Suspense Magazine November 2012

Mixed Signals
By Jane Tesh
David Randall, private
detective extraordinaire, is looking
forward to the celebration of
Christmas in his small town of
Parkland, North Carolina. One of
the best parts is that his widowed
mother is coming for a Yuletide
visit. And even though David is
still dealing with the fact that his
beloved mom will want to talk all
about David’s daughter who was
killed in a car accident, he still can’t
wait to see her.
Of course, there are other
‘things’ to watch out for in this odd
little town. You see, Camden—who
owns the house David lives in and
is his best friend—is also a psychic
who has used his gift to help the
local authorities solve cases. And
wouldn’t you know it…David and
Camden soon stumble upon a dead
body.
The victim is Jared Hunter,
who was a friend of Camden‘s.
Immediately, Camden and
David do their best to assist the
local authorities in finding the
perpetrator—much to the dismay
of the Chief of Police. Although
Camden begins having horrible
flashbacks on the scene of the
crime, he can’t seem to see anything
helpful. Going on the hunt for ‘solid’
clues, David soon discovers that the
victim served jail time for breaking
into a museum…and another local
was involved in the crime.
Add to this story a Superhero
who calls himself the Parkland
Avenger, who’s costumed and
running around town at night to
fight crime, and you have a real
‘entertaining’ tale on your hands.
In fact, there is a group of people
in town calling themselves, “The
Super Hero Society” that also want
to fight crime, but deny knowing
the Avenger’s identity.
Not only does the author take
readers on a roller coaster ride
through the town and all these
fascinating people, but she does it in
a way where the mystery builds up
exceedingly as a bevy of strange and
extraordinary characters join the
party. Readers of the ‘cozy mystery’
will absolutely love this title and
look forward to the next adventure
featuring David Randall and his
unforgettable gang.
Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of
“Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense
Magazine
SuspenseMagazine.com
Blues Highway Blues
By Eyre Price
Seeing the lights of the Vegas strip is an awesome sight, unless of course you are
viewing it from above while being held upside down by your ankles. This is how Daniel
Erickson, once a successful music promoter, finds himself. He took some money from
Russian mobster for a reality show that went bust.
The reality show of following the lives of former famous band crashed and burned
and now he has to pay the money back. When he opens his safe to retrieve his secret
stash—the money he had hidden to pay back the debt—it isn’t there. In place of the
money, is a CD with a blues song on it that is the first clue in a journey.
The stakes are high as Daniel hurtles through the history of blues trying to save his and his son’s
lives. As he figures out the clues, he must avoid the mobster’s goons and stay one step ahead.
Full of music history, suspense, and danger! This book is an original debut.
Reviewed by Ashley Dawn, author of “Shadows of Pain,” for Suspense Magazine
Vengeance
By Benjamin Black
“Vengeance” is the fifth book in Black’s mystery series featuring Quirke, a
pathologist who supports Detective Inspector Hackett in his cases.
The plot is an interwoven, complicated story about two families headed up by
business partners who are the sons of business partners. It seems as though one of
the families has always been the ‘top dog,’ holding the upper hand in all the business
dealings that have occurred over the years.
Victor Delahaye (the dominant partner), takes Davy Clancy (son of the secondary partner)
out for a day’s sail—much to the dismay of Davy as he is not a very good sailor. While out on the
high seas, Victor tells Davy a story about fathers and sons, and then proceeds to commit suicide by
shooting himself in the heart, leaving behind a very gruesome scene.
Victor’s corpse is sent to Dublin and because of the prominent position Delahaye held in the
business world, the case comes to the attention of Detective Inspector Hackett and, of course,
Quirke—who is named as the pathologist on the case. The two men have to proceed very carefully
because of Delahaye’s position in the community, so they tread meticulously as they hold their
interviews with everyone, including Mona, the dead man’s young wife; James and Jonas, his twin
sons; and Jack Clancy, his partner. However, when a second death happens, a secret from the past is
revealed, one that could destroy the reputations of some of the most prominent people in Dublin.
The question that the Detective has to answer first and foremost is, “Why did Delahaye kill himself”
And what on earth does it have to do with knocking the other families out of society once and for all.
Although an interesting read at times, anyone that is new to Black’s writing should probably
begin with the first in this series in order to fully comprehend all the ins-and-outs of the characters.
Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “Tallent & Lowery - 13” for Suspense Magazine
Wright for America
By Robin Lamont
Robin Lamont’s newest book is not suspense in the traditional sense, but does
create enough tension to keep the reader turning the pages.
The main character Maren Garrity is a struggling actress who uses her theatrical
skills to work as a private detective to pay the rent. On her current assignment, she
creates various identities and disguises to trap the sellers of knock-off designer bags,
but the plot turns into a comedy of errors when a shipment of fake Louis Vuitton bags
is mixed up with a shipment of weapons destined for a survivalist group in Utah, who are under
surveillance by the FBI.
And to complicate matters, Maren is on her own quest for vengeance against Pryor Wright, an
ultra-right wing, radio talk show host whose virulent anti-gay tirades may have caused a vicious attack
on her twin brother Dell. The attackers were heard to quote Wright as they beat Dell so severely that
he lands in the hospital, and almost loses the use of his hand, a double tragedy for a guitar player.
Maren finagles a job as a summer intern on Wright’s show by creating another persona who
adores Wright’s message. Meanwhile, the FBI and New York police are on her trail, but whose trail are
they following As she changes costumes and identities, they are unable to figure out who she really
is, and what her agenda is.
While the story sometimes takes on aspects of Greek tragedy, Maren rehearses for a new
musical version of Antigone, and she may be caught in the same web of deceit that led to the death of
the original character from Sophocles’ play.
“Wright for America” is a thoroughly enjoyable novel that had me laughing at the confusion
of the characters, but at the same time, it sends a timely and crucial message: Words have power.
Words can shock and words can kill. If you speak, think first. And think about what you hear.
Robin Lamont’s book shows her versatility as a writer, and I look forward to what she does
next.
Reviewed by Kathleen Heady, author of “The Gate House” for Suspense Magazine
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