been to but she brushes it off to just a mistake. She has not had very many interactions with Lucy when they are both trapped on the elevator that fateful Sunday.

When the elevator finally makes it to the lkobby, one of the two women is dead. The survivor claims it was suicide, but will the police believe her? When the evidence begins pointing to murder, can she find the evidence to prove her innocence? Following the leads where they lead, the truth is within her grasp if only she can find someone to believe her.

The Cage is a clever legal mystery that is fast-paced and engaging. The characters are interesting but not all of them are easy to like. The storyline is engrossing and well-developed with interesting twists and turns. With danger moving ever closer, Bonnie Kistler brings this captivating mystery to a stunning conclusion.

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Filed under Bonnie Kistler, Contemporary, Harper, Legal Mystery, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Cage

April 11, 2022 · 12:01 am

Review: The Wrong Woman by Leanne Kale Sparks

Title: The Wrong Woman by Leanne Kale Sparks
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 316 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The past is never far behind, as a string of murders threatens to unleash long-buried secrets in this pulse-pounding thriller for fans of Melinda Leigh and T. R. Ragan.

The only survivor of Denver’s notorious “Reaper” serial murders, FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck grapples with the ghosts of her past by seeking justice for victims of abuse. She’s neck deep in a particularly ugly case involving the disappearance of five-year-old Emily Williams—but her investigation is derailed when her best friend and roommate, Gwen Tavich, turns up dead floating in a nearby lake.

Devastated by the news of Gwen’s death, Kendall teams up with Denver detective Adam Taylor to find the killer. Gwen’s fiancé, Ty Butler, is being evasive about the last time he saw Gwen, and as the evidence mounts against him, he’s arrested for the murder. With every new clue, Kendall questions how well she really knew her friend. And when Gwen’s dark secrets begin spilling out one by one, she begins to understand the devastating magnitude of her murder. The Reaper has returned to Denver—and he’s not stopping at just one victim.

As the trauma of Kendall’s past comes roaring back, she and Adam have no time to spare before more bodies start piling up. And then Kendall makes a shocking discovery that reveals the horrifying truth behind Emily Williams’s disappearance. Now, Kendall must confront her darkest fears as she and the Reaper face off one more time.

Review:

The Wrong Woman by Leanne Kale Sparks is a suspense-laden mystery.

FBI Agent Kendall Beck is working an intense case involving missing five-year-old Emily Scott. Suspecting she has been kidnapped, Beck is determined to find the young girl. In the midst of the deeply troubling case, Kendall’s best friend and roommate Gwen Tavich fails to return home. Gwen co-owns a successful restaurant with her fiancé Ty Butler who seems somewhat unconcerned about her whereabouts. As a professional courtesy, Denver Detective Adam Taylor is assigned to Gwen’s case. When are putting much effort into finding Gwen, Kendall launches her own search for her missing friend.  After her worst fears about Gwen come true, will Beck and Taylor uncover the truth about who murdered Gwen?

While still in college, Kendall tries to rescue a young woman who turns out to be a victim of a serial killer known as The Reaper.  This experience lead her to decide to join the FBI in order to try to help victims of violent crimes. Kendall is tenacious as she puts in long hours trying to learn the truth about what happened to Emily.  Despite her reputation for keeping cool under pressure, Kendall’s actions threaten to derail the case and her career is soon in jeopardy.

While attempting to find out what happened to Gwen, Kendall uncovers information that leaves her wondering how well she really knows her longtime friend. She is also frustrated by Ty’s lack of cooperation so she tries to find out what secrets he is keeping. Unbeknownst to Kendall, Adam is discovering shocking details that turn a couple of his investigations completely upside down.

The Wrong Woman is a mesmerizing mystery that moves at a brisk pace. Kendall is a little impetuous as she desperately tries to find answers about both Emily and Gwen’s cases. Adam understands Kendall’s need to catch Gwen’s killer and he is caught off-guard as the case takes an absolutely stunning turn. The two investigations are intriguing and Kendall unwittingly puts herself in harm’s way. With devious twists and turns, Leanne Kale Sparks brings this clever mystery to an action-filled conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Leanne Kale Sparks, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Wrong Woman

April 10, 2022 · 12:02 am

Review: The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

Title: The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 348 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.

THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.

THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the
truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses
in all of them?

Review:

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is a fast-moving domestic mystery.

Heart surgeon Stephen Aston blindsides his adult daughters, Tully and Rachel, with his announcement he is engaged to much younger interior designer, Heather Wisher. Tully and Rachel are even more stunned when he also tells them he is divorcing their mother, Pamela. The sisters are not all happy to be gaining a stepmother nor are they pleased about Stephen’s divorce plans.

Tully and her husband Sonny are parents of two sons who are five and almost three. Tully’s stress levels are through the roof as she navigates upcoming changes for her family and the situation with her parents and Heather. She has always had severe anxiety and her coping mechanism is about to land her trouble. Will Sonny stand by her when the truth is revealed?

Rachel is a sought-after baker who devotes all her time to her business. She has not dated since she was a teenager and she too is keeping a secret from her loved ones. Her new delivery person is quite unexpected and she finally begins to emerge from her shell.

Heather has not been honest about her past but she certain Stephen will not learn the truth. She never intended to fall in love with a married man but she eagerly grabs hold of her chance for happiness. But after moving in with her husband to be, Heather begins to notice things about Stephen that leave her questioning her decision about her future. Can she trust her interpretations of unsettling events?

The Younger Wife is a compelling domestic mystery that is very suspenseful. Tully’s deep-seated issues are becoming impossible to control. Rachel’s fears have held her hostage for decades but will she finally be able to move past them? Heather is surprisingly easy to like but is marrying Stephen the right decision? Can Tully and Rachel trust their mother’s shocking declarations? With plenty of questions to answer, Sally Hepworth brings this suspenseful domestic mystery to an absolutely jaw-dropping conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Sally Hepworth, St Martin's Press, Suspense, The Younger Wife

April 4, 2022 · 12:01 am

Review: The Resting Place by Camilla Sten

Title: The Resting Place by Camilla Sten
Translated by Alexandra Fleming
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspse
Length: 322 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Crimson Peak meets The Sanatorium in The Resting Place, a heart-thumping, unforgettable novel of horror and suspense by international sensation Camilla Sten.

Deep rooted secrets.
A twisted family history.
And a house that will never let go.

Eleanor lives with prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize a familiar person’s face. It causes stress. Acute anxiety.

It can make you question what you think you know.

When Eleanor walked in on the scene of her capriciously cruel grandmother, Vivianne’s, murder, she came face to face with the killer—a maddening expression that means nothing to someone like her. With each passing day, the horror of having come so close to a murderer—and not knowing if they’d be back—overtakes both her dreams and her waking moments, thwarting her perception of reality.

Then a lawyer calls. Vivianne has left her a house—a looming estate tucked away in the Swedish woods. The place her grandfather died, suddenly. A place that has housed a chilling past for over fifty years.

Eleanor. Her steadfast boyfriend, Sebastian. Her reckless aunt, Veronika. The lawyer. All will go to this house of secrets, looking for answers. But as they get closer to uncovering the truth, they’ll wish they had never come to disturb what rests there.

Review:

The Resting Place by Camilla Sten is a spellbinding Swedish mystery.

Eleanor Fälth’s relationship with the grandmother who raised her is so complicated she has set up strict rules about phone calls and visits. When Eleanor shows up for her obligatory once a week dinner, she is stunned to walk in minutes after her grandmother’s murder. Even though the killer is still present and walks right by her, she cannot offer any details due to her face blindness (prosopagnosia). After not coping well with the resulting anxiety, Eleanor is finally doing much better. Surprised to learn her grandmother owned a summer house away from the city, she and her longtime boyfriend Sebastian join the estate lawyer Rickard Snäll to inventory the contents. Upon their arrival, she discovers her aunt Veronika has decided to join them. With a winter storm bearing down on them, will Eleanor learn her grandmother’s secrets? And will she uncover the identity of her killer?

Eleanor has been unable to make contact with the groundskeeper Mats Bengtsson so her first order of business is to locate him. She is still not able to track him down so she is surprised when she sees a figure lurking by a nearby cottage. Then during the fierce storm, Rickart goes to the cellar for more wine and never returns. Danger awaits Eleanor and Veronika after they decide to venture out in the storm to see if they can find them.  Will Sebastian now take her sighting the night before more seriously?

The Resting Place is an atmospheric mystery with a chilling storyline. Eleanor is a sympathetic young woman whose recent past leaves her questioning herself. Sebastian is completely out of his depth so Eleanor quickly realizes she is much stronger than she believes. The country home is secluded and they are soon cut off from the nearby town once the blinding storm settles in. With shocking twists, Camilla Sten brings this suspenseful mystery to a an absolutely stunning conclusion.

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Filed under Camilla Sten, Contemporary, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Resting Place