She’s Not There
By Joy Fielding
Ballantine. $27
An anniversary holiday to Mexico goes terribly wrong when one of Carole Shipley’s two young daughters disappears from a hotel suite while she and her husband are having a celebratory dinner downstairs. Hounded by the media for being an incompetent mother, Carole has never gotten over the loss of Samantha, her two year old.
It has been a harrowing 15 years, the case has been all but forgotten but Carole continues to grieve while caring for her remaining child, Michelle, who has become a very needy and demanding individual.
When a phone call brings back all the terrible memories of that fateful night Carole is forced to revisit the events of that unhappy time. Wondering not only what really happened to Samantha but if she is also still alive, Carole begins down a path that will eventually uncover some shocking and totally unbelievable family secrets.
Joy Fielding showcases her exceptional storytelling skills in this new novel that tells an extraordinary tale of jealously and betrayal that will have the reader shaking her head in disbelief as this psychological thriller unfolds.
No Shred of Evidence: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
By Charles Todd
William Morrow. $25.99
When Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge is sent down to the north coast of Cornwall to assist in an investigation of attempted murder that involves four young women as suspects, he doesn’t realize that one of them is a former acquaintance.
All from wealthy families, the four young women have been accused of attempting to take the life of the local banker’s son in what most people believe was an accident, although one witness says otherwise.
When the injured man dies, the case becomes more complicated and then a series of subsequent deaths suggests that there is something far more sinister taking place in the village of Padstow.
A mysterious woman seems to hold the key to the events unfolding in the small community and although there are a few local suspects, Rutledge is going to have to look beyond the small village to solve this puzzling case.
As with the previous novels in this series, Rutledge continues to be plagued by his battlefield experiences during the recently ended conflict in Europe (World War I) and the voice of a Scottish soldier the inspector had to kill for refusing a combat command hasn’t left him either.
For those who have followed this mesmerizing series this latest installment is a must read. The quirky plot has some interesting twists and perhaps Rutledge’s personal life is about to improve with the reintroduction of Kate Gordon, an old friend from the past.
Try Not to Breathe
By Holly Seddon
Ballantine. $26
For fifteen years Amy Stevenson has been locked in a coma after being found unconscious after a brutal attack. Forgotten in a medical facility and locked in the memories of that fateful day the young woman harbors information that she hasn’t been able to share with anyone because of her condition.
Alex Dale is a reporter who has been on a downward spiral brought on by alcohol. She sees the opportunity here to resurrect her career with a story about cold cases and “vegetative” victims like Amy. Once she becomes aware of the woman’s tragic situation, not only does the reporter become determined to reopen the investigation but she’s also hoping to find her own salvation by telling Amy’s story and exposing the attacker.
A dangerous project fraught with numerous pitfalls and alternating between perspectives and time periods, “Try Not to Breathe” is a fast moving psychological thriller with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.
River Road
By Carol Goodman
Touchstone/Simon & Schuster. $25
Inspired by an actual hit and run tragedy involving local college students and a brush she had with a deer near her own home, creative writing professor Carol Goodman has fashioned a taut drama about a nightmarish situation where a college professor is accused of killing her own student in a hit-and-run accident.
Nan Lewis lost her daughter when she was killed by a drunk driver. Still not over the family tragedy, Nan’s life has just taken another turn for the worse when she learns that she has been denied tenure at the college where she teaches.
After one too many glasses of wine to drown her sorrow, Nan heads home only to hit a deer. The wounded animal disappears into the forest and Nan leaves her car at the foot of her driveway on River Road.
The next morning the distraught woman is awakened to find the local police checking out her damaged car because during the night a student at her college was killed in a hit-and-run accident. The car makes Nan the main suspect and now memories of her daughter’s death come flooding back as well.
To complicate matters there seems to be a link between these two hit-and-run tragedies that suggests they are related. With links to Greek mythology and local folklore, this atmospheric and chilling suspense story set in upstate New York will keep the reader focused from beginning to end.
Girl in the Dark
By Marion Pauw
William Morrow. $25.99
One of the Netherlands’ newest and brightest young suspense writers, Marion Pauw marks her debut in the U.S. with this imaginative, award winning psychological thriller.
With a demanding legal career and a young son with behavior issues, Iris Krastelein has her hands full. But her life becomes even more challenging when she discovers she has an older brother locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.
Ray, Iris’ brother, was convicted of the brutal murder of a neighbor and her daughter. Her autistic sibling’s existence has been kept secret from her until now by her mother who has been shielding Iris from this family tragedy.
Determined to visit a brother she didn’t know she had, Iris realizes Ray and her young son share some personality traits. She also begins to wonder if this isolated and obsessive individual could really be a cold-blooded killer.
The more she gets to know her brother, the more Iris doubts he could have committed the terrible crime he is accused of. Of course the question then becomes if not Ray, who was responsible for the horrific deaths of the woman and her daughter?
The answer will shock the reader and help explain why “Girl in the Dark” has already sold over 200,00 copies in Europe, received the top Dutch crime novel award and been made into a very well received Dutch film.