Category: Suspense

Mystery, Suspense

American Girl by Wendy Walker

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

A pulse-pounding novel about a small-town business owner found dead and the teenage girl caught in the crosshairs, American Girl is the latest thriller from internationally bestselling author Wendy Walker.

Charlie Hudson, an autistic seventeen-year-old, is determined to leave Sawyer, PA, as soon as she graduates high school. In the meantime, she works as many hours as she can at a sandwich shop called The Triple S to save money for college. But when shop owner, Clay Cooper—a man both respected and feared in their small economically depressed town—is found dead, each member of his staff becomes a suspect in the perplexing case. Before she can go anywhere, Charlie must protect herself and her friends by uncovering the danger that is still lurking in their tightknit community.

Based on the #1 bestselling Audible Original, author Wendy Walker returns with another riveting thriller, told through the eyes of an unforgettable protagonist.

My Thoughts

I’ve seen this novel described as The Maid meets Riverdale which is an apt description. Walker has given us a protagonist who beats the odds and makes it through a terrifying and stressful event to emerge a stronger and more confident version of herself. More importantly, Walker has given us a protagonist diagnosed as autistic and writes her with such empathy and clarity that this reader came away with a deeper understanding of what the diagnosis means and what it doesn’t.

Charlie is as complex a character as I’ve run across recently, and I throughly enjoyed watching her handle the murder situation. The loyalty, strength of conviction, and love on display made for a great read.

American Girl and Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger are two mystery/thrillers I am recommending among the Fall releases. Both will keep you reading and biting your nails!

A Note From the Publisher

Wendy Walker is the author of the psychological suspense novels All Is Not Forgotten, Emma in the Night, The Night Before, Don’t Look for Me, and American Girl. Her novels have been translated into twenty-three foreign languages, topped bestseller lists both nationally and abroad, and have been optioned for television and film. Wendy holds degrees from Brown University and Georgetown Law School. She is a former family law attorney with training in child advocacy and has worked in finance and several areas of the law.

Advance Praise

“Wendy Walker’s outstanding American Girl has a little bit of everything. A fascinating, perfectly rendered teen protagonist. An intricately plotted mystery. A deadly accurate portrait of a small town grappling with big issues. This novel is smart, moving, complex, and ultimately hopeful. A highly original work from one of the best suspense writers in the business. Don’t miss it!”

David Bell, New York Times bestselling author of She’s Gone and

Publication Date: October 17, 2023
Published By: Blackstone Publishing
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Mystery, New Releases, Psychological, Suspense, Women

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Instead of presents this Christmas, a true crime podcaster is opening up a cold case…

Madeline Martin has built a life for herself as the young owner of a thriving business, The Next Chapter Bookshop, despite her tragic childhood and now needing to care for her infirm father. When Harley Granger, a failed novelist turned true crime podcaster, drifts into her shop in the days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up events that Madeline would much rather forget. She’s the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the man who was convicted of murdering her best friend Steph, and is suspected in the disappearance of two sisters, also good friends of Madeline’s, who have been missing for nearly a decade. It’s an investigation that has obsessed her father Sheriff James Martin right up until his stroke took his faculties.

Harley Granger has a gift for seeing things that others miss. He wasn’t much of a novelist, but his work as a true crime author and podcaster has earned him fame and wealth—and some serious criticism for his various unethical practices. Still, visiting Little Valley to be closer to his dying father has caused him to look into a case that many people think is closed—and some want reopened. And he has a lot of questions about the night Stephanie Cramer was killed, Ainsley and Sam Wallace disappeared, and Madeline Martin was left for dead, bleeding out on a riverbank.

Since Evan Handy went to jail, three other young women have gone missing, most recently a young college dropout named Lolly. Five young women missing in the same area in a decade. Are they connected? Was Evan Handy innocent after all? Or was there some else there that night? Someone who is still satisfying his dark appetites?

As Christmas approaches and a blizzard bears down, Madeline and her childhood friend Badger return to a past they both hoped was dead—to find the missing Lolly and to answer questions that have haunted them both, discovering that the truth is more terrible and much closer to home than they think.

Coupling a picturesque, cozy setting with a deeply unsettling suspenseful plot, Christmas Presents is a chilling seasonal novella that can be enjoyed all year long.

My Thoughts

I picked up this nail-biter of a novel and set it down 2 hours later, absolutely drained. This is a whopper of a story that grabs ahold from the first chapter and doesn’t let you go until the final sentence.

While the story is shorter than others, I found myself feeling a sense of urgency while reading, adding to the tension. Everything works here from the characters to the dialog to the narrative structure and description – it all comes together in this incendiary story that will have you gripping the book, white-knuckled, as you gnaw on your fingernails.

So well done.

Publication Date: October 24, 2023
Published By: Penzler Publishers; Mysterious Press
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Mystery, Partners In Crime, Suspense

Citizen Orlov by Jonathan Payne

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

September 4-29, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Not every fishmonger can be a secret agent.

Journey to an unnamed mountainous country in central Europe at the end of the Great War. Enter Citizen Orlov, a simple fishmonger and an honest, upright citizen, who answers a phone call meant for a secret agent and stumbles into a hidden world of espionage and secrecy. Recruited by the Ministry of Security, he is sent on assignment to safeguard the king.

But Orlov soon discovers that his ministry handler, the alluring femme fatale Agent Zelle, is planning not to protect the king but to assassinate him. Caught in a web of plot and counterplot, confusing loyalties, and explosive betrayals, Orlov finds himself on trial for murder. Given the opportunity to clear his name, he finds that the lives of his friends, mother, and fellow citizens hang in the balance.

My Thoughts

I used to read a lot of espionage fiction but have gotten away from it over the years. Citizen Orlov reminded me of why I enjoyed the genre so much, while at the same time turning that genre on its ear. Instead of the suave, experienced, clever spy, here we have Citizen Orlov…an Everyman caught up in a convoluted assassination plot simply because he answered a phone call.

Orlov’s practicality and “let’s get on with it” attitude appealed to me as I followed his adventures through to the end. Although I will admit that I had a moment of “is he stupid” when he walked out of jail and immediately returned to selling fish. But he’s not stupid. He’s practical.

Payne’s writing is crisp, featuring short sentences and matter-of-fact dialog and description. He tells Citizen Orlov’s story in a straightforward and unadorned manner, further conveying the general atmosphere of fear and betrayal that permeates the narrative. I found his style a refreshing change from the cozy mysteries I’ve been reading lately.

I’ll be recommending this to fans of espionage fiction and world literature. Well done!

Book Details:

Genre: Espionage Thriller
Published by: CamCat Books
Publication Date: May 2023
Number of Pages: 288
ISBN: 9780744309010 (ISBN10: 0744309018)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | CamCat Books

Book Shortlinks:

Amazon – https://amzn.to/43khWci
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/3PMigNT
BookShop.org – https://bit.ly/46F66fJ
Goodreads – https://bit.ly/3NzV0Qw
CamCat Books – https://bit.ly/3JPxAFD

Author Bio:

Jonathan Payne

Jonathan Payne is a British-American writer based outside Washington, D.C. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Novel Writing from Middlesex University, London. His short fiction has been featured at the North London Story Festival and in magazines including Turnpike, Twist in Time and Fiction Kitchen Berlin. Before moving to the United States, he worked for the British government on matters of national security. When not writing or reading, he can be found in the boxing gym.

Catch Up With Jonathan Payne:
www.JonathanPayne.org
Goodreads
BookBub – @jon7payne
Instagram – @jon7payne
Twitter – @jon7payne

Author Shortlinks:

www.JonathanPayne.org – https://bit.ly/3NL5g8q
Goodreads – https://bit.ly/44ghqxp
BookBub – @jon7payne – https://bit.ly/3PME9wp
Instagram – @jon7payne – https://bit.ly/3O4cdmv
Twitter – @jon7payne – https://bit.ly/3pDnjpf

Historical, Romance, Suspense, Women

Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Next in the #1 Sunday Times bestselling series, New York Times bestselling author Kate Mosse returns with The Ghost Ship, a sweeping historical epic of adventure on the high seas.

The Barbary Coast, 1621. A mysterious vessel floats silently on the water. It is known only as the Ghost Ship. For months it has hunted pirates to liberate those enslaved by corsairs, manned by a courageous crew of mariners from Italy and France, Holland and the Canary Islands.

But the bravest men on board are not who they seem. And the stakes could not be higher. If arrested, they will be hanged for their crimes. Can they survive the journey and escape their fate?

A sweeping and epic love story, ranging from France in 1610 to Amsterdam and the Canary Islands in the 1620s, The Ghost Ship is a thrilling novel of adventure and buccaneering, love and revenge, stolen fortunes and hidden secrets on the high seas.

My Thoughts

Kate Mosse is one of those authors who could write the alphabet and I’d gladly read it. She is one of the best builders-of-worlds writing today, and her historical research is impeccable. She tends to focus on women’s roles in various historical periods, throwing bright light on the horrible conditions and restrictions women endured. However, Mosse’s female protagonists are always those who rise above or go right through the patriarchy and she has outdone her previous characters with Louise.

There’s action, there’s adventure, there’s love all wrapped up in Mosse’s gorgeous prose. This one is a winner for sure and is one I’ll be adding to my print collection.

Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Published By: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

British, Cozy, Mystery, Suspense, Women

A Scrap of Silk by Virginia King INDIE PICK!

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

A surprise inheritance.

A locked cellar.

A shocking secret from her family’s past …

When 30-year-old mystery author Tiggy Jones inherits an old boathouse in Devon from the grandmother she never knew, her shock turns to excitement.

But she’s walking into a labyrinth of clues that hint at a long-hidden secret.

A series of anonymous threats become increasingly menacing. Who is trying to stop her investigations?

As her new life unravels, what horrors will she uncover from her family’s past?

And will she survive them?

A Scrap of Silk is Book 1 in the addictive new Tiggy Jones Mystery Series.

Cancel a couple of night’s sleep and get it now.

My Thoughts

I always enjoy a new mystery series, and Virginia King has made me a fan with this mysterious, semi-creepy, and generally fun book. She has given readers a very appealing protagonist in Tiggy Jones, and dropped her into Topsham, a veritable bed of intrigue. The component of the mysterious locked cellar is handled nicely, even though it turns into a gruesome and sad story.

There are a lot of characters introduced throughout the story, which I did find a bit of a challenge to keep straight, but it all worked out in the end with a deliciously witty and ingenious narrative. I initially labeled this a “cozy” mystery, but there were definitely some dark traces included in the story, especially the diabolical antagonist. I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a commupance quite so much! Well done.

Publication Date: June 30, 2023
Published By: BooksGoSocial
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Action Adventure, Horror, Makes You Think, Mystery, Suspense

Tides of Fire by James Rollins

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

In the latest riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author, an international research station in the Coral Sea comes under siege during a geological disaster that triggers massive quakes, deadly tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. To stop the world from burning, it’s up to Sigma Force to uncover a secret buried at the heart of our planet.

The Titan Project—an international research station off the coast of Australia—discovers a thriving zone of life in an otherwise dead sea. The area teems with a strange bioluminescent coral that defies science, yet holds great promise for the future. But the loss of a military submarine in the area triggers a brutal attack and sets in motion a geological disaster that destabilizes an entire region.

Massive quakes, volcanic eruptions, and deadly tsunamis herald a greater cataclysm to come—for something is stirring miles under the ocean, a threat hidden for millennia. 

As seas turn toxic and coastlines burn, can Sigma Force stop what has been let loose—especially as an old adversary returns, hunting them and thwarting their every move? For any hope of success, Commander Gray Pierce must search for a key buried in the past, hidden deep in Aboriginal mythology. But what Sigma could uncover is even more frightening—something that will shake the very foundations of humanity.

My Thoughts

I’ve been reading Rollin’s work for a long time and he is one of the few authors out there whose work never gets stale. While every book has the basic plot of “save the world from catastrophe,” Rollins continually serves up wildly inventive and interesting plots. In Tides of Fire, he blends extraterrestrial mysteries with the just-as-mysterious deep ocean environment on earth to spin as captivating a tale as I’ve ever read.

I always learn new things as I read Rollins’ work, and this round I learned a heck of a lot about deep ocean creatures and the early existence of our planet. Could the Dumbo Octopus be any cuter or the Viper Fish any more terrifying?

Rollins peoples Tides of Fire with the usual cast of characters, including one we all thought was a goner after his adventures in previous books. The relationship between Gray and Seichan continues to evolve, and we get a glimpse of her mysterious past here, which is a nice addition to the series. There is non-stop action from the first chapter straight through to the end.

And that epilogue! Mr. Rollins, get that next book out as soon as possible. Please!

Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Published By: William Morrow
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Action Adventure, Book Tour, Mystery, Partners In Crime, Suspense

Deadly Depths by John F. Dobbyn

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Deadly Depths
by John F Dobbyn
July 24 – August 18, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

The death by bizarre means of his mentor, Professor Barrington Holmes, draws Mathew Shane into the quest of five archeologists, known to each other as “The Monkey’s Paws,” for an obscure object of unprecedented historic and financial value. The suspected murders of others of the Monkey’s Paws follow their pursuit of five clues found in a packet of five ancient parchments. Shane’s commitment to disprove the police theory of suicide by Professor Holmes carries him to the steamy bayous of New Orleans, the backstreets of Montreal, the sunken wreck of a pirate vessel off Barbados, and the city of Maroon descendants of escaped enslaved people in Jamaica. By weaving a thread including the Aztec kingdom before the Spanish conquest of Mexico through the African Ashanti beliefs of Jamaican Maroons and finally to the adventures of Captain Henry Morgan during the Golden Era of Piracy, Shane reaches a conclusion he could never have anticipated.

My Thoughts

As a longtime fan and reader of action-adventure fiction, I don’t know how I’ve missed out on John F. Dobbyn’s work! Deadly Depths is one wild ride, beginning in Boston and ending in a forbidding Jamaican jungle.

All the elements of a pulse-pounding adventure are here – the charismatic protagonist, the mysterious powerful benefactor, the stoic but powerful wingman, the treacherous partners, and above all the fabulous treasure at the end of the quest.

A well-constructed plot, a vivid and engaging narrative (there’s an absolute nightmare of an underwater scene that had me at the edge of my seat!), and a non-stop pace make this one a winner for any reader looking to escape into an adventure for a few hours.

Praise for Deadly Depths:

“Deadly Depths gives readers characters they care about and gets hearts pumping as the mystery and adventure unfold!” 
~ Janet Hutchings, Editor, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

“Deadly Depths is an exciting mystery novel that asks who has the right to seek and exploit lost treasures.” 
~  Foreword Reviews

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Crime Thriller
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: August 2023
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781608095483 (ISBN10: 1608095487)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Oceanview Publishing

Book ShortLinks:

Amazon https://amzn.to/3q4oPk4
Barnes & Noble https://bit.ly/43luYGZ
BookShop.org https://bit.ly/3WtWzn0
Goodreads https://bit.ly/43iKO58
Oceanview Publishing https://bit.ly/3q5m5D8

Author Bio:

John F Dobbyn

Following graduation from Boston Latin School and Harvard College with a major in Latin and Linguistics, three years on active duty as fighter intercept director in the United States Air Force, graduation from Boston College Law School, three years of practice in civil and criminal trial work, and graduation from Harvard Law School with a Master of Laws degree, I began a career as a Professor of Law at Villanova Law School. Twenty-five years ago I began writing mystery/thriller fiction. I have so far had twenty-five short stories published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery magazine, and six mystery thriller novels, the Michael Knight/Lex Devlin series, published by Oceanview Publishing. The second novel, Frame Up, was selected as Foreword Review’s Book of the Year.

Catch Up With John F Dobbyn:
JohnDobbyn.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @JohnFDobbyn
Instagram – #JohnFDobbyn
Twitter – @JohnDobbyn
Facebook – @JohnFDobbynAuthor

Author Shortlinks:

JohnDobbyn.com https://bit.ly/3q85C0X
Goodreads https://bit.ly/3MxXT3X
BookBub – @JohnFDobbyn https://bit.ly/3WtVNGI
Instagram – #JohnFDobbyn https://bit.ly/3ok0vKF
Twitter – @JohnDobbyn https://bit.ly/3Mw1rDD
Facebook – @JohnFDobbynAuthor https://bit.ly/45s1jO1

British, Detective, Mystery, Suspense

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—returns with The Raging Storm, the extraordinary third installment in the Matthew Venn series.

Fierce winds, dark secrets, deadly intentions.

When Jem Rosco—sailor, adventurer, and legend—blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. But just as abruptly as he arrived, Rosco disappears again, and soon his lifeless body is discovered in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own.

This is an uncomfortable case for Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. Greystone is a place he visited as a child, a community he parted ways with. Superstition and rumor mix with fact as another body is found, and Venn finds his judgment clouded.

As the winds howl, and Venn and his team investigate, he realizes that no one, including himself, is safe from Scully Cove’s storm of dark secrets.

My Thoughts

Cleeves just keeps getting better with every story she writes. This new entry in the Matthew Venn series reveals a bit more information about Matthew’s upbringing in The Brethren, but really focuses on long simmering feuds, wrongs done in the past and the long, long memories of people in a small, isolated town.

The atmosphere here is one of the darkest I recall from a Cleeves book (although there are a couple in the Shetland series that get pretty dark), with the setting in a small Devon coastal village everyone describes as “bleak.” Cleeves excels at writing descriptive narrative so lush you can feel the rain on your face and the wind in your hair, and she certainly delivers that kind of experience here.

True to form, the characters here are memorable, from the charismatic Jem to devoted mother Mary, her protective father Alan, and the ultra-manipulative woman who fools them all.

This can be read as a stand-alone, but it will make you want to go back and read the others in the Venn series. While a well-constructed mystery in Cleeves’ incomparable style, be prepared for feeling less than cheerful while reading.

“A friend of mine once joked that the work of Ann Cleeves is the closest the crime fiction genre comes to evoking ASMR—the euphoric, pleasant, spine-tingling sensation that’s all the rage on YouTube.” —The New York Times

Publication Date: September 5, 2023
Published By: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Historical, Mystery, Suspense, Women

Woman in the Castello by Kelsie James

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Set in 1960s Italy, this stylish, atmospheric debut spins a bewitching web of ruthless ambition, family secrets, and the consequences of forbidden love, as an ambitious American actress snags the starring role in a mysterious horror movie shooting on location in a crumbling medieval castle outside Rome…

Rome, 1965: Aspiring actress Silvia Whitford arrives at Rome’s famed Cinecittà Studios from Los Angeles, ready for her big break and a taste of la dolce vita. Instead, she learns that the movie in which she was cast has been canceled. Desperate for money, Silvia has only one choice: seek out the Italian aunt she has never met.

Gabriella Conti lives in a crumbling castello on the edge of a volcanic lake. Silvia’s mother refuses to explain the rift that drove the sisters apart, but Silvia is fascinated by Gabriella, a once-famous actress who still radiates charisma. And the eerie castle inspires Silvia’s second chance when it becomes the location for a new horror movie, aptly named The Revenge of the Lake Witch—and she lands a starring role.

Silvia immerses herself in the part of an ingenue tormented by the ghost of her beautiful, seductive ancestor. But when Gabriella abruptly vanishes, the movie’s make-believe terrors seep into reality. No one else on set seems to share Silvia’s suspicions. Yet as she delves into Gabriella’s disappearance, she triggers a chain of events that illuminate dark secrets in the past—and a growing menace in the present . . .

My Thoughts

2023 is shaping up to be an awesome year for books and this one is no exception. A riveting and rambunctious historical mystery set in a dilapidated castle in 1960s Italy, it has everything – a resourceful but flawed heroine, a sick mother, a feisty and mysterious aunt, a handsome leading man, and a boatload of family secrets.

The writing is neat and engrossing, with plenty of attention to descriptive narrative that beautifully evokes the eeriness and creepiness of the castello, and the character development is spot on. Silvia is a strong, resourceful, realistic protagonist and immensely likable. Her tenaciousness is admirable! The relationship between Silvia’s mother and aunt is also fraught with tension and emotion. Such a good story! Add this one to your summer reading pile.

Advance Praise

“The 1960s in Rome, a crumbling Italian castle on the edge of a volcanic lake, a glamorous aunt she’s never met, and a starring role in a horror movie that begins to feel a bit too real…Kelsey James’s debut novel is a delicious Gothic filled with atmosphere, twists, romance, and dark secrets. Readers will devour it.” – Megan Chance, bestselling author of A Splendid Ruin

“Cinematic and spooky…Readers will be swept up in the glamorous—and sometimes grungy—1960s movie scene” – Nicole Baart, bestselling author of Everything We Didn’t Say

“Like Jess Walters’s Beautiful Ruins, the glamour and heady indulgence of the era take center stage in this captivating, multilayered story.” – Susan Wiggs, # 1 New York Times bestselling author

Publication Date: July 25, 2023
Published By: Kensington Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Mystery, Psychological, Suspense

Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

She escaped a serial killer. Then things got weird.

Amber Jamison can’t believe she’s about to become the latest victim of a serial killer. She’s savvy and street smart, so when she gets pushed into, of all things, a white windowless van, she is more angry than afraid. Things get even weirder when she’s miraculously saved by a mysterious woman . . . who promptly disappears. Who was she? And why is she hunting serial killers?

You’d think escaping one psychopath would be enough, but Amber’s problems are just beginning. Her close call has law enforcement circling a past she’s tried to outrun. She’s forced to flee across the country, ending up at a seedy motel in Las Vegas with a noir-obsessed manager and a sex worker as her unlikely companions . . . and danger right behind. She’s landed in the cross hairs of the world’s most prolific killer, caught up in a deadly game that’s been going on for years. To survive, she is forced to dust off her old playbook and partner with someone she can’t trust. The odds are against her, but sometimes you just have to roll the dice.

My Thoughts

This is the latest selection in Jenny Lawson’s Fantastic Strangelings Book Club and it is a doozy! Crime readers who enjoy quirky, damaged-but-strong female leads will not be able to put this one down.

The first 30 pages of this book are so wild that I was worried the rest would be a let-down, but that is most certainly not the case. Amber, who is caught by a serial killer in the beginning and is so disappointed and angry that she got caught, is the model of a survivor. Her “saviour,” Grace, is also a survivor but of a different sort. Both light up the pages of this unusual story, along with a cast of endearing and colorful characters.

I immediately passed this book on to my daughter, the true-crime fanatic.

What I love about Lawson’s book club is the eclectic selection of titles. I can always count on Lawson to select something that I likely would never pick up on my own, and the reading experience is always worth it. Grab this one for an engrossing read this summer!

Utterly original and wildly entertaining, Killing Me is a laugh-loud-loud thriller with a protagonist whose life is a total mess.