Suspense – Page 6 – One Chapter

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

Such interesting lives that some individuals live. At the beginning of this novel, I couldn’t quite figure out what made this novel so interesting. Everywhere I looked, this book was being talked about and individuals were giving it high reviews but it just wasn’t drawing me in. There was some drama occurring in the neighborhood and an area school was having some security issues but I was really hoping that this book would be a twisted mess.

In walks all these individuals and the book bursts open. A phone call from Zach takes Lizzie back to when they first met and she’s determined not to accept his case. As Lizzie investigates the scene where Zach supposedly committed the crime, I’m wondering where’s the authorities are, in all of this? What is the story behind Amanda’s death? Lizzie’s digging deeper and deeper into the case, discovering facts about her client, the victim, and others as the truth comes to light.

Lizzie discovers that Amanda had a lot on her plate. Having recently moved, Amanda was hoping that she had left a stalker behind in California, but did she? There also been a breach of security at her son’s school which had everyone on edge. Amanda had also been informed that the parties held at one of her neighbors are more than just a social gathering. A party has been planned there, a party that Amanda and her husband, have already planned to attend.

Lizzie’s not without her own issues as she flips through Amanda’s journals, traveling back through time. It’s when she closes these journals that she must face her own issues.

Ha! I enjoyed this fun story as these lady’s heads bobbed back and forth, flirting between all the adventures going on in their lives. So many hats to wear but which one will actually fit? As you can see, the book picked up and the ending was actually fun, in a twisted, delightful way. 4 stars

He Started It by Samantha Downing

“Hold onto your seat folks, we’re experiencing some turbulence,” that’s what the last third of the book felt like to me. What started out as a pretty calm read, fired it up by adding in some twists, mixed with some impressive intensity, to end the book with fireworks.

Here they are, twenty years later, reconstructing the family road trip that they had taken with their grandfather. Sure, some things have changed over the years, that much is true, but this is probably the last family road trip they’ll ever be taking together. Grandpa’s sitting in the trunk and he’s the reason they’re all there, just waiting to reach their final destination.

A few have brought along their spouses, a decision that seemed like a good idea in the beginning. While following the same route, they notice a few differences that have occurred over the past 20 years but it’s the individuals inside the car that have changed the most. They haven’t forgotten that journey twenty years ago and it seems that it was just the beginning for each of them. Why are they reliving that journey again? With what each of them thinks on this trip, it doesn’t look like this journey will end well.

I enjoyed riding along with this family as they hit the road. Family dynamics were definitely at work as the sibling reminisced about their childhood and how this trip came into being. I liked how the book time traveled between the two trips as I obtained a clear picture of the two separate events. It was interesting how the characters feel about the events unfolding and where their alliances were. Secrets of the past emerged and I began to see the individuals for who they really were. Oh, that ending…..I think my head is still spinning.

Shadow in the Woods and Other Scary Stories

I loved this little book. I didn’t know what to expect as I thumbed through it but now after reading it, I want to see if my library has more in this series. I didn’t expect such great scary stories inside this book.

There are 5 stories in this book: Shadow in the Woods, The Monster in My Room, Fingernails, The Writing on the Wall, and The Animal Behind the Locker. One of the them, gives me chills, just thinking of it now. The other four stories were fun and entertaining stories that kids will enjoy.

I have read a lot of short scary stories to my own children, to my granddaughter, and to the children I sub for as a substitute teacher. I liked how these stories kept the action going throughout yet the stories were not that long. The illustrations were colorful and enhanced the story. The font is big and easy to read. Great scary stories to put a smile on your face.

In Shadow in the Woods, Hugh knows he’s not supposed to walking in the woods at night by himself, yet he does it. He has to. It seems to be a long walk and he’s supposed to be by himself. In The Monster in My Room, Ruby is sure there is a monster under her bed, she’s sure of it yet no one finds anything when they look. In Fingernails, Tommy has a problem with biting his fingernails so grandmother thinks she can help him. In The Writing on the Wall, Sophie doesn’t like her new house and she thinks that no one is listening to her. In The Animal Behind the Locker, Emma hears noises behind her locker so she climbs in to investigate.

They reminded me a bit of the stories of In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories, only these stories weren’t that dark. I hate comparing books to other books but I don’t want people missing these books because they think they might be too scary, they’re not. These stories make the reader use more of their imagination making them ideal for younger readers. They’re fun, engaging stories that I really enjoyed. 5 stars.

To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan

Finishing up her 5^th book, author Lucy Harper feels relieved until her husband Daniel takes her for a drive. As they pull up to the Cossley House, Lucy wants to return home, as the haunting memories of her childhood are still here. Lucy writes popular crime fiction books featuring a character named Eliza. Eliza, a popular, money-making character that becomes much more than just an individual in her books.

With two time periods in this book, I wondered when they would meet up. Why doesn’t Lucy like Cossley House? It’s a mansion. What happened in her childhood to cause such a reaction? When Lucy finds out that her husband bought it for her, I was surprised at her reaction. Now, the story is getting interesting.

It’s the summer of 1991, young Lucy sneaks out of the house at night, dragging her young brother with her. It’s early the next morning, Lucy returns home to find her mother rushing out to meet her. Her brother? Isn’t he in the house sleeping?

So goes the story in 1991. What happened the night young Lucy and her little brother snuck out of the house? And now, Lucy is set to move into Cossley House, where this area, the memories of her childhood live on. The drama keeps building as her husband is supposed to be her assistant but now, his actions and comments are making me wonder if he really cares about Lucy and wants what’s best for her. I’m beginning to get an eerie feeling about him. Lucy’s actions and comments are making me wonder about her also.

This was a fun read, I liked trying to figure out what was happening with the characters. Why were they acting the way they were and what was this big secret? The flipping of the time periods was not that hard to keep track of and it all came together nicely in the end.

Found by Joseph Bruchac

This was a fast read that I enjoyed except I thought the ending came on rather quickly. If you’re into survival stories, this one is for you.

Traveling on a train, Nick is headed to summer camp, when he witnesses a tragic event en route to his destination. With only his small bag with him, Nick has a change of plans, when he’s suddenly thrown off the train. Relying on his skills as a survival instructor, Nick moves through the Canada wilderness with great precision and consideration. These skills are put to the test when Nick realizes that the individuals from the train are pursuing him and they’re wasting no time.

This was a fast, engaging read. Nick was a character I liked and enjoyed reading about. He respected the land and he planned out his next move. This wasn’t one of those far-fetched books where the character does outlandish things or the character acts stupid, Nick behaves and thinks intelligentially. I liked how individuals from Nick’s family would pop into his head as he was thinking or doing something, as that provided some information about him and how he felt or knew about an idea. I liked the idea of the rabbit stick too. As I said before, I think the ending was a bit abrupt for my liking. It’s a good, quick story, though. 4 stars.