Here are some good suspense fiction titles from the past two years that may have gone under the radar. Although they take place in different locations (from Northern Idaho to the Soviet Union), they are all marked by smooth prose,
Here are some good suspense fiction titles from the past two years that may have gone under the radar. Although they take place in different locations (from Northern Idaho to the Soviet Union), they are all marked by smooth prose, intriguing characters, and intense plotting. C. J. Box’s Blue Heaven tells the story of good cops gone bad while Sophie Hannah and Val McDermid fearlessly explore the dark side of psychology, and Henry Porter and Tom Rob Smith focus on exposing government conspiracies. Don’t be surprised if all your nails are bitten off from all the excitement!
Happy reading!
Blue Heaven
(2008) by C. J. Box
Right after twelve-year-old Annie Taylor and her little brother William witness a murder in the woods near their home in Idaho, they are spotted by the group of four killers, who are all retired LAPD cops. On the run, they don’t know who to trust since the first man they ask for help turns out to be in cahoots with the killers. So they hide in a barn belonging to Jess Rawlins, an old-time rancher who is facing foreclosure. Meanwhile, the crooked ex-cops volunteer to help the local police force search for the missing children.
The Wrong Mother
(2009) by Sophie Hannah
While watching the news with her husband, Sally Thorning is shocked to hear the name Mark Bretherick-the man she had an affair with during the week she was supposed to be on a business trip. The headline states that Mark’s wife murdered their six-year-old daughter then killed herself. But the man on the television is not the Mark that she met. And his wife, Geraldine, looks almost exactly like Sally. So who is Mark Bretherick, and what really happened to his family?
Fever of the Bone
(2010) by Val McDermid
A serial killer in England is luring teenagers to gruesome deaths via RigMarole, an online social networking site. The motive for these murders baffles both Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan and criminal profiler Tony Hill, who see no reason anyone would asphyxiate then castrate adolescents who seem to have nothing in common. As they interview the distraught parents of the victims and attempt to gather information from the suspect’s online profiles, Jordan and Hill feel at a loss to prevent more teens from being seduced by this tech-savvy predator.
The Bell Ringers
(2010) by Henry Porter
When lawyer and former spy Kate Lockhart attends the funeral of David Eyam, her estranged ex-lover and the former head of Britain’s Joint Intelligence Committee, she is surprised to discover that she has inherited his estate. David has also left her a hidden bequest–evidence that will expose DEEP TRUTH, the British government’s massive data mining and surveillance system which will soon eliminate every citizen’s privacy. When David’s lawyer is killed before he can deliver crucial documents, Kate quickly realizes that the government has no regard for citizens that threaten to interfere with their power.
Child 44
(2003) by Tom Rob Smith
In 1953, all citizens in the Soviet Union live in paradise-or so the State would have them believe. Not many dare to question this ideology, fearing exile or execution. But Leo Demidov, a ranking member of the MGB (the State Security force), is convinced that a murderer is on a killing spree, and he intends to investigate-even if his pursuit is considered a crime against the State.
• Michelle Young earned her master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Washington, and worked at the Lihu‘e Public Library for the past two years as a library assistant and young adult librarian.
