Monday Mini-Reviews: Three Novels of Suspense

I check out a lot of mysteries/psychological thrillers/novels of suspense from the library, but often those are the ones I return without cracking them open.  I know they are fast reads and that I will probably enjoy them, but there are just soooo many of them to choose from that it's hard to know which one to pick up.  

This past weekend I devoured three of this type of book.  It must have been exactly what I needed because I found myself unable to put them down and thoroughly enjoyed them all.

 

The Stolen Hours by Allen Eskens - Eskens is a must read author for me.  I feel like he deserves a little more attention than he gets because his books are fantastic. I enjoy the Midwest setting but I really, really enjoyed the story.  I could barely put this one down yesterday. Lila is working for the Hennepin County Attorney trying to prove herself in the job when a young woman is found washed up on the shore of the Mississippi River. Her attempted murder is much like the murder of three other women - and when Lila sees the accused in court her reaction is so visceral and takes her back to her own assault that happened eight years previously.  I loved how Eskens connected everything together.  

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead - this is a college campus murder mystery that has many twists and turns.  I love anything that's a college story and the seven friends in this novel and their tight knit group return ten years after graduation to reconnect. There are only six in their group now after Heather, one of the seven, was killed during their senior year.  Heather's brother, Eric, works for the college and when the friends arrive they are confronted by him as he wants to finally out the killer.  I thought I knew where some of the twists and turns were going, but I was wrong on every count.   This is a fast read and once I started I found it totally absorbing.

The Fiancee by Kate White - Kate White is another must-read author I enjoy.  She's written a mystery series, but this (along with some of her other books) is a stand alone.  Summer and her husband are vacationing with her husband's side of the family ready for a week of relaxation. When her brother-in-law brings along his new girlfriend, Summer instantly recognizes her as an actress who was in a workshop with her a few years ago.  However, when she asks Hannah about it, Hannah insists it wasn't her.  There are lots of inconsistencies in Hannah's story and Summer is sure she's up to no good. When a family member dies tragically - and a little mysteriously- Summer has her suspicions of who is to blame, but there are secrets that are revealed as no one knows who to trust.

After reading three of this type of book in a row, I'm not sure what I should pick up next.  I have too many options to choose from, but can't wait to find some more time to curl up with another great book.