Tag Archives: suspense

Review: What We Hide, by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

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Book cover: What We Hide, by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker. Image: woman running toward an ornate stone building, passing benches and trees. Overcast sky suggesting an approaching storm.

What We Hide, by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker (Thomas Nelson, 2024)

A crumbling southern US university. A couple whose marriage shattered with the death of their toddler. A cache of artifacts that seem to be being sold with illegal provenance papers. And… a corpse.

Savannah and Hezekiah Webster might have survived losing their daughter—if he hadn’t turned to alcohol. Two years later, Hez claims to have changed. Savannah doesn’t dare risk her heart again, but when she becomes a person of interest in the on-campus death, she needs his help.

She’s a history professor looking for tenure in the university her father helped establish. He’s a top defense attorney with a new passion for helping the unjustly accused. Can working together reunite their hearts? Will they live long enough to find out?

Much of the story takes place on or near the university grounds, and fans of Colleen Coble’s Pelican Harbor series will recognize some of the nearby town’s residents.

What We Hide is a Tupelo Grove Novel, and the epilogue highlights an unanswered thread that’s begging for a sequel (Where Secrets Lie, releasing June 2025).

This writing duo has also released a stand-alone tech thriller, I Think I Was Murdered, with different characters and a different location. And no, it’s not a ghost story. It features a widow and an advanced AI chat feature. On my to-read list…

What We Hide comes with discussion questions, but don’t peek before you reach the end. Spoilers…

Colleen Coble is a bestselling author of over 75 Christian romantic suspense novels. Rick Acker is a Supervising Deputy Attorney General by day and a bestselling author of Christian legal thrillers by night. For more about the authors, visit colleencoble.com and rickacker.com

[Review copy from the public library.]

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Review: A Forboding of Petrels, by Steve Burrows

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A Forboding of Petrels, by Steve Burrows (Point Blank, 2022)

If you like British-based police procedurals, unconventional detectives, down-to-earth characters, and plenty of bird sightings, the Birder Murder Mystery series is for you. This particular mystery will take you to rural England and to Antarctica.

In England: A disciplinary suspension bars DCI Dominic Jejeune from involvement in any active cases. Not that there’s much going on except someone setting a few fires. Well, until they find a body.

In Antarctica: A research scientist is murdered.

Dominic gains access to the local research centre connected with the dead scientist. From the reports and sporadic contact with the expedition’s leader, he begins to trace the clues.

But when his findings become linked with arson at the local research centre, he’s skirting dangerously close to breaking the terms of his suspension.

This is book 7 in the Birder Murder Mystery series. Each novel’s mystery is complete. A reader new to the series starting here would be able to follow the plot but would miss the nuances that have built over time between the characters. It’s a series worth reading from the beginning, so I suggest you start with A Siege of Bitterns.

I love the loyalty that’s grown among these characters, and the descriptions of the natural settings. Like this one:

It had rained earlier that morning, a fine mist so gentle it had settled on the stalks of the grasses without bowing them. (p. 202, Chapter 29)

I also appreciate the way each book touches on details of environmental issues (in an organic way, never feeling like an agenda or a lesson).

Award-winning author Steve Burrows is a UK-born, Canadian-based writer with a long history of experience in the birding world. For more about the author and his work, visit steveburrows.org.

[Review copy from the public library.]

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Picks from 2024

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Goodreads tells me I read 59 books in 2024.

Calendar, 2024, books. Text: My Year in Books 15,935 pages read, 59 books read. Image of Janet Sketchley.
Image credit: Goodreads. Click to view full details on Goodreads.

From those 59 books in 2024, here are my top picks:

Book of the year, fiction: Born of Gilded Mountains, by Amanda Dykes

Book of the year, nonfiction: Abiding in Christ, by Andrew Murray

Christian living: Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, by Tyler Staton; God Has a Name, by John Mark Comer, Opening to God: Lectio Divina and Life as Prayer, by David G. Benner

Fantasy: The Sunlit Man, by Brandon Sanderson

Favourite re-read (fiction): The End of the Magi, by Patrick Carr; The Scent of Water, by Elizabeth Goudge

Favourite re-read (non-fiction): Practicing His Presence, by Frank Laubach and Brother Lawrence (Gene Edwards, editor)

Heartwarming reads: The Divine Proverb of Streusel, by Sara Brunsvold

Mystery/suspense: Queen of Hearts, by Heather Day Gilbert; The Grey Wolf, by Louise Penny

Nova Scotia fiction: The Bad Reputations, by Karen V. Robichaud

Science fiction: The Icarus Job, by Timothy Zahn

To see what I loved most about my top three picks, see my entry at Shepherd.com.

Some of these books were produced in 2024, some previously. Pop a note into the comments with your own favourites?

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Short-listed for The Word Awards

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Short-listed for The Word Awards: Deadly Burden. With book cover image (cabin in snowy woods) and descriptive text.

Deadly Burden has been short-listed for The Word Awards! Winners will be announced September 14, 2023. To learn about The Word Awards and view the short-list, visit thewordguild.com/the-word-awards-winners-finalists.

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Author Interview: Heather Day Gilbert

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Do you love a good, intriguing, suspense novel?
Bonus if it’s about a writer? Read on…

Author photo: Heather Day Gilbert. Also contains a tree and a river.

HEATHER DAY GILBERT is an RWA Daphne Award-winning author who writes Hitchcock-style suspense with tenacious female leads who know how to fend for themselves. Like her characters, she’s a little bit sweet and a little bit dangerous. She loves nothing better than to surprise her readers—and herself—with unpredictable twists. A West Virginia native, she brings modern-day Appalachia to life in her novels. Find out more at heatherdaygilbert (dot) com.

Here are 5 quick questions and answers about Heather’s new suspense novel, Queen of Hearts.

Janet: Writers are shaped by what they read. Who or what have been your key
influences in the suspense genre?

Heather: I grew up reading all the Agatha Christie, Phyllis Whitney, Daphne du Maurier, and Mary Higgins Clark I could get my hands on. So it makes sense to me that I largely read psychological thrillers and mysteries today!

Janet: Why did you choose a protagonist with autism, and what do you hope
readers will take from being in Alex’s head throughout this story?

Heather: I really wanted readers to understand that autism doesn’t always look like Rain Man. You might know or be related to someone with high-functioning autism and just think they are quirky. In fact, THEY might just think they’re quirky. But neurodivergence can eventually manifest itself in many different ways, such as anxiety or burnout or OCD or depression, so it’s always good to research the root of the issues at hand.

Janet: You’ve written cozy mysteries, Christian romantic suspense, Viking
historicals, and now psychological suspense. Are there certain elements
you find yourself including across these different types of fiction?

Heather: I’ve asked myself that question many times, when searching for a quippy tagline! But there are certain things I’m drawn to in books and in life, such as strong female characters who don’t back down from fights, wooded (and Appalachian) settings, family dynamics, marriage dynamics, and survival scenarios, as well as the theme of justice. I love plots I can’t predict, with plenty of twists, and characters who stick with me. That’s what I’m trying to write, along with clean reads that are appropriate for teens through adults.

Janet: What’s next, writing-wise?

Heather: Hopefully, many more psychological thrillers, but I’m also planning at least two more books in my Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series, and I have a time-travel fantasy coming down the pike at some point. 

Janet: Sounds like fun! How can readers connect with you (in a non-stalkerly way!) and how can they buy a copy of Queen of Hearts?

Heather: You can read all about me and my books at heatherdaygilbert.com, and there’s a Contact Me page if you want to get in touch (definitely in a non-stalkerly way, though!) 😉 And Queen of Hearts is available for Kindle preorder on Amazon now, and the audiobook and softcover versions will release along with the Kindle version on July 23, 2024! 

Janet: Thank you so much for taking time for a chat. Despite my increasing timidity with suspense novels, I throroughly enjoyed Queen of Hearts. Readers can find my review here. Highly recommended!

Book cover: Queen of Hearts, by Heather Day Gilbert. Open door of a small building, dark sky, clouds.

Alexandra Dubois, a NYT bestselling author, has made a name for herself by crafting twisted serial killers in her romantic suspense series. When threatening notes from an “invested reader” escalate into violence, Alex has to admit she’s not safe in her own home. Although her autism makes any changes to her routine difficult, she reluctantly accepts her editor’s advice to fly to his sprawling vacation home in West Virginia so she can focus on her looming deadline.

Fighting paranoia that the stalker has discovered her mountain hideaway, Alex still forces herself to write several chapters in her novel. But when a thunderstorm leaves her stranded and she hears a knock at her door, she’s about to discover that life truly is stranger than fiction.

Fans of Alfred Hitchcock, Mary Higgins Clark, and Misery are sure to be hooked by this clean, fast-paced domestic thriller by RWA Daphne Award-winning author Heather Day Gilbert.

Book recommendations! What did I pick?

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Text: The best Christian/clean books where mystery-suspense meets women's fiction. Book cover for Miranda Warning, by Heather Day Gilbert: snowy branch with one red berry. Four more book covers with question marks on them. Follow the link to find out what's there!
Click the image to discover the other 4 books!

I had so much fun choosing my top 5 books for my “best Christian/clean books where mystery-suspense meets women’s fiction” list. And the format the team at Shepherd.com uses is refreshing: no hype-laden book blurbs, no long reviews. Just book covers and brief answers to the question, “Why did I love this book?”

So click the image above to see which books I chose and why I loved them. Then explore around the site and see what’s there. I hope you find a new book-friend or two! (Or you can click here: shepherd.com/best-books/christian-books-with-mystery-and-womens-fiction)

Shepherd’s tag line is “Explore, discover, read.” They describe a visit to their site as “like wandering the aisles of your favorite bookstore.” You can search to see if your favourite authors have shared their top-5 lists, or look for books you love and find others like them. Or just type what kind of book you feel like reading at the moment and see what suggestions come up.

If you’re curious about what Shepherd’s all about, check out their article, “Who are you and why are you doing this?” (These folks are all about questions! And about helping readers find good books.)

[Note: I do not receive any affiliate funding from sending you to the Shepherd site or from anything you do there. The only material benefit to me is the royalty earned when someone buys my featured book, Unknown Enemy.]

Review: The Bad Reputations, by Karen V. Robichaud

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Book cover: Three young women in 1920s clothing, a fishing village, and the title: The Bad Reputations, by Karen V. Robichaud.

The Bad Reputations, by Karen V. Robichaud (Word Alive Press, 2023)

In 1929, desperate to provide for themselves in a small town that’s turned against them, three young women choose to become rum-runners. They know it’s illegal and dangerous, and it doesn’t sit well with their faith, but they see no other way.

Local superstition blames Duska for the accidental death of her fisherman husband—because she’d been helping him on his boat and superstition marks a woman on board as bad luck. Larkin’s rum-running father has been killed by the mob, leaving her to care for her young brother. And Jolene is fleeing an abusive relationship when everyone tells her to stay and be a submissive wife.

The Bad Reputations is a compelling tale of courage, loyalty, and friendship in a fictional Nova Scotian town during Prohibition, when women’s options were limited. It takes an honest look at how people of integrity, including Christians, can find themselves making the wrong choices out of fear. The results we see are characters whose guilt makes them feel separated from God, avoiding Him instead of drawing close.

A different type of turmoil honestly addressed is Duska’s unexpected attraction to one of the police officers when she’s still grieving for her husband.

As well as strongly-defined characters, there’s some evocative description. Here’s one of my favourite samples:

The moon is hidden behind clouds in a charcoal sky. Darkness falls like a blanket over the ocean. Far out, green buoy lights flash, but nothing else. The vast blackness makes me uneasy. …I drive through the quiet streets of town. Yellowish-white fog slithers over the road like long, fat pythons. [paperback, pages 62-63]

The Bad Reputations is award-winning author Karen V. Robichaud’s seventh novel. Previous works include Tears in the Desert and The Unforgiving Sea. For more about the author and her books, visit her Author Page on Facebook.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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99-cent Ebook preorder!

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99-cent Ebook preorder! And not for the book you were expecting!

I don’t do 99-cent preorders anymore.

So why am I doing one for this book?

And what book is it, if it’s not the next Green Dory Inn mystery?

Announcing the Expanded Anniversary Edition of Heaven’s Prey,
now with 6 new chapters + prologue.

Expanded Anniversary Edition of Heaven's Prey preorder sale: ebook 99 cents. Ends Nov. 1/23.

So, why 99 cents? I hope many of my followers have read the earlier version. Why should I ask you to pay full price for a story when you know how it turns out?

For that matter, why suggest you buy it at all? 

How about those 6 extra chapters I mentioned? Plus the prologue.

If you’ve been with me awhile, you may have noticed my books combine mystery/suspense with a strong serving of Christian women’s fiction. It took time for me to discern the pattern, and by then Heaven’s Prey was already out there in the world. It’s not completely lacking in that aspect, but I had cut out the first part of Ruth’s story before submitting it to the publisher.

Last year, I reread the book. Reached the end, and started asking, “What about this part? Or this one? I didn’t see them anywhere.” And I realized they deepen who Ruth is. And they match my pattern of blending the mystery/suspense with Christian women’s fiction.

They also give readers the opportunity to walk with a Christian who’s grieving. Who’s angry. Whose faith shakes but ultimately stands. 

You know what? That’s me some days. And I suspect it’s you too. So let’s start the story with “everyday” Ruth. Before she becomes the prayer warrior God sends like Ezekiel to call a wicked man to repentance. 

May we never encounter a person with this depth of evil. And yet, may we trust our God and rely on His faithfulness to carry us through whatever paths He brings us into.

If Heaven’s Prey is new to you, be aware the subject matter is darker and more intense than my later books and comes with a content warning. The villain is a serial rapist-murderer. Not a nice man. But he’s a soul in need of salvation.

Not for you? I get it. I couldn’t read something like this if I hadn’t written it (because I know what does and doesn’t happen). Even so, it took a long time to write because I’d tiptoe through scenes and have to go back and deepen them. 

If you can, please pick up a copy and consider leaving a review to raise visibility. If you can’t, please share with any friends who read darker fiction.

The print book will release later in November, but the ebook 99-cent preorder sale ends November 1. The buy links are collected here: books2read.com/heavens-prey-special.

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99-cent Ebook Sale (Ends Aug. 27/23)

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Bitter Truth is 99 cents until Aug. 27/23 on all ebook platforms. https://books2read.com/bitter-truth
Buy link: books2read.com/bitter-truth

If you were waiting for a sale to get your copy of Bitter Truth, now’s the time. The ebook is 99 cents until end of day Sunday, August 27 on Apple, Google Play Books, Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Smashwords, and probably a few more. To make it easy for you, here’s a link that will let you choose your preferred store and country: books2read.com/bitter-truth.

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Short-listed for an Award!

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Text: Short-listed for The Word Awards! Cover art: Bitter Truth More text: descriptors of the book, including "mystery-suspense meets Christian women's fiction"
Available on all digital platforms and in print on Amazon. Click for buy links.

Short-listed in The Word Awards 2023. Finalist in the Angel Book Awards 2022.

Attempted murder. A hostile rescuer. And an amateur sleuth’s vow to catch the attacker before he strikes again.

Against all odds, Landon Smith and her ordinary-hero neighbour Bobby Hawke survived a murderous plot six weeks ago. Now, she’s determined to leave solving mysteries to the experts—like handsome local police officer Dylan Tremblay.

But when her friend Ciara is nearly killed in a daring daylight attack, Landon can’t sit this out. Not when she knows the anger of being a victim.

Her faith tells her to leave room for God’s vengeance. Her heart says to retaliate.

The fight to expose Ciara’s enemy will uncover secrets and betrayal that could cost Landon her life.

Discussion questions included. If you like clean mystery/suspense and Christian women’s fiction, read Bitter Truth today! Buy link: books2read.com/bitter-truth.