Suspense Magazine July 2013

KEEPER OF THE
DAWN
By Heather Graham
For anyone who
has been a fan of The
Keepers: L.A. you’ll
be thrilled. This is
paranormal romance
at its finest, with the
sexiest ‘dead’ man
since Dracula came
to town as one of
the primary characters. Readers
have walked hand-in-hand with
Graham’s warriors as they kept the
night, the moon, the shadows, and
now the dawn, and Graham has
made sure to keep up the passion,
thrills, and chills throughout every
tale.
A warning regarding the
Hildegard Tomb was given to
Alessande Salisbrooke; she knows
the horrors that once happened
inside the eerie location. A shapeshifting
magician who coveted
evil had once reigned, and his
followers had proven their loyalty
by carrying out the horrific rite of
human sacrifice.
Investigating the past can
bring it back to life, but Alessande
cannot get over the fact that she
believes the brutality surrounding
the Hildegard Tomb has something
to do with the murder of her friend.
Being that Alessande is a Keeper,
and devoted to her mission as
well as her loved ones, she runs
headlong into a nightmare.
Mark Valiente (who every
woman with a pulse swoons over),
is the cop who helps his beautiful
Keeper on her mission. And
although he makes others’ pulses
race, his remains silent. (He is a
vampire after all).
As they journey to the truth,
the thrills come from both passion
and fear when Alessande barely
escapes becoming a sacrificial
victim, and adding another notch
to the Hildegard belt. A nightmare
is one thing, but when Mark and
Alessande uncover a web of lies that
include the ones they trusted, that’s
when the true darkness arrives.
Declan, Sailor—you’ll love
them and they’re back! Graham
has written more than a hundred
novels during her career, and
seeing as that she’s never let a fan
down yet, there’s sure to be at least
a hundred more to come!
Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author
of “The Sapphire Storm: Tallent &
Lowery Book Two” published by
Suspense Publishing, an imprint of
Suspense Magazine ■
NOT THE KILLING TYPE
By Lorna Barrett
The November election is heating up in Stoneham, New Hampshire. Not the U.S.
presidential one. Or the congressional one. Or the mayoral one. This election is for the
presidency of the Stoneham Chamber of Commerce when a run-of-the-mill Chamber breakfast
meeting at the Brookview Inn turns ugly.
Long-standing Chamber president Bob Kelly, who figures he’s a shoe-in for reelection to
the job, is shocked when his former girlfriend, Angelica, announces that she’s running for his
seat. And local businessman Stan Berry throws his hat in the ring as well.
The breakfast meeting comes to a screeching halt and the list of candidates drops significantly when
Tricia Miles, Angelica’s sister and owner of the local bookstore, finds Stan Berry dead in the hotel bathroom.
The murder weapon is a brass letter opener which belongs to the inn’s receptionist. Unfortunately for Tricia,
this is the second time she’s found a dead body in a local bathroom, and this time her sister is considered a
prime suspect.
Of course, Angelica asks Tricia to clear her name. Angelica figures that, because Tricia reads (and sells)
so many mysteries, she can figure out whodunnit in no time. And the fact that Tricia is a close personal friend
of the local police chief should make solving this crime a snap.
Nothing is ever that simple, and as Tricia begins to dig into the life of the victim, she discovers personal
information that is better left buried. Like the victim. And a Chamber full of people who had grudges against
him.
“Not The Killing Type” is the sixth in the Booktown mystery series by Lorna Barrett. Lots of fun!
Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Class Reunions Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine ■
THE SHADOW YEAR
By Hannah Richell
I went into this book with no expectations, so finding myself up into the wee small hours,
completely gripped by the story and unable to put it down until I finished was a pleasant
surprise.
The basics Five friends stumble upon an abandoned lakeside cottage hidden deep in
the English countryside on a hot summer’s day in the eighties. Having just graduated college,
they decide to take something of a gap year, moving into the cottage, living off the land, and
dropping out of mainstream society. All is initially well, but as the seasons change, tensions begin to rise. An
unexpected stranger brings further tension and intrigue to the tale, and things hit a peak shortly thereafter.
In a parallel story, thirty years on from the lost year by the lake, Lila is given a key to the cottage by a
mysterious stranger. Her life, filled with sadness after a recent tragedy, sees her deciding to take a break from
life as she knows it to renovate the cottage. By the books’ climax, it becomes clear just how the previous
tenant’s time at the cottage has implications for her future.
“The Shadow Year” draws you in slowly at first—it even came off a little too dark and depressing for the
first few chapters. Within twenty pages, however, I was firmly gripped in the story and didn’t put it down from
there until I had finished (I have the gravy smudges on a few pages to prove it.) The writing is skillful and taut,
and Richell gives you just enough information at a time to keep you intrigued and thoroughly hooked.
Having read a lot of books in this genre over the years, it was a testament to Richell’s story telling skills
that I didn’t start to suspect the final twist in the tale until very close to the page it was revealed.
Reviewed by Mel Hearse http://anadventureinreading.blogspot.com.au/ for Suspense Magazine ■
HOTTER THAN HELEN
By Susan Wingate
What could be hotter than hellen
Perhaps Susan Wingate with
this novel, the second in the Bobby’s
Diner series.
Georgette Carlisle is happy.
She’s getting married, owns a diner,
loves her cat, and has some wonderful friends,
including the mayor of Sunnydale, whom she
considers a daughter. Everything is going great.
That is, until her friend Helen shows back up in
town. Then all ‘hel-en’ breaks loose.
Georgette’s world is turned upside down.
Her cat is missing, her fiancé becomes unfaithful,
Helen is discovered murdered, and the mayor is
abducted. And the culprits behind it all are really
working for someone else.
A suspenseful and well-penned novel that is
sure to entertain you this summer. Read on!
Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of
“The Other Side: Melinda’s Story” published
by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense
Magazine ■
KILLING RACHEL
By Anne Cassidy
Rose’s mother disappeared several years ago, as
did Joshua’s father. The two of them are family in a way,
siblings, and yet aren’t and there are mixed feelings. Some
of friendship and maybe more for one of them. They are
determined to discover what happened to their parents,
regardless of what a previous investigation shows.
Rose is a bit distracted from their search as her
former friend from boarding school, Rachel, starts
sending her messages needing to speak with her urgently.
Because of past issues, Rose ignores the requests. When
Rachel turns up dead, Rose is determined to figure out
exactly what happened to Rachel and why.
The clues that are left that she searches to find, may
just turn out to be more than initially believed. Joshua is
delving into their parents’ last case and going on ‘feelings’
as well as clues to get closer to the truth.
Enjoyable mix of family dynamics
and mystery, this book keeps you reading
until the end.
Reviewed by Ashley Dawn, author of
“Shadows of Pain” published by Suspense
Publishing an imprint of Suspense
Magazine ■
36  Suspense Magazine July 2013 / Vol. 049