Suspense Magazine November 2012

Suspense Magazine Book Reviews
A Bomb Built in Hell
By Andrew Vachss
Written in 1973, this
is one of those novels
that’s both intriguing and
hard-to-take at times, due
to some of the in-depth
and bloody descriptions.
This is not a slam, this is a
‘shout-out’ to the writing
ability of this author.
Wesley is our main character and
is not new to Vachss’ readers. After
spending many years in prison, Wesley
is now a fabulous hit man. (If you can
use that adjective when describing
this occupation.) Going back in time,
Wesley was a juvenile delinquent who
was given a ‘second chance’ by a judge:
he could join the Army or go to prison.
Wesley learned many things in the
armed services, but the biggest lesson
was how to handle a gun and never miss
a target. This second chance however,
didn’t keep him out of prison.
While sitting behind bars, Wesley
meets a man named Carmine Trentoni,
a mobster who believes in the ‘eye-foran-eye’
approach to life that was the
only way of doing things in the old
days. He wishes to wreak vengeance on
folks who wronged him and thinks that
Wesley is just the guy who can do it.
When Wesley leaves prison, he’s on
Carmine’s payroll, and has become the
world’s number one hit man. Set up in
a location by Carmine, Wesley gets his
orders straight from the horse’s mouth
and kills a Chinatown boss as well as a
Mafia chieftain before taking on some
political targets. He recruits a young
boy fresh out of reform school to help
him and begins training the boy to take
over the business someday. However,
Wesley has no intention of fading into
that good night until he plans his final
big event.
Readers who like mystery/thrillers
will like this book as there is plenty of
reality to go along with the fiction.
Although some of the scenes are rather
extreme in content, the author certainly
holds the reader’s attention and keeps
them fascinated until the very end.
Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of
“Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense
Magazine
Inside the Pages
Murder of the Cat's Meow
By Denise Swanson
After all the delays, it seems that Skye Dennison might just have firm plans to
marry Police Chief Wally Boyd. One problem Skye is still facing is the late Mrs.
Griggs and the incidents she causes. Skye is determined to rid her house of the ghost
so she and her fiancé can live happily and safely.
Former Vegas showgirl Bunny Reid has set up a cat show and speed dating in
the bowling alley. The judge of the cat show is rude and incurs the wrath of one of
the cat owners. The confrontation is broken up and the ‘party’ goes on.
When Skye finds the judge dead, there are plenty of suspects. She was a rude person who
didn’t win any popularity test. Wally and Skye work together to investigate and weed through the
suspects to find the true murderer.
Grand cozy mystery with a wonderfully entertaining cast of characters.
Reviewed by Ashley Dawn, author of “Shadows of Pain,” for Suspense Magazine
Beneath the Abbey Wall
By A.D. Scott
It’s 1957 in the Scottish Highlands. American rock ‘n roll music is popular and so
is television, but the government still blanks the screens for one hour in the evening.
There are small town successes and woes for the staff of the local newspaper. There
is also murder and one of their own is suspected. Welcome to the second Highlands
murder novel by A.D. Scott.
Mrs. Smart, the Gazette’s office manager is found knifed and the paper’s top editor,
Don McLeod is the number one suspect. The staff must keep the paper going while also taking it
upon themselves to investigate the case since the police think they have it solved. A newcomer from
Canada, Neil Stewart arrives, ostensibly for research, but soon is a romantic obstacle for Gazette
reporter Joanne. Does Stewart’s past have a connection to the murder How about a decades’ old
kidnapping case What part do the traveling people play And what major connection between
the murder victim and the suspect will shock everyone Too many suspects, a flailing paper, and
murderer on the loose. Who holds the vital piece of information
This reads almost like a soap opera with every character experiencing travails and tribulations.
There is a thick layer of 1950s cultural and mores throughout. Although the constant change
in point of view from one paragraph to the next was distracting, Scott doles out the clues and
keeps it interesting all the way to the end. I became frustrated every time a piece of evidence was
dangled then taken away, urging me to read further to where it was revealed. Good solid writing in
a character-driven story.
Reviewed by Stephen L. Brayton, author of “Beta” for Suspense Magazine
Princess Elizabeth's Spy
By Susan Elia MacNeal
“Princess Elizabeth’s Spy” is a historical mystery, featuring Government agent,
Maggie Hope.
The story starts in the midst of WWII, with agents at Bletchley working on
breaking Nazi naval decrypts. Having completed her training to work as a spy for MI-
5, Churchill’s former secretary, Maggie Hope, is sent undercover to Windsor Castle
to tutor Princess Elizabeth in math.
The British Government suspects someone working for the Royal Family of secretly sending
encrypted messages back to the Germans. Maggie’s job is to flush out the spy and prevent those
plotting against the Royals from assassinating the current King of England and reinstating suspected
Nazi sympathizer, the Duke of Windsor.
Soon after Maggie arrives at the Castle, a young woman is murdered and a decrypt is missing.
Maggie must use her wit, skill, and training and decide whom to trust, including members of her
own family. Her mission is both dangerous and critical regarding the future freedom of the nation.
The plot is intriguing and exciting, with a cast of well-developed, likable characters. Subtle
clues help Maggie get closer to the spy, even when she does not immediately understand them. The
reader experiences the tension with the mounting danger to the Royals.
This is an excellent mystery in the Maggie Hope series. Readers who like the Royals will enjoy
this inside look at life in Windsor Castle, with the young Princesses. Recommended.
Reviewed by Jenny Hilborne, author of “No Alibi” for Suspense Magazine
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