Tag Archives: suspense

The Hidden – Kathryn Mackel

You know, I never thought there was such a thing as a Christian supernatural thriller, but I found one. It’s called “The Hidden,” and it was written by Kathryn Mackel. Psychiatrist Susan Stone has been burying herself in work to try to overcome the grief surrounding her son’s death, but it’s not working. Memories of him flash through her mind and she fights them off, trying desperately not to remember what happened, what led up to those last moments. When the phone rings to tell her that her father has been in an accident, she leaves everything behind to go … Continue reading →

Code Red – Jennie Hansen

In the LDS suspense novel “Code Red,” we read about Nicole, a young woman who grew up on a military base. As a child, she saw her father murdered, but there was a cover-up and the military refused to acknowledge that any such thing had happened, claiming instead that her father had chosen to leave his family. Even her mother doesn’t believe her, and Nicole is sent to a mental institution where she lives for the better part of a year, until she realizes that if she doesn’t retract the story, she’ll never gain her freedom. Squelching down the things … Continue reading →

The Clairvoyant Countess – Dorothy Gilman

I reviewed “Kaleidoscope” a few weeks ago, which is the sequel to “The Clairvoyant Countess.” I enjoyed it so much, of course I had to go back and find the original. I wasn’t disappointed at all. We meet Madame Karistska, clairvoyant, who has lived a fascinating life. She came from money but because of political upheaval in the countries where she lived, she came to America as a pauper. She has never used her clairvoyance for profit, but having to rely on her own skills to make it in the world, she decides to go into business for herself. She … Continue reading →

Suspicion (1941)

Joan Fontaine won an Oscar for her role in “Suspicion” as Lina, a young woman who is given to reading books, riding horses, and living a quiet life with her parents on their country estate. She is traveling home by train when she meets up with Johnny (Cary Grant) a charming rascal who manages to “borrow” some of his train fare from her. He comes to a fox hunt on her estate and manages to schmooze her, breaking down her natural walls. When he doesn’t return as promised, she realizes how much she likes him, so much so that when … Continue reading →

Fool Me Twice – Stephanie Black

I finished this new LDS suspense novel last night and loved every minute of it. It’s not often that a book has so many twists and turns, I can’t stay ahead of it, but this one kept me guessing through the end. Megan O’Connor’s father passed away six years ago, and her needy mother asked her to stay home from college and help get things organized. Her twin sister, Kristen, walked away and never looked back, leaving Megan to pick up all the pieces. As the years passed, their mother became more and more demanding and manipulative, wheedling Megan’s college … Continue reading →

The Deep End – Traci Hunter Abramson

In “The Deep End” by LDS author Traci Hunter Abramson, CJ Whitmore has been in the Witness Protection Program for three years, ever since she saw her good friend Chase killed. He had been investigating some shady dealings involving government corruption and diamonds, and was killed before he could share what he knew. The bad guys have been hunting CJ ever since, not wanting her to testify, but also believing that she has the missing diamonds, and they want them back. Matt Whitmore, CJ’s husband, is a baseball player and in the public eye. He and CJ can’t openly be … Continue reading →

The Second Time Around – Mary Higgins Clark

In “The Second Time Around,” we meet Carley DeCarlo, a journalist who writes financial advice columns. Her baby died ten years ago from a heart defect, and her husband couldn’t take the stress and left. Now alone and supporting herself, Carley feels like she’s put her life back together, but she hesitates to trust again. Her mother has remarried, and her step-father’s daughter, Lynn, is cool and distant. Lynn’s husband, Nicholas Spencer, is everything Lynn is not. He’s charming, warm, and personable. He owns a company called Gen-stone which is devoted to seeking out a cure for cancer. He believes … Continue reading →

Copycat – Betsy Brannon Green

Mark and Kate Iverson are living the southern dream in Haggerty, Alabama. Now the parents of two adorable children, they have everything they’ve ever wanted. Along with being an FBI agent, Mark is now the bishop of their ward, and so he’s gone a lot, but Kate has learned to deal with her husband’s absences, and besides, she always has Miss Eugenia to help her when she gets a little overwhelmed. Kate’s sister Kelsey has come for a visit, contemplating whether she should divorce her husband. She’s four months pregnant, but her husband doesn’t know, and she’s not sure if … Continue reading →

Until Proven Guilty – Betsy Brannon Green

“Until Proven Guilty” by LDS author Betsy Brannon Green is the story of Beth Middleton, a young woman whose fiancé was killed in a car accident on the morning of their wedding. After going through a long period of depression, she finally rouses herself enough to get an apartment and a job at the library, but she believes that she will never get married. After all, she promised to love her fiancé forever, and she doesn’t want to break that promise. Her old boss calls her one day with an interesting proposition. Divorced criminal defense attorney Jack Gamble needs a … Continue reading →

Someone’s Hiding on Alcatraz Island – Eve Bunting

This young adult suspense novel was really creepy—but in a good way. That is, if creepy can be good . . . Danny is a fourteen-year-old boy with some larger than average problems. A gang at his school, known as the Outlaws, has targeted him. He witnessed a mugging and turned the attacker in, not knowing he was the brother of one of the Outlaws, and they have vowed to make him pay. And when they say “pay,” they really mean it – these boys have committed assault and battery on many of the kids at school. Tired of being … Continue reading →