Suspense, Mystery, Horror and Thriller Fiction

FEBRUARY 2015

WHO'S INSIDE JENNIFER HILLIER SOPHIE LITTLEFIELD DENNIS PALUMBO MATTHEW REILLY PHILLIP MARGOLIN MICHAEL CONNELLY JAMES ROLLINS & REBECCA CANTRELL

From the Editor

CREDITS John Raab The first letter from the editor in the New Year President & Chairman is always the toughest to write. I didn’t know if I should talk about trends coming up or about new Shannon Raab Creative Director releases from some great authors, so I decided to go a different route. Romaine Reeves CFO I found myself thinking about authors who write series novels, and how I would like to see Amy Lignor some of them take a different direction this year— Editor maybe not write about their main character, but Jim Thomsen step outside of the “norm” in order to give the Copy Editor reader a fresh story. I’ve said for several years that Contributors while I love to read series novels, I think my real passion is the standalone. There is Mark P. Sadler something in having to sit down in front of a computer, looking at a blank canvas, and Susan Santangelo having to create a tale from scratch. With a series character, half of the story has already DJ Weaver CK Webb been written; the author just needs to fill in the blanks with the plot. Kiki Howell I’ve talked with several authors and a lot of them seem handcuffed by publishing Kaye George Weldon Burge issues or the popularity of their character that they simply can’t step outside that formula. Ashley Wintters This is also a reason for an author to write under another name. Scott Pearson D.P. Lyle M.D. It is sort of like an actor who is identified with a role—for example, Robert Downey, Kathleen Heady Jr. as Iron Man. At this point, he doesn’t want to do another Iron Man movie. But let’s Stephen Brayton Brian Blocker say the studios want to make another one in five years. They would have to reboot the Andrew MacRae series with another actor, having that new person be compared to Robert. The Spiderman Val Conrad movies are a perfect example. First, you had Tobey Maguire play Spiderman and now Melissa Dalton Elliott Capon Andrew Garfield plays him. It makes the viewer have to really forget about the first three J.M. LeDuc movies. Holly Price Kari Wainwright But you see it everywhere, not just in movies or TV, but also music and writing. I had David Ingram a great conversation with an author about killing off his main character to finally end the Jodi Hanson Susan May series. That author would love to do it, but didn’t Jenny Hilborne want to hear the backlash from fans. Stephen Anthony J. Franze Kristin Centorcelli King wrote about this in “Misery.” I believe the Jerry Zavada name of the character and the book title meant S.L. Menear Leslie Borghini simply that this is where an author can live. Mary Lignor My plea to fans is this: While you love your Julie Whiteley Sara Guisti series character, realize that you need to believe Jeff Ayers in the author more. You read the character Elise Cooper created by the author; therefore, if they decide to Customer Service and change course and do something different, you Subscriptions: For 24/7 service, please use our website, need to not only respect that decision, but also www.suspensemagazine.com or write to: trust their talent and ability to create additional SUSPENSE MAGAZINE at 26500 Agoura Road, #102-474 stories with brand-new characters that you will Calabasas, CA 91302 love just as much. Suspense Magazine does not share our magazine subscriber list with third-party companies. John Raab CEO/Publisher Rates: $24.00 (Electronic Subscrip- tion) per year. All foreign subscrip- Suspense Magazine ■ tions must be payable in U.S. funds. “Reviews within this magazine are the opinions of the individual reviewers and are provided solely for the purpose of assisting readers in determining another's thoughts on the book under discussion and shall not be interpreted as professional advice or the opinion of any other than the individual reviewer. The following reviewers who may appear in this magazine are also individual clients of Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine: Mark P. Sadler, Ashley Dawn (Wintters), DJ Weaver, CK Webb, Elliott Capon, J.M. LeDuc, S.L. Menear, Leslie Borghini, Susan Santangelo, and Amy Lignor.”

SuspenseMagazine.com 1 CONTENT SUSPENSE MAGAZINE February 2015 / Vol. 062

Copy Editor’s Corner: Torture Your Darlings By Jim Thomsen...... 3

Special Excerpt: “Crash & Burn” By Lisa Gardner ...... 4

Smoke Rings By Johnathan Lowe...... 7

Across the Pond with Leigh Russell By Chris Simms...... 10

Forensic Files: The Vacuum of Space By D .P . Lyle ...... 16

Woman With a Gun, Man With a Pen: Phillip Margolin By Elise Cooper . . .18

Special Excerpt: “Innocent Blood” By James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell . . .20

Inside the Pages: Suspense Magazine Book Reviews...... 24

And the Winner Is: Oscar Predictions By Susan May...... 46

Suspense Magazine Movie Reviews...... 48

Featured Artist: Cindy Grundsten...... 49

Michael Connelly: The Evolution of Harry Bosch By Elise Cooper...... 53

Big Black Cadillac By Jed Power ...... 64

Digging my Grave By Jason Chinn...... 73 COPY EDITOR’S CORNER Torture Your Darlings By Jim Thomsen Not long ago, I was hired to edit a romantic thriller. But it quickly became apparent that it was a ‘thrill-free’ thriller. The heroine was a young woman in her twenties who lived a cloistered life. Enter a handsome stranger at her workplace. He romanced her, and she fell in love. He’d commit some minor procedural dating error, she’d burst into tears and tell him off. He’d back off, beg her forgiveness, bathe her in soothing reinforcement, buy her pretty things, take her on fancy vacations. And, once in a while, he’d forget to call twice a day, or bring her purple roses when she preferred peach, or otherwise upset her sensitive sensibilities. Finally she agreed to marry him. Aaaaand…that was it. The heroine did nothing but bask in attention and burst into tears. There was no real suspense, no character growth, no oppositional tension, no doubt about the outcome. What the novel really was, was a wish-fulfillment fantasy. What followed was an awkward conversation with the author. She admitted after a while that her heroine was an idealized version of herself, and that she wanted to write a story that gave her doppelganger all the things she wanted and hadn’t yet gotten in her real life. She was open to constructive criticism, however, and after a while she came to accept that people don’t want to read novels about happy people becoming happier. They want to read about happy people who lose everything and find their way back, or unhappy people finding—and earning—their way to happiness. They want to happily suffer and sweat along with the heroine, to have an emotional experience with her. It wasn’t easy getting there, though. As my client put it: “I love my character. I don’t want her to suffer.” Well, yes, you do. If you want readers. I run into this occasionally in my editing practice—writers who are too emotionally close to their characters to be willing to hurt them in the way readers love. Usually these are writers who have learned a little craft and decide to rush into their writing before they’ve become competent at it. Their characters are too “on the nose”—basically, thinner, prettier, more athletic versions of their creators. As a result, they don’t really get to breathe on their own. All good fictional characters may be informed—even heavily informed—by the writer’s experience, but they take on their own lives. Don’t they? They tend to decide what they want to do, and they help the plot take shape by the choices they make, or don’t make. So, as you craft your lead character in a first draft or revisit your assumptions about him in revisions, ask yourself how much he is you. And if he is you, look for ways to get some distance while still keeping him close. I’ll use my own fiction as an example. I’m working on a crime novel about a character much like me who lives in the community in which I was raised (and reside now). He’s in his forties. Like me. He was a newspaper journalist, like I was. He was a sort of put-upon sad sack. Like…ummmm…. The more I wrote about Fictional Jim, the more I got lost in a mopey, dreary interior voice. So, in my second draft, I changed things. I chose a different setting. I gave Fictional Jim a military background, made him a little older, gave him a daughter. I gave him a voice that was less sarcastic, more spare, and self-aware. Probably the two smartest things I did were a) switch from first person to third; and, b) give him an ex-girlfriend who’s smarter and stronger than he is, who constantly pushes him out of his comfort zone and forces him to live a more exterior life. I’m still finding my way with my character and my novel. But that’s possible only because I got some distance from me. Just as you should always do for you. Unless, of course, you’re a real-life Jack Reacher or Stephanie Plum. Which you’re not. ■

Jim Thomsen is Suspense Magazine’s copy editor. Jim has been a full-time editor for authors since 2010. Each month, he’ll diagnose and discuss problems that crop up in his work with his clients. He lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington and can be reached at [email protected].

SuspenseMagazine.com 3 CRASH & BURN By Lisa Gardner Press Photo Credit: Philbrick Photography CHAPTER 1 I DIED ONCE. I remember now, as much as I am capable of remembering anything, the sensation of pain, burning and sharp, followed by fatigue, crushing and deep. I’d wanted to lie down; I recall that clearly. I’d needed to be done with it. But I hadn’t. I’d fought the pain, the fatigue, the fucking white light. I’d clawed my way back to the land of the living. Because of Vero. She needed me. What have you done? I am weightless now. I understand, absently, this is not a good thing. Cars shouldn’t be weightless. A luxury SUV was never intended to fly. And I smell something sharp and astringent. Alcohol. More specifically, whiskey. Glenlivet. Always prided myself on drinking the good stuff. What have you done? I want to cry out. As long as I’m sailing through the air, about to die for the second time, I should at least be able to scream. But no sound comes from my throat. SPECIAL PREVIEW FROM LISA GARDNER Instead, I stare through the plunging windshield, out into the pitch-black night, and I notice, of all things, that it’s raining. Like that night. Before . . . What have you done? It is not so bad to fly. The feeling is pleasant, even exhilarating. The limits of gravity defied, the pressure of earthbound life left far behind. I should lift my arms, spread them wide and embrace the second death looming before me. Vero. Beautiful little Vero. And then . . . Gravity takes its revenge. My car is weightless no more as it reconnects savagely with the earth. A shuddering crash. An echoing boom. My body, once in flight, now tossed like a rag doll against steering wheel, dashboard, gear shift. The sound of glass cracking. My face shattering. Pain, burning and sharp. Followed by fatigue, crushing and deep. I want to lie down. I need to be done with it. Vero, I think. And then: Oh my God, what have I done? My face is wet. I lick my lips, tasting water, salt, blood. Slowly, I lift my head, only for my temple to explode in agony. I wince, tucking my chin reflexively against my chest, then rest my aching forehead against hard plastic. The steering wheel of my car, I realize, is now crushed against my chest, while my leg is twisted at a nearly impossible angle, my knee wedged somewhere under the crumpled dash. I have fallen, I think, and I can’t get up. I hear a sound. Laughter. Or maybe it’s keening. It’s a strange sound. High-pitched, continuous and not entirely sane. It’s coming from me. More wet. The rain has found its way inside my vehicle. Or I have found a way outside. I’m not sure. Whiskey. The stench

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 4 of alcohol is so strong it makes me want to vomit. Soaked into my shirt, I realize. Then, my gaze still struggling to take in my surroundings, I spy glass fragments scattered around me; the remains of a bottle. I should move. Get out. Call someone. Do something. My head hurts so damn much, and instead of velvet black sky, I see bursting white lights exploding across my field of vision. Vero. One word. It rises to the front of my mind. Grounding me. Guiding me. Urging me forward. Vero, Vero, Vero. I move. Laboriously, the keening sound replaced by a soul-wrenching scream as I attempt to extricate myself from the driver’s seat. My vehicle appears to have landed on its front end, the dash nearly crushed against me. I’m not upright, but tilted forward, as if my Audi, once it broke its nose, couldn’t regain its balance. It means I have to work doubly hard to unpin myself from the accordionized space between my seat and the steering wheel and collapsed dash. Airbag. The excess mass wraps around my arms, tangles up my hands, and I curse it. Back to screaming and fighting and ranting gibberish, but the senseless rage spikes my adrenaline until at least the crushing fatigue is gone, and now there is only pain, an endless, terrible pain I already understand I can’t afford to contemplate, as I finally wiggle my way sideways from between the driver’s seat and the dash. I collapse, panting heavily, onto the center console. Legs work. Arms, too. Head’s on fire. Vero. Smoke. Do I smell smoke? I suffer an immediate bolt of panic. Smoke, screams, fire. Smoke, screams, fire. Vero, Vero, Vero. Run! No. I catch myself. No smoke. That was the first time. How many times can a woman die? I’m not sure. It’s a blur in my head, from the smell of wet earth to the heat of flames. All separate and yet together. I am dying. I am dead. No, I am merely dying. No, wait, I am dead. The first time, the second time, the third? I can’t sort it out. Only one thing matters, has ever mattered. Vero. I must save Vero. Backseat. I twist myself around. I hit first my left knee, then my right, and scream again. Fuck it. Don’t care. Backseat. I have to get to the backseat. I fumble around in the dark, licking rain and mud from my lips as other impressions start to register. The windshield is shattered, but also the moonroof, hence the inside rain. My once gorgeous, relatively new and luxurious Audi Q5 crossover SUV has been shortened by at least a foot, if not two, the front end sustaining the worst of the impact and the front doors most likely too warped to open. But the back appears to be relatively intact. “Vero, Vero, Vero.” I realize for the first time I am wearing gloves. Or used to be wearing gloves. The glass has shredded them into large bloody flaps that hinder my movements. I wrestle the first one off, then the second, then jam them self-consciously in my pants pocket. Can’t toss them on the floor. That would be littering and I treat my car better than that. Used to treat my car SPECIAL PREVIEW FROM LISA GARDNER better than that? My head hurts so damn much. I want to curl up in a ball and sleep and sleep and sleep. But I don’t. I can’t. Vero. Forcing myself to move once more, I rummage right, then left, fingers fumbling in the dark. But I find nothing. No one. I search and search, first the backseat, then, more shakily, the floor. But no small body magically appears. What if . . . She could’ve been thrown, tossed from the airborne vehicle. The car had tried to fly, and maybe so had Vero. Mommy, look at me. I’m an airplane. What have I done, what have I done, what have I done? I must get out of the vehicle. Nothing else matters. Out there, something in the dark, the rain, the mud. Vero. I must save her. I drag myself by the elbows from the front of my crumpled car to the back. Then, a sharp turn for the rear passenger’s door. But it won’t open. I yank the handle, smearing blood. I shove against the door. Cry, beg and plead, but nothing. It won’t give. The damage, the child’s safety lock. Shit! One other exit. The way back, rear cargo hatch. Moving again, painfully slow as the pain in my head turns to nausea in my stomach, and I know I’m going to vomit, but I don’t care. I have to get out of this car. I have to find Vero. The puke, when it comes, is a thin liquid spew that smells of expensive single malt and a long night’s regret. I drag myself through the heinous puddle and keep going. First lucky break: The collision has jarred the rear hatch open. I push it the rest of the way up. Then, when crawling proves too much for my bruised—broken?—ribs, I drag myself out with my arms and belly flop onto the ground. Mud, soft and oozing, eases my fall. I roll over, panting from the pain, the force of my exertions, the hopelessness of my situation.

SuspenseMagazine.com 5 Rain, rain, go away, please come back some other day. CRASH & BURN Mommy, look at me, I’m an airplane. By Lisa Gardner I’m tired again. Fatigue, crushing and deep. I could just lie here. Help will come. Someone who saw the accident, heard the crash. Another motorist passing Lisa Gardner never disappoints. by. Or maybe someone will miss me. Someone who cares. When it comes to the psychological An image of a man’s face pops into my mind but is gone before I can catch it. thriller, she is most definitely among ‘the “Vero,” I whisper. To the falling rain, the oozing mud, the starless night. best of the best.’ The smell of smoke, I think idly. The heat of fire. No, that was the first time. Sgt. Foster and Tessa Leoni return to Focus, dammit. Focus! work the case of Nicole Frank; a woman I roll back over and begin my journey. who has barely survived a terrible accident. The road appears to be high above me. There is mud, grass, scraggly bushes Listening to the story and collecting the and sharp rocks between it and me. I hear distant sounds, cars whizzing above facts, Foster and Leoni hear all about the me, like exotic birds, and I realize, as I belly crawl forward inch by inch, that the car flying, the free-fall commencing, and vehicles are too far away. They are up; I am down. They will never see me. They will the auto plowing into the ground front- never stop and help me find Vero. end first. It’s an actual miracle that Nicole Another inch, two, three, four. Gasping as I hit a rock. Cursing as I tangle in a bush. My trembling fingers reaching forward, searching, searching, searching. is alive, seeing as how there is no earthly While my head screams in agony and I pause, time after time, to retch pathetic chance that she could have survived the little spits of bile. crash, pulled her broken body up a steep Vero. embankment in the dark of night, in the And then: Oh, Nicky, what have you done? rain…to find help. However, she has I hear that keening noise again, but I don’t stop. I don’t want to realize that the done just that. But as she is put into an distressed animal making all those sounds is actually me. ambulance, she screams out that “Vero” is I don’t know how long I wriggle myself up through the slipping, sliding mud. missing. Authorities get in gear, bringing I know by the time I crest the hill, I’m covered head to toe in black ooze, and far in the search dogs to find the missing child. from disturbing me, it amuses me. It’s fitting, I think. I look as I ought to look. Upon waking, Nicole has no memory Like a woman who’s crawled from the grave. of the accident, the rescuers, or her Lights. Twin pinpricks, looming closer. I get up on my hands and knees husband, who is called to the hospital now. Have to, if the passing motorist is to see me. And it’s okay, because my ribs bringing with him new information that don’t hurt anymore. My body has gone numb, the screaming in my head having confuses the investigators even more. overloaded all circuits and left everything else curiously blank. According to Nicole’s husband, Thomas, Maybe I’m already dead. Maybe this is what the dead look like, as I get one foot she has suffered more than a few knocks on beneath me and, slowly but surely, rise to standing. the head, and there is no child by the name A screech of brakes. The oncoming car, fishtailing briefly as the driver of Vero. In fact, they have no children at SPECIAL PREVIEW FROM LISA GARDNER overapplies the brakes in the wet conditions. Then, miraculously, it stops, right all. Foster, the lead officer, and P.I. Leoni, before my raised hand and pale, rain-streaked face. give up the search for an invisible child, “Holy—” An elderly man, clearly shaken, is briefly illuminated by the interior and allow the search team to go home. light as he opens the driver’s side door. He steps out uncertainly, rises to standing. But things are just not sitting right for “Ma’am, are you all right?” them; fact and fiction begin to overlap. I don’t say a word. “Is it an accident? Where’s your car? Ma’am, you want me to dial nine-one- There seems to be an answer for everything one?” they ask, from the brain injuries that I don’t say a word. I just think: Vero. Nicole received to her odd behavior to And suddenly, I remember. I remember everything. An enormous explosion dreams she’s having that actually convince of light, terror and rage. A shooting pain not only through my head but through my Nicole that she’s someone else. Foster and heart. And in that instant, I recall exactly who I am. The monster from underneath Leoni throw themselves headfirst into the the bed. case and check out the woman’s past; a Across from me, as if sensing my thoughts, the old man recoils, takes a small past that doesn’t exist. step back. This book is an absolute treasure. “Um . . . just stay there, ma’am. Just . . . I’ll, um, I’ll phone for help.” Gardner, once again, has woven an The man disappears back inside the dimly lit interior of his car. I don’t say incredible mystery that fans will remember anything. I stand in the rain, swaying on my feet. for a long time to come. I think, one last time: Vero. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Then the moment is gone, the memory passed. Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write And I am no one at all, just a woman twice returned from the dead. ■ Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 6 SMOKE RINGS By Johnathan Lowe THE THING ON THE BAR OF THE SMOKE SHOP WAS OBLONG, heavy dark plastic with a simulated wood grain. Its tiny black curtain opened on a telephone. The telephone’s cord looked like an umbilical; thick, twisted, blue, and translucent. “Why, it’s a miniature confessional booth,” David Draper said, staring in bemused astonishment. Ron Brell beamed, blowing a smoke ring out past his own hand-rolled and personally blended cigar. “Oh yes,” he confessed proudly. “And I’m going to order five thousand of them, initially, for a Sunday ad in Parade magazine.” “You’re kidding.” “Am I?” The two men stared each other down. Former friends during their University of Arizona fraternity days in the late 70s, they’d been known to swap pranks in the past. But this was middle age now, a reunion for them a lifetime later, in the choice- blasted landscape of hybrid cars, sensible shoes, and 401Ks. “What have you been smoking?” Draper asked. He ran a hand through his thinning red hair then rested it on his widening paunch, where his fingers drummed as if testing a market watermelon. “You got the old weed mixed in there?” he added, nodding at Brell’s cigar. “Is this your midlife crisis, Ronnie?” Brell smiled thinly, hiding his golden teeth. His own pate looked like a cue ball now, perfectly round and hairless since he regularly used a razor to reject God’s meager allowance. His gut was flat, though, due to innumerable sit-ups and the tight support of elastic. Above his Madras shirt, his eyes fluttered like American flags; red, white, and very blue. “I’ve bet the farm on development costs,” Brell told his ex-roommate, evenly. “It’s a sure thing. That’s why I’m already celebrating with a fine cigar.” Brell took another long draw, savored it then let it out slowly, bathing Draper with the aroma as if christening him. Draper glanced back at the confessional telephone on the bar. He noticed yet another thin cord which snaked behind it under the counter. His stool squeaked under him as he turned fully to study it more closely. “You’re not even Catholic, though,” he heard himself say, testing the first of an entire litany of objections he knew would soon come to his attention. Brell laughed. “That’s my market base. Non-Catholics. Do you know how many non-Catholics there are? Or Catholics with a sense of humor about the Pope?” As if on cue, the phone rang in its miniature confessional enclosure. Or rather, chimed. The bartender answered it, exchanging glances with Brell. “It’s for you,” he said, and handed the receiver to a surprised David Draper. “Who knows I’m here?” Draper asked Brell, whose smile now flashed golden in the recessed lighting as he tilted back to lock his hands behind his head. Into the phone he said, “Hello?” The voice on the other end was upbeat, up-tempo. “What do you think so far?” it asked him. “Excuse me?” Draper said. “Who is this, please?” “Gordon Bellamy, David. Ron’s publicist and manager. Yours, too, if you come aboard.”

SuspenseMagazine.com 7 Draper was speechless, although his mouth dropped slightly before hanging to one side. Half an hour later, as he pulled shut the tiny black curtain with his forefinger and thumb, he was christened again with a long, slow ring of smoke which encircled his head like a noose. “I have to confess,” David began, over lunch the next day at The Last Territory, “it does have a kind of kitchy appeal.” He stabbed a hunk of beef with his fork, lathered it in A-1, and chewed for a moment of consideration. “I like the ad, too, which avoids sacrilegious references in favor of challenging the buyer. How did you come up with the idea of promoting truth and honesty?” Brell smiled. “Makes a great gift for the boyfriend, son; or gossipy old aunt, too, doesn’t it?” Draper lifted the mock ad, as it would appear in Parade should he agree to write a check for it in the sum of twenty-one thousand dollars. In the image at the upper left was the confessional booth, seemingly full size, its curtain closed. Is there something you need to confess? the ad asked. In the lower left was an image of the confessional open, the phone showing. Remember—you must not tell a lie. Or else. “Makes a great gift,” Brell repeated, tapping the slogan in the lower right, where details were given, along with an 800 number. He grinned. “The price is right, too. Twenty nine, ninety-five. Under thirty, because if you go any higher than that magic number, you lose half your audience. At five thousand initial stock, if we sell out, we clear ten bucks each, that’s—” “I can do the math,” Draper said. “What if we don’t sell out?” We. Oh boy, he’d said it now. It had slipped out, and he knew what that meant. Brell knew it, too. Now it was Brell’s job to move past it as fast as possible. “That’s just initially,” Ron said, ignoring the question. “There are other ads to run as well, and other magazines, like the Enquirer. Other venues, too.” “Such as?” “Late night television. The Home Shopping Network. We should get plenty of free local publicity, too, with such a unique product. Imagine the possibilities. We could go on radio and TV talk shows and talk about how we want to clean up phone sex with minors. Talk about how good people will feel to get things off their chest and tell the truth for once. How people need to communicate with someone they’ve neglected calling, or have done something against in the past. Someone who’s been estranged up till now because they never really told the truth to each other. A former friend, an out of touch relative. We could say that’s how we got back in touch, too. You and me! We could say we had a fight back years ago, that we hated each other underneath it all, back then. Then a late night phone call, a little reunion of old buddies, plenty of confessions, forgiveness on both sides, and now we’re thick as thieves.” “Good analogy. You’re not serious.” “No? Well, I’m thinking of writing a book, too. A companion volume to the phone, titled “I Cannot Tell a Lie.” How confession leads to discovering your inner self, and that speaking the truth sets you free, featuring sample conversations, and even tips on how to confess your sins and cleanse your soul. Hell, it should be a bestseller, since we’ll be saying that everyone lies on cell phones! Buyers of the confessional phone can be pitched about the book later, and future buyers will get it as part of the package for thirty-nine, ninety-five.” Draper shook his head in amazement. “You got it all worked out, haven’t you. You and…” “Gordon. Yeah. He’s presenting the idea to various talk show hosts now. He’s very creative. The phone call to you at the bar was his idea, you know.” “For what percentage?” “He gets fifteen percent. The rest of the profit goes to pay back our development and advertising costs.” “You talking net or gross for Gordon?” “Net, of course! After unit product costs.” “What if the units don’t sell? Who pays Gordon then?” Brell pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’ve got to think long term, Dave. After we’ve paid ourselves back the investment we made for development and startup, it’ll be pure profit, plenty of money for everybody.” He looked up and grinned. “We’ll be rich, my son!” Draper sat back and studied the half-moon of fat rimming his plate where his steak had been. He didn’t realize he’d been so hungry. When the bill came, though, Brell got up to take a smoke outside. Sunday morning, five weeks later, nine a.m., David Draper approached the corner table of the smoke shop, near the window. He set down his Columbian—cream, no sugar—and lit up a Dominican, then pulled Parade magazine free of the newspaper he carried in his other hand. Next he sat and began to leaf methodically through each page, scanning the contents

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 8 like a typical reader might, letting the articles and ads catch or lose his interest in turn. As he neared page twenty one, where Gordon told him the half page ad would appear in nearly every newspaper in America, he tensed involuntarily, and then paused before turning. Then he did it. The page turned and fell. He was staring down at a full page ad for a commemorative medallion celebrating the battle of Gettysburg in .999 fine silver, shown 4x the size, at $99 plus $8 shipping and handling. Visa and Mastercard accepted. He looked down for the page number, and stared at it as his heart skipped, beating erratically now, faster and faster, like an old car engine accustomed to slow speeds and needing a tune-up when it is floored for the first time in years. Page 21. There was no mistake. The opposite page displayed an article—an interview with grade school students on what they thought of mandatory school uniforms and turnstile metal detectors. He flipped to the end, hoping for some last minute placement adjustment, but the last pages displayed discounted vitamins, and finally CDs of all your favorite hip, gold-chained, trash-talking rap artists. Now he went in reverse, thumbing through each crisp, colorful page like a nervous junkie in search of a fix. When he got to page 1, he accidentally spilled his coffee, sloshing it down one leg. The heat of it burning into his thigh failed, however, to stop his head from turning to view the pay phone just outside. He rose and exited, walking robot-like, oblivious to stares from the old geezer in the corner, his throat emitting a low, sustained growl of pain edged with a plaintive, almost pleading quality. He dialed Brell’s number first. There was a click, then a mechanical voice said, “We’re sorry, but this number is no longer in service. Please hang up and try again.” He did, but this time he dialed Gordon. “We’re sorry,” the same voice repeated, “but this num—” David Draper slammed the phone back hard in its cradle for a ten count. Number ten cracked the black plastic on the receiver end and drew a series of honks from a laughing gaggle of frat boys passing outside in a Camaro. He clamped shut his eyes and took several deep breaths as he remembered Brell’s words: We hated each other underneath it all, back then. Had it been true? For Brell, at least, it was now obviously true. Secretly, Brell had hated him all along. Had it started when he began dating Brell’s ex-girlfriend, Jill Conners, their Junior year? Jill and Ron had seemed finished at the time, but maybe Ron had hoped to rekindle something with her, and he had spoiled it. What a bizarre way to get revenge, though, twenty years later. Unless he was looking for a mark, was in town for a while, and Draper seemed easier to scam than a stranger. Maybe Brell had gotten the plastic confessional phone out of some Taiwan novelty catalog. Was he in Phoenix already, showing the thing to some other patsy in a bar or smoke shop? Smoke shop. Draper called the owner over, asked a few questions, then asked for a phone book. There were other smoke shops in town. No matter what it took, he would find out what they knew, and then track Brell to the gates of Hell. If what he did next required a priest for absolution, so be it. Not that he cared. He wasn’t even Catholic.

ANOTHER TOWN. ANOTHER MONTH. “Why, it’s a miniature confessional booth,” Ed Weiss said, staring in bemused astonishment. Ron Brell beamed, blowing a thick smoke ring straight up toward the ceiling. “Oh yes,” he confessed proudly, once again, for old times’ sake. “And I’m going to order five thousand of them, initially, for a Sunday ad in Parade magazine.” “You’re kidding.” “I never kid,” Brell replied, smiling his golden smile. As if on cue, the phone chimed in its miniature confessional enclosure. The bartender answered it, exchanging a surprised look with Brell. “It’s…for you,” the bartender said, and then handed the receiver to an even more surprised Ron Brell. “Hello? Gordon?” Brell said tentatively, looking out at the Miami skyline. For an odd instant he half imagined a killer standing beside the dead body of Gordon Bellamy, gripping a still smoking 9mm. Then he shook it off. “Gordon?” he asked again. The phone went dead. Brell replaced the receiver slowly. His face drained. “Who was that?” the newest mark asked. “I’m not sure,” Brell confessed. “And as you know, on this phone, I cannot tell a lie.” He smiled, then sat motionless for a moment, stymied, as his own smoke ring gently settled back down over his head like a noose. ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 9 FROM ACROSS THE POND With LEIGH RUSSELLBy Chris Simms Press Photo Credit: http://leighrussell.co.uk

I’m delighted to bring readers of Suspense Magazine a feature from the UK’s Crime Readers’ Association. In it, an author from over here will write about crime writing from a UK perspective. THE APPEAL OF CRIME FICTION

The appeal of crime fiction is a strange phenomenon. Readers who appear to be perfectly ordinary, if not downright pleasant, often tell me they “love a good murder.” Bookshops display signs saying we love crime. An alien with a grasp of our language but no concept of fiction might be seriously disturbed. (Perhaps that’s why E.T. has never visited us?) But we don’t have to scratch far below the surface to uncover several reasons for the huge appeal of crime fiction. In an age when traditional gods are being deposed by Mammon, crime fiction offers us a clear moral code. At its heart, crime fiction is about the conflict between good and evil. It is redemptive to know that however dark the narrative, by the end of the novel some sort of moral order will be restored. Add to that the elements of suspense and mystery, and the appeal of crime fiction becomes easy to understand. Whatever you look for in a book is likely to be present in any good crime novel. Whether it’s engaging characters or clever plots, baffling puzzles or page-turning suspense, they all combine in a crime novel. Books raise questions. We read on to find answers to those questions. Whether we are reading to find out how the romantic couple finally resolve their differences and fall into each other’s arms, or to discover the identity of a killer, or to see if the protagonist will eventually find contentment, there is an overarching question in any work of fiction that drives the narrative forward—and keeps the reader turning the pages. In a crime novel the structure is perhaps neater than in any other genre, and the questions are probably more urgent: genuinely a matter of life and death. Writers of other genres may disagree. But what are the elements of good structure in a novel? “Dead End” was described as “a textbook in how to write a crime novel” in the Miami Examiner. I believe that was a compliment, as “Dead End” was selected as a Fiction Book of the Year by the same reviewer. Like so many other crime novels, “Dead End” begins with a murder. The reader is immediately drawn in, hooked by the crucial question: who killed the victim in the opening pages? Pursuing that question is what takes the reader right to the end of so many crime novels. And there are other questions along the way—perhaps another murder, or a personal crisis for the detective which has to be resolved. Crime fiction not only asks questions, it also offers us an opportunity to act out imaginary fears in a perfectly safe environment. As we read, we are not really being pursued along a dark street by a stranger, yet we might empathize with a character for long enough to feel as though we are being chased. However scared we feel, we are playing at the feeling. We know we can close the book. But we don’t, do we? No, we read on to find out whether a vulnerable character survives, or how the killer is finally

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 10 tracked down, or whether the detective will be happy as we reach the end of the book. WRITING A SERIES

Many of us are fans of series novels. There is comfort in returning to a familiar character. After a while, they begin to seem like old friends. We carry on reading the books, not only because we enjoy the stories, but because we want to find out what has happened to the protagonist. To begin with, I was genuinely surprised to receive emails asking me about my detective, her life and her future. I’ve met women who tell me they are “in love” with Geraldine’s blond and blue-eyed sergeant, Ian Peterson. Of course, they are never completely serious...at least I don’t think they are... Agents and publishers love series, too. In times when it has become extremely difficult to attract the attention of a publisher, you may put yourself at a slight advantage if you are able to pitch your manuscript as the start of a series. But it takes thought and care to make this work. Many authors plan far ahead, plotting the arc of their protagonist’s progress through a series. They might decide to take the character to a certain stage in their career, or in their personal life, in each book. When I wrote the first draft of my debut, “Cut Short,” I had no idea anyone else would ever read my manuscript, let alone publish it. Certainly the prospect of this story becoming the first in a long-running, internationally bestselling series never crossed my mind. If I had known, I might have produced a very different story, or at least a slightly different protagonist. To begin with, my detective would probably have been much younger at the start of the series. As it is, when she first appears she is already in her late thirties. Now, six books on, she is having to be like Poirot, and not age. Otherwise she would already be approaching retirement, and we’re only just over a quarter of the way through the series! There are other potential pitfalls to bear in mind if you set out to write a series. One of these is continuity. This is crucial in any novel. The same is equally true of a series of novels. You cannot introduce a character in one book who hates coffee only to have that character regularly drink coffee in a later book. Eye color, hair color, family background—everything has to be consistent. This would be a huge feat of memory, and a bit of a challenge for someone like me! So it’s important to make detailed notes. Remember to store these where you can find them. (Yes, I speak with the voice of bitter experience...) Many readers would pick me up on any inconsistency in my books. Fortunately, I have a brilliant editor who knows my characters’ details better than I do. This is just one of many reasons why a good editor is vital for any author. Writing a series is a minefield, but for an author, one advantage outweighs everything else: Every time a new book hits the shelves with my name on it, I don’t feel unduly stressed about critics’ and readers’ reviews. Not because I’m impervious to criticism, but because there’s simply no time to worry. Halfway through writing a book, I’ll be focusing on what’s next. With two series on the go, a deadline is never far away.

Hailed as “a brilliant talent” by Jeffery Deaver and “a deeply human voice” by Peter James, Leigh Russell writes the internationally bestselling Geraldine Steel series of psychological crime thrillers. Find out more at http://leighrussell.co.uk/.

Chris Simms is the editor of Case Files, the Crime Readers’ Association’s online magazine. You can subscribe to Case Files for free at www. thecra.co.uk. Along with nominations for the Crime Writer’s Association Daggers (for his novels and short stories) and the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year award, Chris was selected by Waterstone’s as one of their “25 Authors For The Future.” He feverishly scribbles away in a small hut behind his house.

Discover more at www.chrissimms.info or at www.facebook.com/AuthorChrisSimms ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 11 “David Lyons takes us on a journey of deceit, international intrigue, and the brink of possible nuclear war in WATERS OF OBLIVION. Judge Jock Boucher is at his very best as he attempts to unravel a bees’ nest of corruption and greed without getting stung. A must read. A great espionage thriller!” – Suspense Magazine

1 ST WATERS OF in the Jock Boucher Series!... OBLIVION Available in Hard Cover,

A Jock Boucher Thriller Paperback, E-book “ . . . an undeniable page-turner.” and Audiobook Literary adrenaline. –KirKus reviews

“ A must read. A great espionage thriller!” AgAzine –suspense m 2ND in the Jock Boucher Series!...

By Critically-Acclaimed Author Available in Paperback DAVID LYONS and E-book NEW RELEASE! 3 Rd in the Series!... Available at your Favorite E-book Retailer! Free! Win a Kindle! Information at DavidLyonsAuthor.com SOPHIE LOOKS TO INJECT US WITH A CONTAGIOUS “INFECTION” MEET SOPHIE LITTLEFIELD Interview by Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Gigi Pandian Sophie Littlefield’s latest adult suspense novel, released in October 2014 to rave reviews, is “The Missing Place.” In January, Littlefield also released a new YA book, a high-octane thriller called “Infected.” It’s a fast-paced thriller featuring cryptology expert Carina Monroe. Sophie Littlefield grew up in rural Missouri, the middle child of a professor and an artist. She has been writing stories since childhood. After taking a hiatus to raise her children, she sold her first book in 2008, and has since authored over a dozen novels in several genres. Sophie’s novels have won Anthony and RT Book Awards and been shortlisted for the Edgar, Barry, Crimespree, Macavity, and Goodreads Choice Awards. In addition to women’s fiction, she writes the post-apocalyptic Aftertime series, the Stella Hardesty crime series, the Joe Bashir crime series, and thrillers for young adults. She is a past president of the San Francisco Romance Writers of America chapter. Let’s take a quick look inside her latest book “Infected” and then you can check out our interview with Sophie.

Carina’s senior year is spiraling downward. Fast. Both her mother and her uncle, the only two family members she’s ever known, are dead. Their deaths were accidents, unfortunate results of the highly confidential research they performed for a national security organization. Or so she’s been told. She’s not buying it. After finding a unique code hidden beneath the stone in a ring her mother left to her, Carina goes straight to the only family she has left: her boyfriend, Tanner. Following a trail of clues by solving a series of cryptic puzzles, Carina and Tanner are on the run to prevent her family’s work from falling into the wrong hands. The people Carina loved kept dangerous secrets. Secrets that make her question the life she’s been living up to now. Her life is on the line, but more importantly, so is Tanner’s. And if she fails? He dies.

SuspenseMagazine.com 13 “I LOVE WRITING IN DIFFERENT GENRES AND FIND THAT THE TRANSITION IS AN EXCITING TIME”

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): Can you give us an inside look at “Infected”?

Sophie Littlefield (S.L.): “Infected” is the story of seventeen-year-old Carina and her boyfriend Tanner, who are on the run from relentless terrorists determined to steal the biological agent her uncle developed before his death. Unfortunately they were infected with the agent, and unless they can locate an antidote, they’ll be dead in 36 hours.

S. MAG.: You write in several different genres. What are the biggest challenges you face when you have to switch gears with each book?

S.L.: I love writing in different genres and find that the transition is an exciting time. There’s nothing more invigorating than sitting down to a new story idea. After completing a project with a particular mood, theme, or set of genre expectations, it’s such a pleasure to set out in an entirely different direction.

S. MAG.: With all the books you have written is there one character that stands out as your favorite, and why?

S.L.: Cass Dollar, the hero of my Aftertime series of post-apocalyptic novels, is especially dear to me. All of my heroes are faced with daunting challenges, often involving protecting those they love, and Cass is no exception, as she must find her small daughter in a world that lies in ruins. But she has the additional challenges of being a recovering addict and—oh, yeah, there are cannibals. She also has not one but two incredibly hot lovers over the course of the series. Finally, I worked on those books with editor Adam Wilson, who could probably make a day cleaning up toxic waste into a fun project.

S. MAG.: Was “The Missing Place,” your last adult novel, your most emotional adult book?

S.L.: Every book I write seems to be the most emotional book I’ve ever tackled, for the simple reason that I’m generally working out personal issues through the fiction. The tricky thing is that I’m never really aware that I’m doing it, and it’s not a neat one- to-one correspondence. So, for instance, while “The Missing Place” is about missing children, North Dakota, oil, and class influence on women’s friendships, none of those were actually what I was working through internally. It’s all tangential and none of it is relevant to the reading experience, but it’s all deeply important to me nonetheless.

S. MAG.: If you could write with another author on a book or series, who would it be?

S.L.: My brother! Author Mike Cooper has been my big brother for fifty-one years and no one could hope for a better supporter, cheerleader, editor, or friend. Also, we have complementary skills—Mike never met a fight or chase or explosion scene that he didn’t love, and I can do character work until the cows come home.

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 14 S. MAG.: Is there a book you loved (not yours) that you would like to write a sequel to?

S.L.: Wow. Um, all of them? When I was in middle school I was given an assignment in English class to write a story in the voice of Edgar Allan Poe. It was freakishly easy to do. More recently, I accidentally wrote an entire proposal in the voice of Herman Koch. I’m very susceptible to voice creep with authors I admire, so I have to be careful not to get sucked in.

In terms of plot sequels, however, I’m content to just sit back and see how a colleague does it. I waited very anxiously for subsequent books in Ben Winters’s trilogy. I had no idea how he was going to pull it off.

S. MAG.: When creating a character(s), how difficult is it to make sure they all have a different voice within the pages?

S.L.: Super easy! I’m not sure why, but my characters all “arrive” with very distinct personalities. I bolster that by listening to music that suits them while writing in their voices. Sometimes, that means I end up listening to music I loathe (I find John Mayer’s work deplorable, for instance, but one of my characters would have hummed his tunes all day long).

I’m also a pretty good human sponge/observer. I have an ear for personal story, and I eavesdrop shamelessly. Other people notice things like design, political shifts, the passage of time and its effect on setting…I just watch the people and make up stories about them.

S. MAG.: When a new fan comes up to you and says, “Which book should I start with,” how do you answer?

S.L.: Ugh, I have no idea! To me, there is a common thread that runs through all of my books—I really do feel that the heart beating inside my YAs, for instance, also invigorates my adult thrillers—but other people clearly disagree. I’ve been asked if I am actually several different authors. (Emphatically no.) So, I’m reduced to asking questions like, “Uh, do you like zombies? Would you like to kill your husband?”

S. MAG.: What is the strangest email from a fan you have ever received?

S.L.: An Australian fan once wrote me to say that he liked my work, was almost seven feet tall, and had a neck like a giraffe.

S. MAG.: What can fans expect to see from you in the future?

S.L. If the fates continue to smile on me, I hope I’ll be writing more of the same (domestic thrillers, young adult novels, maybe even more Stella Hardesty books) and also exploring new ideas. My agent, Barbara Poelle, and I, have been tossing around a few ideas lately that I’m very excited about.

Beyond that, I have a novel coming out next year that I am very happy with. It’s tentatively titled “The Guilty One,” and my editor, Abby Zidle, is waving her magic editorial wand over it right now. It examines the debt people owe each other after surviving a catastrophe, and it’s also got a fair amount of whodunit tension.

Thanks so much for inviting me to chat. There’s nothing better than talking about writing and books, is there?

We would like to thank Sophie for taking the time to talk with us about her latest book and several other topics. For more information, please visit her website at www.sophielittlefield.com. ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 15 Forensic Files Q&A: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON IS EXPOSED TO THE VACUUM OF SPACE? By D.P. Lyle, MD Photo Credit: Provided by Author Q: What sort of damage does the human body suffer in the vacuum of space? How long can one survive and what will happen to the person who does survive? My scenario involves an astronaut whose faceplate blows out, but not before he depressurizes his suit sufficiently to prevent immediate death.

A: First, the victim would not explode, as was the case in movies such as, Total Recall. But bad things do happen internally and they happen very quickly. Whether he depressurizes somewhat beforehand or not, his survival once he reached zero pressure (vacuum), would likely be measured in seconds. Space-decompression sickness is similar to what’s suffered by a scuba diver who rises too rapidly after prolonged exposure to the pressures of the deep. In this case the diver is going from excess pressure to normal pressure. In space, the victim goes from normal pressure to zero pressure. Same thing physiologically. In diving, the problem is that the excess pressure causes excess nitrogen (N) to dissolve in the blood. This N will come back out of the blood as the pressure is reduced. This should happen slowly to prevent decompression sickness or the bends. But, if the diver rises rapidly, the pressure drops rapidly, and the N comes out of the blood quickly. That forms N bubbles in the bloodstream. This is similar to popping the top on a soft drink. Here, the release of the pressure allows the carbon dioxide (CO2), which was placed into the liquid under pressure, to come out of the liquid and form bubbles. We call this carbonization. A good thing for your soft drink, but not so good for your brain, heart, and muscles. In space decompression, basically the same thing happens. Apparently the culprit is water and not N in this situation, however. With the sudden release of pressure, the water in the blood “boils,” becoming a gas, and bubbles form in the system. I should point out that in chemical and physical terms “boiling” simply means the changing of a liquid to a gas. This can be accomplished by adding heat (boiling water on a stove) or by lowering the ambient pressure (popping open a soft drink). In the case of space decompression, it isn’t that the blood gets hot, but rather that the pressure that keeps the water in its liquid state is removed and the water changes to its gaseous state, or boils. Doesn’t sound very pleasant, does it? Though studies on the effects of exposure to a vacuum have been done on chimpanzees, there is no real data on what happens to humans exposed to zero pressure except for a couple of incidents in which an astronaut or a pilot was accidentally exposed. Of course, rapid decompression has caused deaths in high-altitude flights and in spacecraft. In June 1971, the Russian spacecraft Soyuz 11 suddenly lost pressure, killing the three cosmonauts on board. Survivors are few and far between. On August 16, 1960, parachutist Joe Kittinger ascended to an altitude of 102,800 feet (19.5 miles) in an open gondola in order to set a world record for high-altitude parachute jumping. He lost pressurization in his right glove but proceeded with his ascent and jump. He experienced pain and loss of function in his hand at high altitude, but returned to normal at lower altitudes. In 1965, at NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center near Houston, a trainee suffered a leak in his spacesuit while in a vacuum chamber. He lost consciousness in fourteen seconds, but revived after a few seconds as the chamber was immediately re- pressurized. He suffered no ill effects—due to his very brief exposure—but stated that he could feel water boiling on his

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 16 tongue. This was actually the above-mentioned boiling scenario in which water (in this case, saliva) becomes a gas on exposure to zero pressure. A case of partial, prolonged exposure occurred during an EVA (space walk) in April 1991 on the U.S. space shuttle mission STS-37. One astronaut suffered a tiny puncture in one glove between the thumb and forefinger. He was unaware of it until later when he noticed a painful red mark on his skin in the exposed area. It appeared that the area bled some, but that his blood had clotted and sealed the injury. So, what happens to a human exposed to zero pressure? Since there is no oxygen in such an environment, loss of consciousness occurs in seconds. Also, if the victim held his breath (don’t do this during scuba diving when coming up from depths, either), the air in his lungs would rapidly expand and his lungs could be damaged, bleed, or rupture. Better to open his mouth and exhale the rapidly expanding gas from his lungs. Water in his bloodstream would immediately begin to “boil,” filling the bloodstream with water vapor (the gas form of water) and stopping his heart. Bubbles might appear in the bloodstream and cause damage to the body’s organs, particularly the brain. As a result, the brain and nerves cease to function. As more gas formed within the body, the entire body would swell but would not explode. Exposure to heat or cold or radiation might also occur, but do little harm, since the victim would already be dead. But what if the exposure was brief and the person rescued? Treatment would be to immediately return him to a pressurized environment and give him 100 percent oxygen. He may survive unharmed, or may have brain and nerve damage which could be permanent. For your scenario, whether he partially decompressed or not, he would be in trouble very quickly. When your victim’s faceplate ruptured, he would hopefully begin to exhale air to prevent the expanding gases in his lungs from rupturing them. As air, and thus oxygen, flowed from his lungs and into space, the oxygen content of his blood would rapidly drop and he would lose consciousness in ten to twenty seconds. He would then die in short order. If he were quickly rescued, he would be returned to the spacecraft, which would be pressurized, and would be given 100 percent oxygen via a face mask. He could survive intact or with brain damage. It’s your call. Either way works. ■

D. P. Lyle is the Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award winning and Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Scribe, and USA Best Book Award nominated author of many non-fiction books as well as numerous works of fiction, including the Samantha Cody thriller series; the Dub Walker thriller series, and the Royal Pains media tie-in novels. To learn more about D.P., check out his websites at http://www.dplylemd.com, http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress. com, or Crime and Science Radio at http://crimeandscienceradio. com.

SuspenseMagazine.com 17 Woman With a Gun, Man with a Pen— PHILLIP MARGOLIN Interview by Elise Cooper for Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Anthony Georgis

“Woman With a Gun,” the latest by New York Times bestselling author Phillip Margolin, is a unique crime novel. It begins with the photograph on the cover of the book, which works as the focal point for this mystery. This book is really a story within a story, as Margolin takes his personal experience and transfers it to one of his lead characters, Stacey Kim. She wants to become a writer, and seeing this Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph at an art museum inspires her to find the history behind it. Deciding to travel to Oregon, the setting for the photo, she discovers there was a cold-case murder associated with it. The other piece of the plot has readers trying to unravel the killing of Raymond Cahill that occurred the night of his wedding. That evening, amateur photographer Kathy Moran took a stunning photograph of newlywed Megan Cahill standing on the beach, facing the sea, dressed in her wedding gown, holding a Western six-shooter. Moments later, Kathy discovered the body of Raymond Cahill, Megan’s millionaire husband, in their beach house. The two main characters are compelling, complex, and well developed. Kathy Moran was a defense attorney who went up against a young prosecutor on the fast track to success. After her drug-dealer client was found not guilty, she appeared to have everything at her fingertips. That is, until she was disbarred for possessing drugs. She quits law and finds peace in Palisades Heights, a town on the Oregon Coast, while pursuing her dream career as a photographer. Margolin has her use sex to get ahead, to appear at times sympathetic, and to alternate between being good and bad. The male lead is Jack Booth, who was demoted after being humiliated by losing to Moran. He is now a special prosecutor. He is a womanizer, and someone who drinks and smokes way too much. He also is obsessed with Kathy Moran and allows this ten-year-long infatuation to influence how he handles his job. Margolin has a straightforward and natural style with his many twists and turns throughout the plot. Readers are kept off-balance, suspecting many different characters as the killer, as they engage in this page-turner.

We were fortunate enough to be able to ask a few questions of the author.

Elise Cooper (E.C.): Where did you find this photo?

Phillip Margolin (P.M.): In Georgia. I was keynoting a writing conference. In a restaurant restroom over the toilet was the photograph seen on the cover of the book. I was blown away with the many possible scenarios that were running through my mind. Has the woman killed her husband on their wedding night? Is she going to commit suicide? Is she waiting for someone she plans to kill? I knew then I had the name of the book and the cover.

E.C.: Did you ever find out the real story behind the picture?

P.M.: Yeah. I asked the photographer, Leslie Jeter, because I was really curious. The story is not romantic and is actually bland.

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 18 She was a commercial photographer at this wedding rehearsal. Everyone there were gun enthusiasts and had her take pictures, each one holding a different type of gun.

E.C.: In the story you have the gun as an antique, from the Wyatt Earp era of the OK Corral shooting. Please explain.

P.M.: I wanted to make the gun very valuable. I thought about the shooting of Wild Bill Hickok with the “Dead Man’s Hand,” and Wyatt Earp at the OK Corral. After doing some research I chose the latter. I thought the pistol in the photograph was an old western six-shooter. However, I sent it to a friend of mine, Steve Perry, who knows a lot about guns. He thought the gun was probably a modern weapon. I was disappointed but romanticism prevailed, and so I decided my fictional weapon would be the one that Earp could have fought with in Tombstone.

E.C.: I thought the plot reminded me of the movie starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, Chinatown. Am I correct?

P.M.: I think the tone of the book became decidedly noir. I realized I was writing a story that could have been filmed in black and white in the 1940s, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall as Jack and Kathy respectively.

E.C.: There is a lot about collectors in the story. Why?

P.M.: I am fascinated by how they think. My brother is a super-collector of Sherlock Holmes. He has that gene, not me. I think he has the largest collection of Holmes artwork. The mindset seems to be that possessing the item is important. Unfortunately, there are people out there—of course not my brother—who hire someone to steal an item or buy it on the black market. I don’t think they care if they can display it because for them the big incentive is that they own it and have something that no one else in the world can see.

E.C.: Would you ever write a true-crime book?

P.M.: I don’t think so. I was involved in that for over twenty-five years as a defense attorney. My briefs were my true-crime stories. Unlike real life, when you write a novel you can make things up and have everything come out as you want. I always joke, I never lost a motion to suppress in any of my books.

E.C.: What would you like the reader to get out of “Woman With A Gun”?

P.M.: To have a good time. I want to set the reader up and keep the plot moving.

I read about three books a week, all different types, although, Agatha Christie is my guilty pleasure. When I read, I desire to escape from the pressures. I want twists and turns and to be surprised by the ending.

E.C.: Can you give a heads-up about your next book?

P.M.: The working title is “The Mayfly,” the fifth Amanda Jaffe novel. I introduced her in “Wild Justice,” which is about a father- daughter criminal defense team. In the book, “The Associate,” I needed a defense attorney. I was going to invent one but I liked Amanda so much I gave her a cameo role. I had no intention of writing a series character because I feared being tied to it. Obviously, I overcame that and now write many standalones and occasionally a Jaffe book.

E.C.: When you are not writing, what are you doing?

P.M.: I am a pro football fanatic. Every Sunday I watch nine hours. I am hoping for a good, competitive game. I am a huge Oregon Ducks fan because watching them is so exciting. Once the Philadelphia Eagles hired Chip Kelly, I became a fan.

To learn more about this talented author, go to www.phillipmargolin.com. ■

Elise Cooper has interviewed a wide variety of bestselling authors for many years. Her book reviews and Q/A’s focus on women, thrillers, crime mysteries, and national security issues. She considers books an important part of our lives and hope these reviews/ interviews will provide some insight. In addition, she has set up book tours for authors and was the Director of Author Relations for the 2014 Veteran’s Benefit Book Fair held in San Diego.

SuspenseMagazine.com 19 INNOCENT

BLOODBy James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell December 18, 9:58 a.m. PST swept through her as Palo Alto, California she prepared her papers had nothing to do with AN EDGE OF PANIC KEPT HER TENSE . the room’s poor heating As Dr. Erin Granger entered the lecture hall on the system. Stanford campus, she glanced across its breadth to make sure Returned again to she was alone. She even crouched and searched under the Stanford, she should have empty seats, making certain no one was hiding there. She felt good to be home, kept one hand on the Glock 19 in her ankle holster. wrapped in the familiar, in the daily routines of a semester It was a beautiful winter morning, the sun hanging in winding toward Christmas break. a crisp, cloud-studded blue sky. With bright light streaming But she didn’t. through the tall windows, she had little to fear from the dark Because nothing was the same. creatures that haunted her nightmares. As she straightened and prepared this morning’s lecture Still, after all that had befallen her, she knew that her notes, her students arrived in ones and twos, a few climbing fellow man was just as capable of evil. down the stairs to the seats in front, but most hanging back Straightening again, she reached the lectern in front of and folding down the seats in the uppermost rows. the classroom and let out a quiet sigh of relief. She knew her “Professor Granger?” fears were illogical, but that didn’t stop her from checking that Erin glanced to her left and discovered a young man the hall was safe before her students trooped in. As annoying with five silver hoops along one eyebrow approaching her. as college kids could be, she would fight to the death to keep The student wore a determined expression on his face as he each one of them from harm. stepped in front of her. He carried a camera with a long lens She wouldn’t fail a student again. over one shoulder. Erin’s fingers tightened on the scuffed leather satchel in “Yes?” She didn’t bother to mask the irritation in her her hand. She had to force her fingers to open and place her voice. bag next to the lectern. With her gaze still roaming the room, He placed a folded slip of paper atop the wooden lectern she unbuckled the satchel and pulled out her notes for the and slid it toward her. lecture. Usually she memorized her presentations, but she Behind him, the other students in the room looked on, had taken over this class for a professor on maternity leave. It nonchalant, but they were unconvincing actors. She could tell was an interesting topic, and it kept her from dwelling on the they watched her, wondering what she would do. She didn’t events that had upended her life, starting with the loss of her need to open that slip of paper to know that it contained the two graduate students in Israel a couple of months before. young man’s phone number. Heinrich and Amy. “I’m from the Stanford Daily.” He played with a hoop in The German student had died from injuries sustained his eyebrow. “I was hoping for one quick interview for the following an earthquake. Amy’s death had come later, school newspaper?” murdered because Erin had unwittingly sent forbidden She pushed the slip of paper back toward him. “No, thank information to her student, knowledge that had gotten the you.” She had refused all interview requests since returning

SPECIAL PREVIEW FROM JAMES ROLLINS & REBECCA CANTRELL REBECCA & JAMES ROLLINS PREVIEW FROM SPECIAL young woman killed. from Rome. She wouldn’t break her silence now, especially as She rubbed her palms, as if trying to wipe away that everything she was allowed to say was a lie. blood, that responsibility. The room seemed suddenly colder. To hide the truth of the tragic events that had left her two It couldn’t have been more than fifty degrees outside and students dead, a story had been put out that she had been not much warmer in the classroom. Still, the shivers that trapped three days in the Israeli desert, entombed amid the

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 20 rubble following an earthquake at Masada. According to that or obscured by purposeful deceptions to hide darker truths. false account, she was discovered alive, along with an army As an archaeologist, one who sought the history hidden sergeant named Jordan Stone and her sole surviving graduate under sand and rock, such a revelation had left her unsettled, student, Nate Highsmith. unmoored. After returning to the comfortable world of She understood the necessity of a cover story to explain academia, she discovered that she could no longer give the time she had spent working for the Vatican, a subterfuge the simplest lecture without careful thought. Telling her that was further supported by an elite few in the government students the truth, if not the whole truth, had become nearly who also knew the truth. The public wasn’t ready for stories impossible. Every lecture felt like a lie. of monsters in the night, of the dark underpinnings that How can I continue walking that line, lying to those I’m supported the world at large. supposed to teach the truth? Still, necessity or not, she had no intention of elaborating Still, what choice did she have? After having that door on those lies. briefly opened, revealing the hidden nature of the world, it The student with the line of eyebrow rings persisted. “I’d had been shut just as soundly. let you review the story before I post it. If you don’t like every Not shut. Slammed in my face. single bit, we can work with it until you do.” Cut off from those truths hidden behind that door, she “I respect your persistence and diligence, but it does not was left on the outside, left to wonder what was real and what change my answer.” She gestured to the half-full auditorium. was false. “Please, take your seat.” Finally, the lecture came to an end. She hurriedly wiped He hesitated and seemed about to speak again. clean the whiteboard, as if trying to erase the falsehoods and She pulled herself up to her full height and fixed him half-truths found there. At least, it was over. She congratulated with her sternest glare. She stood only five foot eight, and herself on making it through the final lecture of the year. All with her blond hair tied back in a casual ponytail, she didn’t that was left now was to grade her last papers—then she strike as the most intimidating figure. would be free to face the challenge of Christmas break. Still, it was all about the attitude. Across that stretch of open days, she pictured the blue Whatever he saw in her eyes drove him back to the eyes and hard planes of a rugged face, the full lips that smiled gathering students, where he sank quickly into his seat, so easily, the smooth brow under a short fall of blond hair. keeping his face down. It would be good to see Sergeant Jordan Stone again. It had With the matter settled, she tapped her sheaf of notes been several weeks since she had last seen him in person— into a neat pile and drew the class to order. “Thank you all though they spoke often over the phone. She wasn’t sure for coming to the final session of History 104: Stripping the where this relationship was going long term, but she wanted Divine from Biblical History. Today we will discuss common to be there to find out. misconceptions about a religious holiday that is almost upon Of course, that meant picking out the perfect Christmas us, namely Christmas.” gift to express that sentiment. She smiled at that thought. The bongs of laptops powering up replaced the once As she began to erase the last line from the whiteboard, familiar sound of rustling paper as students prepared to take ready to dismiss the students behind her, a cloud smothered notes. the sun, cloaking the classroom in shadow. The eraser froze “What do we celebrate on December twenty-fifth?” She on the board. She felt momentarily dizzy, then found herself let her gaze play across the students—some pierced, a few falling away into— tattooed, and several who looked hungover. “December twenty-fifth? Anyone? This one’s a gimme.” ABSOLUTE DARKNESS . A girl wearing a sweatshirt with an embroidered angel Stone walls pressed her shoulders. She struggled to sit. Her on the front raised her hand. “The birth of Christ?” head smashed against stone, and she fell back with a splash. “That’s right. But when was Christ actually born?” Frantic hands searched a black world. No one offered an answer. Stone all around—above, behind, on all sides. Not rough She smiled, warming past her fears as she settled into her stone as if she were buried under a mountain. But smooth. role as teacher. “That’s smart of you all to avoid that trap.” That Polished like glass. earned a few chuckles. “The date of Christ’s birth is actually a Along the top of the box was a design worked in silver. It matter of some dispute. Clement of Alexandria said . . .” scorched her fingertips. She continued her lecture. A year ago, she would have She gulped, and wine filled her mouth. Enough to drown said that no one alive today knew the actual date of Christ’s her. Wine? birth. She couldn’t say that anymore, because as part of her A door at the rear of the hall slammed shut, yanking CANTRELL REBECCA & JAMES ROLLINS PREVIEW FROM SPECIAL adventures in Israel, Russia, and Rome, she had met someone her back into the classroom. She stared at the eraser on the who did know, someone who was alive when Christ was whiteboard, her fingers clutched tightly to it, her knuckles born. In that moment back then, she had realized how much white. of accepted history was wrong—either masked by ignorance How long have I stood here like this? In front of everyone.

SuspenseMagazine.com 21 She guessed no more than a few seconds. She’d had bouts that had built up over the past weeks since returning from like this before over the past few weeks, but never in front Rome. She glanced to the whiteboard, eyeing the half-erased of anyone else. She’d dismissed them as posttraumatic stress line. She had questions about those visions, too. and had hoped they would go away by themselves, but this Were these episodes secondary to posttraumatic stress? last was the most vivid of them all. Was she reliving the times that she spent trapped under She took a deep breath and turned to face her class. They Masada? seemed unconcerned, so she couldn’t have been out of it for But if so, why do I keep tasting wine? too long. She must get this under control before something She shook her head to clear it and pointed to his hand. worse happened. “What’s in the envelope?” She looked toward the door that had slammed. “It’s addressed to you.” He handed it to her. A welcome figure stood at the back of the hall. Noting It weighed too much to contain just a letter. Erin scanned her attention, Nate Highsmith lifted up a large envelope and the return address. waved it at her. He smiled apologetically, then headed down Israel. the classroom in cowboy boots, a hitch in his step a reminder Her fingers trembled slightly as she slit open the top of the torture he had endured last fall. with her pen. Nate noted how her hand quivered and looked She tightened her lips. She should have protected him concerned. She knew he was talking to a counselor about his better. And Heinrich. And most especially Amy. If Erin own PTSD. They were two wounded survivors with secrets hadn’t exposed the young woman to danger, she might still that could not be fully spoken aloud. be alive today. Amy’s parents wouldn’t be spending their first Shaking the envelope, she slid out a single sheet of Christmas without their daughter. They had never wanted typewritten paper and an object about the size and shape of a Amy to be an archaeologist. It was Erin who finally convinced quail’s egg. Her heart sank as she recognized the object. them to let her come along on the dig in Israel. As the senior Even Nate let out a small gasp and took a step back. field researcher, Erin had assured them their daughter would She didn’t have that luxury. She read the enclosed page be safe. quickly. It was from the Israeli security forces. They had In the end, she had been terribly, horribly wrong. determined that the enclosed artifact was no longer relevant She tilted her boot to feel the reassuring bulge of the gun to the closed investigation of their case, and they hoped that against her ankle. She wouldn’t get caught flat-footed again. she would give it to its rightful owner. No more innocents would die on her watch. She cradled the polished chunk of amber in her palm, as She cleared her throat and returned her attention to the if it were the most precious object in the world. Under the class. “That wraps it up, folks. You’re all dismissed. Enjoy dull fluorescent light, it looked like little more than a shiny your winter holidays.” brown rock, but it felt warmer to the touch. Light reflected While the room emptied, she forced herself to stare off its surface, and in the very center, a tiny dark feather hung out the window at the bright sky, trying to chase away the motionless, preserved across thousands of years, a moment darkness left from her vision a moment ago. of time frozen forever in amber. Nate finally reached her as the class cleared out. “Amy’s good luck charm,” Nate mumbled, swallowing “Professor.” He sounded worried. “I have a message for you.” hard. He had been there when Amy was murdered. He kept “What message?” his eyes averted from the tiny egg of amber. “Two of them, actually. The first one is from the Israeli Erin placed a hand on Nate’s elbow in sympathy. In fact, government. They’ve finally released our data from the dig the talisman was more than Amy’s good luck charm. One site in Caesarea.” day out at the dig, Amy had explained to Erin that she had “That’s terrific.” She tried to fuel her words with found the amber on a beach as a little girl, and she’d been enthusiasm, but failed. If nothing else, Amy and Heinrich fascinated by the feather imprisoned inside, wondering would get some credit for their last work, an epitaph for their where it had come from, picturing the wing from which it short lives. “What’s the second message?” might have fallen. The amber captured her imagination as “It’s from Cardinal Bernard.” fully as it had the feather. It was what sparked Amy’s desire to Surprised, she faced Nate more fully. For weeks, she had study archaeology. attempted to reach the cardinal, the head of the order of Erin gazed at the amber in her palm, knowing that this Sanguines in Rome. She’d even considered flying to Italy and tiny object had led not only to Amy’s field of study—but also staking out his apartments in Vatican City. to her death. “About time he returned my calls,” she muttered. Her fingers closed tightly over the smooth stone, SPECIAL PREVIEW FROM JAMES ROLLINS & REBECCA CANTRELL REBECCA & JAMES ROLLINS PREVIEW FROM SPECIAL “He wanted you to phone him at once,” Nate said. squeezing her determination, making herself a promise. “Sounded like an emergency.” Never again . . . ■ Erin sighed in exasperation. Bernard had ignored her for two months, but now he needed something from her. She Used with Permission from William Morrow. An imprint of had a thousand questions for him—concerns and thoughts HarperCollins Publishers.

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 22 The International Crime Fiction Convention

Where the Pen is Bloodier Than the Sword 14 - 17 May 2015 Bristol, United kingdom

Featured Guest Authors include Programme includes: Maj Sjöwall Pub quiz/Criminal Mastermind quiz Godmother of Scandanavian crime fiction Interviews with featured guest authors in conversation with Celebrating 125 years of Agatha Christie Lee Child Forgotton authors panel Debut authors panel and many more More Featured and Highlighted Guest Authors to follow Awards Presentation for: Other participating authors include: Sounds of Crime Award John Curran, Kate Ellis, eDunnit Award Felix Francis, Mick Herron, Last Laugh Award Thomas Mogford, Aly Monroe, Caro Ramsay, Zoe Sharp, plus Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Michael Stanley Gala Dinner (For the full line-up visit www.crimefest.com) Pitch-an-Agent Crime Writing Day

One of the ‘50 Best Festivals’ in the UK One of the ‘Best Crime-Writing Festivals —The Independent in the World’ —the Guardian

For more information or to sign up for newsletters visit the website www.crimefest.com • email: [email protected] • Venue: Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel Suspense Magazine Book Reviews INSIDE THE PAGES AFTER THE FALL MURDER AT MIDNIGHT By Patricia Gussin By C.S. Challinor C.S. Challinor is the author of the detective series, Rex Graves. Her latest book “Murder at Midnight” This book is the fourth and, is the sixth book in the series. “Murder at Midnight” takes place on New Year’s Eve at Gleneagle Lodge, at sadly, the end of the Laura Nelson a party hosted by Rex and his fiancée, Helen d’Arcy. When a couple, Ken and Catriona Fraser, are found series that has been so incredible murdered, Rex doesn’t have a lack of suspects. In true who-dun-it form, C.S. is able to weave a tale in which to read. This is the tale that shows everyone attending had means, motive, and opportunity to commit the crime. Rex is put to the test in order Laura in a far different setting than to solve a crime that happened right under his nose and at a party he hosted. when readers were first introduced “Murder at Midnight” will delight all cozy and Agatha Christie fans. C.S. creates devilishly complex to the woman who had a tragic characters keeping the reader on edge until the final page. Readers will think they have the mystery all figured accident that ended her surgical out, but C.S. doesn’t make it that easy. Fans will soon see that C.S., while using a retro mystery style, puts a career. Laura was devastated when modern twist on the crimes and characters giving a fresh new look into the who-dun-it recipe. “Murder at her future was erased so quickly, yet Midnight” could easily be considered C.S.’s best work to date and Rex Graves most challenging crime to solve, she picked herself up, dusted herself if he even can. off, and took a position as the V.P. of Reviewed by John Raab ■ Research at a huge pharmaceutical company where she’s currently DIE AGAIN working to finalize the approval of By Tess Gerritsen the company’s latest drug. The familiar and much belovedRizzoli and Isles are back, and Gerritsen once again does But as Laura works to get not disappoint her fans who wait to see what this duo will get into next. this new drug on the market, Jake This time around, the well-known homicide detective, along with the medical examiner, Harter, an employee of the FDA, are in their Boston home and called to a crime scene that looks a great deal like it should be is working just as diligently to get placed in Yellowstone. In other words, with the claw marks found on the body, a wolf fighting the drug turned down. Seems Jake a bear would be more apropos for what they see. In addition, the victim bearing the wounds has become obsessed with a lovely is a big-game hunter by the name of Leon Gott. A taxidermist as well, it looks a great deal like the big game Iraqi scientist, Adawia Abdul, who turned on him. But a canine can’t be blamed… discovered the drug. When the Isles, the M.E., finds herself particularly concerned, believing that this killer is experienced. This is not approval comes through, she’ll the first murder by these evil hands, and she believes it will definitely not be the last. This scene ends up to collect a huge bonus and move be a perfect match to a slew of homicides that remain unsolved, and have taken place across the country in straight back to Iraq. There she will wilderness locales. Isles is also well aware of a tale from Africa—where a group of tourists ended up having a replace her very ill father who’s the cold, heartless murderer in their midst. lead scientist in Saddam Hussein’s As Rizzoli and Isles realize that this same murderer may just be the one who has entered their beloved bio-weapons program. Boston, the team go into overdrive. The plan is to use the ‘one who got away’ in order to bring the killer to Let’s just say that Saddam’s justice, but the would-be victim who once survived this madness may not want to play along. men are working to get Dr. Abdul Not a surprise that this pair became a TV show, Rizzoli and Isles have a way of drawing a reader in so back to Iraq immediately. And with they can be a part of their unique and thrilling cases. Gerritsen knows her characters, her fans, and how to Harter trying to stall the drug and write an incredible suspense. Laura bent on stopping him, this Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “The Charlatan’s Crown,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint is one fight to the finish where the of Suspense Magazine ■ losers could very well end up dead. COOKIE'S CASE Laura’s own predecessor at the By Andy Siegel pharmaceutical company, as well as The author of this suspenseful, witty character named Tug Wyler, who is making his second appearance Harter’s wife, are already pushing in print, is a man who really knows his subject inside and out, producing another tale that’s a real gem. up daisies, which means these two Tug Wyler is an attorney that specializes in medical malpractice. Cookie is a dancer who works at Jingles are very high on the hit list. Dance Bonanza Club and is a very popular entertainer. When Tug meets Cookie she’s just come back to work This fascinating series has the reader chomping at the bit for at the club after a long absence; she was hurt when she slipped on a banana peel during her dancing act (no, yet another piece of the puzzle not kidding) and she is about to settle her lawsuit for much less money than Tug thinks she should get. every single time one of the books As an exotic dancer, the accident left Cookie with injuries that negatively affect her work, and Tug comes to an end. The writing, the observes her dancing as she struggles to move while wearing a neck brace. She even tries not to kick too high characters, the plot—everything in order to not reinjure herself in the process. Cookie is most definitely in need of a good lawyer, so Tug takes is so well done. Patricia Gussin her case to get her a far better settlement. will continue to gift fans with Now, Tug is a good lawyer and he believes that Cookie is the unsuspecting victim of a surgeon who has another amazing tale very soon. made massive mistakes while working on Cookie’s spine. As Tug searches for justice for Cookie, including But Laura Nelson, her relentless getting her medical bills paid and a fair amount of money so she can give up her current career, Tug finds the determination, and heroine status case to be far more difficult than he originally thought. Some very sinister forces are at work in this situation will be missed. that will cause trouble for Tug, Cookie, and anyone else who seems to get in their way. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, A very good read that builds up to the ultimate verdict in Cookie’s case. This author has an incredibly dry Professional Librarian and Co- sense of humor and delivers perfectly timed wit to the suspenseful prose. Owner of The Write Companion ■ Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 24 DEATH RUNS ADRIFT THE BLACK By Karen MacInerney STILETTO: Natalie Barnes, the owner of the Gray Whale Inn located on Cranberry Island in Maine, is looking forward ENDINGS & to her marriage and to running her business. What she doesn’t expect is heading out to pick blueberries for her BEGINNINGS dessert menu one day and discovering a skiff on the water with a dead body in it. By Raymond Benson Natalie, being a little on the nosy side, takes a piece of paper out of the dead man’s hand; a note that allows her to see two clues outside the house the man lived in that the police don’t know about. Nosiness is a gift for Natalie; In this final segment of when she wants to know the answer to a question she butts right into the conversations going on, even when The Black Stiletto series, we talking to the police, a suspect, or anyone else she wants to. In other words, Natalie may be a small business owner, learn, along with her son and but the spark of the sleuth definitely resides in her soul. Perhaps that’s even the way interrogations go in Maine. granddaughter, of the exploits Natalie’s mother-in-law-to-be is staying and helping at the Inn, and there are two guests joining them at this of Judy Cooper, alias The time. One is a mystery novelist, and another is a woman intent on searching for her family history on the island. Black Stiletto, thought of as the All this togetherness is quickly outdone by the murder of the young man in the skiff. And as things progress, the ultimate crime fighter. police and Natalie find out that there are drugs being taken out of a place called Smuggler’s Cove, and that the Judy, now bed-ridden in a murder victim was connected to all the sales, taking the easy money that the drugs provided. nursing home with dementia, had kept very thorough diaries Natalie is hysterical and this book is an absolute gem. The wedding of the main characters and the food that describing her dealings with no one will be able to stop talking about, is a pleasure to read. And if the Grey Whale really did decorate the coast organized crime. She detailed of Maine, this would be one great vacation spot for lovers of the cozy mystery to visit and enjoy. how she worked hand-in-hand Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ with law enforcement until AT THE DROP OF A HAT a party, impersonating her, By Jenn McKinlay committed several high-priority Scarlett Parker and her cousin, Vivian Tremont, partners in a fashionable London hat shop, crimes, stealing diamonds and Mim’s Whims, are excited when bride-to-be Ariana Jackson visits the shop carrying her mother’s killing a mobster’s daughter, bridal hat. The hat was created by the cousins’ grandmother, the original Mim, many years ago. which caused her to run not Ariana wants to wear the hat on her wedding day, and hires Vivian and Scarlett to restore the hat to just from the mob but from the its former glory. very same police officers she Scarlett, who handles the business side of the hat shop, drops by Ariana’s office to confirm the had been assisting. restoration design before the work begins, and discovers Ariana standing over the body of her dead boss. Ariana, Pregnant, and with the law naturally hysterical, insists to Scarlett that she knows nothing about his untimely—and very messy—demise. But hot on her heels, Judy finally confesses her real identity to the police investigation contradicts that. It seems that the lovely Ariana and her boss, a lawyer for the rich and a friend, only to have him and famous, were recently involved in a very intimate relationship, and there are photos to prove it. Photos that Ariana his brother killed as she runs is desperate to suppress. The road to the altar for this bride is bumpier than most, leading not to a church, but to from Los Angeles, CA to her a jail cell on a murder charge. hometown of Odessa, TX Scarlett and Vivian believe in Ariana’s innocence, despite the overwhelming evidence against her. And, where she still has family, only despite warnings from the police, decide to investigate and nail the real killer before Ariana is wearing prison garb to endanger their lives too. permanently. We learn all the sordid “At the Drop of a Hat” is the third in Jenn McKinlay’s Hat Shop series. It’s a cozy mystery at its best. details from the pages of Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Funerals Can Be Murder,” published by Suspense Publishing, an her 1962 diary, as does her imprint of Suspense Magazine ■ granddaughter, Gina, who also BREAKING CREED heads off to Odessa seeking By Alex Kava answers that old age and disease This book is a different series involving Ryder Creed—an old friend from Kava’sMaggie O’Dell can no longer provide. The books. relatives of her grandmother’s A U.S. Marine, Ryder is now a trainer of search and rescue dogs and still teaming up with former nemesis discover who Maggie. Ryder and his dogs, as you might expect, have made national headlines after working Gina is and kidnap her in order together to unveil and solve some pretty harsh crimes. For example, Ryder and his canines were the to secure their own answers to catalyst for intercepting drug shipments smuggled through Atlanta’s major airport, and because of the one question they all want their diligence are now coming to the attention of some not so nice folks. to know. Where is the missing When Ryder and his company of dogs are called to conduct a search on a commercial fishing boat, they diamond that Judy allegedly discover a secret compartment that does not hold drugs. Instead, they uncover human cargo being shipped into stole thirty years ago? the United States by a Columbian drug cartel. Ryder has quite an issue on his hands, and even chooses to aid one Along with pulsating of the cartel’s drug carriers in her escape—a fourteen-year-old girl that reminds him of the disappearance of his drama, high intrigue and younger sister. suspense, I was taken with In the meantime, Maggie O’Dell, FBI Agent, is looking into a series of murders where the victims were how well Benson captures tortured, killed, and thrown into the Potomac River. Maggie is fairly certain that she knows where her investigation the female voice and the historical period in which this is going, but her higher-ups in the FBI are dragging their feet. When she discovers a list of potential victims with was written. Definitely worth Ryder’s name on it, she shoots into overdrive. Unfortunately, the cartel has already sent someone to destroy putting the five book series on Creed and everyone close to him. But when it comes to Ryder, he and his dogs may just have something special your bookcase. in mind to surprise the Columbians. Reviewed by Mark P. Sadler, Both storylines are terrifically written and the reader will hang on every word. Not only is the suspense author of “Blood on His first-rate, but the relationship of Ryder with his dogs as they depend on each other for protection will send folks Hands,” published by Suspense straight to their local shelter to get one of their very own. Publishing, an imprint of Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ Suspense Magazine ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 25 BEHIND GOD'S BACK MONDAY'S LIE By Harri Nykänen By Jamie Mason Dee Aldrich’s mom was a former covert operations asset working for the government. With the second in a mystery But when Mom goes to her reward, Dee decides to be more like the woman, using some of series featuring Ariel Kafka, a her mother’s old memory tricks to run her own life—even the trick of when it’s okay to lie. A police inspector from Finland, few years after Mom’s death, Dee is still trying to understand things about her, as well as Dee’s this author has made sure to put brother, Simon, who is younger than she is, yet seems to remember a whole lot more about the a great amount of suspense and deceased. intrigue into a very small package. Showing a bit of rebellion way back when, Dee actually married the first man she knew when starting Kafka is a Jewish man and college. Patrick Aldrich was a nice fellow though a little dull, which was just fine with Dee since her quirky a lieutenant in the Helsinki mother had brought enough drama to her upbringing. But now she sees signs of something amiss. She thinks Violent Crimes Unit who is now that her marriage is coming apart and her husband wants her gone from his life. investigating the murder of a As she begins to reflect on her marriage, she finds out that her mother has left her and her brother a great Jewish businessman, Samuel deal of money, and now a husband that wanted to leave is suddenly showing signs of hanging in there in order Jacobson. The victim’s widow has to claim some of the loot. As Dee investigates her suspicions, her urge to want a ‘normal’ life and be the opposite told the police that her husband of her mother, fades away. had recently had some dealings A puzzle at times, a laugh-fest at others, readers will have to pay attention to this quick-moving story. Dee on a major loan that went through and her husband each have their own agenda, and her brother is even more interesting as the chapters go on. Kafka & Oxbaum, a law firm When the truth is necessary, it should be given; but learning the art of lies in order to bring out the truth that owned by Kafka’s brother, Eli. has been hidden so well by others, makes this a very attention-grabbing story. Kafka already knows that his Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ brother had negotiated client DAY OF ATONEMENT loans with an Estonian Company, By Yolonda Tonette Sanders Baltic Invest, owned by a front Yolonda Tonette Sanders has a talent for writing in the everyday language of her characters man for Amos Jakov—a man who as they go about their daily lives; cooking dinner, putting their kids to bed, and eventually dealing has dealings with the Russian with the disappearance of a young girl thirty years in the past. Mafia. Troy Evans, now a police detective in Ohio, wants to create a normal family life with his wife Being Jewish and being Natalie, son Nate, known as “l’il man,” and the twins who will be born in a few months. Troy grew from a close family, Ariel finds up with an abusive father, who is now back in his life, or at least in his mother’s life. When Troy the investigation a bit difficult returns to Houston to visit his family, and to help his friend Elvyn solve his sister’s murder, he finds that dealing to handle as he tries to keep with his own past is as crucial to his life as finding Elana’s murderer. his private life balanced while Author Sanders brings her characters alive with Natalie’s very twenty-first century use of technology, following the case. Ariel is dealing playing Candy Crush while she hides out in the bedroom at Troy’s parents’ house while waiting for him to with international intrigue and return from investigating, and FaceTiming with her friends on her iPad. The family tension rises higher when a great amount of corruption Troy’s mother’s superstitions make her family want to either laugh or scream. which is hard for a man who is In “Day of Atonement,” the very real search for a kidnapper and killer is juxtaposed against Troy Evans’ very dedicated to the badge of a searching for healing of his past, and his ability to forgive himself and others who have hurt him. As different policeman. He is so dedicated to scenarios of what might have happened to Elana all those years ago emerge, it is clear that the guilt lies close to his job, in fact, that he is willing to home. The conclusion of the novel brings not only an answer to the disappearance of an eight-year-old girl, but put his life on the line for it. a chance for Troy to find peace with his family and friends, and also within himself. As the investigation heats Reviewed by Kathleen Heady, author of “Hotel Saint Clare” ■ up, he finds some very interesting things in the mix. For instance: FRY ANOTHER DAY Neo-Nazi violence, and some By J.J. Cook pretty shady loans that lead him to A new exciting cozy, this is the second in a series that not only offers up a tantalizing tale, but some extremely odd culprits. Just also provides a full list of scrumptious foods. when he feels as if he has a grasp Main character, Zoe Chase, is the gal who calls herself a Southern Food Truck Chef. on things, another killing occurs Although the creator of some serious southern sweetness, Zoe also finds herself doing a little and the Security Police come in sleuthing on the side. This time around, Zoe is headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, where she on the case. Soon it is unveiled will enter a nationally televised food truck race. As usual, all of Zoe’s friends are in attendance; that the Mossad from Israel also including, her very handsome boyfriend, Miguel, and her feline friend, Crème Brulee. Zoe is up for this, as the have their fingers in the proverbial contest will feature challenges across the Southeast, with the grand prize being $50,000. And with a purse that pie, and Ariel has to deal with yet large, this is one competition that’s bound to be intense. another, even bigger intelligence As Zoe and company zero in on the first challenge, another food trucker from Zoe’s hometown is organization. discovered dead as a doornail. The actual mode of death looks like something akin to a horrible, tragic accident; Difficult to read, as most Reggie Johnson, the victim, is found underneath a very large refrigerator. But, as time passes, the police begin to translations are, but this plot is wonder if his death was really an accident at all; especially considering how high this grand prize is set. one that the diehard mystery fan Even with the issue, the race is allowed to move on. Unfortunately, the body count begins to escalate will find to be a good story worth right along with the miles driven. Miguel goes to number one on the suspect list, and Zoe soon realizes that— reading. contest be darned—her number one job is to catch the killer before her lawyer boyfriend needs his own lawyer Reviewed by Mary Lignor, to keep him off Death Row. Professional Librarian and Co- This is a really fun read, unveiling a marvelous new cooking style. And, lo and behold, on a back page there Owner of The Write Companion ■ awaits a secret for all happy readers who want to know exactly how to make a deep-fried biscuit bowl! Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 26 ANGEL KILLER BLOODY POLITICS By Andrew Mayne By Maggie Sefton This new book is the first in a series that will feature FBI Agent Jessica Blackwood. A former magician, as was her father and grandfather before her, as well as an uncle, Jessica has a bit of Molly Malone is back in an odd background for an agent. As Jessica became famous as a magician, she was the one who Washington. She’s a Senator’s decided to change her life and begin another by joining law enforcement. daughter and the widow of a Jessica is called into a meeting with Dr. Jeffrey Ailes, a consultant for the FBI, to have a talk Representative who killed himself regarding her former occupation. There is a new case, and Dr. Ailes thinks that Jessica is just the following a scandal that he had right person to help due to her expertise in the field of magic. You see, a very talented ‘hacker’ named Warlock, nothing to do with. Molly is has broken into the FBI database and left a message for agents to go to a cemetery in Michigan. There, they now on the staff of Senator John come upon a dead body that appears to be the very same corpse of a girl who was murdered two years earlier. Russell of Colorado, working as In fact, the way the stage is set, the new body actually looks as if she is rising from the grave. A hacker has an accountant, and is having a created his own magic trick for the FBI to find. And to top it off, all the forensic evidence seems to prove that romantic relationship with former the new girl rising…is the same dead girl. Special Forces officer, Danny As the FBI and the police ponder this crime, Jessica utilizes her past as a magician to look into the case DiMateo, who now works as a and find out if the grave was merely a ‘trick’ cooked up by Warlock, which is just what a master magician should Quantico consultant. be able to do. This is surely not going to be an easy crime to figure out, considering the cemetery body is not Molly is asked by a friend, the only surprise that Warlock will present to the public. Soon, all Jessica can do is work fast to figure out Natasha, to meet with her exactly what his trick is before she becomes his next victim. regarding information about a late Mayne has created an unbelievably unforgettable book! 5 Stars! Congressman’s notebook. Molly Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ agrees, but she and her friend SAINT ODD have someone listening in on their By Dean Koontz phone conversation. In the recent “Young man, you have made many friends in your short life…” This line could not be past, Molly’s home was invaded, more apropos for Odd Thomas. And with this incredible series wrap-up, one of the greatest bugged, and surveillance was set authors of our time has allowed readers one more frightening/illuminating journey alongside up along with her computer being this tremendous character. hacked. Now, Natasha Jorgensen’s We go back to where it all began: Pico Mundo. Being followed by a cult, Odd races across phone is also being monitored. the desert in order to get back home before their evil group takes more lives. Heading to the Right before the meeting, Green Moon Mall, Odd looks back on the day when his beloved Stormy was taken away from him; lost in Molly finds that Natasha has been gunfire that opened up a can of both proverbial and psychic worms. To a safe house he goes, where a married killed, and as she delves further couple that are beyond sweet, have the ability to shoot and shoot well. Wolves are teeming the streets; a load into the crime, Maggie realizes that of C4 is stolen; and, the cops are keeping watch over the dam that sits above town—the perfect spot for an a scheme has been put into place. explosion that could destroy everyone. As bodies start to pile up in our As with all great tales, a carnival is in Pico Mundo, and the oddities include; a midget dressed like a bear, nation’s seat of government, Molly an old Gypsy who once made a promise, a Fun House graced with an ogre, and a face painting booth that can starts to make connections that tie hide truth from suspecting eyes. Everything comes to life as Odd Thomas goes to battle, building to an exciting some folks together, and becomes conclusion no reader will have guessed. Odd has lived with one purpose in mind, but to earn his reward, he unable to keep quiet when more proves that the scariest part of the world is when the mask of evil and the mask of good look exactly the same. of her friends land in trouble. Odd Thomas’s creator has given him a brilliant ending to a stunning ride. It will be thrilling to watch what The end game is not clear, but for Koontz thinks up next. But, for now, I bid good-bye to an odd and very cool friend. You will be extremely Molly Malone to uncover the plan missed. that has begun, she must go up Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “The Charlatan’s Crown,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint against some of the most powerful of Suspense Magazine ■ people in Washington. DUKE CITY HIT Molly is a very good character, By Max Austin but she jumps into the fire a lot Max Austin takes us on a raging ride through the streets of Albuquerque in “Duke City faster than she should sometimes Hit.” We feel an immediate draw to Vic Walters, the anti-hero. He’s a man’s man the women will which ultimately gets her into swoon over and a good man in a bad profession who possesses a heart—a heart for loyalty and trouble. As this book is the third ultimately a heart for family. in a series, readers will be happy Vic, a hit man posing as a bail bondsman, has had what seems like a life-long relationship to note that there will be more and with his long-legged, shapely boss Penny Randall. Theirs is a platonic relationship built on years more, as the plots are that good. of trust with a sensual undercurrent running through. Vic has managed to stay alive and under the radar for Molly is due for more heartache, more than twenty years by being a loner and a minimalist, a lifestyle that has served him well. and making a target of herself is All that changes when he discovers he has a child. A twenty-something son who wants to follow in his something she will continue to do. father’s footsteps. Vic’s world is turned upside down when his hardened heart begins to understand what Washington, D.C. has always been parental love is all about. In a matter of days, he’s thinking of getting out ofthe business and starting a new life. thought of as a city of shady deals That’s before his son, Ryan, is kidnapped and held for ransom. Not just any ransom, a killer’s ransom. Vic must and powerful people who give make a hit on a drug lord if Ryan is to live. powerful parties, and Molly will What follows is one shocking twist after another with an ending you won’t see coming. Max Austin has learn quickly that these people can written a fast-paced novel that would fit in just as well in 1950s Hollywood as it does on today’s high-adrenaline change history on a whim, and do! suspense landscape. “Duke City Hit” fires on all cylinders. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Reviewed by J.M. LeDuc, author of “Sin,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine Professional Librarian and Co- ■ Owner of The Write Companion ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 27 FROM FEAR TO COLD, COLD HEART ETERNITY By Tami Hoag By Michelle Rowen It has been a year since Dana Nolan, once an up and coming TV reporter, was kidnapped by a vicious serial killer. Thankfully, she survived, and was able to overcome the monster. But Ah, to be newlyweds. The the mind cannot be fixed as easily as the body, and Dana continues to think about her ordeal bliss, the fun, the blood…? constantly. The emotional scars, including memory loss and PTSD, have plagued her. Now, Dana In this great new tale in decides to return to her hometown, attempting to bring back her earlier memories of family and the Immortality Bites Mysteries, friends. But the trip backfires, as Dana begins to have very dark and gloomy flashbacks. newlywed vampires, Sarah Trying to come to terms with her past and why she cannot recall certain things, Dana begins to slowly and Thierry de Bennicoeurremember the disappearance of her best friend, Casey Grant, and makes up her mind to use her skills as an are enjoying their glorious investigative reporter to bring her past into the present and take a new look at the pain from long ago. This is honeymoon, looking forward to the major event in Dana’s life that actually sent her down the path of journalism, and made her take a reporting job after graduating from high school. But as her past pain and personal horror begin to combine into one, their whole undead lives ahead Dana looks very closely at old friends and authority figures who may just have played parts in a cover-up of of them. Thierry has a new job monumental proportions. as a consultant for a kind of Dana slowly begins to question all that she has been able to find out from friends and family, trying with vampire crisis center called, ‘The all her might to uncover what’s real and what may be nothing but nightmares lurking in her own imagination. Ring’ that sends them across And, on the way to the final pages of this intense story, readers will walk with Dana back into her own private the globe to resolve one crisis hell, as the truth comes together and the facts are revealed. after another. And even though As it is with Preston & Child, Cornwell, Koontz and a few others, all that needs to be said is: Tami Hoag Sarah was hoping that their great is a master of the suspense writing craft. honeymoon was going to last a Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ little longer, work suddenly calls them home when they receive a SWEET DAMAGE By Rebecca James mysterious invitation to attend an Although this may seem, just from the cover, to be another story of a haunted house—it is auction that will be held in an old important to remember that Rebecca James is one author that offers up unexpected twists, turns, Beverly Hills mansion. ghosts, and thrills. Thierry wants more than Tim Ellison is a young man who is a bit of a lazy guy. Not a bad guy, of course; he just still anything to get a very powerful happens to be living with his old girlfriend, which is more than odd. One day, he goes to a home amulet containing a wish-granting and answers an ad for a room to rent. And this is one beautiful house. Being shown a room that power that has not been seen for looks out onto the ocean, this adamant surfer is astounded by the view of Sydney’s popular Manly Beach. He many centuries. Sadly, Atticusloves it so much, he wants to live there no matter what. Kincade, head of the Vampire There is a small thing that he will have to deal with. Apparently, this is the home of a couple who has passed Council, would also like to away. Their daughter, Anna London, is twenty years old and lives in the home by herself. She is petrified of ever purchase the item. During the going outside, so it will be Tim’s job to grab groceries now and then. He certainly doesn’t mind. In such a huge auction, Thierry is about to be home, he’ll barely see Anna if they happen to not get along. Besides, she’s an extremely nice girl, even with her stunned by the host revealing a strange ways, and Tim is more than happy to help. very unpleasant history with the As time moves forward, Tim is caught up in Anna’s past. Yes, the familiar dark shadows, whisperings, and vamp, when Sarah discovers a unexplained messages appear within the home, but the real story comes from the history of Anna. The fears, talking head located in a freezer. the past, Anna’s mistakes and secrets—everything comes to light—and Tim must face whether to be the hero, The coveted amulet suddenlyor run as fast as he can away from the oncoming darkness. disappears, and everyone in the A fantastic story that will surprise the reader at every turn, Rebecca James’s second creation is one that will mansion becomes trapped inside leave readers hoping she creates another as fast as possible. its’ walls. The undead guests seem Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “The Charlatan’s Crown,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint to be in mortal danger and, no pun of Suspense Magazine ■ intended, a bloody time is had by BLUEBEARD: BRAVE WARRIOR, BRUTAL PSYCHOPATH all. By Valerie Ogden This book is the third in a Although most know the stories of ‘Bluebeard,’ this one is definitely a shade different. The tale centers on wonderful series that began with Joan of Arc’s very close companion on the battlefields, who was one of the richest and most respected men in “Bled & Breakfast,” and continues all of France. Later, he became the notorious killer, Bluebeard, who was truly a sick murderer. Bluebeard was to offer up a thrilling, humorous also heard about in a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, and this book not only shows that the character actually look at the vampires of today existed, but was far grimmer than the Brothers could ever write. who really are a bit over the top. He began as a hero, but when Joan of Arc was no more, he turned mad and went on a rampage. Baron Gilles de Rais became an orphan at age eleven and was taken to live with a grandfather who was most definitely “From Fear to Eternity” brings not a nice man. Gilles was raised as a spoiled brat and a bully; he grew up angry and thought he needed to prove out the romance of the undead, himself in battle. Maturing during the Hundred Years War, he was the perfect soldier/bully to go into France and even though readers will be and do anything he wished. wondering how a vampire can When Gilles became Baron after the death of his grandfather, he spent some time at the French Court. It possibly die seeing as how they’re was there when a young girl came into the palace announcing that she was sent by the angels to lead the French already dead, don’t worry, there against the British. He became a hero fighting alongside Joan, but after she was sentenced to death, the monster is a logical explanation. This was grew and he killed everyone in sight. an extremely enjoyable tale that The author did some fantastic research for this book, and the things attributed to Baron de Rais were so deserves five ‘blood-soaked’ stars. horrible that he makes Jack the Ripper look like a friend you wish to take out for coffee. As a writer, Ogden Reviewed by Mary Lignor, has tried to find answers as to the mind of Bluebeard, and certainly has put forth a book that is intriguing, Professional Librarian and Co- entertaining, and definitely not for the timid reader. Owner of The Write Companion ■ Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 28 NUN TOO SOON THE GOOD ONES By Alice Loweecey By Lawanda Butler For those who have not yet read these incredible mysteries written by an actual ex-nun, you’re missing out. The characters are perfect, and by just picking up one, it is a fact that you will become Although quite a small an Alice Loweecey fan for life. tale, the plot of this one will Giulia Falcone-Driscoll, formerly known as Sister Mary Regina Coelis, left the convent and is keep you involved, and lovers now the sole owner of Driscoll Investigations. Her husband, Frank, has gone back to being a police of the Mob will have a ball. detective, leaving the business in Giulia’s talented hands. She’s not alone, however. She has a great Mark and his wife, Debbie, staff that includes; Sidney, who runs the office and is almost ready to give birth, and her office administrator, Zane, are sleeping in their house in who is just a little in awe of his boss. their quiet neighborhood. Mark The office receives a call for their services, asking them to help in the case of the Silk Tie Killer. This person, is having a restless nightmare according to Giulia, is her first impossible client. And according to her husband, the client is guilty, guilty, guilty! going back to when he was only Apparently, after a night of drinking, dancing, and general debauchery, Roger Fitch and his girlfriend came seven years old, and the plotline home. While there, he strangled the woman with one of his silk neckties. It’s hard enough to deal with someone opens to the reader. who seems so obviously guilty without having to contend with The Scoop, as well. This is a local scandal sheet, You see, Mark’s parents something reminiscent of TMZ, who are out there stalking Roger as well as Giulia in order to dig up as much dirt robbed banks for a living and as they can. the whole gang once lived in Giulia’s sole ownership of the agency has not altered the care she has for the underdog, but the more dirt an abandoned warehouse. In she finds, the more worried she gets that through her efforts on his behalf, she could help a murderer escape his dreams, Mark sees himself, conviction. When the client complains that Driscoll Investigations is dragging out the case on purpose, she starts as the grown-ups are counting to believe that there is one necktie with her name on it. the money from a big score. Brilliant, funny, a great whodunit; this is one writer who readers should definitely make a ‘habit’ of. He’s playing with the other Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ gangster’s kids and always CANYON SACRIFICE notices Sonya. Mark never had By Scott Graham any brothers or sisters, but had Scott Graham has authored several non-fiction books about the American Southwest, including “Extreme adopted Sonya as a little sister Kids” which won the National Outdoor Book Award. Now he’s turned to fiction with the slim, tight mystery long ago, and watched over her thriller, “Canyon Sacrifice.” like a big brother would. Archeologist Chuck Bender has worked extensively in the Grand Canyon National Park, assessing and One day, however, digging locations before any construction takes place. He recently married Janelle and became a father at the same when everyone was together, time to Janelle’s two pre-teen daughters, Carmelita and Rosie, from an earlier relationship. The family blending the police crashed into the hasn’t been easy, but Chuck is pleased when Janelle suggests a family trip to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Their warehouse and shot all the first day is disrupted when Chuck intervenes with a couple who are thoughtlessly trying to harm some of the local adults, except Sonya’s mother, wildlife, and he must defend himself when the bullies turn on him. Later he’s surprised to discover the man is Teresa. This was the day Teresa dead, having fallen into the canyon not far from where they’d fought. took off, taking Sonya with Chuck puts that behind him and concentrates on winning over the girls. That night, though, Carmelita her, and went to the man who disappears, and a note is left on her bed saying “No Cops.” Janelle suspects she was taken by her father, a drug had engineered the killings, dealer from Albuquerque who has a wide vengeful streak. But as Chuck searches for his stepdaughter, he begins deciding to beg for her life. to suspect that the kidnapping is part of a larger plan. She offered a trade to the head While Chuck’s relationship with the head ranger has been strained, there are two rangers, Donald Podalski man: Sonya for her own life. and Rachel Severin, who he feels he can trust to help. It’s complicated, however, since Chuck was involved The gangster agreed; however, romantically with Rachel a few years earlier. When the kidnapper contacts Chuck, he’s forced into a race through he killed Teresa and kept Sonya the Canyon to save Carmelita—a race that he might not survive. anyway, turning her into the Those who enjoyed the late Tony Hillerman’s tales set in the Southwest will likely enjoy “Canyon Sacrifice.” daughter that he and his wife Graham also gives an informative overview of the ancient Anasazi people who lived in the Canyon long before the had wanted since they had lost arrival of the Navajo people. It is an auspicious debut. their own. Reviewed by David Ingram ■ Some years later, Mark becomes a policeman and THE SHIRO PROJECT is still dreaming about the By David Khara missing Sonya, wondering As I read David Khara’s “The Shiro Project” I was reminded of “Immobility” by Brian Evanson. The story where she ended up. Using his of two giants created for the sole purpose of completing a task. While Evanson’s fine novel is a post-apocalyptic badge to search for the lost girl, masterpiece, “The Shiro Project” leads us into a plot that is the beginning of the end of the world. Mark makes it his goal in life to For years, dating back to Japanese prisoner-of-war camps and followed up by US Army research in the late find his missing sister. 1950s, governments have been tampering with and collecting viruses to monitor, understand, and afflict weapons A very quick read of mass-destruction on their unsuspecting enemies. The Nazi’s evil geniuses, in an effort to produce the Master concentrating on Mark’s Race, have built almost Frankensteinish models, enlarged humans that live extended life-spans, in an effort to memories and his internal need repopulate the world with a super-human species. to rescue this lost ‘sibling,’ the Two such characters survived. One, Eytan, fights for good, and had been recruited in to the Mossad. The finale of this story is something other, his female counter-part, Elena, works for evil under the command of the Consortium. Eli, Eytan’s control, that readers will not see a man he loved like a father, is kidnapped by the Consortium and the two assassins are forced to work together. coming, yet hopefully there will They must discover who stole a viral strain of an airborne virus, taken by terrorists for a biological attack, and be another book to continue report back to The Cypher with the information on where they’re stored and who stole them. the journey. In a thrill-a-minute romp from Prague to Tokyo, the two adversaries form a link of mutual trust as they are Reviewed by Mary Lignor, thrust headfirst in the rush to avoid the coming apocalypse and expose the truth of the evil that men do. Professional Librarian and Co- Reviewed by Mark P. Sadler, author of “Blood on His Hands,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Owner of The Write Companion Suspense Magazine ■ ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 29 ILL-GOTTEN PANES AN EARLY WAKE By Jennifer McAndrews By Sheila Connolly The summer in Sullivan’s—a small pub in an even smaller town called Leap, located in County Just when you think you’ve Cork, Ireland—is ending, and the tourist season, such as it is, is ending right along with it. seen all the cozy mystery series Maura Donovan has been running Sullivan’s for six months and is determined to keep the that could be made, along comes Pub in the black, even as the visitors head for home. Problem is, she hasn’t quite figured out how a new one specifically focused to do it. She is happy, considering the Pub did have a good summer with the place actually filled on the realm of Stained Glass. up on some nights, but she was told that the economy was tough all over and that was what kept When Georgia Kelly the huge majority of tourists watching their cash instead of traveling or coming out and passing the time in became caught up in a banking Sullivan’s. She was also told that her place was once so high up on the ‘talking’ chain that it used to draw Irish scandal, she lost both her job musicians who would come and play in the back room, and she wondered if bringing live music back would help and her fiancé. In an attempt to increase business. to start over, Georgia moves As word gets out, some musicians begin to appear in the Pub. And after a bit of advertising, the first actual to Wenwood, NY, deciding to ‘jam’ session comes to pass, calling out to all lovers of Irish music to come and sit a while. Unfortunately, things live with her grandfather until really go dark when Maura finds the dead body of a musician in the back room after an evening of lively music. she can get back on her feet. There are a slew of suspects, since the place was full the night before, but the murderer is not about to confess Wenwood has its own little to the crime. niche when it comes to the Readers already love the County Cork Mysteries; not only are the characters engaging, but the little Irish craftsmanship of the Northeast; town and the history lesson that goes along with the tales is interesting. No matter what Connolly writes about it’s famous for the manufacture these folk, readers will always want to head to this place and finish a pint…even if a body may turn up in the of bricks. The problem is,process. residents of the town are having Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ an extremely hard time because TEMPLE MOUNT the old brick factory is being By Keith Raffel turned into a marina; a move The Temple Mount is historically the place that the ancient cities of Jerusalem are allegedly her grandfather is actually a buried under, both incarnations, and where the Ark of the Covenant is allegedly hidden. Both supporter of. Arabs and Israelis are loathe to bring the hidden religious artifact to the surface as it would cause One day, Georgia stops war in the region over the true ownership of the treasure and the religious power it would offer at an antique shop owned by the victor of the spoils. friend, Carrie, and sees a Tiffany Alex Kalman, recent multi-millionaire, was relaxing; enjoying the good life now that his lamp in need of repair. She offers Silicon Valley corporation has been scooped up by one of the industry’s giants for a pretty penny. When the to replace the broken pieces of phone call comes in advising him that his grandfather was dying, he was astonished to find the old man was still stained glass, and then heads alive. His father had left home, estranged from his own father, and died leaving the younger man the impression to the hardware store. When that he had no family, and so Alex, who now found his true name to be Aron, has been left a significant inheritance. she enters, the owner, Mr. As his grandfather dies, Aron discovers he is the sole male heir and that his grandfather was a rabbi, in fact Edgers, is having an argument the rebbe; a great teacher and leader. He had also discovered a tunnel under the Temple Mount twenty-odd years with another resident over the before and had seen the Ark of the Covenant. Aron is tasked with going to Israel to help with the excavation of marina. While Mr. Edgers is this symbol of biblical history. Assisted by archeologist Rivka Golan, a historian working for the Department completely against the project, of Antiquities, who was familiar with the rebbe’s teachings, they begin the monumental task of locating and the other man is objecting to the bringing the Ark to the world. high prices he’s charging for the They are chased by several factions all unwilling to allow them to bring the Ark to light; shot at, and thrown marina project’s materials. When out of the country in this riveting, spellbinding, fast-paced thriller that will have you glued to the chair until the Mr. Edgers realizes who Georgia final page is devoured. is, he asks if her grandfather told Reviewed by Mark P. Sadler, author of “Blood on His Hands,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of her to stay out of the hardware Suspense Magazine ■ store, considering he and Edgers are on the opposite sides of the DEATH BY DEVIL'S BREATH marina war. The next day, Edgers By Kylie Logan dead body is found in his store; Maxie Pierce has come to Las Vegas to organize the Devil’s Breath Chili competition. Maxie he was hit by a brick. and her sister, Sylvia, are partners, but they are definitely not sisters under the skin. In fact, there is Although there are many nothing about them remotely alike. Their father is usually the one who leads the Showdown but he residents who didn’t like Edgers, has come up missing, so Maxie is front and center on the morning of the contest. her grandfather seems to be The contestants include a professional Chili cooker, a monk, and a woman who knows, or the number one suspect for the once knew Maxie’s father. The judges are just as eclectic. Employees of the host casino, the odd crime. Georgia, knowing he’s ones who will choose the winner include; a singer, pianist, magician, and comedian, as well as the owner of a innocent, asks for Carrie’s help local wedding chapel. As the competition reaches midway, the comedian drops head first into his bowl of red so they can investigate the brick- chili, apparently poisoned. Just about anyone who had anything to do with him, including the judges, didn’t like killer and clear her grandpa’s him. They were all victims of his blackmail, so there are plenty of suspects to ponder. name. Maxie also seems to be in someone’s sights; her costume has been filled with chili powder, the soles of her This is an amusing read with very high heels have been covered with Vaseline to make them slippery, and a large neon sign just misses her on colorful characters, including a its way to crashing to the ground. Maggie hasn’t always been tactful while dealing with her cohorts, so it’s not kitten named Friday who only difficult to think she might be bringing this on herself. adds to the entertainment. This is one tale that offers up a whole lot of angst between sisters who don’t seem to be too quick to look Reviewed by Mary Lignor, for their missing father, as a woman also enters that is primed to do Maxie bodily harm. Chili is definitely a fiery Professional Librarian and Co- food, but this is one tale that out fires the dish. Drama and thrills commence, as Maxie must find a way to save Owner of The Write Companion herself while immersed in one of the strangest crimes that could possibly be imagined. ■ Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 30 CHRISTOPHER'S DIARY: ECHOES OF DOLLANGANGER DAMAGED GOODS By V.C. Andrews By Jack Everett & David Coles When the name Dollanganger reappeared on “Secrets of Foxworth” which is the first in the Diaries series, fans everywhere were elated that their favorite series beginning with “Flowers in the “Damaged Goods” opens Attic” long ago, was being explored once more. as Robert Cleghorn is chopping This time out, Kristin Masterwood and her boyfriend go into her attic to act out scenes a tree in his brother, Alan’s, described in Christopher Dollanganger’s journal, an odd piece of treasure that was found at front yard. While he muses on Foxworth Hall. Kristin Masterwood is seventeen, and was overjoyed when she found out that the degradation he feels doing her father’s construction company was hired to inspect the Foxworth Properties for a potential buyer. The old manual labor for his sibling, he mansion still reminds people of legends gone by and stories about the four innocent children all these years later. watches helplessly as the tree Kristin has an even greater link to the house, seeing as how she lost her mother at a very young age and then found out later that her mother was actually related to the notorious family. falls through the front picture When she and her father first found the leather-bound book filled with writings by Christopher, her father window of his brother’s dream did not want Kristin to read it. But Kristin continues to find a way, and soon her own obsession with Christopher home near Lake Kissimmee in crosses a line that she might not be able to come back from. Florida. From that point on, To readers not familiar with Christopher’s family plight, here’s a little reminder: When Christopher was the action never stops. Set in fourteen, he and his siblings were locked in the attic of Foxworth Hall, made prisoners by their mother who was Florida and England, this latest after a large inheritance. For three years, Christopher took care of his family, but the truth about how their ordeal novel from the writing team of in that dark attic played out, as well as how it affected Christopher, was kept hidden until this diary was found. Jack Everett and David Coles is The tragedies, suspense, romance, horror—everything V.C. Andrews began a long time ago has been a roller coaster of a ride, a search resurrected, offered up in these startling and modern books so that old readers can delve back into the for a serial killer who is not Dollanganger realm, and new readers can enjoy the heck out of it! who the police think it is, but Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ someone even more frightening. WHAT LIES BENEATH Robert takes on his By Sarah Rayne brother’s identity after killing There are books that are fantastic reads and then there are ones so intense that they will stay in your mind him in a fit of rage, employing his forever. This novel is definitely the latter. Just when the reader thinks they know what’s going on, things change in brute strength and techniques the narrative and the eerie puzzle begins all over again. learned while fighting in an elite A small village in England called Priors Bramley was completely shut down in the 1950s so it could be military unit in Iraq. Using his used as a chemical-weapons testing ground during the Cold War, with some of the residents relocated to nearby brother’s airline ticket, passport, Bramley. and credit cards, he travels to A tale moving back and forth in time, information is given regarding everything from the testing years to England seeking the one person sixty years later when the village is declared safe and reopened. When the town is revived, Ella Haywood, who he thinks he loves, his brother’s used to play there as a child; and two of her best friends, Veronica and Clem, are clearly upset because they wife, Stephanie. think the village is haunted. Right before the closing of the village, the three friends had experienced a terrifying meeting with a stranger that had ended badly, and decided to never tell anyone about it. But the past has a way of Police from the Leeds coming back to haunt you, and there is now a mysterious person appearing at Cadence Manor located in town Serious Crimes squad follow the and the three friends are more afraid than ever that someone will discover what happened in the village so many trail of a string of brutal murders years ago. that seem to have no connection, Everything from a journal that was kept that holds secrets from the past, to creepy music that is heard within but the sheer number of them, an empty church, keeps this story absolutely riveting. Readers will be engrossed and captivated as they are shown as well as information shared by the reality of how the sins of the parents are revisited upon the children. And as former residents come home to a local sheriff in Florida, soon the once ‘Poisoned Village’ that has rotted away for decades, both rich and poor find themselves living the same narrow down their search. nightmare. The point of view shifts Incredible, provocative, this story has a certain evil allure that will haunt you long after you’ve closed the easily from that of Stewart cover. White, who is just settling into Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “The Charlatan’s Crown,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of his job as Detective Inspector in Suspense Magazine ■ Leeds, to the bloody path of the ARSENIC AND OLD BOOKS murderer. By Miranda James Everett and Coles do a There’s a lot happening in the town of Athena, Mississippi. These folks take pride in their Southern heritage, masterful job portraying the especially as it relates to the “War of Northern Aggression.” That would be the Civil War, for you Yankee types. fearless but possibly brain- Few people in Athena can match the illustrious history of the Long family, wealthy landowners who have damaged killer, and his obsession dominated local politics for generations. So when Lucinda Beckwith Long, the current mayor of Athena, happens with Stephanie. Set in Yorkshire across a set of Civil War-era diaries among the personal effects of a long-ago ancestor, it’s a pretty big deal. The in the winter, the cold, bleak mayor would like to donate the diaries to the archives of Athena College, and turns to librarian Charlie Harris to landscape intensifies the horror preserve and substantiate the diaries as part of the Long legacy. And also to promote the political prospects of her as one murder follows another. son, Beck, who is continuing the family legacy by running for a seat in the state senate. Beck’s biggest rival in the senate race is Jasper Singletary, whose Southern roots are as deep as Beck’s. Jasper There is enough complexity would like to get a look at the diaries himself, to see if he can find some past Long family transgressions that in the plot to be intriguing but would torpedo Beck’s election prospects. Added to the growing list of folks desperate to see the diaries is a local not too much to be confusing. college history professor and a nosy newspaper reporter. “Damaged Goods” is the first of The race to check out the diaries turns deadly, and Charlie suddenly realizes that, by holding onto the diaries a trilogy, and I will be first in line himself, he’s now at the top of the killer’s hit list. Who knew being a librarian could be so dangerous? to read the next book as soon as It’s easy to see why this series has so many loyal readers—it’s great fun! it becomes available. Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Funerals Can Be Murder,” published by Suspense Publishing, an Reviewed by Kathleen Heady, imprint of Suspense Magazine ■ author of “Hotel Saint Clare” ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 31 FEBRUARY FEVER NO GHOULS ALLOWED By Jess Lourey By Victoria Laurie This new book in theGhost Hunter Mysteries begins with M.J. Holliday, her boyfriend, This is the ninth book in this Heath, and her best friend, Gilley, embarking on a journey to Valdosta, GA in order to attend amusing, Murder-by-Month series, M.J.’s father’s wedding. Although they haven’t gotten along very well, M.J. definitely does not and each mystery keeps getting want to miss the festivities. better. Upon arrival they find a small problem. A construction worker that is renovating a home This time around, Mira James M.J.’s new stepmother owns, announces that there has been an accident caused by something is happy with her new boyfriend, that is not a living being. He and his crew leave the new stepmom in the lurch, running away from a house that Johnny. Mira is a freelance is not livable just yet. reporter/private eye who’s house The Ghost Hunters decide to check out the place expecting to find a crotchety ghost that simply doesn’t sitting and dog sitting for a friend want anyone to be in the house to bother him. And the ‘angry ghost who wants to be left alone’ theory actually in Battle Lake, Minnesota. She holds water, when the three of them arrive at the location and have heavy planters hurled at them from an also spends her time working as a invisible entity. Soon, however, they find something a whole lot darker than an ordinary, frustrated ghost inside. library assistant and for the local The hunters stumble across a mystery, as they look into the history of the folks who owned the house newspaper. Pleased with her lot in previously. A very dark spirit won’t give up on M.J., as the history begins to link with people she knew and life at the moment, Mira doesn’t loved, including her deceased mother. The ghosts inhabiting the house recognize M.J., and begin to unearth the real facts behind her mother’s past. want anything to change. This particular tale is a bit darker than the ones that have come before. But although this plot is not as Unfortunately, Johnny ‘quiet’ as the rest, it is a fearsome, thrilling tale that uncovers more background for fans on the histories of M.J. drops the bombshell that he’s and Heath, and how each got along with their own parents in the past. With both laughter and tears, this terrific leaving for four months to read hits on all cylinders. enter an environmental science Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ internship in Portland, Oregon. Mira is somewhat upset at the THE DEEP news until her buddy from the By Nick Cutter library, Mrs. Berns, insists that A horrible and inexplicable disease nicknamed the ‘Gets is rampaging the entire globe, she and Mira go to Portland for a causing people of all ages to forget literally everything. It starts out innocently enough— private investigator’s conference, “misplaced” keys, the kettle left too long on the stove—until victims forget to eat, lungs forget and begin looking for a train to to breathe, and hearts forget how to beat. Millions are dead and dying, and there is no cure...yet. book. It seems that there is a Luke Nelson’s brilliant scientist brother, Clayton, is on the brink of a government-sponsored special Valentine Train heading to breakthrough to cure the ‘Gets, but he has cut-off all contact with the outside. Luke has been Portland, so Mrs. Berns, Mira, and summoned to help his brother regain communication, but Clayton isn’t locking himself up in a typical lab. their friend, Jed Heitke—a laid He is eight miles under the ocean’s surface, where a possible universal healing agent called ambrosia has been back pot smoker—hop the train. discovered that could save the world. However, the reality of a station built under such intense ocean pressure Next to Mira and Mrs. and otherworldly darkness grows unbearably nightmarish as Luke tries to understand his brother’s work and bring him back to the surface. Such an environment is not conducive to sanity—and before Luke knows it, to Bern’s sleeper car is a family with the question of survival itself. a young daughter, Aimee, that Nick Cutter’s “The Deep” starts out as an eerily relevant and intriguing apocalyptic read amidst the recent reminds Mira of an old friend who Ebola outbreak and scare, but instead of the ‘Gets being the focus of the book, it is a catalyst for Cutter’s was kidnapped many years ago true intentions: to unravel the darkness of the human psyche. Much of “The Deep” is flashbacks to Luke and never found. Consequently, and Clayton’s less-than-ideal childhood and relationship, and an exploration of life’s suffering that can either Aimee’s mother is found poisoned make us mentally stronger or insane. While the pacing is slow in some chapters, “The Deep” does provide an and the girl and her father go unshakeable haunting after its deliciously twisted ending. Recommended for lovers of sci-fi, horror, and books missing. Mira is determined that make you question your sanity. to find the child when Terry Reviewed by Sara Giusti ■ Downs, another private eye, along with a TV star, show up on the CLOSER THAN YOU THINK train looking for publicity. The By Karen Rose conductor asks the three to form A fantastic new series begins with this unforgettable novel featuring the beguiling psychologist, Faith Corcoran. a trio and look into the killing, A prologue is offered that will have the strings of a horror movie playing in your mind as convinced that the criminal is you read through, and then on to a first chapter that will lull the reader into believing that the still lurking on the train. Stopped rest of the trip will not be affected by the beginning scene…believe this, and you will be very, by a violent snowstorm, the very wrong. train remains set in place as the Faith is looking up at the family home that she has inherited in Ohio; she’s not quite happy about this, investigation gears up. considering she hates the location. The only reason she’s returned to this place of childhood chills is to escape a As the story progresses, the stalker that seems determined to kill her. Discovering that the home is being used by someone who’s kidnapping reader will get into ‘February young women, and then bringing them back to the house to kill them, Faith finds one of the young women and Fever’ and go back to read the calls for help. Oddly, when the police show up, they are a lot more interested in Faith. others in this incredible series, Enter, FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak. A little on the scary side himself, when the call comes in regarding beginning with “May Day.” A an accident involving a missing college student and a stranger in town (Faith), Deacon believes Faith is the one very charming story with great hiding secrets. When yet another student goes missing, Faith’s house forms the link. There is a killer on the dialogue, there are more months loose, and the criminal is definitely linked to Faith’s former job of being a therapist to victims of horrific sex coming, so readers definitely have crimes. One is coming for her, and this empty house that Grandma left behind is the perfect place to take her something to look forward to. out. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, A slew of characters swimming in an extremely dark and twisted plot, there are enough red herring’s to Professional Librarian and Co- change a reader’s path in seconds. And if the follow-ups to this book remain on such a chilling level, it is easy to Owner of The Write Companion ■ say that this is one series that will keep fans of suspense intrigued for a long time to come. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 32 SHADOW OF DOUBT THE BOAT By Nancy Cole Silverman By Clara Salaman In her new book, “Shadow of Doubt,” Nancy Cole Silverman delves into the poisonous world of Hollywood deal-making along with the inner workings of broadcast journalism. Most readers, as well It’s big news when Pepper Millhouse, a top Hollywood agent, is found dead in her bathtub. as authors, will agree that Radio reporter Carol Childs has a one-degree separation from the deceased, in that her neighbor is psychological suspense is a Samantha Millhouse, the woman’s niece and personal assistant. Pepper was not an easy person to tough genre to write. The fear deal with, and Sam has been very vocal about how her aunt’s petty meanness has made her life at must be there and the reader work hell. But when it’s discovered Pepper was the victim of poisoned bath salts, and Sam becomes the primary needs to not only turn the lights suspect in her murder, Carol is convinced of her friend’s innocence. on when they go to sleep after The case becomes a major investigation when more bodies are discovered linked to the tampered bath salts. reading, but must also feel as if a Carol’s FBI agent boyfriend is brought in to help with the investigation because of its ties to product tampering. stranger is staring at them at all Meanwhile, a wide range of people are willing to comment on the case when interviewed on the air at Carol’s times. With that in mind…this station, including Sam’s twin sister Sarah, starlets Clarissa St. Clair and Amber Marx, who were both represented is one psychological suspense by Pepper, and Misty Dawn, a self-styled psychic to the stars. that will have readers doing As the killer claims more victims, Carol must dig into hidden motivations and histories to clear her friend and both. Setting this tale against expose the actual murderer. But as she investigates, she finds she might have to pay a heavy price for discovering the stunning ports and beautiful the truth. scenery of the Mediterranean, Nancy Cole Silverman has a wealth of experience in broadcast journalism and creates that world in a the atmosphere is perfect to fascinating way on the pages of the book. She also pulls off multiple twists with the plot that keep the surprises serve as the backdrop for a coming to the last line. This is the first volume in a series starring Carol Childs, and it will be interesting to see frightening tale that some will where her adventures take her next. not be partial to. Reviewed by David Ingram ■ Love is in the air for Johnny LIES THAT BIND and Clemmie as they enjoy their By Maggie Barbieri extended honeymoon. This Maeve Conlin is back in this sequel to “Once Upon a Lie.” Maeve is still a single mom trying to keep her is one of those couples who bakery afloat. But, when her father, Jack, passes away, a vindictive woman implies Maeve had a sister. Maeve have not a dime, but the love considers the source, but can’t help but wonder if there is something to it. and support they share is good As Maeve searches through her father’s things, she begins to unravel a long buried family secret. A sister she enough to live on. In Turkey, never knew existed, who was perhaps developmentally challenged and placed in an institution with a horrible they are almost broke. They live reputation, making Maeve worry her sister may not have survived. on jobs they find here and there, This sequel is not as strong as the first book, and I lost patience with Jo, Doug, and Maeve’s family. This is not and attempt to use odd jobs in a mystery in the traditional sense, but I think the author meant well in choosing this dark subject matter. order to help fill their coffers so Maeve’s life has been a little dark and edgy from the beginning, but now Maeve has a gun and starts to have the honeymoon never ends. dark fantasies about using it, leaving readers to worry her anger has gotten the better of her. To put the cherry Accepting a job that puts on the cake, Maeve and her bakery is the target of a few unrelated crimes and she begins to suspect one of her them in a very bad situation, daughters could be involved. they are caught in a storm off This novel draws attention to institutions of the past that were barbaric in the treatment of their residents and the coast, but breathe a sigh most likely has some basis in fact. What happened after the place was closed and what became of the survivors of relief when they see a boat is hard to track down, and Maeve doesn’t know if she will ever find out the truth of what happened to her sister. during the raging storm that Maeve does get some redemption in the end, but I still worried about her delicate balance. Maeve needs literally becomes their saving someone to care more about her than they do their yearbook money. Overall, this one was dark, emotional, and grace. Climbing aboard, they ultimately ended on a positive note for Maeve, at least for now. This one is 3 stars. feel as if they’ve dodged a bullet. Reviewed by Julie Whiteley ■ Meeting a lovely bohemian THE FORGETTING PLACE couple and their daughter, By John Burley Smudge, Johnny and Clemmie There is no other word than “enthralled” to describe exactly how the reader will feel the make fast friends with their moment they begin this amazing book. A shocking thriller that will send chills down your spine, rescuers. Unfortunately, the the author gifts fans with an intense and unforgettable plot focusing on a State Hospital that is a happier they get, the worse nightmare for some and a refuge for others. things turn. Five years ago, Dr. Lise Shields came to Menaker State Hospital to work. When she arrived, A world of nice is shown she was told that many of the patients were committed to the hospital by the judicial system of the to them, while a world of evil State of Maryland and most, if not all, would never be allowed to leave because of their crimes. is being brought down on their One morning while Dr. Shields is on duty, she is told by a nurse that a visitor has come to see her. When an heads. X-rated material does orderly brings the new patient in, Lise inquires if he’s going to be a patient of hers since she doesn’t recognize him. spoil some of this tale, and The nurse simply tells her that Lise needs to see this one, and walks away. The man has absolutely no paperwork readers will want to know ahead with him, leaving Lise beyond confused about the situation. of time that the sex and violence Days go by and no paperwork arrives regarding the man. The hospital administrator doesn’t want to talk are factors. After the tale is told, about the patient for some strange reason, and Lise is suddenly being stalked by two new men that nobody seems readers everywhere will think to know. Questions mount, the eerie factor climbs higher and higher with each page, and by the time Lise figures twice about getting aboard a out the darkness that’s going on all around her everything she once understood will be gone. supposedly ‘safe’ boat. A fantastic psychological ride, the author writes so well that the mass of emotions you feel as you read this Reviewed by Amy Lignor, book will remind you of the constant thrills and chills of a roller-coaster ride. The dangers of the world waiting author of “The Charlatan’s outside the walls of Menaker make this tale extra evil. In other words, this is one author that can scare you to Crown,” published by Suspense death. Publishing, an imprint of Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ Suspense Magazine ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 33 978-0-7387-4184-0 978-0-7387-4045-4 978-0-7387-4131-4 “This reviewer is eagerly anticipating more H“McPherson’s second stand-alone is a tour “Verne’s mystery is a winner, from this series, and a return of a cast more de force, a creepy psychological thriller that with plenty of twists and turns, an fun than an episode of Portlandia.” will leave you breathless.” intriguing heroine and an ending that shocks 1 —RT Book Reviews HHHH /2 —Kirkus Reviews in more ways than one.” (STARRED REVIEW) —Kirkus Reviews

978-0-7387-4023-2 978-0-7387-4078-2 978-0-7387-4346-2 “Never Alone . . . has all the ingredients “Ernst keeps getting better with each Grant is put on suspension and goes of a blockbuster police thriller and entry in this fascinating series.” to his favorite all-night diner to flirt it delivers on every level.” —Library Journal with his favorite waitress . . . and that’s —Suspense Magazine when all hell breaks loose. the very best in mystery fiction 1-888-NITE-INK www.MidnightInkBooks.com www.facebook.com/MidnightInkBooks @MidnightInkBook WRONGFUL DEATH MR. SAMUEL'S By Lynda La Plante PENNY This is a thrilling new story featuring Anna Travis, a detective chief inspector in London. By Treva Hall Melvin The author begins with DCI Travis checking out the newly renovated headquarters of her work place after returning from a holiday that has done her a world of good. But…vacation is over and Elizabeth (Lizbeth) it’s back to work. Landers, is narrating the story Her boss calls Anna to a meeting where he tells his inspectors of a special case that requires of the summer of 1972; she was their immediate attention. They have already heard of the case, since it was one ruled as a suicide fourteen and her sister, Helena and closed six months ago. The case is in regards to a nightclub owner, Josh Reynolds, who was found dead. But (Lena), was nine. New York new evidence comes to light when a man who’s scheduled for trial on an armed robbery case tells his guards was their home, but this is the that Reynolds was actually murdered, and he can prove it. DCI Travis is put in charge of unearthing the truth. summer they were spending with In the meantime, Anna has been invited to the FBI Academy in Virginia for a ten-week training course. their Aunt Alice and Uncle Frank She can’t leave, however, until she finds out the facts for her boss regarding Reynolds. Assigned a special FBI in Ahoskie, North Carolina. agent, Jessie Dewar, to help her out, Anna must now deal with this U.S. crime scene expert who turns out to be One day, during this very boring a real know-it-all. So on top of wanting to go to Quantico, and needing to solve the case, Anna must also keep vacation, Lizbeth is drawn to the the peace between her UK team and the over-the-top agent from the States. As the team begins to work on the Danbury Bridge where lights and cold case, it seems that the likelihood of Anna ever going to Quantico fades to nothing. And the only choice she sirens are everywhere; an accident has occurred, and Lizbeth soon has is to leave Jessie in charge and pray that she doesn’t mess up. learns that the owner of Samuel’s The characters are intriguing, and the FBI agent will definitely remind everyone out there of the friend, Lumber Yard has driven off the neighbor, or schoolmate who simply knew far more than anyone else. A thrilling read, La Plante has made sure bridge into the river, taking his not to disappoint her audience. poor daughter with him. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ As the emergency folks are THE DEAD OF SUMMER pulling the car out of the river, By Mari Jungstedt the sheriff finds fresh bullet Even though he is on vacation with his family, Peter Bovide can’t help but wake up at the holes on the bridge where the crack of dawn. Years of early rising for construction work are to blame, but Peter enjoys his 5 a.m. skid marks appear; now the start, when he can take his daily run. This morning is no different. Except for the gunman lying suggestion of murder overtakes in the grass, of course. the original drowning theory. Hours later, Assistant Detective Superintendent Karin Jacobsson is on the scene. The bullet- Lizbeth overhears information riddled body of Bovide is a nauseating mystery; who would kill a father at 5:30 in the morning about a very rare 1909 coin that on Gotland, Sweden’s largest island and picturesque summer retreat? Jacobsson and her boss, Superintendent the victim owned; a coin that Anders Knutas, are at a loss. To make matters worse, local TV reporter Johan Berg, and his camerawoman Pia has disappeared. The young girl Lilja, are trying to solve the murder, too, upsetting the police’s efforts as they gain their own leads. is a collector of coins, and as she Mari Jungstedt’s “The Dead of Summer” is an intriguing, international crime thriller interwoven with listens to the story, she wants stories of love, friendship, and tragedy. While the fifth in a line of mysteries featuring Anders Knutas, “The nothing more than to help find the missing ‘fortune’ for Samuel’s Dead of Summer” stands on its own. Jungstedt effortlessly weaves the characters’ personal lives through widow. This fourteen-year-old an inexplicable murder, rotating chapters with different points of view. Her style is matter-of-fact and is an decides to make her own list of enjoyable, easy read. Jungstedt does not waste time on superfluous descriptions, rather, she gives international possible suspects who might be crime readers exactly what they’re looking for: a beautiful Swedish setting, an incredibly stealthy murderer, the culprit. Looking at Mr. Jake plenty of suspense to keep the pages turning, and a surprise ending that hits the spot. first, who is the owner/operator Reviewed by Sara Giusti ■ of the town grocery, Lizbeth TWELVE DAYS searches through his coins to find By Alex Berenson the missing penny. Beginning with a very frightening opening, Berenson has created an extremely suspenseful This is a girl with a ton of read that fans will not forget anytime soon. loyal support for her mission, as To start, a young man boards a plane headed back to the United States from India. He she delves into the long-buried has an interesting story; his parents were born in India and he always wanted to visit his secrets of this community that family’s homeland. However, he wasn’t terribly impressed, so has decided to head home early. has one very large flaw: prejudice. Unfortunately, that’s a decision he would regret. This plane just happens to be the subject of a But is this about race? There terrorist attack shortly after takeoff, when a missile is aimed and fired killing everyone on board. are many other suspects that Other events befall the U.S. as a CIA station chief is murdered and weapons-grade uranium is discovered include a woman who believes in Istanbul. The President is told of these emergencies, and becomes sure that the nuclear material found was the lumberyard should be hers, from Iran, and Iran is intending to use it on America. John Wells, a former CIA Agent, does not believe this as well as a brother of the dead particular theory, so he and his cohorts are given twelve days before all heck breaks loose and the President man who will do anything to keep decides to invade Iran. the business open; even, perhaps, Wells is sure that he knows who’s responsible for the uranium, and it’s certainly not an enemy of the State. steal a coin that would bring in enough money to save it. Wells’s belief is that a billionaire casino owner, Aaron Duberman, is the culprit and is attempting to trick the Although the narrative is a U.S. into invasion—beginning a war that will be too late to stop. Wells uncovers a deep, dark plot and basically bit slow at the beginning, mystery works as hard in twelve days as Jack Bauer does in 24-hours to prove his theory, and do everything he can to readers will get used to the speed stop the United States from making a huge mistake. and end up losing themselves in The tension and constant action provide for an unbelievable plot, but Wells is a very cool customer, and this extremely interesting tale. readers will love to follow along as he works against the ticking clock. It’s certainly not an understatement to say Reviewed by Mary Lignor, that readers and fans will definitely not be able to stop turning the pages on this one! Professional Librarian and Co- Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ Owner of The Write Companion ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 35 TIME AND TIME HIDDEN AGENDA AGAIN By Lisa Harris By Ben Elton As this book begins, Michael Hunt is being knocked around by one of his boss’s underlings. The boss just happens to be Antonio Valez, a big shot mobster who can make or break lives on Having read a couple of Ben a dime. Michael had been working as an undercover cop trying to take down Valez and his drug Elton’s previous books, I knew cartel. Being embedded in the gang for quite a while, one of the men working for Valez captured I would enjoy “Time and Time a friend of Michael’s, Sam Kendall, who was another undercover agent. Kendall was beaten by Again.” What I didn’t realize was Tomas, another member of the cartel, and before he met his brutal death gave up Michael’s cover. just how much Elton has really When Sam is murdered, however, Valez’s own son, Ivan, witnesses the brutality. Ivan immediately tells honed his story-telling skills, his sister, Olivia, that Michael had been locked up for his sins until Valez comes in person to take Michael out. and based on his latest novel, Instead of siding with their father, the siblings decide to save Michael’s life and begin by getting him away from he is now arguably one of the the gangsters. most readable and entertaining Michael is presumed dead by his friends and family now that the undercover operation is obviously authors writing popular fiction over and he has not reappeared, but Michael and the Valez siblings are actually on the run. With a hit man today. on Michael’s trail, help is not easy to find. In fact, a good number of the Atlanta Police Department are more Time travel and alternate than a little corrupt and are in no hurry to offer aid to anyone but the bad guys in this scenario. Hunted by the reality are complex plots to cartel night and day, as well as the law he was once a part of, Michael’s only hope for survival is staying with the tackle, but Elton masterfully children of the one man who will not stop until he’s a corpse resting on a slab. steers his book, from the first A non-stop chase that is constantly set on high-gear, fans of Lisa Harris will revel in the constant race from page to the end, without any one place to another. Readers will most definitely be unable to catch their breath before the fantastic ending is dragging or info-dumping on revealed. readers like so many other Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ authors find necessary to do when dealing with the time travel DREAMING SPIES By Laurie R. King meme. th Hugh Stanton, an ex-soldier, This is the 13 book in this series, and the author continues to offer up incredible plotlines for this “unusual” recently bereaved of his wife and Sherlock Holmes. children, is summoned to his In a previous novel, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes had taken a sojourn to Japan where they’d met old professor of Cambridge’s Haruki, a young girl who tutored them and their shipmates in the ways of the Japanese. Although a nice girl, chambers where he is told a Russell and Holmes discovered that Haruki actually had ulterior motives to gain their friendship that involved fanciful story of a secret portal Japanese Prince Hirohito and a book of poetry holding an ancient secret that had been given away by mistake. that will open shortly, and once In this new offering, the Japanese adventure is over and the couple comes home to discover a lovely stone only, between the present and that once decorated the Imperial Garden of Kyoto sitting in their own garden, reminding them of their journey. 1914. The members of an elite Attempting to get back into the daily grind, Mary heads to Oxford to return to her studies where she surprisingly society who have guarded this comes face to face once again with Haruki. The girl is there waiting to continue the investigation that Mary and secret for hundreds of years, since Sherlock thought they’d completed for the Emperor. Hence the passage: “In Japan there were spies; in Oxford Isaac Newton first predicted there are dreams. In both places there is a small, dark woman, and danger.” Definition: Haruki is not yet done the portal, suggest Stanton has with the fascinating duo. the perfect skills and lack of With each book more detail is added to the unusual relationship between Mary and her much older attachment to return to 1914 and husband, Sherlock. Over the years, Mary has transformed from a spunky young girl into an independent woman prevent WWI—the worst event, who’s now the wife of one of the greatest detectives of all time. When it comes to Sherlock Holmes, although they’ve decided, of the previous he’s a favorite ‘classic’ character of many readers out there, it’s important to note that by utilizing the role of 110 years—by assassinating Mary (instead of Watson) nothing is taken away from this intelligent detective. In fact, their emotional bond figures that Stanton had only only adds to the magic, suspense, and beauty of the original creation. King’s imagination continues to shine! previously studied in history. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ Of course, when he does PARDON THE RAVENS return, Stanton discovers it is not By Alan Hruska so easy to carry out his mission Grisham is a name that always pops up when speaking about legal thrillers, as well as Turow. when every interaction and And it is pleasing to say that Hruska has most definitely put himself in that arena. With his third move he makes has the potential novel, this former trial lawyer has continued to create excellent and intriguing reads. to alter the immediate and Extremely fast-paced, this legal suspense thriller is set in the early 60’s against the backdrop distant future. At the same time, of the most fast-paced location known to mankind: New York City. A young lawyer, Alec Brno, he struggles with the concept is on his way to a career boost of the very best kind. The case he’s working is a fraud case that is that his children might never be making newspaper headlines both at home and abroad. But, as is usually the case, what goes around comes born and that if he fails, millions around and Brno is soon looking at risking everything he has already done to achieve his ultimate goal of being will die. the ‘best of the best’ for a…woman. Falling for an alluring gal, Brno has no idea that the woman’s estranged Elton really takes the reader husband just happens to be a mafia Don, as well as part of the criminal element that may be behind Alec’s on a wonderful and unique ‘career-making’ case. ride. This is not the same old With the tale covering everything from the power center of Wall Street to a hero hideout in Maine to time travel trope; there are Narragansett, a peaceful community used by the Mob when they don’t feel like dealing with a particular person unpredictable twists and turns and put them ‘out to sea,’ this tale unfolds quickly. Although nothing more can be said for fear of releasing any right up until the last page. “Time tidbit of information, this book will most definitely grab the reader and have them hanging on for dear life, and Time Again” is absolutely because of both excellent dialogue and non-stop action. Liking the bad characters just as much as the good one of the best time travel books guys, it seems that Hruska has found the perfect recipe that will have readers coming back for more. of its genre. Although Hruska is also known for writing and directing a number of films, hopefully he will save some Reviewed by Susan May www. free time to grace readers with yet another legal thriller very soon. susanmaywriter.com ■ Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 36 DEAL WITH THE DEVIL INSATIABLE By Peter Lance APPETITES Reality is often far more frightening than fiction, and readers will see this as they look at the relationship By Stuart Woods of a Mafia member with the FBI. Peter Lance reveals a great deal of information regarding a hideous man who was everything from a killer to a loan shark, going by names like “The Grim Reaper,” while living as a well-paid Just when readers think informant for the FBI. An informant who was allowed to run his drug operations and other businesses on the that they have to wait with bated side. breath to see Stone Barrington Gregory Scarpa, Sr. received many thousands of dollars from the FBI for giving them information that once again, there he is! This ended up indicting some of his rival gangsters. Yet, even though Mr. Scarpa spoke freely about the lives he took, newest thriller yet again stars he never spent more than thirty days behind bars. Along with this complete injustice, Scarpa also knew J. Edgar the handsome, brilliant attorney, Hoover and was repeatedly asked to assist the FBI when they couldn’t get anything from an interrogation. and with each Barrington book, An interesting relationship that the book covers was between Scarpa and his handler, Agent R. Lindley Stone gets wealthier, meets up DeVecchio. The book states that over time, DeVecchio gave classified information to Scarpa which led to several with even more pretty people, and murders of Scarpa’s foes. Agent DeVecchio was indicted on multiple crimes for this travesty, but the cases were is immediately faced with a new dropped before the trial concluded. problem or two. Lance certainly did his homework. The research includes personal interviews, letters, court papers, and This time out, a very good even some FBI files. Scarpa’s existence, and whether you agree with what was given to him for his service or friend of Stone’s is about to run not, is overwhelming, to say the least. A score card is needed with the characters involved in the expansive for President. In addition, the history of the Mafia that is brought to light, as well as the many members of the FBI who, for right or wrong, new President-elect is the wife thought Scarpa was less of a disgusting killer when dressed in a suit. of the present President and was This is an excellent narrative of the life and times of organized crime, whether the criminals are on the side once the Director of the CIA… of the Mafia, or embedded deep within our own government agencies. Let’s just say that the amount of Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ political triumphs and tragedies are about to begin. LONG WAY DOWN Stone Barrington is the By Michael Sears master of being in the wrong Jason Stafford’s very first job was as a Wall Street trader and manager; a job that subsequently landed him place at the wrong time. In this in prison. His next career path is another that actually puts him in danger, investigating instances of fraud. But novel, the elite of Manhattan are even with all the pain and heartache Jason has gone through, he has learned one thing from being on both the suffering from some very clever prison yard and the trading floor, and that lesson is knowing when someone is lying straight to his face. This crimes, and Stone ends up being financial investigator knows how to fit into all worlds, and Jason is most definitely rehabilitated when it comes a material witness. He and his to breaking the law for personal gain or otherwise. former police detective partner, He has accepted a job from Philip Haley; Haley was somewhat of a wunderkind when he was young and Dino Bachetti, are pulled into the attended first rate schools and colleges before settling down with an extremely rich woman. In other words, world of big bucks security and Haley is able to do as he pleases in life, until he becomes indicted for insider trading in his own company. This the fraud that commences in the is a crime he swears he did not commit. Needing Jason’s expertise to get him out of this, Jason uses his ability industry when rich people are and believes Haley when he says he was completely set up. made vulnerable by the security Haley has many enemies, so there is a long list of suspects who could have set the man up to take a very systems they rely on to keep them brutal fall. In addition, these enemies make the man extremely dangerous to be around. But Jason throws safe. And as Stone and Dino look himself full-force into the investigation, uncovering secrets that some people would indeed kill for. into the crimes, they discover a It is not a stretch to say that this will be one of the best thrillers of 2015. The story has a touch of kindness mastermind behind it all who’s and love between a parent who is struggling to do good for his autistic child, as well as twists and turns based interesting to say the least. on absolute greed and corruption, making this a thriller that will be unforgettable to suspense fans everywhere. Along with all this mystery, Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ a bit of sadness enters the picture FEAR THE DARKNESS when Dino’s former father-in-law By Becky Masterman passes away, leaving Stone the This is the second book featuring Brigid Quinn, an ex-FBI agent that is so magnetic, executor of his formidable estate. reviewers have stated that she’s right up there with Clarice Starling. Turns out the man had his finger Quinn is a former FBI agent that used to hunt serial killers, who is now building a life for in many pies, and even held a herself working as a private investigator. Still married to Carlo, her husband was once a priest and certain level of power within the is now a Professor of Philosophy. Brigid’s sister-in-law has just died, and Brigid is about to take Mob. Stone was married for a over the care of her seventeen-year-old niece, Gemma-Kate. Because of the tragedy, the young brief time to this man’s daughter, girl has moved from Florida to Tucson, where Brigid lives. Dolce, who has been living in a But once Gemma arrives in Tucson, strange things occur; one of Brigid’s dogs is poisoned. Well, it seems psychiatric hospital run by nuns that Gemma-Kate has taken an interest in dissecting the local wild life, and soon confesses to the ‘accidental’ for some time. Of course, Stone poisoned toad that was swallowed by the canine. But the trouble doesn’t end. After this, the worshipers at must meet up with her once again, the Episcopal Church all become sick due to ingesting anti-freeze, and although Gemma-Kate is also on the because Dolce is out and headed spot when all this occurs, she remains unharmed. Now, its Brigid’s turn; she has come down ill with a mystery straight to New York City to claim disease and begins to wonder if Gemma-Kate is a psychopath who is poisoning everyone in sight. During her her inheritance. previous work, Brigid had seen psychopaths up close and personal, and is not eager to start again. This book has enough action Even ill, Brigid is working on a case, investigating the drowning death of a young man who had recently and adventure in it to thrill all come out as being gay. His stepfather was not exactly happy about his stepson’s announcement, and Brigid is fans of both Stuart Woods, and trying to determine if the death was an accident, or a work of sheer prejudice. his never-ending/never-flinching With the case going, the illness worsening, and a young girl who Brigid suddenly is questioning whether character, Stone Barrington. or not has the devil living within her soul, this tale takes the reader on a seriously thrilling ride to the very end. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Another A+ for Masterman. Professional Librarian and Co- Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ Owner of The Write Companion ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 37 DEATH TAKES A THE BEAST IN THE RED FOREST RIDE By Paul Watkins writing as Sam Eastland By Lorena McCourtney With his fifthInspector Pekkala thriller, it’s revealed that Sam Eastland is a nom de plume for Paul Watkins, who has published a number of well-received novels, including his debut story Cate Kincaid is, at the “Night Over Day Over Night” in 1988. Regardless of the author’s name, the Pekkala stories are moment, an assistant private crackerjack mysteries set in Stalinist Russia. investigator working for her uncle It’s now early 1944, and the tide is turning in the battle for Russia. Stalin’s forces are pushing at his agency. All her paperwork the Germans back in the Ukraine, helped by partisans who hid in the forests and kept pressure has been completed, and she’s on the invaders until the Russian army regrouped. It was believed that Pekkala perished two years earlier on an just waiting for her license to assignment from Stalin, but the dictator believes the inspector has survived. He calls Pekkala’s assistant, Major come through so ‘assistant’ can Kirov, to the Kremlin and gives him the assignment to bring the inspector back to Moscow. be dropped from her title. She Interspersed with that story are a series of letters and documents telling the story of William Vasko, an can hardly wait to take on her first autoworker from New Jersey who left behind the Depression-era USA in 1936 to work in a car plant in Russia. case as a full-fledged investigator. Vasko moves his wife and two children to Moscow and sends back laudatory letters to his fellow autoworkers in On this particular evening, New Jersey. After a while, though, the tone of the letters change, and then they come to an abrupt halt. Cate is not on duty. She’s picking Kirov follows clues to a newly-liberated area of the Ukraine where a commissar from Stalin is negotiating up a new friend to take her to a with the partisans to bring them into the regular army. The major barely survives when, during an air raid, church meeting. But before they an assassin kills the commissar and two partisan leaders. Kirov soon finds Pekkala, only to be drawn into the can leave, her friend Shirley, who inspector’s investigation of the assassinations. The men soon realize the killer has a larger goal, one that could works at H&B Vintage Auto affect the outcome of the war. Restoration, is asked by her boss Watkins does a wonderful job recreating Stalin’s Russia during the war. The pace of the story accelerates as to wait just a minute and locate it races along the serpentine plot, leading to a final climax that’s totally satisfying. some papers that the business Reviewed by David Ingram ■ partners are looking for. As the women are waiting, UNCAGED two shots ring out from the By John Sandford & Michele Cook warehouse. Staring at the scene, Most mystery readers will be chomping at the bit to get at this novel once seeing the co- Cate sees one dead victim, author’s names. John Sandford has partnered with Michele Cook, his wife, to bring readers another who is wounded, and yet something they would never expect to see from Sandford—a debut Young Adult thriller series another—one of the partners in called, The Singular Menace, that is sheer suspense entertainment. the company—who is standing We meet Shay Remby. Shay has just gotten to Hollywood, California, with hardly anything with a gun in hand confessing that but a weapon made by hand and less cash than it would take to buy one decent meal in her he has just killed a masked man pocket. Her only intent is to locate her brother, Odin, before Singular does. It seems that Odin has gone missing who shot his business partner. after an animal rights group he belonged to stole data from a Singular research facility. This theft was done by Seems likely that this is nothing hacking into the database of Singular. Although, the hacking was found out about, it wasn’t until Odin had but an attempted burglary that escaped with some flash drives; a discovery that has him on the run, hiding from Singular because of certain went horribly wrong. Even the facts that he uncovered, including some experiments being done that have to stop. police, after hearing his story, When Shay is visited at her foster home by the security team from Singular she realizes that Odin is in deep believe that this is an obvious trouble, and that she is the only one who can find him. But when she does, all she gets from their meeting is a case of self-defense. But the strange dog named ‘X.’ When Odin is kidnapped, street kids decide to help Shay in her quest to hunt for Odin, question as to why the gunman get to these criminals, and stop their illegal operations. came in and demanded the exact This book is certainly worth the time it takes to read it. Fast-action, moving along all the way from amount of money sitting in the beginning to end without taking a breath, this exciting story will have all different ages and lovers of suspense business at the time, makes the coming back for more. Do not let the niche of YA stop you; if you have a yen for the type of thrills that Sandford police do a double take. is famous for, this series will not disappoint. A real whodunit is in the Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ works, with Cate knee-deep in a shooting that is starting to look THE DAY SHE DIED By Catriona McPherson like an all-out murder. Not only Jessie Constable is shopping in the food court one day when she notices a familiar man who she’s spotted does she become engrossed with the crime, but she also inherits before. Jessie is so taken by his child, Ruby, that she offers to buy her a cake. The man is named Gus King, and a big dog named Clancy who very soon begins to talk to her—a virtual stranger—about extremely personal matters. just happened to have belonged Gus tells Jessica that his wife, Becky, has left him. Since he seems to be in shock, Jessie feels like she should to the partner that was shot and help the man, offering him a ride home. Not long after they arrive, the police show up and tell Gus that Becky killed. has died in what looks like a suicide by car crash. Jessie, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, is roped into This story is extremelystaying with Gus in order to help with Ruby and her brother, Dillon, while their father deals with a seriously well-written. The situations that emotional issue. develop around Cate as she Jessie is trying to get the hang of the household, but notices that much of what she has learned about this finally dives right into crime and little family doesn’t make sense. Information coming in is odd, like the fact that the late Becky’s best friend punishment as a real P.I., will apparently has gone to Poland, yet a young person Jessie meets from next door tells her that the friend would have mystery lovers smiling at never have done that. Also, Gus tells Jessie that Becky would never have killed herself, and that suicide is simply the humor, while they remain wrong. Jessie doesn’t seem to be able to absorb all this material and becomes more and more confused, not absolutely riveted to the unveiling knowing who to believe. She sees strangers out of the corners of her eyes, and becomes slightly worried about of a criminal. how Becky really met her fate, as the dark tale of the King family comes slowly to light. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Written with the feel ofPsycho or The Shining Jessie unveils a world that is not what it first seemed. Warnings Professional Librarian and Co- are everywhere, neighbors are nosy, and the reader will stand beside Jessie, looking over their shoulders and Owner of The Write Companion ■ waiting for the axe to fall. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 38 MURDER AT THE BOOK GROUP TO KILL A MATZO By Maggie King BALL Hazel Rose has lived in Los Angeles for many years working as a computer programmer. By Delia Rosen Married and divorced a few times, she’s about to go down that rocky road again. And when husband number four takes a pretty young thing on a skiing trip and has an accident, wrapping This newDeadly Deli himself around a tree, Hazel is all set. Receiving money that will last her a lifetime, Hazel decides Mystery is a whole lot of fun. to pack up and return east, taking her fortune and her calico cat along with her. Readers head back to Nashville Hazel and Shammy (the cat), finally settle in Virginia moving in with Hazel’s cousin, Lucy and to eat at Murray’s Deli, now her cat, Daisy. Deciding to work as a volunteer for people, Hazel also starts up a mystery book club. Eventually owned and managed by Murray’s wanting to write her own book, five long years pass and Hazel’s life still hasn’t changed very much. Except where niece, Gwen Katz. The deli is love is concerned. Vince Castelli, a retired homicide detective, is the new man in her life, but having so many jumping as usual, with many failed marriages, Hazel has no desire to walk down the aisle again. people, a lot of talk, and great The murder book club has a meeting at the home of Carlene Arness, the current wife of Hazel’s first food to go with it. husband. Carlene drinks poisoned tea at the meeting, yet her death is ruled a suicide. Hazel doesn’t believe In the middle of the for one second Carlene committed suicide, and decides to find a way to bring the killer to justice. Ever since breakfast rush, Gwen gets a she was a child Hazel has always been enraged when she thought people got a raw deal in life, so Lucy and call and makes an appointment all Hazel’s friends know she’s not going to stop until she proves that Carlene’s death was no accident. But the about a catering job for the investigation becomes more than strange when Hazel discovers secrets that Carlene has kept that could point Po Kung Fu Academy’s Belt to the murderer as being a member of her very own group. Promotion Celebration. Martial The characters in this story are fascinating, and for the side of humor that the author delivers, there is Arts Instructor, Ken Chan, keeps definitely a dark side to go along with it. their business date and is just Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ about to sample some food (a matzo ball, in fact), when shots THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN are fired and he throws himself By Paula Hawkins on the floor. He takes Gwen Reading this book was like travelling on a high-speed train, excuse the pun. It begins slowly, down with him, ultimately and you are lulled into thinking this might be just a relaxing trip to while away the hours. Then, saving her life. Unfortunately, he suddenly, you are sucked into a ride that is dragging you along faster and faster. is unable to save his own. What was so fun about this read was the dialogue inside Rachel’s head. She’s a flawed heroine No one else is harmed in with serious issues, which are only revealed as we realize that what she’s sharing with us (and the deli, but the fear is certainly herself, to a degree) and reality, are two different things. present. Gwen, being a former Each weekday, as Rachel travels back and forth to London, she passes by a row of houses near a stop signal. New Yorker, tells Nashville PD As the train pauses at this spot, it gives her just enough time to spy on a couple living in one of the houses. She that Ken also came from New names them Jess and Jason, and invents an imaginary life of happiness around them, in stark contrast to her York City but left Chinatown own. after he was threatened by people One day she sees something that surprises and alarms her, and she finds herself compelled to interject known as the Triad Gang. Local herself into these complete strangers’ lives. Other more terrifying events occur and, suddenly, she is not only gossip spreads, with everyone entangled in a police investigation, but she may actually be in grave danger herself. blaming the NYC criminal The story is immersive and the characters strong. Perhaps the reveal was not so much a surprise; however, element for the death of Ken. as they say, it’s not always about the destination, but about enjoying the journey. This is one thoroughly But there were two previous enjoyable journey, and I’ll certainly be catching the next trip with its author, Paula Hawkins, when she releases murders; African-American her second book. Police Officer Marcuz Frank, and Reviewed by Susan May www.susanmaywriter.com ■ his girlfriend, that were already OSTLAND blamed on a group known only By David Thomas as the SSS, so even with too many This story is a non-stop journey from Ludwigsburgh, West Germany in 1959 to Berlin in bad guys to name, the Nashville 1941. In West Germany, the Chief of Police Georg Albert Wilhelm Heuser is arrested, and the PD will not rest until these killers law officials who had been investigating his crimes are now patting themselves on the back. are brought to justice. But when Heuser was an escape artist; there had been many times in the past when the law thought they the FBI joins the investigation, had him cold, yet he always was able to get away. Now, it seems they have all the proof needed for clues are discovered that make a conviction, but the charges must be firm. The police will do anything to make sure the case is the shooting look as if it was unbreakable to prove that this well-respected detective was also a Nazi war criminal. meant for the deli, itself. Gwen Berlin, 1941: Georg Heuser is reporting to police headquarters after completing his training at the college. must turn from deli owner back The very precise and talented man thinks that the Murder Squad will be thrilling; yet it turns out to be a very into amateur detective mode, grubby looking room staffed by untidy help. The boss of the office is unshaven and not dressed up to Georg’s working with local police and standards. However, they are also overworked in their hunt for the S-Bahn killer; a person prowling the train the FBI to unearth what, exactly, routes that are blacked-out because of wartime. This person has beaten and stabbed many women, and the is going on. Reich wants this killer caught. Everyone in the police is taking a close interest in hunting this savage down, Very entertaining, it is an including SS General Reinhard Heydrich. added bonus that the food talked Based on historical facts and written in first person narrative, Inspector Georg Heuser tells his story from about is amazingly mouth- his first criminal case in Berlin to later activities as a policeman. Covering Heuser’s transformation from a civil watering, as the author gifts servant detective to a Nazi war criminal, from beginning to end the book offers an adrenaline rush as one of the readers with a deli recipe they worst times in history comes to life. should try out immediately. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Nothing of the tale was spared. And even though the case was made, people still wonder if this loyal Professional Librarian and Co- policeman could possibly have been the same man who helped Germany create a true killing field. Owner of The Write Companion ■ Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 39 SILENT MURDERS THE BODY SNATCHERS AFFAIR By Mary Miley By Marcia Muller & Bill Pronzini Two unique authors with two fabulously fun styles are back together to write this brand new This is a vivid, Technicolor Carpenter and Quincannon mystery. mystery that leaps off the page, Beginning with two victims in two separate investigations, this tale comes together and leads about the black-and-white world to an opium den in Chinatown. Here is where John Quincannon is searching for James Scarlett, a of the silent film era during local lawyer who is deep into the drug trade. Scarlett’s wife hired the investigative services to find Hollywood’s best days. him, but the location is tough to be in considering there’s a war just waiting to blow up in the area. Main character, Jessie In the meantime, John’s partner, Sabina Carpenter, is looking for the dead body of a millionaire. This Beckett, has come to ‘Movieland’ higher echelon member was actually stolen from a family crypt that was literally impenetrable. And the body is and begun work as a script girl currently being held for ransom. for Fairbanks-Pickford Studios As the war festers in Chinatown, and the corpse is waiting to be brought back to his place in the crypt, (AKA: Douglas Fairbanks and Quincannon and Carpenter are not losing any time in solving their respective cases. It’s quite possible that Mary Pickford). Jessie has been the two ‘body snatcher’ crimes are being done by the same culprits. Also, unbeknownst to Carpenter and invited to a party at the home Quincannon, a mystifying Englishman is in the picture who just so happens to call himself ‘Sherlock Holmes.’ of a big movie director, and Turns out Sherlock is there in order to keep an eye on the two detectives from his place in the shadows; from takes one of her roommates behind parked cars in the street, doorways where he thinks no one can see him—any shadowy place will do—as along in order to be a part of the snatchers get ready to bargain with the bodies. the Hollywood glamour. At the This is a very good mystery containing a few drug lords, missing millionaires, corrupt police, and, of course, party she is introduced to her Sherlock. In other words, it’s just another day at the office for the duo of Quincannon and Carpenter. These two host, Bruno Heilmann, as well are a bit reminiscent of the popular Nick and Nora Charles detective team; two professional snoopers who are as a lady who is working on the opposite in their ways, but always solve the crimes. Readers will have fun with this one! catering staff who once knew Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ Jessie’s mother when she was working in show business. HUSH The woman invites Jessie to By Anne Frasier come to her home because she I love serial killers. I love reading about them. I love writing them. I wouldn’t want to meet one, and I don’t has some old posters featuring glorify them, but there’s something delicious about getting inside the mind of one via a good book. Jessie’s mother, and might just Anne Frasier released the thriller “Hush” in 2002, and it went on to become a bestseller alongside many give her one as they sit and other bestsellers among her 24 books published thus far. Frasier writes a serial killer with the best of them, just as reminisce about old times. But creepy and absorbing as Thomas Harris’s “Silence of the Lambs” and as tense and satisfying in its conclusion as when Jessie arrives at the home Michael Robotham’s 2012 “Say You’re Sorry” (named by Stephen King as one of his top three reads of that year). of her newfound friend she “The Madonna Murders,” as the press have named the killings, are back again after a break of almost two finds the woman murdered. But decades. He brutally and mercilessly kills mothers and their babies. And now it seems the killer is back. she’s not the only one. Bruno Ivy Dunlap, the only survivor of the Madonna killer, her son murdered by the killer, comes back to assist Heilmann has also met his with this new outbreak of killings. She’s now a skilled FBI profiler with a degree in criminal psychology. However, maker at the hands of a killer. Chief Homicide Detective on the case, Max Irving, is not welcoming. In fact, he doesn’t understand why they Douglas Fairbanks and need her or whether these fresh murders could really be the Madonna Killer after all these years. Meanwhile, Mary Pickford would like to Max is also dealing with his teenage son, Ethan, who has changed in recent months and become distant from see the murders solved, so his father. they ask Jessie to help find the There’s depth to this story and the last hundred pages you can barely turn quick enough. The twists and culprit. What no one knows is turns and view into the mind of the killer are intriguing, and the characters wonderfully imagined. that Jessie is right in the path This is a story about a particularly horrifying killer; killing babies is a terrible spectacle, even in words. of the murderer, and nothing However, Frasier handles this well and with respect. If you love your thrillers dark and absorbing, “Hush” has comes easy. Attempting to help got to be your next read. by using her acting skills as she Reviewed by Susan May www.susanmaywriter.com ■ investigates, Jessie becomes THE BISHOP'S WIFE quite friendly with the famous By Mette Ivie Harrison couple over time. But the When someone pounds on your door in the very early morning, this tale once again reminds you to think Fairbanks have their own issues, before answering. including Mary’s sister who is This particular door belongs to a Mormon bishop and his family; therefore, it is answered right away a drinker, and the red carpet of because of the vow to help people. The bishop’s wife answers the door and, along with her husband, hears the famous and infamous movie disturbing story of a neighbor. Jared Helm is upset, stating that his wife, Carrie, has disappeared. Gone in the stars who seem to collide as a middle of the night, she has left all her possessions behind, including their five-year-old daughter, Kelly. murderer bides their time. The Mormon city of Draper, Utah is not exactly peaceful. In fact, this is one town where some families who The story is extremely well- look more than perfect on the outside are rife with secrets behind closed doors. The wife of the bishop, Linda written and well-researched.Wallheim, is the very devout mom of five sons. Yet she soon begins to question the Church’s secrecy when it Highly entertaining, many comes to the situation involving the missing Carrie Helm. Jared had relayed to both she and her husband that readers will remember the his wife had always been unstable emotionally, but Linda feels that this reason for Carrie’s disappearance doesn’t famous faces that created the hold up. She doesn’t believe the man, or trust him, and begins to snoop into the lives of the Helm family. She ‘Hollywood Icon’ obsession doesn’t know why, but Linda is positive that Jared murdered his wife and is putting on a front for everyone in the back in the roaring twenties. congregation by playing the kind husband who has been wronged. And following the journey of When the child, Kelly, tells Linda that her father actually dropped her mother off at some location in the Jessie is absolutely fascinating. middle of the night, Linda’s doubts become a reality. Although the Helm family is very wealthy and her husband Reviewed by Mary Lignor, asks her not to get involved, Linda decides not to rest until the truth comes out. Professional Librarian and Co- Though not a heart-stopping surprise, this is definitely one of those well-written, well-plotted mysteries that Owner of The Write Companion readers will enjoy until the very end. ■ Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 40 RETRIBUTION RIVER OF NO By David Hagberg RETURN This is the next adrenaline-pumper in a series featuring a truly thrilling character. This By David Riley Bertsch particular tale focuses on the work of extremely brave soldiers called U.S. Seal Team Six, and their mission to rid the world of a frightening killer. Fishing season in Wyoming The mission taken on by the SEALS was called ‘Neptune Spear’ and took place on the first is behind him and Jake Trent, an day of May in 2011. The men were mostly dropped by helicopter into the home base of Osama bin ex-lawyer turned fishing guide, Laden, with orders to find the terrorist and take him out. As people know, the mission was a success is looking for some rest and at the time, but little did the soldiers realize that their mission was not forgotten by the people who admired this relaxation. His mind is extremely horrendous man; people who would wait until the perfect time to get even. busy, but he is desperately trying Seems that some of the Pakistani government, from that day onward, held a hatred for the SEALS who came to focus on starting up with through their country without permission. Now, these same people have hired a team of German hit-men and his love, park ranger, Noelle women to kill all twenty-four of the Team Six operators. And as this plan is put into play, at least two of the men Kimpton. Unfortunately, Jake’s lose their lives along with their wives and, in one case, three children. phone rings and he doesn’t According to the powers that be, only one person has a chance of finding and stopping these assassins, and realize until it’s too late that that is former Director of the CIA, Kirk McGarvey. McGarvey works hard with a little help from his friends, he definitely shouldn’t have but must face one person who hides just beyond his reach. The woman is patient when it comes to murder and answered. mayhem, and waits for the day when she can meet McGarvey and destroy the rest of Team Six. His plans for relaxation go This author keeps your attention. And as the finale explodes across the page, yet another scenario may rise to straight down the tubes when he the surface, making sure that McGarvey (much like Jack Bauer in 24) never gets some rest. A blockbuster leading hears from an old flame from law to perhaps the next blockbuster, David Hagberg has hit it out of the ‘suspense’ park. school. Divya Navaysam wants Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ him to come to Washington D.C. and work a consulting job with THE ETERNA FILES her right away. It’s important, By Leanna Renee Hieber and he agrees to go to D.C. with Abraham Lincoln lies dead, and a brilliant, gifted child sits with Mary Todd, as the president’s wife begs her the small hope that he might pick to bring back the spirit of her husband. up where he left off with Divya This is the day and age of Spiritualism. Both America and Britain are working desperately to find a way to way back when. He sounds more grant immortality. They know there must be some scheme or concoction that will bring back the dead, or allow than a bit fickle, aye? people to simply live for all time. On America’s side, there’s the Eterna group; their research into spirits, ghosts, In the meantime, back in and finding a way to protect and preserve human life has taken great leaps. Unfortunately, the group also had Wyoming, Jake’s friend J.P. goes enemies and the team is soon wiped out. Clara Templeton, the young girl who once worked hard to make the into panic mode when his girl, wife of the slain president calmer, was actually the founder of Eterna, and is now horrified, wondering whether Esma, disappears in Mexico. or not the research should move forward. The local police aren’t keen In Britain, Harold Spire is appointed by the queen to start his own investigation. He must figure out for on looking for her so he calls Queen Victoria why their own team of researchers have been obliterated. Spire, being an ex-member of London’s Jake to help. Now Jake finds police force, believes spirits are ludicrous. But, it is the queen, so he must sign up. Luckily for him, he meets up himself struggling between with a woman by the name of Rose who not only has the keys to hidden chambers within London’s political Divya and attempting to help buildings, but also can decode just about any puzzle presented to her. Now, they must work together to figure out find his friend’s missing lady. if a real enemy is desperate to shut down both Britain and America’s research; or if, just maybe, ghostly powers Jake’s investigation takes him have been unearthed that will do anything to take them down. to a cabin in Idaho where he Extremely descriptive, the supernatural plot is intriguing. The author has offered up a rainbow of characters, discovers a conspiracy that is far from the guilt-ridden to the intellectual to the satirical, which will have readers chomping at the bit for more. bigger than anything he could Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “The Charlatan’s Crown,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of have imagined. Talk about a Suspense Magazine ■ plate being full: Jake needs to unearth Esma, solve a huge ROBERT LUDLUM'S: THE GENEVA STRATEGY mystery, deal with an old flame, By Jamie Freveletti and decide whether or not the Lt. Col. Jon Smith, a member of the Covert-One Team, is leaving a cocktail party being given new girlfriend would be a good in Georgetown for microbiologist Chang Ying Peng—a man who has just been smuggled out of a fit for him in his new life as a Chinese prison. Smith is pretty sure that he is being followed as he takes his leave, and he is right. relaxed fishing guide. Spending a few anxious minutes trying to get away from them, his evasions don’t work right away As this is only the second until he is able to dodge something that looks a great deal like a large insect, probably a drone, as installment in this author’s Jake it attempts to capture him. Trent series, readers will very A short time later, Smith finds out that several very important government officials were kidnapped the much want to see more. This is same night. There is a plan to gain passwords and codes needed to hack into the U.S. drones. Among the kidnap a great mystery with a plotline victims is Nick Rendel, a coding expert in charge of programming drones. If his passwords get out, the bad guys that is like a revolving door could reprogram the devices to turn against America and attack targets in the United States. Another victim when it comes to Jake’s pursuits. happens to be the Undersecretary of Defense, along with the head of Health and Human Services, and most Crimes are aplenty; from illegal anyone else who could help the enemy succeed in their plan. immigration to overpopulation Jon Smith and his Covert-One cohorts are sent on a search to find the kidnap victims, yet when some are to scummy politicos and even rescued, it seems they have been given a mind-altering drug to make them see and do things they wouldn’t some international intrigue, it’s ordinarily do. If Smith and his team can’t do away with the drug and track down the rest of the kidnapped men, hard to believe Wyoming could it is a fact that drones will soon be on their way to strike and kill the ‘good guys.’ be so busy. An edge of your seat book, this is a must read that will make spy and thriller lovers excited. Ludlum, the Reviewed by Mary Lignor, creator of the well-known Jason Bourne, is now deceased, but Freveletti does the powerful man proud (once Professional Librarian and Co- again) with her high-speed, excellent storytelling. Owner of The Write Companion Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 41 THE PRINCE OF THE ART WHISPERER RISK By Charlotte & Aaron Elkins By Christopher Reich The third in theAlix London Mysteries, this novel is a fun, surprising, and eloquent book that begins with bad reviews; a sly introduction to the story that will make all readers, fans, and most As the story begins, the definitely writers, laugh out loud. Chief Executive of the NYSE, the Alix London is an art conservator, and is currently in Palm Springs to restore some paintings Chairman of the Federal Reserve, to their former glory; paintings that are scheduled to be auctioned off in order to raise money and the Treasury Secretary of for the Brethwaite Museum. While checking out the paintings that she’s going to be working on, the United States, are on their Alix comes across one by the great Jackson Pollock that she believes is a forgery. Informing the senior curator way to the White House to wake of the museum, Clark Calder, Alix must deal with this man who initially brought the Pollock to the museum. the President to alert him to Not exactly a favorite of the other curators, Clark is young and a little too smart for his own good. Clark fights the country’s latest crisis in the Alix on her opinion, telling her that the painting is absolutely genuine, and he will bring the paperwork to her making. As they turn in to the as soon as preparations for the auction are done with. But before he can back up his claim, Clark is the victim White House drive, the controls of a hit-and-run driver. of their car are taken over by an Of course, it doesn’t take a genius to discover that the accident was most definitely murder, but there are invisible source, and suddenly a slew of subplots to keep the reader busy. The auction is still a go, and the FBI is on the case, believing Clark the car jumps forward and heads might have been involved in an art fraud that included his last place of employment. for the executive mansion at top As the art world is up in arms, Alix must also deal with a smear campaign against her own character, and speed. The Secret Service snap that of her father, who is also a conservator that’s been in a bit of trouble in the past. into action and open fire, killing A busy book with all museum departments facing their own brand of tension, this is a great mystery that all three men. In a very different continually moves forward without a lull to break the reader’s attention. Great job! location, an apartment house in Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ Queens, NY, to be exact, someone THE DEEPEST DARK reports that they have seen By Joan Hall Hovey cartons of automatic weapons For those who love sinking into a comfortable chair and enjoying the ultimate ‘creepfest,’ being unloaded in a neighbor’s this new book is a definite way to do just that. house. The FBI comes quickly Abby Miller is an author who is locked in the throes of a deep depression, as her family to investigate, and three of their (husband and daughter), have been recently killed in an automobile accident. Understandably, agents are killed. Abby has been unable to write or get any peace of mind whatsoever, so she has decided to visit One of the victims of the her cabin on Loon Lake where her family spent their last vacation together in order to get a few White House disaster, Edward days relaxation and attempt to do some writing. Astor, the head of the NYSE, has Abby’s husband told her once that they should never alert anyone to where the cabin was, but there soon a son, Bobby, who has never been comes a time when Abby most definitely regrets the decision not to reveal the location to even her closest very close to his father. But now, friend. After all, she is in the darkest moments of her life, pulling up to an unknown house for relaxation, with he and his ex-wife, Alex Forza— nothing more than a purse full of pills that will hopefully take care of her depression. an agent with the FBI—find In the meantime, three criminals have escaped prison and are heading in the same direction. There is a themselves attempting to solve double murder in the area when the prisoners break into a house owned by an elderly couple who have just the two separate cases. Bobby finished watching television. After making that kill, Abby is the one they stumble upon—all alone and perfect wants to avenge his father’s death, for becoming a hostage in a frightening scheme. and Alex is after the people who Despite the odds, readers will be chilled as they root for Abby to take back her life and escape the Loon brought down her comrades. Wall Lake cabin alive and breathing. Once the first page is read in this one, nothing will be able to draw your Street is embedded in espionage attention away. and Bobby, who is head of an Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of “The Charlatan’s Crown,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint investment firm, is investigating of Suspense Magazine ■ mercenaries coming into the country to mess up the stock THE DEVIL YOU KNOW market, while Alex follows the By Elisabeth de Mariaffi path of a smuggler who seems to Readers may automatically compare this new novel to some of the most recent books be leading her to a conspiracy. released in the suspense category…but they would be wrong! This debut is an excellent read, Readers need to pay close and stands on its own two legs with a memorable plot. attention to keep up with these Beginning in 1993, main character, Evie Jones, lives on her own and works the crime beat plots. Action is key and the story for the local paper. She carries with her a memory that she cannot seem to banish from her mind. It was back in 1982 that Evie’s best friend, Lianne Gagnon, was killed. At the time of her is more than believable when you death they were both only eleven years old. The person suspected of the killing was a man named Robert consider the tentative system of Cameron; a man who was never arrested, leading to Lianne’s horrific end becoming nothing more than a cold the U.S. ‘checks and balances.’ case stuffed in a police station’s file drawer. As the good guys try to stop a Evie wishes with all her heart and soul that she could solve the murder of her friend, and never gives worldwide disaster, the bad guys up hope that she can do just that. Along with another friend, David Patton, Evie opens the case and decides are in a race against them to bring to investigate for herself. But no matter how hard they try, their work leads to nothing but dead ends. As the about the absolute ruin of the situation becomes more precarious, Evie discovers that there is a stalker afoot, and they’re coming directly for U.S. financial markets. Without a her. doubt, this is a thriller of the first Readers will find that this is an exceptional book. One moment they will believe that the identity of the order. culprit is very easy to deduce, yet they will end up wrong and lose the red herring completely. Full of surprises, Reviewed by Mary Lignor, this author has managed to create a novel that is sometimes thrilling, definitely frightening, smartly written Professional Librarian and Co- and, worst of all, true! This one is guaranteed to send chills down your spine. Owner of The Write Companion ■ Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 42 WEAVE OF ABSENCE THE BLACKWOODS By Carol Ann Martin FARM ENQUIRY In the sleepy little village of Briar Hollow, North Carolina, friends of Marnie Potter are By Ann Purser getting ready to throw her the biggest engagement/wedding shower anyone’s ever seen. The party will be hosted by Marnie’s friend and co-worker, Della Wright. Della is the owner of Dream This book is the fifth in the Weaver, a great little shop where women make and sell beautifully woven products. Everyone’s Ivy Beasley Mystery series and excited about the party, but none of Marnie’s friends have met the groom-to-be yet, which they this time around, main character, all think is just a tad bit strange. Ivy Beasley, has decided to take a The man of the hour, Bruce Doherty, does show up with his fiancée at the party. Della begins to wonder creative writing course so she can even more, after meeting the handsome charmer, why Marnie decided to keep him away from the rest of the write her memoirs. town until now. Soon, Della observes Bruce having an argument with Helen DuBois, and later at the party she Ivy and her fiancé, Roy spots him carrying on a very quiet conversation in the corner with Melinda Wilson. Goodman, live in a retirement After talking with Bruce, Helen leaves in a huff, looking as if she is ill. And the next day, when Della goes community and run a private to check on her, she discovers her body on the couch…dead. A murder has occurred and Della, who is a bit of enquiry business called Enquire an amateur detective much to the dismay of her friends, boyfriend and, of course, the police, assigns herself to Within with two of their the case. Della knows about the argument, and now sees Bruce as far more than a groom-to-be—the man who neighbors, Deirdre Bloxman and suddenly desperately wants to leave Briar Hollow far behind becomes Della’s number one suspect. Gus Halfhide. Lately, the whole This is the third in a series called,A Weaving Mystery. In the first two tales, “Tapestry of Lies” and “Looming town has been hearing stories Murder,” Della and her friends were introduced, and the Briar Hollow characters have been fabulously about the fact that Mrs. Winchen entertaining. The weaving ‘biz’ is full of intrigue, and the books make for incredibly fun mysteries that hold the Blatch, who is an extremely revelation of the culprit until the very last pages. reclusive widow living in her Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ farmhouse out on Blackwoods THE PAYING GUESTS Farm, has been visited by ghostly By Sarah Waters visions. Ivy and her friends are It was a progressive time in England. World War I was over, the British Empire covered soon hired by Mrs. Blatch, who almost a quarter of the globe, but back home, in the reality of 1922, penniless veterans roamed relates her ghost stories to the four the streets of London trying to find work. A queer mixture of wealth and abject poverty. of them. Mrs. Blatch says that the Mr. Wray had died leaving his wife and daughter, Frances, to find out that he was not as visitor is her husband who has careful with the bills as he might have been. They had some debts to pay off and so decided to been dead for twenty-five years, convert three rooms upstairs into a bed-sitter and take in a boarder, or a paying guest, as their while others think that it is most middle-class neighborhood warranted. likely a lodger that Blatch had a The young couple that rented the rooms, Leonard and Lillian Barber, were close in age to Frances. They relationship with before he took were very pleasant, eager to please, and paid the rent on time. Their penchant for music and their art tastes, brought youthful warmth to the house that had been missing for a while. Appearances are never quite what off with some valuables from her they appear however, and Lillian and Frances forge a bond that will test the bounds of their friendship to its house. limits. Gus volunteers to stay at the Waters does a great job of building suspense and intrigue and gives us a feel for how the detectives, in what Blatch house for a couple of nights was still a fledgling Scotland Yard, conducted an investigation. A gothic, coming-of-age love story set in the to watch for any strange visits from London suburbs. The details of life during that period are aptly described, creating a historically accurate novel the so-called ghost. And since Ivy that leaves you guessing through to the last paragraph. Be prepared to read well past your normal bedtime “The wants to take a writing course, she Paying Guests” is a hard book to set down. enrolls in a nearby college in order Reviewed by Mark P. Sadler, author of “Blood on His Hands,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of to spend some time snooping Suspense Magazine ■ around Blackwoods Farm. SERPENTS IN THE COLD However, it seems that each By Thomas O'Malley & Douglas Graham Purdy time a new clue surfaces—a very In the winter of 1951, the people of Boston are really down. It’s been a year since the dark chamber, a cigar that smokes infamous Brink’s Robbery, the largest robbery in the history of the United States; the Boston by itself or, a very human lodger— Bruins are suffering a losing season; and, everyone seems to be out of luck looking for a guardian it begins to get far more difficult angel to help them out. to discern between what is fact After WWII, Cal O’Brien and Dante Cooper, local Bostonians, are trying to find out what to and what is fiction. Of course, the do now that their service to their country is over. Cal has taken a job with a company providing ghost theory cannot possibly be private security. This company does everything from offer up night watchmen for legitimate businesses, to true . . . but when the widow turns providing enforcers for the Irish Mafia that require ‘fingers to be broken,’ so to speak. While Cal is in this up dead, the investigative quartet industry, Dante is facing his problems alone. Addicted to heroin, he seems unable to stay clean. And now must catch a killer no matter what. Dante’s sister-in-law has become the latest victim of a serial killer who is intent on delivering the women This series has been great of Boston to early graves. These two men, completely unqualified in police work, decide to track down the from book one, and readers will murderer. Unfortunately, the trail angers some people high up in city government who will do anything to stop love to see Ivy and the whole the men from solving the case. Enquire Within team attempt to A mix of suspense/thriller/history, this tale is told perfectly about post-war Boston, using two honorable stop a human or roust a ghost . . men trying to rebuild their lives after the horrors of war that continue to haunt them. Readers will most . whatever the case may be. This is definitely root for these two friends who search for a serial killer stalking the streets while trying to find a way truly a whole lot of fun! to once again bring about justice for the United States. An added bonus for those history buffs out there will Reviewed by Mary Lignor, be a look into the mystery of the great Brink’s Robbery and a conclusion as to what just may have happened Professional Librarian and Co- to all that money. Owner of The Write Companion ■ Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 43 YOU KNOW WHO THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRET AGENT KILLED ME By Susan Elia MacNeal By Loren D. Estleman For the WWII buffs out there, this book offers up a great beginning. It is the summer of 1940, and the notion that America will be entering the battle soon is on everyone’s lips. True 20-plus books have been it won’t happen until December 1941, but the signs are most definitely there…and the clock is written starring the incredible ticking. Amos Walker, and this new case Maggie Hope is a spy, a spy that readers have met up with before in three previous thrilling has him traveling from Detroit adventures, but this time around her life has very much been changed. Returning to Britain, she into suburban Iroquois Heights. is in a deep depression upon her arrival. Maggie is so emotional that she is under the eyes of what she calls, the This is the least favorite town of ‘black dog’ of depression, and is trying to find herself again. The weary job and her post traumatic stress have Walker’s, because it seems that the taken over her daily life. She has no friends to turn to for help and support, and her mother is in the Tower of natives there are definitely restless. London under penalty of death. But there’s no avoiding it. Britain is facing an invasion by the Nazi’s and bombs are being dropped from the skies round the clock. There has been a murder in the Add to that, the United States is dragging their feet at the idea of helping the British defend themselves. Heights, and Amos is on the job. Although Maggie should go to Special Ops and throw her intelligence and experience into helping save war- The victim is Donald Gates; his torn Europe, her decision to teach at her old spy camp is the one she makes. job was to maintain the equipment But when Maggie discovers a dead sheep near the coast that is covered with some kind of sores, confusion that controlled the city’s traffic arises. Something far worse than waiting for America to arrive has occurred, yet no one seems to care about lights. Mr. Gates was killed in his what she’s found. Poisonings amass, and the thought of a powerful weapon being brought out for the fight, basement, and there has been turns into reality. a reward offered of $10,000 by It’s no surprise that this Edgar award-nominated author has, yet again, created a tale that will have readers’ an anonymous donor for any heart rates beating out of control. 5 Stars! information regarding the crime. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■ Lt. Ray Henty, who remembers THE GOOD BOY Walker from his stint on the police By Theresa Schwegel force, has asked Amos if he could Set in Chicago, “The Good Boy” is a gritty crime story steeped in the problems of a large follow up on the most promising city police department. At the same time, “The Good Boy” is the story of a boy and his dog— of the callers looking for that Joel, son of detective Pete Murphy, and his K-9 partner Butch. reward. The Reverend Florence Detective Murphy’s family life is a mess after a headline-making situation the previous year Melville of Christ Episcopal that nearly cost Pete his job, and forced the family to give up their middle class home for a rental Church, who was Donald’s in a less than attractive Chicago neighborhood. After eleven-year-old Joel witnesses some local girlfriend at one time, also swoops thugs torturing a cat in the alley behind the Murphys’ house, he wants revenge. His fourteen-year-old sister, in to hire Walker to find the killer. McKenna, is testing the limits by lying to her parents and hanging out with these same boys. When Joel and In pretty quick order there are Butch follow her to a party and witness a shooting, it sets in motion a chain of events which leads Joel and two more murders. The first, Roy Butch to walk from their neighborhood on Chicago’s north side to the Cook County jail and courthouse at 26th Thompson, was a maintenance and California, a distance of approximately ten miles. Joel is in search of his father’s friend, Kitty Crawford, a engineer in Gates’s office. He judge, who once jokingly promised Joel a fair trial if he ever needed one. Detective Murphy sets out on his own apparently had overheard the odyssey to find his son and to try to put right the series of wrongs done by him and to him, both professionally computer programmer, Yuri Yako, and with his wife and children. complaining that Don never did Anyone familiar with Chicago, or any large city, will be drawn into the trek Joel takes with the dog through any work after installing the traffic neighborhoods filled with danger and others where the two travelers are simply ignored. Schwegel does a light system many years ago. magnificent job portraying the heartaches of this family. More than a crime story, “The Good Boy” is a story Shortly thereafter, Yako becomes of emotions. the third victim. Now that the Reviewed by Kathleen Heady, author of “Hotel Saint Clare” ■ police have a trio of deaths to solve, Lt. Henty is somewhat upset THE GLITTERING WORLD when a Deputy U.S. Marshall By Robert Levy shows up to mess with the cases Working and becoming a top-flight chef is very difficult for someone with a dream. So up- and interrupt his force even more. and-comer Michael “Blue” Whitley decides to take a time out to escape the hustle and bustle of Walker is the real investigator New York City with three of his good friends. Heading back to Starling Cove, a tiny Canadian here, and in spite of the crowd town where he was born, the friends look forward to taking a breather. But when he arrives, of operatives and just plain nosy Blue’s life turns upside down and his hope for tranquility goes out the window. It seems that he folks getting involved, Walker tries can’t summon up any memories of his childhood whatsoever. very hard to separate the good Years before, Blue and another child disappeared, going missing in the woods of Starling Cove for a few from the bad, expose the liars, and weeks. When Blue reappeared, his mother took him to America to live. Although he has no recollection of stop the greedy ones from getting these events, Blue soon finds out that almost everything that happened to him regarding this incident were their hands on cash they don’t nothing but lies. deserve. Slowly, Blue begins to remember his real life. Along with his friend, Elisa, her husband Jeremy, and Blue’s A great story concerning co-worker, Gabe, he decides to unravel the past. Unearthing the secrets of Starling Cove, the group begin to inner-city crime, Amos Walker find out the source of the mystery regarding Blue’s troubled youth, yet the answers seem completely ridiculous. is very much alive and kicking in These answers include a mysterious race of beings that once inhabited the land, and the four friends quickly this new mystery that readers will discover that the only way to survive Starling Cove is by facing their fears now buried in the woods. absolutely love. This is a story that is frightening and supernatural all at the same time. Blue is an extremely likable Reviewed by Mary Lignor, character, as is the supporting cast, and there are parts where the reader will be scared to see what happens Professional Librarian and Co- on the next page. Although the ‘creatures’ in this tale need to be explored more deeply, the imaginative plot is Owner of The Write Companion ■ first rate. Reviewed by Mary Lignor, Professional Librarian and Co-Owner of The Write Companion ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 44

Movies AND THE WINNER IS: Susan May’s Oscar Predictions BEST FILM Whiplash American Sniper Birdman The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Selma The Theory of Everything Boyhood

WINNER: BIRDMAN This is the strongest film line up I’ve seen in years, and I’m wringing my hands over what to pick. It will come down to Boyhood or Birdman, but I think Birdman just tops Boyhood at the post for originality. A close third would have to go to The Grand Budapest Hotel. Whiplash is fabulous, too, and it was on my radar as a winner until I saw Birdman and Boyhood. BEST ACTRESS Felicity Jones: The Theory of Everything Marion Cotillard: Two Days, One Night Reese Witherspoon: Wild Julianne Moore: Still Alice Rosamund Pike: Gone Girl

WINNER: JULIANNE MOORE None of these were stand outs for me. The Oscar will go to Julianne Moore, though. Her performance elevated what was a middle of the road movie to something interesting. BEST ACTOR Michael Keaton: Birdman Eddie Redmayne: The Theory of Everything Benedict Cumberbatch: The Imitation Game Bradley Cooper: American Sniper Steve Carell: Foxcatcher

WINNER: MICHAEL KEATON Without a doubt, this is the performance of Michael Keaton’s career. There is never a second on screen where he isn’t riveting. Nobody else is even close to him. He will win! BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Emma Stone: Birdman Patricia Arquette: Boyhood Meryl Streep: Into the Woods Laura Dern: Wild Keira Knightley: The Imitation Game

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 46 WINNER: PATRICIA ARQUETTE Movies I’m wringing my hands again on this. It’s a real toss up between Emma Stone, who shows she can really act in Birdman, and Patricia Arquette, who consistently delivered wonderful performances over twelve years in Boyhood. There’s one scene Emma Stone plays with Michael Keaton that just blew my mind. In the end, though, I hope it goes to Arquette because she wasn’t flashy but played an everyday mom to perfection. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Mark Ruffalo: Foxcatcher Edward Norton: Birdman J.K. Simmons: Whiplash Robert Duvall: The Judge Ethan Hawke: Boyhood

WINNER: J.K. SIMMONS J.K. Simmons inhabits his character in Whiplash. The final scene between him and Miles Teller is probably one of the greatest scenes without dialogue you will ever see. This one I would put money on. BEST DIRECTOR Morten Tyldum: The Imitation Game Bennett Miller: Foxcatcher Alejandro González Iñárritu: Birdman Richard Linklater: Boyhood Wes Anderson: The Grand Budapest Hotel

WINNER: RICHARD LINKLATER You could give an Oscar to everyone on this list barring Bennett Miller (I didn’t love Foxcatcher). Every one of them brought something new to filmmaking this year. However, I have to give it to Linklater. To create a film over twelve years with the same actors and make it work is extraordinary. If it wasn’t for him, I’d be handing it to Iñárritu for Birdman. But it has to be Linklater. BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Foxcatcher: Dan Futterman, E. Max Frye Birdman: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Armando Bo, Nicolás Giacobone The Grand Budapest Hotel: Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness Nightcrawler: Dan Gilroy Boyhood: Richard Linklater

WINNER: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL: WES ANDERSON, HUGO GUINNESS I’m giving this one to The Grand Budapest Hotel. It’s quirky and original and beyond delightful. Wes Anderson is known for his unique characters, and in this the dialogue was like poetry. Wonderful.

PICKS FOR THE OTHERS Best Animated Feature: Big Hero Six Best Animated Short: Feast Best Costume Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel Best Visual Effects: Interstellar Best Cinematography: The Grand Budapest Hotel ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 47 Movies AMERICAN SNIPER 2014 Genre – Action/Biography/Drama (R)

Fans of Zero Dark Thirty, Black Hawk Down, and The Hurt Locker will have Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper on their list of must-see war films. However, if that isn’t you, put it on your list anyway. Bradley Cooper has been nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards, as has the film in Best Picture category. Even though I don’t think they’ll win—it’s a very strong year in those categories—it’s already winning at the box office with an unexpected $89.5m U.S. opening weekend. Based on the 2012 bestselling autobiography, American Sniper tells the story of Chris Kyle, a Navy Seal who served four tours in Iraq and was proclaimed the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history with 160 confirmed kills. He was nicknamed by the insurgents Shaitan Ar-Ramadi, the Devil of Ramadi, and a hefty bounty was placed on his head. What makes this film so edge-of-your-seat engrossing for much of the 132 minutes is not just the finely tuned action sequences but, also, the portrayal by Bradley Cooper of Kyle as a more rounded character than most war depictions allow. This film isn’t only about an incredible hero and amazing marksman, it’s about the toll war takes on a family as well as the soldier, as the story takes us between Kyle’s tours during his furlows at home. Eastwood displays a keen eye for action and the film is beautifully paced. Bradley Cooper, who also co-produced the film, has beefed up physically to the point where you wonder, initially, if it’s really him. Sienna Miller, as his wife Taya, also plays a great role as a woman who is left to raise her family alone while the man she loves seems increasingly alienated from her. The other supporting actors are real and sympathetic. Like most war films the depiction of the action is bloody and horrific, and we are again reminded that it is a high price our soldiers pay when they go to war. It is truly an incredible story of bravery and of the terrifying life of a soldier. You will come away grateful that there are people like Chris Kyle willing to do what he had to do, and sad that we still live in a world that requires that type of commitment of anyone. Reviewed by Susan May www.susanmaywriter.com ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 48 Featured Artist

Cindy

GrundstenNOT JUST CHILD'S PLAY

SuspenseMagazine.com STONE LION49 Born in a mid-sized town near Stockholm, Swedish artist Cindy Grundsten caught our attention with her amazing talent, incredible use of color, and ALWAYS LOVING YOU variety in theme. Always creative, Cindy believes that her gift was passed down from her father, who painted when she was young—though Cindy admits that she’s never mastered that particular medium. Her first contact with Photoshop Elements— on her daughter’s computer in 2007—set this advertising employee on a new path. Cindy began as most self-taught artists in this medium do, with photo editing and the basics of Photoshop, and moved on to advanced elements when she found DeviantArt in 2008. She was shocked by the beauty she found, which spurred on her desire to learn. She discovered her favorite artist, John Errol de Lano (johndelano.deviantart.com) and Cindy was hooked. Cindy spends her free time working on creating images, continuing to learn, and spending time with her family and her boyfriend, Richard, a chef. She states that, “without creation, something important would be missing” in her life.

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): Your work is so vivid. Can you describe your creative process? Does each have its own story?

Cindy Grundsten (C.G.): It’s difficult to say. But lately I have created many pieces featuring children and animals. I don’t know why, but it’s fun and it makes me happy. I have tried other themes; as well as Dark Art. Sometimes it is also fun to develop more humorous images.

That the images appear vivid is perhaps because I put so much emotion into them. They’re my own feelings that come up, and maybe that’s why many think they’re so vivid. When I start with a picture, I usually don’t know how the finished image will look. I find an interesting stock image, and start with it. Then the work grows bit by bit until it is finished. The ideas come along the way.

S. MAG.: Do you ever work in other mediums? What drew you to EASTER FRIENDS photomanipulation? C.G.: I only work in Photoshop and I mostly do photomanipulations. I wish I could paint; it’s a dream to master that. But then I must take time to learn and I don’t think I have that time.

S. MAG.: Creative blocks can be a challenge and we see that this has been a problem for you at times. What do you do to re-energize your imagination and get back on track?

C.G.: Yes, it happens sometimes that I lose ideas and don’t feel inspired. And it’s a horrible feeling. But there is not much you can do about it. When it happens to me, I usually work on other Photoshop projects. I often work on painting hair, which I really would like to master fully. Or I look for some fun tutorials and try something totally new. Any new technology. It’s just good to do something else. There’s no reason to be afraid, even if it’s MY SECRET FRIEND boring, because the inspiration always comes back.

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 50 FLY FREE

SuspenseMagazine.com SCARY NURSE51 S. MAG.: What is your biggest personal and professional accomplishment?

C.G.: My biggest personal and professional accomplishment must be my stubbornness. And my love of challenges. There have been so many times where I’ve received orders from customers where I don’t have a clue how to solve possible problems with the artwork to get to what the customer wants. I have to think and be stubborn. Try and try. This probably sounds strange, but I usually solve most problems in bed at night. I lie quietly and think about what I should do and how I should do it to bring out a certain result. And the next morning I usual fix it without problems.

S. MAG.: Finish this sentence: If I wasn’t an artist, I would be______?

C.G.: If I wasn’t an artist, I would be very lost. No, I’m just kidding. I probably would have been doing something else creative. I’d have gone into fashion or been involved in interior design or creating beautiful hairstyles or working as a makeup artist. I don’t really know, but if I’m going to enjoy life I need to create and live out my creativity in some way.

S. MAG.: What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given? Would you offer that same advice to aspiring artists?

C.G.: The best advice I’ve received during my training is to think of light and shadows. Light and shadows are so incredibly important for the images to be vivid and realistic. I’m happy to offer this tip to those who ask for a critique because it’s a very important tip.

S. MAG.: Creatively, what brings you joy? What about in your day-to-day life?

C.G.: That’s the actual creation of a piece, as it is gorgeous. I like to create things that can fill not only mine, but other people’s hearts. I like to see my projects emerge and let my imagination run wild. It is freedom and happiness for me. It’s like decorating a home. You do it with love and care. You enjoy being there and making it feel welcoming to friends and acquaintances. Everything I create is with care and attention. If I don’t achieve that feeling in a piece of artwork, it always ends up in the trash.

S. MAG.: What do you think are your three best qualities? Worst?

C.G.: It’s hard to pick out good qualities in myself. But one of my good qualities is that I am always helpful. It makes me happy to help when someone is in need. Another good quality is my stubbornness. If things don’t go as I want, I never give up without trying until I’ve reached my goal. A good third quality is that I am mostly positive and happy. I am that kind of person. Being positive and happy makes everything I do easier. And best of all, it rubs off on other people around you.

My worst quality is that I am a perfectionist. I’m not pedantic in the way that everything must fall into place in my home. But I am pedantic when I do something. As an example, when I work with a picture, I want it to be perfect. It is not always good and I find it hard to be satisfied with what I do.

We’d like to thank Cindy for taking the time to chat with us. To view more of her portfolio or to commission a project, visit her DeviantArt site at http://cindysart.deviantart.com/. ■

Stock Photo Credit: The Evil Witch (Cover Image): www.jaguarwoman.com, shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Lorie-Davison, sofi01.deviantart. com, depositphotos.com; Stone Lion: dreamstime.com; Always Loving You: moranox-stock.deviantart.com/?rnrd=46632, sasa-stock.deviantart. com, myhazeyclarity-stock.deviantart.com; Easter Friends: elsapret.deviantart.com, eirian-stock.deviantart.com, crazydreamer1.deviantart.com, isalovesphotography.deviantart.com, zellykats-stuff.deviantart.com, shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Lorie-Davison; My Secret Friend: anastasiya- landa.deviantart.com, shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Lorie-Davison, depositphotos.com; Fly Free: daniellefioremodel.deviantart.com, nathies-stock. deviantart.com, fairiegoodmother.deviantart.com, roys-art.deviantart.com, e-dinaphotoart.deviantart.com; Scary Nurse: jinxmim.deviantart.com, shop. scrapbookgraphics.com/Lorie-Davison; Steampunk: madmoisellemelistock.deviantart.com, jinxmim.deviantart.com, cindysart-stock.deviantart.com, fantasystock.deviantart.com, shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Lorie-Davison, depositphotos.com; Love Song: dreamstime.com, depositphotos.com

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 52 MICHAEL CONNELLY THE EVOLUTION OF HARRY BOSCH Interview by Elise Cooper for Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Mark DeLong

Harry Bosch is back in Michael Connelly’s latest novel, “The Burning Room.” This story finds the Los Angeles police detective in the twilight of his LAPD career, mentoring a promising but problematic young female partner. As always, however, Bosch is the tireless victim’s advocate, and always thinking that “everybody counts or nobody counts.” In “The Burning Room,” Bosch tries to solve two cold cases through the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit. Because the murder rate is significantly down in Los Angeles, the department has devoted more manpower to solving decades-old crimes. The first case is highly charged and politically sensitive, involving a former LA mayor now eyeing the governor’s office. He used the case of Orlando Merced, crippled by a sniper’s bullet, to promote his career. Merced died ten years later from complications, and Harry knows that the bullet can be the key to finding the shooter. Making matters more complex is the possible connection between this case, an arson blaze, and two robberies. Bosch’s new partner, Lucia (Lucy) Soto, is investigating on her own time the deaths of a number of children killed in the fire that she survived. Harry is willing to go along with her, bending some rules in order to have the cases intertwined, to a point Lucy Soto can best be described as a female Harry Bosch. Although she had previous homicide experience, she is seen as a young and shining star in the LAPD. She matches Harry’s dedication, coming to work early, leaving late, and following the evidence no matter where it leads. They are both willing to be less than candid with their superiors and are not beyond upsetting high-profile people. Harry is willing to mentor her because he sees a lot of himself in Soto, while Lucy is willing to listen and learn. Fans of Harry Bosch will be able to get multiple doses. A new series from Amazon Studios, Bosch, will see its ten-episode first season released on Feb. 13. It’s a binger’s delight, with the first episode using the ninth story in the Bosch series, City of Bones. Also, the next Connelly book will include Harry Bosch, Mickey Haller, and Lucy Soto. “The Burning Room” will teach readers about forensics, Los Angeles history, investigative techniques, and when to say goodbye to a job.

We were fortunate to be able to ask a few questions of Michael Connelly:

Elise Cooper (E.C.): Why did you decide in this book to include multiple cases?

SuspenseMagazine.com 53 “It is very clear from the last few books that his time is up with the badge, but not as a literary character.”

Michael Connelly (M.C.): In the real detective world many cases happen at once. I wanted to make sure I did it in a non- confusing way. I hope I succeeded.

E.C.: You have Harry working on cold cases. Why?

M.C.: The Los Angeles murder rate is way down. Their detective bureaus and staffing was built on the larger number of killings. They shifted to working on unsolved murders that are benefitted by all this new technology. When I started writing about Harry and the Cold Case squad I think there were six or eight detectives, which was very realistic because I had access to it. Now its way bigger, like twenty-four to twenty-eight. I understood that in solving cold cases sometimes it could be very unsatisfying since both the victim and the perpetrator were already dead. Murders are cleared but tons of people do not necessarily go to jail. What is important is that family members get closure. This pretty much motivates Harry and the real homicide detectives.

E.C.: Is Harry’s LAPD career coming to an end?

M.C.: It is very clear from the last few books that his time is up with the badge, but not as a literary character. I planted a number of seeds in the last three or four books that can show his continuation in some way. It does not necessarily have to be Harry Bosch up front. I have not decided yet what to do, and have it as open-ended in this book, so I have time to think about it. There are a number of possibilities, including bringing him back as a cop in one more book, although I am leaning towards not doing it. It appears that his life is not dictated by any dates, but the needs of the series. In every four or five books something happens. It is time for a new direction for Harry.

E.C.: Harry’s new partner seems like a female Harry Bosch. Do you agree?

M.C.: Yes. What I liked about this book is how Harry picks up that Lucy, his new partner, has a sense of mission like he has. It has been rare that he has come across anybody, any partner, that has the same sense and has been formed by a past drama that can rival Harry’s. When he picks up on that he wants to pass his mission on and share his knowledge with her. People do that with those who are like-minded. Lucy can continue on as a cop and Harry can be in the background as a mentor.

E.C.: Both Harry and Lucy bend the rules. Why?

M.C.: There is a level of fearlessness and relentlessness in people who do that. They are putting fairness and the morally right over the procedural rules. Of course there are consequences for people who do that. Harry is someone who does it and so does Lucy. That is the intersection of when he realizes she might be on the same track as himself.

E.C.: Why do you write that a lot of police investigative work is instinctive?

M.C.: It comes out of experience. Harry has been solving murders for thirty years. If he has a hunch or a feeling it should have credibility. It is not the belief, “I have this skill,” but rather the ability for homicide detectives to get to know human nature. It is rare that there is something they have not

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 54 seen before.

E.C.: Rachel Walling has appeared in recent books but only in a cameo appearance. Any chance she will be a main character?

M.C.: I think Rachel is more interesting than Jack McEvoy. When I say I want to bring him back, it means that I want to bring her back. I like her a lot. She is a good character and one I am not finished with yet. This means all kinds of stuff, including what happened to her. I drop her into books like “The Burning Room” to let the readers know she is still out there and alive. Some day we will get a bigger picture of what is going on with her.

E.C.: Any idea when you will have them as main characters?

M.C.: I set up stuff with this latest book. Rachel’s husband, Jack, is now working for Fair Warning, a real media website. I know people who run that are all ex-LA Times. I want to write a story about this new form of journalism. It might not be the next book, but might be the one after that. The lesson I learned with Jack is that he doesn’t solve murders, but he gets into harm’s way. Journalists rarely push the action. They write about the action. The point is you are watching the detectives, but as a journalist you are not the detective. This idea of a shadow world is very intriguing for both a reader and a writer.

E.C.: Do you think a movie or TV show can best exemplify your characters and storyline?

M.C.: I have nineteen books about Harry Bosch, so how could a two-hour movie do him justice? My hope is the TV show that will air this coming February will have a decent run. We got ten hours in the first season and hopefully we get a lot more next season. If there are, say, fifty hours presenting this character it will allow people to really get to know who he is. From the books, we know Harry has internal demons, and know what he is thinking and feeling. In a television depiction, you can’t go inside his head as you can with a novel. Everything on TV is about what he says and does, which is how a viewer determines whether or not he’s likable. I think Harry has a kind of “Everyman” sensibility with which people connect. In the books, it comes out in his thinking process, but with television, it’s really all about what he says and does. That’s a big transition for me.

E.C.: Will other of your characters be presented in the TV show?

M.C.: I would love to have a show just like my books, where all the characters crisscross, but there is the rights issue. For example, the people who made the movie own the rights on the Lincoln Lawyer character. I could not bring in that character without their input and approval. However, I have the rights to all the Jack McEvoy and Rachel Walling characters so I could bring them in if I want. We will see how Amazon promotes it and how the first season goes. This will help me to decide how much of my literary world will be brought in.

E.C.: Why did you insist on filming in Los Angeles?

M.C.: The books are as much about LA as they are about Harry. It will be attractive to write about the evolution of Harry and the city of LA. The tendency in Hollywood is to save money and go to Canada. I was actually involved in a show that was set in LA and they shot a lot of it in Canada, because shooting in LA is so very expensive. I could personally tell that it was shot elsewhere and that is bad. By filming in LA I could bring real aspects of the city to the story. Luckily, I found a company that would do it and I am hoping it will pay off in how it looks. But currently we are concentrating on making the first season so good that there will be no choice but to have a second one.

E.C.: What do you want people to get out of the TV show besides good entertainment?

M.C.: Another dimension in how Harry’s story is told. The books are from Harry’s point of view, but we can’t do it with the TV show. Harry can’t be in every scene so we invented stuff that is not in the book. For example, “Echo Park” has a part in the first season where the bad guy escapes and is loose in the city. In the TV show we were able to show what he is up to. What I like about it is that it is the same story, but people can visualize it. They can see a lot of new things with a lot of new dimensions for readers. I think people will be entertained and find it cool on how we present it.

Learn more about Michael’s upcoming projects at www.michaelconnelly.com. ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 55 The thrilling novel perfect for fans of The Americans and Homeland!

From the acclaimed NEW FROM author of the “ripping good” (The New York JAMIE MASON THE ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF Times) debut novel THREE GRAVES FULL Three Graves Full comes a new thriller about a “Mason has a witty and woman who digs into wicked imagination.” her unconventional past —The New York Times Book Review to confirm what she “Superb…will entrance readers suspects: her husband from page one. Sly, poignant, wants her dead. and beautifully written.” —Library Journal (starred review)

Pick up or download your copy today!

Jamie-Mason.com Don’t miss Three Graves Full, Jamie Mason’s /JamieMason.Writer /GalleryBooks uproarious and unconventional debut. @JamieMason_ @GalleryBooks JENNIFER Lock the Door When You Sit Down With “The Butcher” HILLIER Interview by Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Provided by Publicist Jennifer Hillier burst onto the scene in 2011 with her thriller, “Creep,” which we listed in our “Best Of” that year in the debut-novel category. She topped that success with “Freak,” which returned to the Pacific Northwest college town where one killer’s stranglehold has ebbed…but another sick mind emerges from the shadows. Which brings us to her current release, “The Butcher,” another tale of dark, twisted people who do dark, twisted things. If you ask her why she writes such dark stuff, she’ll stare at you blankly because she still hasn’t figured out a clever way to answer that question. Born and raised in Toronto and a proud Canadian, she spent five years living in Seattle, which is where she wrote her first novel. She currently splits her time between Toronto and Seattle, and is slightly ashamed to admit that she’s way more of a Seahawks fan than a Maple Leafs fan…which, she suspects, makes her a bad Canadian. Let’s take a quick look inside “The Butcher,” then check out our exclusive interview with her.

Edward Shank is retired, widowed, and living a boring life in the old folks’ home. The former Chief of Police is a Seattle legend, having gunned down the infamous Beacon Hill Butcher back in 1985, finally putting an end to the grisly serial murders that plagued the Pacific Northwest for over a decade. Now eighty years old with a bad hip, Edward spends his days playing bingo and watching TV, his glory days long behind him. Matt, Edward’s grandson, chose to carve out his own path to success by becoming Seattle’s top chef. The owner of a popular restaurant and a half dozen food trucks, Matt is about to become the star of his own TV show. Everything is going his way, until he discovers a locked crate buried in the backyard of his grandfather’s old house that contains a family secret so gruesome that his entire life—and everything he’s worked for—will be destroyed if it ever gets out. Matt decides it’s best to keep the secret, but his girlfriend, Sam, might make that impossible. Samantha Marquez always believed her mother was murdered by the Beacon Hill Butcher back in 1987, and she’s spent most of her adult life trying to prove it. The only problem? The Butcher was shot and killed two years before her mother’s death. Or was he? The murders are starting again...

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): What can readers expect from “The Butcher”?

SuspenseMagazine.com 57 “I have to admit, I totally bucked the whodunit formula of the standard thriller novel by telling you exactly who the killer is right at the beginning.”

Jennifer Hillier (J.H.): “The Butcher” is a very different kind of thriller. I have to admit, I totally bucked the whodunit formula of the standard thriller novel by telling you exactly who the killer is right at the beginning. It was a risky thing to do, but the villain demanded it! He’s kind of arrogant that way. After all, he’s the Chief of Police of Seattle. And now that he’s eighty and living in the retirement home, he’s ready for his family to know the truth.

S. MAG.: Samantha Marquez and Matt Shank are thrown into the fire in this one. How emotional of a ride will the reader take with them?

J.H.: Sam and Matt’s journey is reflective of any long-term, committed relationship that’s falling apart. It’s painful, confusing, and relatable, and I think a lot of readers will sympathize with what Sam’s going through. Matt’s desire to succeed as a celebrity chef is starting to mean more to him than his girlfriend, and it’s a difficult thing for her to accept. Two of the things Sam loves most about Matt are his ambition and drive, but those are also the very things that are tearing them apart.

S. MAG.: When crafting a thriller, what one component do you want to make sure is included?

J.H.: It has to be thrilling, of course! A good thriller is a page-turner, with a twist at the end that surprises the reader. Pacing is super important, which means I have to be careful where in the story I choose to downshift. I know if I slow down too much (by telling backstory, by going into detailed description), I risk losing my reader, so it’s important that I tell only what’s necessary to give the story dimension and tie everything together in the end.

S. MAG.: Do you secretly laugh when fans write you and say, “Thanks for keeping me up all night”?

J.H.: Totally. Because it’s about the best compliment you can give an author! If you couldn’t put the book down because you just had to find out what happened next, then I’ve done my job well. And that’s all I could ever ask for, though as a mom to a newborn baby I’ve never appreciated sleep more, for him and for me.

S. MAG.: What was the first book you bought with your own money, and why?

J.H.: It was Sweet Valley High Book #1. I was in grade school, and I spent my allowance on it because the cover featuring these pretty blonde girls from California just looked like so much fun. Over the next few years, I went on to own books 1 through 50. Ah, Jessica and Elizabeth. Those books made me wish I had a twin sister and a red Fiat Spider. When I stopped reading Sweet Valley High, I started reading Stephen King. Kind of a big leap, huh?

S. MAG.: Character vs. plot is highly debated right now. Which side do you sit on?

J.H.: I can’t take a side, because I think both are equally important. I’ve read books with amazing characters where nothing much happened. I’ve read books with fantastic, twisty plots where the characters were as thin as cardboard. In the thriller genre, though, I will say that it’s more common for me to read books with great plots and less developed characters. Sometimes it hurts the story, and sometimes it doesn’t—I think it depends on what matters most to you as a reader. I like to think

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 58 that every writer strives, regardless of genre, to blend the two as much as possible, though we don’t always succeed.

For me, as a writer, my stories start always with the villain and what they’re doing and why. The main character, plot, and secondary characters unfold from there, in kind of an organic way.

S. MAG.: How close to real life do you think a thriller needs to be in order to take the reader to the edge of the cliff?

J.H.: Thrillers are a high-octane form of literary escape—they’re supposed to get your adrenaline pumping, and they’re pure entertainment. I don’t think it ultimately matters if the stories are close to real life, so long as they’re exciting. That being said, every writer adds relatable elements to their characters and their storylines in some way, and this can certainly add a few degrees more intensity.

S. MAG.: What is still on your bucket list?

J.H.: I’m a big tennis fan, and I’d love to attend all the Grand Slam finals someday (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open). I’ve also dreamed of taking a long, leisurely bus tour of Italy. Oh, and I would kill to go to a Super Bowl, especially if the Seahawks are in it (which, as of this writing, might very well be this year again, which means I’m going to miss it!).

S. MAG.: What book or movie scared the hell out of you?

J.H.: The two scariest movies I’ve seen are The Exorcist and the first Paranormal Activity. I was jumpy for weeks after both (and I first saw The Exorcist when I was eleven years old).

S. MAG.: What can fans expect to see from you in the future?

J.H.: I’m currently working on a new psychological thriller, another standalone, tentatively titled “Wonderland.” It’s set at a fictional amusement park south of Seattle, where there’s a serial killer stalking the young men who work there. It will be out in October 2015.

I do hope to bring back Abby Maddox someday, too (the villain from my first two books, “Creep” and “Freak”). She’s not done wreaking havoc yet, and I get a lot of emails from readers wanting to know what she’s up to these days. I’d love to find out myself.

We would like to thank Jennifer for taking the time to speak with us. For more information, check out www. jenniferhillier.org. ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 59 “I THINK MOST THRILLERS ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE VILLAIN, WHOSE MOTIVES OUGHT TO BE AS INTERESTING AS POSSIBLE.” DENNIS PALUMBO GETS INSIDE YOUR HEAD Interview by Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Provided by Author Dennis Palumbo comes back with “Phantom Limb,” his fourth book in his Daniel Rinaldi series. Formerly a Hollywood screenwriter, Palumbo’s credits include the feature film My Favorite Year, for which he was nominated for a WGA Award for Best Screenplay. He was also a staff writer for the ABC-TV series Welcome Back, Kotter, and has written numerous series episodes and pilots. His first novel, “City Wars” (Bantam Books), is currently in development as a feature film, and his short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Strand, and elsewhere. He provides articles and reviews for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Lancet, and many others. Dennis was a recent guest on Crime and Science Radio, hosted by D. P. Lyle and Jan Burke, to talk about his experience in being a licensed psychotherapist (talk about finding some great plot lines and characters). The first Rinaldi mystery was “Mirror Image,” followed by “Fever Dream” and “Night Terrors.” Palumbo is also the author of “Writing From the Inside Out,” as well as a collection of short mystery stories, “From Crime to Crime.” Let’s take a look inside “Phantom Limb,” followed by our exclusive interview with Dennis.

Psychologist and Pittsburgh Police Department consultant Daniel Rinaldi has a new patient. Lisa Harland, a local girl, once made a splash in Playboy and the dubious side of Hollywood before bottoming out. Back home, down and out again, she married one of the city’s richest and most ruthless tycoons. Lisa’s challenge to Danny is that she intends to commit suicide by 7 p.m. His therapist skills may buy some time—but, exiting, she’s kidnapped right outside his office. Summoned to the Harland estate, Danny is forced, through a bizarre sequence of events, to be the bag man on the ransom delivery. This draws him into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a brilliant, lethal adversary. Complicating things is the unhappy Harland family, whose members have dark secrets of their own along with suspect loyalties, as well as one of Danny’s other patients, a volatile vet whose life may, like Lisa’s, be at risk. What is really at stake here?

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 60 Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): For readers just finding out about you, who is Daniel Rinaldi?

Dennis Palumbo (D.P.): Like his creator, Daniel Rinaldi is an Italian-American, born and raised in Pittsburgh, and a graduate of Pitt. Unlike his creator, he’s a former amateur boxer and a helluva lot braver and more resourceful than I am!

The product of a typical blue-collar family—his father was a beat cop, his mother an Irish housewife who died when he was three—Rinaldi was the first in his family to go to college. By the time he earned his PhD and clinical psychology license, his bitter, alcoholic father too had died. Some years later, Rinaldi’s marriage was shattered when he and his wife were mugged at gunpoint. Though both were shot, he recovered, while his wife died at the scene. Tormented by survival guilt, it took years for him to recover psychologically from the trauma. After which, he’s made it his mission to help those crime victims traumatized by violence: those who’ve perhaps survived the carjacking, rape, or home invasion, but still suffer the emotional aftereffects. As a consultant to the Pittsburgh Police, people like this are often referred to him...and he just as often finds himself drawn into their cases, which puts him at odds with the regular cops.

S. MAG.: You have written for several TV shows, including Welcome Back, Kotter. How is novel writing different?

D.P.: In so many ways! As a Hollywood writer, whether for film or TV, you’re one of many creative people working on the project. You’re often rewritten, or find yourself rewriting others. Also, since film and TV are visual media, the commercial demands of the marketplace tend to keep scenes short and “punchy,” and dialogue to a minimum. Plus, of course, there’s little chance to really get into the heads of the characters, unless you use voiceover, which can be distracting to the viewer if not done judiciously.

More importantly, I think, the novelist—as a prose writer—has the opportunity to bring his or her personal writing style to the storytelling. As sole “creator” of the novel’s universe, there’s the chance to explore issues and themes that have a personal relevancy. To challenge the reader by depicting a character’s flaws and contradictions. To examine the human condition, as it plays out in the dramatic arc of a mystery or thriller or romance. Regardless of genre, a well-written novel is a kind of private conversation between the mind and sensibilities of the author and those of the reader. I very much like the sense of that private space between my writing and my reader.

S. MAG.: When you decided to write novels, did you have a goal in mind?

D.P.: I had a number of goals. First, to write decent books that would entertain and gratify my readers. Secondly, in the case of the Rinaldi novels, I relished the opportunity to write about two things that really interest me: the state of the mental health profession today, and the sweeping changes that have happened in Pittsburgh, my hometown.

As a college student, I paid my way through Pitt by working in a steel mill. Now those mills are gone, as are the smokestacks

SuspenseMagazine.com 61 belching ash and black soot into the sky. In a generation or two, the city’s workers have exchanged blue collars for white ones. Pittsburgh has world-class museums, universities, and hospitals, and is one of the nation’s pioneers in nanotechnology. The gentrified downtown is a cluster of glittering towers, under a smokeless sky...though, those new buildings are girded with steel now made in Japan.

Which is the dark side of the city’s economic revival. With the loss of its industrial base, many of Pittsburgh’s workers—especially in the outlying areas—have lost their jobs. Jobs as coal miners and steel workers that had passed from one generation to the next for a hundred years. As someone once said, Pittsburgh is a shot-and-a-beer town that’s collided with the Information Age. Like the city itself, Daniel Rinaldi has a foot in each of those realities.

S. MAG.: If Daniel Rinaldi was facing a real-life crime not solved like the Zodiac Killer, how do you think he would fare?

D.P.: Tough call! Since he’s not officially a cop, he wouldn’t be directly involved in the chase, but would more likely be treating one of the killer’s surviving victims. Then, of course, given the demands of a novel featuring an amateur sleuth, something the victim says might give him a perspective on catching the killer that helps the cops. Since no one knows for sure who the Zodiac Killer was, it’s hard to say how Rinaldi would do against him!

S. MAG.: Villains in thriller/mystery books push the hero to the brink. How much thought do you put into creating that perfect villain?

D.P.: A lot of thought. I think most thrillers are only as good as the villain, whose motives ought to be as interesting as possible. Since the Rinaldi novels are psychological thrillers, I’m interested in villains with complex motivations. More importantly, they should serve as an intriguing juxtaposition with Rinaldi, who’s pretty complex and troubled himself.

S. MAG.: What is on your DVR right now?

D.P.: I’m watching the British miniseries Broadchurch, which I love. I’m thrilled to hear they’ve done a sequel.

S. MAG.: If you were the head of the education department in the United States, what one book would you make sure all high school students should read?

D.P.: “Huckleberry Finn.” My second choice would be “The Great Gatsby.” Fairly conventional choices, I know, but the best still remain the best!

S. MAG.: You have to give us a funny story while sitting inside the writing room for Welcome Back, Kotter.

D.P.: One of my favorite memories from the show was that period when John Travolta was prepping to do Saturday Night Fever. He’d come to the set exhausted from three hours of dance practice the night before, and we’d all jeer at him for making such a dumb movie.

Then one day he brought in the movie poster, with him posing in that white suit, and we spent hours making fun of him and predicting the film would be a huge flop. We just made his life miserable. Boy, were we wrong! If success is the best revenge, John certainly got his revenge on all us snarky writers!

S. MAG.: What’s next for Dennis Palumbo?

D.P.: The fifth Daniel Rinaldi novel, which I’m just starting now. As usual, I have no idea what it will be about, nor even the title. So I look forward to being as surprised as the good doctor himself at what kind of trouble he gets into this time...

We would like to thank Dennis for taking time to speak with us. For more information, check out his website at www. dennispalumbo.com. ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 62 Terror in the Sky

Can Special agent Jericho Quinn stop a bomb at 37,000 feet? “Awesome. One of the hottest authors in the thriller genre.”

—Brad Thor SUSPENSE from Both Ends of the Earth...

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By Jed Power The instant the phone rang in Neal Ludlow’s garden-style apartment, he knew it wasn’t good news calling. He didn’t know how he knew this...he just did. You know how sometimes the phone rings and it gives you a queasy feeling in your gut? Well, that’s the sensation this ring gave Neal. He didn’t give it a chance to ring again. He snatched the phone. “Hello?” The voice that answered was nondescript. It could’ve been the parish priest or a local child molester. “This is a friend,” the male caller said calmly. “The police have a search warrant. They’re gonna raid your place.” “Who is this?” Neal asked, his voice shaking. He didn’t get an answer. Nor to the next two times he shouted the same question into the phone. The caller had already hung up by then, his message delivered. Neal dropped the phone. Like a stuck record player, his mind began to play over and over the last words the caller had spoken, ‘They’re gonna raid your place.’ Each time he repeated it mentally, his heartbeat increased. He almost had to slap himself to snap out of it, get moving. Now, most law-abiding citizens would dismiss a call like that as a wrong number or a crank. Neal couldn’t afford to. Not with what he had jammed into the bedroom closet of his three room apartment: thirty pounds of Mexican marijuana. Neal had been selling pot for quite a while and he wasn’t ashamed of it. In this economy, he figured you had to do what you had to do. After all, it wasn’t heroin or cocaine, he reasoned. So he’d been in the habit of buying thirty to forty pounds every so often from his supplier. He’d then break the weed down into one pound bags and move them out that way. One, two, or three pounds at a time. Sometimes when he was lucky and had received a pre-order for a five or ten pound shot, he’d happily fill one green trash bag to the desired weight. It was less work and good for security—the less people you dealt with the better. And in Neal’s business that was the name of the game. The thirty pounds he now had stashed in his closet had just been delivered the previous day. He hadn’t had time to break it up yet, so it was still in the two trash bags it had arrived in. The bags were stuffed fat with pot, their necks secured with yellow plastic ties. The bulging green bags looked like they belonged in front of a house on rubbish day. Neal ran his sweating hand through his gray hair as he paced back and forth in his living room. Nothing in his experience was going to help him with this problem, he knew. He’d heard of an awful lot of odd things happening in the pot business, some of which had even happened to him, but nothing like this phone call. His brain careened through a dozen possibilities, most of which didn’t make any sense. Only two did. At least instinctively they did. And with his thoughts in a panic, instinct was all he had to rely on. The two ideas were that either it was some type of a rip-off about to come down, or the call had been a legitimate tip of an impending raid. It had to be one of the two; it didn’t really matter which. Either way he had to move fast. Whether it was going to be a raid or a rip-off, he was sure of one thing: He did not want to be around when it happened. With that idea propelling him forward, he moved quickly, like a man possessed, although to him it felt like he was moving with the speed of a nursing home patient. Neal made a stumbling dash for the bedroom closet. The apartment was on the ground floor and his plan was to grab the pot, exit out the sliding glass door which led to the parking lot—thereby avoiding the front door of the building—throw the dope into his car, and get out of the area as quickly as possible. It might work, or so he thought, until he stuck his hands into the closet. As soon as he touched one of those green trash bags he remembered…his car! He didn’t have his car. At least not the one he wished he had—the one that might get him

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 64 out of this jam. Two days earlier he’d junked his old car, a big, black Cadillac. He’d inherited the tank from his uncle. He had felt foolish driving the thing, but because the price had been right he’d used it for a few years, until it finally died. That was a couple of days ago when he’d replaced the Caddy boat with its exact opposite, a pint-sized, baby blue sports car. Now as his sweating hands held the moist plastic, Neal realized that he’d never be able to squeeze those two bulging bags into that rotten, little car. He cursed himself for being lazy and not breaking up the pot when it had first arrived. That’s what he should’ve done. If it was in small bags he could probably fit them in the stupid little car somehow. But thinking about what he should’ve done wasn’t going to help him any. Only one thing could: Divide it up into smaller bags. Now. He got to it, worked like a demon, began separating the pot into six trash bags. He didn’t weigh them out evenly. No need for that now, and besides, he didn’t have the time. Time? He wondered how much time he had anyhow. It couldn’t be much. He used both hands as scoops to move the pot from one bag to another. He was confident he’d be able to stuff these smaller bags into the sports car. He’d use every nook and cranny in the damn thing. He’d make them fit even if he had to drive with one on his lap. Neal hadn’t realized how much he’d been sweating until he closed the last bag, used a yellow tie, and glanced at his arms. Both were covered with a brownish-green layer of marijuana dust from elbows to hands. No time to wash it off. Instead, he tore off the short sleeved shirt he was wearing, threw it to the floor, and dragged a long sleeved one from his bureau, and pulled it on. The material stuck to his arms. Neal lifted the six bags by their necks, three in each hand, turned sideways to fit through the bedroom door, and hurried across the living room. When he reached the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door, he didn’t bother setting the bags down. Instead, he used his right foot to kick loose the burglar bar that kept the door secure in a closed position. With his right hand, bags and all, he shoved the door hard so it flew along its slider like a rocket sled until it slammed against the end of the track. He then jumped through the open door, turned, and pushed it back just as fast. The glass shook as it banged shut. Neal stood with the bags dangling at his sides, his eyes scanning the area. It was late afternoon and cars were scattered everywhere across the large parking lot of the multi-building apartment complex. He knew if anything was going to happen it would be now. Otherwise, it would have to happen without him. He wasn’t going to be here. His heart raced, breathing shallow and rapid. His car was parked directly in front of him, at the edge of the grass that ran a few yards from his apartment to the asphalt lot. It took him only a few seconds, with the trash bags swinging at his sides, to reach the car. Again, he looked quickly around. He saw no one and he hoped that’s who’d seen him. Working faster than a one-armed paper hanger, Neal tossed three of the bags into the car’s tiny luggage compartment. He struggled with the other three bags, jamming all of them into the passenger area of the two-seater. He ran around the car, whacking his hip against it as he went, and hopped into the driver’s seat. The odor inside was overwhelming. Beside him the pot was piled from the seat to the roof, obscuring his view out the passenger window. He cursed the sports car loudly and gave the steering wheel a hard rap with his fist. Neal turned the ignition key like he was breaking someone’s finger. The engine started right up, but he fought with the floor shift, finally grinding it into first gear, gave it some gas, and popped the clutch; the car lurched across the parking lot. Just as he spun the wheel and headed the car down a narrow driveway, which led out of the complex and to the main road, he turned his head to the left and saw them. There were three, maybe four, men sitting in a parked car which was facing in the opposite direction of the way he was heading. They saw Neal at the same instant he saw them. And in their eyes, he recognized the look of stunned realization. He knew that they were aware of their mistake and that their prey was getting away from them. And in that same instant, it also dawned on Neal what the phone call had been all about—a plan by these men to rip-off his pot when he came running out of his apartment with it and made a break for his car. They’d bet on how he’d react to that call and they’d bet right. As soon as he reached his car, they would have jumped out, probably with guns, and snatched the pot. Still, there was one major flaw in their plan that they couldn’t have foreseen—that two days before their attempted score, he’d acquired a different car. Now as Neal reached the main road, he stopped for a moment and looked in the rearview back at the men in the car. He watched as the driver struggled, maneuvering the car back and forth, trying to get it out from the two cars it was wedged between. The car parked directly behind the men’s car, he didn’t even glance at. It was the car in front of the rip-offs that caught his attention. It was one of his neighbor’s automobiles. He’d seen it many times before. In fact, he’d never been able to miss noticing it because it was a twin of his former car—a big, black Cadillac. Neal turned forward and let the air whoosh out of his mouth as he drove himself and six green trash bags full of pot onto the main road and away from the complex toward the nearby highway, knowing the dirt bags back there didn’t stand a chance in hell now of catching him and his little, blue sports car and its contents. Once in a while in this damn life, you get lucky. Neal Ludlow just had. ■

SuspenseMagazine.com 65 MATTHEW REILLY Takes the Reader on a High Octane Thrill Ride

Interview by Jeff Ayers for Suspense Magazine Press Photo Credit: Peter Morris Matthew Reilly is the international bestselling author of several action thrillers, including “The Five Greatest Warriors” (featuring Jack West, Jr.), and “Ice Station” (featuring Marine captain Shane Schofield, who goes by the code name of Scarecrow). His latest, “The Great Zoo of China” is an intense standalone that readers will not soon forget. Reilly’s novels are action-filled on the grandest scale possible, with elaborate traps and explosions that go over the top in fun and exciting ways. There are great thriller writers who write action well, but Reilly is truly a master of the craft. Reilly chatted with Suspense Magazine about his writing process and his latest novel.

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): What compels you to write action novels?

Matthew Reilly (M.R.): Honestly, I just love a good thrill ride on paper. I enjoy a novel that thrusts me into a thrilling environment and carries me along at out-of-control speed, so that’s the kind of book I like to write!

S. MAG.: What are your film influences?

M.R.: Mainly 1980s blockbusters like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Aliens, and Die Hard. Although I loved Guardians of the Galaxy this year.

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 66 “What if someone built a zoo with dragons in it?” S. MAG.: What sparked the idea for your latest thriller, “The Great Zoo of China”? Did Michael Crichton and the fantasy genre influence you for this tale?

M.R.: My favorite book of all-time is “Jurassic Park” by Michael Crichton! It is the book that made me want to write novels. I knew my dragons would be compared to his dinosaurs, so I endeavored to make the story as different from his as I could. More than anything, it was the pace and gleeful thrills of “Jurassic Park” that inspired me.

The idea itself came when I discovered a “dragon museum” in Switzerland in 2003, and I asked myself, “What if someone built a zoo with dragons in it?” It seemed like a fantasy novel to me, so I shelved it in my mind. But then China became this global juggernaut and suddenly I felt my dragon zoo could be done here, now, in the present day, in China, as an absolutely colossal-sized action novel!

S. MAG.: Is it easier to write a standalone or books in a series? Do you have plans to bring back either of your awesome characters, Jack West or Scarecrow?

M.R.: Each kind of book is fun in its own way—a standalone is always great to do because you are venturing into new territory and meeting new characters, while sequels are challenging because you are trying to top the previous book and explore new elements in characters you already know.

I get many fans asking me for a new Jack West Jr. novel, so I’m thinking of having Jack and Scarecrow meet in a mega- crossover novel!

S. MAG.: You incorporate diagrams and maps into the narrative. What made you decide to add these into your novels?

M.R.: Speed. Pure and simple. The diagrams help readers picture the environment very quickly and this aids the pace of the book. I’m a very visual person, so I draw the diagrams before I start writing a book.

S. MAG.: How do you write an action scene?

SuspenseMagazine.com 67 M.R.: That’s a really tough question! I’ve never actually analyzed it.

You can start with the end: so long as you know where your action scene ends, all you have to do is get there. You can start with the vehicles: garbage trucks and dragons, hovercrafts and missiles, cars on a cliff-side road. Or you can start with the source of tension: why is this action scene happening? Do our heroes need to escape something, find something, and/or rescue someone? Usually this involves establishing the “clock” on the action scene, the time constraint.

The main thing, however, is having characters that people care about! In my mind, all this happens at once.

S. MAG.: How do you balance character development with the action?

M.R.: I believe that you can establish character through action. It’s not just what characters say that reveals their character, it’s how they react to certain situations. In “Ice Station,” Scarecrow leapt into a pool filled with hungry killer whales to rescue a little girl. In “The Great Zoo of China,” CJ stands up to a fire-breathing dragon to save another character. This establishes their bravery and their principles.

S. MAG.: Is there such a thing as too much action?

M.R.: Yes. Action without character is meaningless.

S. MAG.: Why has Hollywood not adapted any of your novels? Are they nuts?

M.R.: Paramount bought “Ice Station” and didn’t make it. Disney bought “Hover Car Racer” and didn’t make it. ABC-TV bought “Seven Deadly Wonders” and didn’t make it.

I think the cost is prohibitive. When I write a novel, I have no budget at all. I can blow up anything I like. On film, that costs a lot of money. I hope a movie adaptation happens one day, but just remember: the book is always better than the movie!

S. MAG.: When can U.S. readers get their hands on “Troll Mountain” or “The Tournament,” two books that are available elsewhere?

M.R.: “The Tournament” will be released in June 2015, giving my U.S. readers two books this year. “Troll Mountain” is out now on e-book. I’m going to discuss with my publishers about releasing a hardcopy version in late 2015 or early 2016.

S. MAG.: Speaking of “The Tournament,” what compelled you to write a historical mystery?

M.R.: When I discovered that Queen Elizabeth the First had this really cool real-life teacher named Roger Ascham, the story just hit me and I had to write it. Since I can’t just write a nice, quiet student-teacher/coming-of-age story, I decided to write “The Tournament” as a sexy mystery thriller set during a chess tournament in 1546! As you do…

S. MAG.: What’s next?

M.R.: That is the big question! After writing something as colossal as “The Great Zoo of China,” I need to sit down, rest, have a think, and decide how I can possibly follow it up. I can go really big or really small, but the truth of the matter is, I haven’t actually decided yet what to write next!

We’d like to thank Matthew Reilly for taking the time to talk to us. To learn more, check out his website at matthewreilly.com. ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 68

IS THIS REALLY THE END? JAMES ROLLINS & REBECCA CANTRELL

Interview by Suspense Magazine James Rollins Press Photo Credit: David Sylvian Rebecca Cantrell Press Photo Credit: Angela Marklew

James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell have reached the end of their Sanguines series with the latest release, “Blood Infernal.” Both authors have written successful series and bestselling books on their own, but bringing two rock stars together doesn’t guarantee beautiful music. However, the Sanguines series was a smashing success. From the first book, “Blood Gospel,” fans were plunged into a thrill-ride gothic world about an ancient order. Cantrell and Rollins explored the mythical existence of vampires, but in a way not before seen in literature. “Blood Brothers,” a short story came next, followed by the second novel, “Innocent Blood.” Now we reach the conclusion of the trilogy, or do we? “Blood Infernal” is listed as the end of the series. We have an exclusive interview below that will shed some light on this writing partnership.

Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): “Blood Infernal” is the final book in your trilogy. Can you give us a little sneak peek into what might happen?

James Rollins (J.R.): Each of the first two books ended with some fairly dramatic, climatic battle scenes, where the tides of the story and characters’ lives were changed, so knowing this was the conclusion of the trilogy, Rebecca and I plotted a grand design where all stakes were on the table, allowing us to take our characters where few writers are willing to go: straight to the very gates of Hell for a direct confrontation with Lucifer. And along the way, we learn more about the Sanguines, more about the secret history behind these books, and more about the truest hearts of our characters.

Rebecca Cantrell (R.C.): We both wanted to make sure that the characters, those who live through the book anyway, faced their greatest fears and came out the other side, ready to go on with their lives. We wanted them to finish out this adventure together, but also to suggest where their lives might go from here—give them some closure.

S. MAG.: Looking over the series, what challenges did you face that you were able to overcome?

R.C.: Working on an epic scale was new for me—so setting up the character arcs across multiple long books, setting up timelines that go from the time of Christ to the present day, and juggling the ensemble cast across time and space. Plus doing all that while figuring out how to collaborate with someone else.

J.R.: I think the hardest was simply figuring out how to collaborate. This was a first such project for both of us. Initially, there was the awkwardness of how to critique or edit another writer’s pages. It was a bit of a dance at first (“Rebecca, I see where you’re going with this scene but maybe if we carefully tweak it here or there it could be made even stronger”), but eventually as we got to know each other even better, we learned to shorthand it (“Jim, this scene sucks…rewrite it!” and she was usually right). One question we get asked a lot is: how much did you two argue about the plot or characters? And actually the answer is: very little. Once we nailed down those characters’ voices—learned who they were and how they ticked—and laid down the big plot

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 70 points, any time we came to a loggerhead we let the characters tell us where to go.

S. MAG.: How difficult was it when you first started out trying to make sure both of your “voices” came through in the books?

J.R.: To be honest, it took a while. There were several early drafts of the opening chapters—which we handed back and forth between us—until we could land our character’s voices where we wanted them to be. From there, it was a matter of deciding which writer should take a crack at which scenes first (i.e., who had the better skill set for that scene), then allowing the other writer to sculpt their own voice atop it to ensure an even tone to the entire book.

R.C.: I think those early drafts were key to establishing a consistent “voice” for the books. Spending time early on trying to decide the style that we would use, and then both writing and editing to that style, made things a lot easier.

S. MAG.: When trying to create a world that lies “between the shadow and the light,” what was something that you wanted to make sure the reader could relate to?

J.R.: The main characters of Erin and Jordan come from an entirely approachable place. While they’re especially skilled at their various professions, they’re also human, which is something Rebecca and I strived to focus on, allowing this pair to be the readers’ guide into this secret world of the Sanguines. The pair also served as perfect foils to draw out the humanity in monsters and the beauty in the darkest of places.

R.C.: I agree that Erin and Jordan are the bridge into the story, because they are mostly ordinary humans who fall into the world of the Sanguinists, just like the readers do. I think we also wanted to play with the idea of shadow and light in the individual characters, human and otherwise, so that the reader could relate to everyone, at least a bit. Erin and Jordan have some shadows in them. Rhun, the other Sanguinists, and even Elizabeth have some light parts that we see as they try to find their way along the dark path that was forced upon them.

S. MAG.: Character vs. plot is highly debated in books right now. Which side of the fence do both of you sit on?

R.C.: When I read, I always look for interesting and engaging characters who I want to spend time with. If there is no one I care about in a book, I just check out. As a writer, I try to always keep that reader sensibility and make sure that I’m creating someone readers will want to follow (down to the Gates of Hell, if necessary). That said, characters need to do more than be; they need to do and act and that’s plot. They need to go somewhere that you want to follow, do something that you want to see. It’s not either-or.

J.R.: Agreed. It’s got to be both. A well-crafted plot with two-dimensional characters is simply not all that engaging. And great characters put through the paces of a tepid plot can drag a story into the ground. Which do you start with first? I’ve done it both ways. Some books have started with a character in mind. Like Dr. Lorna Polk, a New Orleans veterinarian, in my novel “Altar of Eden.” I wanted to write a “veterinary thriller,” so the character came first. Other times I start with the plot, then I fold in the

SuspenseMagazine.com 71 characters: both those that make sense for that particular plot and, as an extra challenge, sometimes those that don’t. And in the case of my book, “Amazonia,” it was the setting that started that journey. I simply wanted to set a thriller in the Amazon rainforest and built the story around that desire.

S. MAG. Which character surprised both of you in having a larger voice throughout the series then you originally thought they would?

J.R.: That’s an easy one (and I know Rebecca would agree): Elizabeth Bathory. She was so deliciously amoral; how could Rebecca and I not grow to love her and give her a larger place in the story. I think Elizabeth kept us both on our toes, while challenging our characters just as much.

R.C.: Exactly. Elizabeth Bathory was fascinating. She was largely amoral and served no one but herself, but she also had a protective side for both Tommy and Rhun. It was interesting watching her balance those two aspects of her personality, and it was great fun to write someone who just did whatever she wanted regardless of the consequences. Her role grew from book to book, probably because that’s what she wanted.

S. MAG.: Did you start off thinking this would be a trilogy or did the story become larger when you wrote “The Blood Gospel”?

R.C.: It was set up as a trilogy, and I think we fulfilled all the promises we made to the readers in the books. The characters have been on a wild journey, but it is complete. That said, there are still some stories to be told in the world of the Sanguines, and we might pick those up again someday.

J.R.: The series was always envisioned as a trilogy, with the potential for future stories set in this universe beyond that. So while the third book does bring the major arc of our characters’ lives and the plot to resounding conclusion, we’ve left a few breadcrumbs that could be picked up down the line for another go-around in this world.

S. MAG.: Can you explain to readers how the short story “Blood Brothers” fits into the entire trilogy?

J.R.: Rebecca and I actually wrote two short stories connected to this series. “City of Screams” is a prelude into the series, introducing Sergeant Jordan Stone in Afghanistan, serving as a forensic investigator who discovers mythology and science sometimes collide in horrifying ways. “Blood Brothers” was published between the first and second novel, but the bulk of the story takes place during the Sixties, with repercussions in the present, so the book could easily be read as another prelude to the series, while at the same time introducing a major character who first appears in Book Two (“Innocent Blood”).

R.C.: I mentioned this earlier (always jumping ahead, I guess). The short stories are set in the same world, but they are not directly related to the events in the trilogy, so you can read them whenever you want during the trilogy, or even as standalone stories.

S. MAG.: What’s next for both of you?

J.R.: I’m currently finishing up my next Sigma Force novel (“The Bone Labyrinth”), which explores the origin of the human species, looking at both where we came from and where we’re headed next. Also, at the end of the year, the second novel featuring the adventures of Tucker and his war dog Kane will debut, titled “War Hawk.” And there’s another project in the pipeline that I’m not at liberty to talk about yet…unless you ply me with an abundant amount of single-malt scotch.

R.C.: I have the second book in the Joe Tesla series coming out in February. In “The Tesla Legacy,” Joe Tesla, an agoraphobic multi-millionaire, is still trapped in the tunnels under New York City with his service dog, Edison. He inherits a box containing Nikola Tesla’s mysterious papers and things start to fall apart from there. I’m also working on a cheeky detective series with a Scottish thriller writer named Sean Black. The series is about a former child star turned private detective in Malibu. The first one is currently called “A is for A$$hat.”

We would like to thank Rebecca and James for taking the time to talk with us. Visit each of their websites at www. jamesrollins.com and www.rebeccacantrell.com. ■

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 72 DIGGING MY By Jason Chinn number of people who don’t even bother to lock their cars. My eccentric parents gave me the birthGRAVE name of Edward I spotted an easy mark—a restored 1969 Mustang— Edwards. I’m not going into how that name haunted my painted candy-apple red with chrome wheels. I pulled on childhood, but I had it changed when I turned eighteen to the handle, and the door opened silently. Making sure no Jeremy Edwards. I also started jacking cars when I turned one was watching, I climbed in, gently shut the door, pulled eighteen. It was just a joke among me and two friends. After down the ignition wires from under the dash, crossed them, never getting caught, though, I went out on my own and stole and the engine roared to life. another car; I was good at it, and I never thought of getting I pulled out of the parking lot and turned right, so the caught. owners of the car wouldn’t see it while eating their artery- I’m not interested in a nine-to-five work day; instead, I clogging lunch. jack cars and sell them to chop-shops. I can choose my own Excited about the accomplishment of stealing such a work schedule. I see it as my calling. I’ve worked regular jobs, pristine classic, I headed toward I-65 to try the power before but stealing cars remains the one thing I’m good at; the one handing it over to a chop-shop. thing that gives me confidence; the one thing that gives me I hit the interstate and floored the gas pedal. That car purpose. wasn’t just fast; it was a monster on wheels. I slowed for the However, I learned—the hard way—to become more next exit and drove off the interstate. I was only a few miles careful about who I steal from. Mob thugs don’t take kindly from one of my usual chop-shops. As I was passing a mom- to having their cars jacked. If anything, it really, really pisses and-pop diner, I decided to grab a bite to eat. I went in and ate them off. because it would feel wrong eating in the car with its leather Under a full moon on a star-filled night, two thugs interior. I popped the hood, and with a stick I picked up in walked me into a field—at gunpoint. the parking lot, tugged off the coil wire to kill the engine. I They untied my hands, and one of them handed me a stuck the wire back on and went into the restaurant. shovel, and said, “Start digging. You’re going to be buried I ate near a window where I could admire the Mustang. I a l i v e .” thought it was my greatest find ever. When I finished eating, They laughed, and I nearly peed myself. The thought of I walked out and opened the door, but before I could get in, I suffocating to death didn’t compel me to dig very fast, so I felt something hard poke into my side. It was the first time I worked at a slow pace. They didn’t seem to mind. They just had a gun bored into my skin, but I instinctively knew what stood there smoking cigarettes, sharing a flask, occasionally it was. laughing at the idiot digging a hole for his final resting place. The gunman said, “Let’s take a ride, punk.” I continued to dig, cursing myself for my occupational A black SUV pulled up beside us, and I climbed into the choice, but in the end, it was the right choice for me. back seat. The gunman climbed in beside me. I looked at the # icy blue gaze of the man staring at me in the rearview mirror, Earlier that day, I had walked around the streets of Nashville and quick as lightning, the guy with the gun pistol-whipped looking for the perfect ride to bring in some major bucks. me across the head, knocking me unconscious. A Mexican restaurant had a small parking lot to its left, I woke some time later, the afternoon sunshine drowning and I walked through it, looking for surveillance cameras, into nightfall. I found myself tied to a chair in an abandoned but found none. The lot was pretty packed with cars since it warehouse, my two captors sitting about ten feet from me, was midday. As I eyeballed door locks, I was amazed at the playing a card game. When they noticed me waking up, they

SuspenseMagazine.com 73 walked over to me. They looked far from happy that I was sockets. there, and I wasn’t all that happy myself. He threw me to the ground and said, “Start praying, you The taller one, about six feet five, had a scar that ran worthless shit-for-brains. You have fifteen seconds to say down his left cheek toward his Adam’s apple, coal-black eyes, your Hail Marys.” wide shoulders, and a barrel chest. I named him Scarface. The Luckily, he had thrown me on top of the shovel. I worked other one, about six feet tall, had the icy blue eyes I saw in the my pain-stricken body onto my knees, with my hands clasped rearview mirror. His body frame didn’t match his partner’s, around the handle of the shovel. Neither of my new-found but he was no less intimidating. His head was shaved, and a friends paid me much attention while I pretended to pray. tattoo of a dragon ran from the front to the back, with wings They stood within hitting distance, talking about the spanning toward his ears. I nicknamed him Dragonhead. upcoming night of young women they were going to seduce Scarface said, “You usually steal cars in broad daylight at some nightclub; I felt sorry for those poor women. My while the owner is sitting in another vehicle watching you?” adrenaline pumping, my will to live becoming stronger I was speechless. by the second, wanting payback for the hell they’d put me Dragonhead said, “That Mustang belongs to me, asshole. through, I swung up as hard as I could, hitting Dragonhead I killed a man and rightfully took that car for my trouble of square in the throat. He went down fast, gasping for air. having to shoot his sorry ass.” Before Scarface could react, I jumped to my feet— I said the first thing that popped into my terrified mind: disregarding my numerous pains—and hit him in the “I’m sorry, sir.” head. He didn’t fall. He just stood there, confused. I swung They laughed and laughed. Then, the dead seriousness of again, and with the edge of the shovel, cut a gash across his their scary facial features returning, Dragonhead said, “We’ve forehead. Blood started pouring down his face, blinding him. been following you ever since you jumped in my ride and left He started fumbling for his gun, and I knew if he got it out, it the restaurant.” Looking at his buddy, he said, “I want him to was all over for me. I swung as hard as I could, slamming the suffer a very slow and painful death. No one steals my car.” side of his head with the shovel, and he fell in a heap. I turned Scowling, Scarface said, “I have just the plan. But first, back on Dragonhead and hit him again, nearly cutting his we’ll wait for the sun to go down.” nose in half. No more words. They began taking turns hitting me with I pulled out Scarface’s gun and threw it into the field. their iron fists. After enough pain, a person eventually loses Dragonhead forgot he had a gun—or anything else for that consciousness. I did. matter. He had one hand on his throat and the other pressing The next time I woke, I felt sure my kidneys were bruised. his split nose. I pulled out his gun and threw it away. A couple of ribs felt broken. My face felt like a large truck had I said, “So…who’s going to bury who?” driven over it. I could barely open my right eye, and two of I didn’t receive an answer. I think his crushed windpipe my incisors were gone. might have been the cause. I kicked him in the ribs a few times I had no idea where we were. All I could see from the for good measure and to release some of my aggression. Then moonlight was that we were on a highway with fields on each I rolled him into the grave they forced me to dig for myself. side. Dragonhead was still out. I didn’t know if he was dead, They turned right onto a gravel road and drove several but it didn’t matter. I dragged him to the edge of the hole and miles before stopping. rolled him in. I called them a few unsavory words and threw # dirt on top of them, until I had sealed the brutes in their final I continued digging, pain shooting through my ribs and resting place. kidneys, my face throbbing with every shovel-full of dirt I drove the SUV back to civilization, parked it in the back I threw out of the hole. My head was close to ground level of a grocery store parking lot, and took a bus home. I nursed before I realized I was about finished with my life. I had to do my wounds the best I could, took a handful of painkillers, something to try to save myself. and went to bed; it had been a long, brutal, tiring day at work. Slightly buzzed from the contents of the flask, # Dragonhead said, “That’s deep enough for you to die in.” For the next two years, I was on top of my game. I was I said, “Can I at least climb out of here long enough to making great money, so I rented a larger apartment and pray?” bought a nice car for my leisure time. However, I was about That got them laughing at my expense. I laid the shovel to learn another lesson, one which would change my life just over the edge of the hole, hoping I had the strength to forever. pull off the only plan I could concoct. After their laughing One cool, autumn night I went out dressed all in black ceased, Scarface grabbed hold of my arms and jerked me and took a bus to a working class neighborhood on the south out of the hole, obviously trying to pull my arms out of their side of town. My black coat was baggy, its inner pockets

Suspense Magazine February 2015 / Vol. 062 74 holding the tools of my trade. They sat across the table from me, and the white one said, I stayed within the shadows and avoided the arc-sodium “I’m special agent Parker. This is special agent Fernandez. We lights as I walked house to house, checking out cars in have some questions for you.” driveways and along the curb. I said, “Special agents?” When I turned onto the second street, I saw my prize Parker said, “Yeah. F.B.I.” for the night—a Mercedes—sitting in the driveway of a two- “Where were you delivering the drugs?” Parker asked story brick home. No lights were visible inside the house, so “Delivering drugs? Whoa, not my thing. I was just I stealthily approached, alert for security cameras and the stealing a car. Honest.” sudden brightness of security lights. His beady eyes boring into me, Fernandez said, “Come The car was in pristine condition. The door was locked, on. You expect us to believe you were just stealing a car loaded so I used my slim-jim and had the door open in less than with thousands of dollars in cocaine and severed arms?” three minutes. I said, “I swear, sir. I don’t do drugs, and I’m not in the I climbed in, started the car, backed out of the driveway, habit of cutting off people’s arms. I really was just out stealing and headed north. As I was exiting the neighborhood, a c ar.” however, two police cars came out of nowhere with their Slamming his fist on the table, Parker screamed, “Listen, lights flashing and blocked my exit. Then more police cars asshole! We need to know where those drugs were going and and sedans with flashing lights surrounded me. Cops and where the rest of the body is… Now!” plain-clothes officers jumped out of their cars, pointing their “I don’t have any idea where the hell it was going!” I guns at me, screaming for me to get out with my hands up. screamed. “I’ll take my punishment for stealing a car, but I’m I couldn’t believe I got busted. I also couldn’t understand not going down for drugs, especially since I’ve never even why they needed so many cops to stop a car thief; it wasn’t like touched the stuff. And I don’t know anything about a body.” I was armed and dangerous. I dutifully got out of the car with Fernandez said, “So you’re telling us you were just out my hands up, and surrendered. I was slammed to the ground stealing a car…really? No shit?” and cuffed. They threw me into the back of a police cruiser, I decided to come clean with what I was doing that and I watched as they searched the car, not understanding night—but half-truth, of course. “Okay. I seriously was why. When they opened the trunk, my life took a different prowling the neighborhood for a cool car to steal. I was turn. They started pulling out clear plastic bags of a white going to take a joy ride for a couple hours, park it somewhere substance, which I assumed was cocaine. downtown, wipe my fingerprints off, and walk away. That’s I wish that was the worst thing I saw them pull out of that it. I saw a Mercedes and no lights on in the house, so I took trunk. After laying uncountable bags of cocaine on the trunk my chance. You took my lock-pics and slim-jim when you of a police car, one of them retrieved a large, black bag from booked me. That should tell you something.” one of the sedans. The next thing I saw lifted out of the trunk They looked at each other, got up, and walked out of made me question humanity in general—and my quickly the room. As they walked, I asked for a drink of water, but fading future. They pulled out a severed arm and placed it in didn’t get a response. I sat for another two hours before they the bag. Then they pulled out another arm. came back in. Fernandez handed me a bottle of water, and I As they put it in the bag, I stared in disbelief, not able to guzzled it. tear my eyes away from the macabre scene. Then they zipped Parker said, “You’re clear of the drug and possible murder up the bag. I not only stole a car with a god-awful amount of charges. But we are holding you for grand theft auto. We were cocaine in it; I had stolen someone’s missing arms. watching that house for drug activity when we saw you steal # the car. We thought you might be a rival drug dealer.” An hour later, I was at the Nashville police department. I said, “I assure you, I know nothing about drugs. I have They fingerprinted me, took my mug-shots, and chained to ask…the arms? What was that all about?” me to a table in an interrogation room. The walls were grey, “That’s none of your concern,” Parker said. “You have the lights dim, the metal table and chair cold. I was starving, other things to worry about.” thirsty, tired, and scared shitless. The door opened, and two suits walked in. The white That was the last time I stole a car. I was sentenced to five one, wearing a grey suit with a white shirt and blue tie, stood years in prison, but got out after two for good behavior. I had six feet tall, had worry lines across his forehead, a buzz cut, to go out and find the one thing I dreaded—a nine-to-five job. and thin lips that stretched into a natural frown. The other However, the job I got was much worse—eleven-to-seven. I guy was Hispanic, slightly shorter than his partner, with wasn’t thrilled about my new lifestyle and work schedule, but short-cropped black hair and beady, black eyes. He wore I could live with it; I wasn’t taking a dirt-nap in an unmarked black slacks and a white polo shirt. grave or serving time for drugs and severed arms. ■

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