Posts Tagged 'suspense'

Secrets So Deep by Ginny Myers Sain

Published March 1, 2023 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Avril makes the bold decision to return to a summer theater camp that her mother drowned at 12 years prior. After her mother’s death, her father changed her name from April to Avril so no one initially knew who she was when she applied. It’s a very exclusive camp that only a small number of applicants get to go to. After arriving she makes some friends pretty quickly, but she also learns about the legends that the camp is haunted and calls people to the water. The story goes that at night a deep fog surrounds the camp and makes it difficult to navigate around and sometimes people lose hours where they don’t remember where they were. There’s also a rumor that in the fog you can hear voices calling to you that can lead you astray if you’re not careful. Avril doesn’t believe in ghosts, but does want to learn the truth about what happened to her mother that fateful night. The owner of the theater camp is famous for a play she wrote many years ago and that is the play they will be performing at the end of camp. Avril is thrilled when she gets the lead part and desperately wants to do it justice. She’s playing opposite the owner’s son, who seems to be keeping her at a distance. Those who knew her mother want to try and help her remember, but each story and artifact only brings up more questions in Avril’s mind about what she was like and what happened to her. Is this theater camp really haunted? Will she ever learn the truth about what happened to her mother? Who can she trust around her?

This slightly creepy mystery story was truly unique and the ending in particular will excite mystery fans who feel they have seen it all. The characters are well developed and there are enough suspicious happenings and characters that it is difficult to figure out the truth of what happened 12 years ago. The play is an interesting backdrop as it helps to piece together the mystery as well as to bring out a lot of emotions from the characters. Recommended for anyone looking for a good suspenseful mystery.

The Last Beautiful Girl by Nina Laurin

Published February 25, 2022 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Fantasy/Suspense

When Isabella Brixton is forced to move away from her home, friends, and starring role in her school play she is sure her life is ruined. Her parents have been offered jobs they simply cannot turn down, but the university they work for is going to allow them to stay in a gorgeous mansion that used to be owned by a famous artistic muse who died many years ago. When Isa starts at her new school she meets Alexa, a talented photographer who wants to photograph Isa inside the famous mansion wearing the clothes the former occupant left behind. At first, they have a lot of fun with this because the pictures turn out absolutely stunning every single time. They create an Instagram account to share with the world and they soon go viral. Eventually, Isa and everyone who comes in contact with this house begins to change, however, and not for the better. Isa begins acting strangely and even sleepwalks where she finds hidden things in the mansion she shouldn’t know about. She’s also pretty sure there’s an unnatural spirit in the house that has startled her on occasion. Her mother starts to become obsessed with cleaning and often acts out of character, such as forgetting to pick up Isa from school and then claiming she did. Things that used to matter to Isa no longer do as her hunger for power and fame grows. Can Isa get out of this house before it’s too late? Will others get hurt along the way? What is causing the bizarre phenomena in this house?

This story definitely has some suspenseful and frightening scenes as people try to help Isa escape this house, so it is not for those looking for a light-hearted read. The transition that occurs as more people enter the house and interact within it is gradual and very believable as the overall atmosphere begins to change. The characters themselves are affected in believable ways, but it is unclear why some are changed more than others. Overall, a very unique story that will hook readers from early on as it becomes clear that there is something amiss with this house. It also offers an interesting commentary on the dangers of social media and fame. Recommended for those who enjoy suspense mixed with fantasy.

Fractured Tide by Leslie Karen Lutz

Published October 14, 2020 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Survival/Realistic Fiction

Fractured Tide is a unique book that follows Tasia and her family who operate a diving company and have been struggling to get by since Tasia’s dad went to prison. The entire format of the book is Tasia writing of the unexplainable adventure they have been having to her dad in prison in case she never sees him again. After trying a new location for a dive, tragedy strikes when a man mysteriously dies while submerged and everyone blames Tasia. She claims he was there one minute and gone the next and that she does not know what happened to him. She also believes there is something unnatural about this new dive site and cannot shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong here. The boat and electronics mysteriously stop working so they are stuck floating there until help comes looking for them which could take awhile. By morning, their boat is attacked by a phosphorescent sea creature unlike anything Tasia has seen before. She wakes up on a nearby island she never noticed when they were floating mere feet away and there are only three other survivors, one of whom is injured from the monster attack. Can they survive on an island by themselves long enough for help to find them? Even if help comes looking will they be able to see this mysterious island that all of them missed before they washed up on shore? Is that sea creature still out there hunting them?

Fans of survival and unusual tales, such as the Miss Peregrine series, will enjoy this captivating book. Right from the beginning, readers will be enthralled with Tasia’s story, both the suspenseful parts and the adventure parts. The plot itself has many twists and turns that will keep readers guessing, but the ending delivers in a way that will satisfy everyone. There are so many details it can be easy for fast readers to miss something and need to go back to pick it up. The characters are developed and it’s easy to see how they all feel marooned on this island together under such stressful circumstances. Recommended for readers who need exciting stories to keep them interested.

Run, Hide, Fight Back by April Henry

Published October 1, 2019 Mystery Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Suspense

Told from multiple viewpoints, six teenagers struggle to survive when masked men open fire in a shopping mall at Christmas time.  Grace, watched in horror as her mother became the first victim.  Miranda had been looking for ways to earn extra cash to support her new habit.  Javier had been working as a janitor in the cafeteria.  Amina had been working retail in a local clothing shop.  Cole was near the food court when the shooting happened and tried to get as many people as possible into a local store before the metal grate closed.  Finally, Parker had been reluctantly babysitting his little sister while messing around with his friends and lost track of her in the chaos.  He finds himself in the middle of the action while trying to find her.  All of these teenagers come from different backgrounds and have different issues to deal with, but ultimately they all have the same goal of survival.  They come up with a plan for how to help the hostages, but not everyone will make it out alive.

April Henry has once again created a fast paced suspenseful novel in which the characters are engaging.  Reluctant readers will enjoy this title as it is full of action and very little downtime.  The ending does contain a few surprises, but most are set up throughout the story and should not be a huge surprise.  A very entertaining read.

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