A wonderfully suspenseful and engrossing thriller.
In this debut mystery, a man tries to find the killer of a socialite, but his search may take him down darker paths than he could ever have imagined.
In Jones’ story, which opens in 1924, New Yorker Jarek Videni has come to Minnesota to investigate the vicious murder of socialite Sarah O’Connell. She was found stabbed to death in her home library in St. Paul with her heart ripped out. The police have no suspects, and her heart is still missing. Jarek, “an intuitive,” journeyed to the Midwest of “his own accord. However, the travel was significantly prodded” by the anonymous “letters he received requesting help.” Sarah left behind her husband, Martin, an amiable and cheerful man who appears normal but has recently been sleepwalking and acting strangely. Also grieving for Sarah is her college-age daughter, Annie, who has responded by becoming reclusive, delving into as many books as she can find and becoming angry at her father. Finally, there is Rose Smith, the governess who oversees the housekeeping and cooking and has been with the family so long she is practically a member. All three have deep, dark secrets that Jarek slowly begins to uncover. But doing so puts him in danger of a horrible darkness that could overtake them all. Jarek discovers that while Sarah was a woman of great standing in the city, she was involved with the local spiritualist community. There is more at play in this great house than earthly schemes. Jones interweaves intense thrills with the supernatural to create a superb mystery that is surprising as well as rewarding. Jarek is a remarkable sleuth with a calm and kind disposition whose knowledge helps drive the plot as he faces realistic limitations. Martin, Annie, and Rose have believable personal dynamics and conflicts that support the mystery elements. Annie has an apparent animosity toward her father but still cares for him and shows concern for his weird behavior. Rose is protective of the family that gave her a chance and welcomed her, but she knows more about the O’Connells than she lets on. The twists and turns of the plot as well as unexpected character revelations make for a carefully constructed thriller that is a gripping addition to the horror genre.
A wonderfully suspenseful and engrossing thriller. (Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 979-8986344003
Page Count: 232
Publisher: Water Sign Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
The story unfolds so irresistibly that newcomers may think Grisham’s been writing thrillers like this his whole life.
What hasn’t legendary legal eagle Grisham tried yet? How about a thriller about serial kidnapping and international terrorism.
When Paul and Chelsea Tanner disappear during a day trip on their Paris honeymoon, their abductors demand a ransom of $2 million from Chelsea’s wealthy parents, and a few days later the same sum from Paul’s much less well-heeled parents. After orthopedist Lowell Clayburn, Chelsea’s father, ponies up the ransom without breathing a word to the authorities, his daughter is promptly released. But even though Paul’s parents sell their home, liquidate their assets, and borrow money from the Clayburns to meet the kidnappers’ demands, the villains hold on to Paul anyway. Asked whether he’s ever seen such an outcome in a double kidnapping, FBI deputy director Andrew Strong tells Lowell: “No, this is a new one.” But it’s not, as Strong knows all too well; it’s the third such active case, all involving honeymooning couples whose bridegrooms had served in the armed forces. After masterfully drawing readers in with his bare-knuckle account of the Tanners’ abduction and the attempt by their families and the CIA to tell the lies required to keep caring friends and the rapacious press at bay, Grisham effortlessly switches gears to follow CIA agent Rae Claire Russo and Stuart Nash, a former Department of Justice prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay who agrees to marry her so they can serve as bait for the kidnappers, whose motives include justice and revenge as well as cold hard cash. So much for the imprisoned Paul’s wistful reflection that “hopefully, it was only about money.”
The story unfolds so irresistibly that newcomers may think Grisham’s been writing thrillers like this his whole life.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9780385550543
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.
A violent attack hijacks a woman’s memory in this novel of domestic suspense.
McFadden wastes no time pulling the trigger in this harrowing story that starts with gunfire then swiftly propels readers into a crack tale of secrets and misdirection. Originally self-published in 2016, the book carries the same formidable weight as McFadden’s later novels featuring unsuspecting women who lose their power then fight to recapture it—mostly from men who have betrayed them. That formula perfectly fits Dr. Charlotte McKenna, a 37-year-old dermatologist who isn’t looking for love until the most handsome man she’s ever seen begins to woo her. There are warning signs about Clark Douglas and Charlotte overlooks them to her detriment—but is he a killer? The novel has dual timelines split between events leading up to the day Charlotte barely survives a head wound meant to kill her and the months afterward, when she struggles to reclaim her memory and her mobility. In real life, McFadden is a physician trained to treat brain injuries. Her expertise gives Charlotte’s rehabilitation authenticity, and her writing talent makes it interesting and engaging. As good as that timeline is, readers will yearn to get back to the alternate timeline about who wants Charlotte dead. It’s only a matter of time before Charlotte starts to remember who tried to kill her, and the clock is ticking toward their next attempt. McFadden dishes up plenty of suspects: Charlotte’s secretive husband, Clark; a former patient turned stalker who confronts Charlotte on her honeymoon; and the angry husband of a patient who blames Charlotte for his wife leaving him. Though the story is delicious and dark, McFadden brightens things up with a possible love interest for Charlotte and a surprise ending sure to please the author’s many fans.
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
ISBN: 9781464249617
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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