Category Archives: suspense

Sharp Force, by Patricia Cornwell****-*****

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4.5 stars, rounded upwards.

Sharp Force is the 29th mystery in the Kay Scarpetta series, and it’s a humdinger. My thanks go to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Highbridge Audio for the invitation to read and review; this book will be available to the public October 7, 2025.

In writing this wildly successful series, author Patricia Cornwell goes deep into character, which is the best way to write a long running series. There are, after all, only so many ways to kill someone, and only so many reasons for doing so. One can add strange variations that raise questions, and indeed, Cornwell does, but the thing that keeps me on the edge of my seat is not only identifying and stopping the killer in question, but also making sure that Kay and her family are also safe. I’ve been following these folks for the whole series, and knowing that Benton, Marino, Lucy, and even Dorothy, Kay’s obnoxious sister who’s married to Marino are safe. I even worry about the cat, and this time around, we have reason to do so. (For those with triggers: no animal cruelty is involved in this book.) Conversely, there are also long running nemeses such as Dana Diletti, the journalist that will ruin the progress of an investigation in order to gain a scoop, and Maggie, the obnoxious secretary whom Kay fired for cause, but who is still working in an adjacent position, spying for friends in high places. Round all of these off with the disturbing, fascinating Janet, an AI entity developed by Kay’s badass niece, Lucy, a tech genius whose late lover, Janet, is the model for the AI. Janet—the artificial one, since the flesh and blood one was killed several books back—knows too much, and though she is helpful at times, she also has a tendency to stir up trouble within the family.

When all of these characters are stirred into Cornwell’s cauldron, the trite, often obnoxious tropes one runs into aren’t needed or used here, a welcome relief. Kay isn’t going to be knocked over the head and kidnapped; she doesn’t have an alcohol problem and the constant itch that goes with it; she hasn’t been framed and called upon to exonerate herself. (Some of these appeared early in the series, but have been blessedly absent for a good long while.)

There are a couple of recurring features that I would like to see the author avoid. These appear at the very beginning, so the reader has a long time to get over them: for example, why does there always have to be a big storm on the way just as the book opens? And when the narrative commences with Kay and Benton packing to spend Christmas in London on vacation, I roll my eyes and say, “No, we already know something will prevent this trip from taking place. Unpack your suitcases, kiddies, you never get to go anywhere.”  And once again, the murder victim is someone Kay knows. These are small issues and rendered smaller by their appearance early, so I can quickly recover from my annoyance, but honestly, Cornwell has enough skill to dodge these next time, and she should.

I was fortunate enough to have both the digital and audio versions of this novel. Reader January LaVoy, one of my favorites, does a fine job.

The high rating I give this story, despite the opening irritants, is based on how I feel as I’m reading. I read anywhere from six to ten books at a time, located in various forms and on various devices, and while I am reading this one, I don’t have much interest in the others, although some of them are quite good. I cannot deny a strong rating to a book when I itch to return to it, as I surely do; then too, the ending is always important in a novel, and all the more so in a mystery, and this ending is terrific!

One side note: the Scarpetta books form the basis for a new series coming out soon, starring Nicole Kidman—a personal favorite—in the title role. I’m on pins and needles waiting for it!

Highly recommended to those that love the genre.

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre, by Philip Fracassi*****

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It’s not just every day that I run across a five-star slasher novel, but author Philip Fracassi hasn’t written just any slasher novel, either. The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre is one of this autumn’s most agreeable surprises. My thanks go to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Tor for the review copies; this book will be available to the public September 30, 2025.

When a friend recommended it, she said it was funny and also different from her expectations. I agree on both counts. I was anticipating a book with plenty of old-folks barbs, sort of like the satirical carol, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” I considered whether I was up for it, given that I am a grandma myself, and decided my sense of humor hadn’t aged out. Sure, let’s give it a go.

Instead, though the book is indeed darkly funny in places, it also has aspects I didn’t anticipate. How many humorous slasher stories have character development, for instance? How many have genuinely poignant moments? And finally, on a more traditional yardstick, I find myself completely surprised by the solution.

Our protagonist is Rose Dubois, a 70-year-old retired school teacher. She buys a unit in the retirement community, not because she’s too decrepit to remember her medications or because she needs constant monitoring, but because she is ready to live in a smaller home near other people her own age. Her daughter has been urging her to come live with her instead, but Rose has friends here. She likes her little place, and she values her independence. She doesn’t want to go anywhere else.

Then her pals begin dying. The first is her bestie, and it stings, but also raises questions. The death—without giving anything away—seems out of character. But surprises happen, and they’re not all nice ones, so she and Angela’s other friends grumble, but move on.

But as the title suggests, there’s another. And another. Where will it stop? Rose and her remaining friends vow to stop it themselves, since the local cops and the home’s administrators don’t seem terribly concerned.

The story also raises the issue, a very real one, of the public’s lack of concern for the elderly. Hey, old people die. That’s what we do! And moreover, before we go, older folks become nearly invisible. The author’s moving note in the afterword explains why he took the approach he did.

Not long after I began reading, I was given access to the audio version, narrated by one of my favorites, January LaVoy. Although the print version is delightful, I give a slight edge to the audio because its format, which is mostly linear, lends itself well to this medium, and also because LaVoy always brings something extra to her narration.

Highly recommended to all that enjoy mysteries and a little gallows humor.

Apostle’s Cove, by William Kent Krueger****-*****

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Apostle’s Cove is the 20th novel in the Cork O’Connor mystery series by William Kent Krueger. The series takes place in a fictional town of Aurora, Minnesota near an Indian Reservation. Most of the characters are all or partly Ojibwe (also known as Chippewa, or Shinnob). Apostle’s Cove is an area with spectacular views, and it is home to the malign widow of an enormously wealthy man, who built a mansion there.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Atria Books for the review copy. This book is available to the public now.

This story commences with Cork receiving a call from his son, Stephen, who’s working with The Great North Innocence Project, an organization that helps people that have been wrongly convicted. Cork is a restauranteur and private detective now, but Stephen tells him that during his time as sheriff, Cork sent an innocent man to prison. For 25 years, Axel Boshey has been serving out a lifetime term for a murder he didn’t commit. He confessed to it in order to shield the person he thought to be the actual killer. Now Stephen wants Cork to go back, untangle the mess, and get Axel out of lockup.

The story—and the series—is helped considerably by its appealing recurring characters. The two most compelling ones are the very oldest—Henry Meloux, an ancient wise man that lives in the forest and counsels those that seek his help—and the very youngest, the seven-year-old grandson affectionately known as Waaboo, a child with supernatural powers to whom the spirits speak.

Halloween is fast approaching, and there is great excitement as the small community prepares for it. Waaboo is excited, yet also troubled. The Windigo, a cannibalistic spirit, is nearby, and it’s hungry. It isn’t here for Waaboo, but nevertheless, he is disturbed by it.

The story is complex and, in most regards, believable. I read multiple books at a time, but while I read this one, the others became sidelined much of the time. This series is reliably well written and entertaining, and so it is with Apostle’s Cove.

Can you jump in mid-series? I did. I began reading it with the 18th in the series. Whereas it’s more fun once you recognize the characters, there’s nothing that will confuse a new reader.

Highly recommended to those that enjoy the genre.

Coffin Moon, by Keith Rosson*****

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“One thing you can be certain of, boy. Things change. Even for those such as us.”

In 2018, I read a book by a promising local author titled Smoke City. It was complex and kept me on my toes, and all told, it was a good novel. Since I enjoyed it, the small publisher he was working with sent me another of his books, The Mercy of the Tide. I liked it, too.

Fast forward. I received a galley this year by the same author, but he was no longer working with the itty-bitty press. No, he was published by Random House. This made me sit up and take notice! My thanks go to NetGalley and Random House for the invitation to read and review Coffin Moon, the scariest straight-up horror novel you’re likely to find on the shelves this year. It will be available to the public September 9, 2025.

The premise is this: our protagonist, Duane Minor, is back from Vietnam. The year is 1975; the place, Portland, Oregon. His wife Heidi is living in an apartment over the bar her parents own, and Duane goes to work for them. Heidi’s 13-year-old niece, Julia, comes to join them as well after her mother is sent to prison. Duane is a bit shaky, following his tour of duty, but he’s sober, has pulled himself together, and things are going pretty well. That is, until the vampire takes over the bar.

That’s all you need to know of the plot to get started. In fact, I don’t even recommend reading the promotional blurb, because it’s better if you come to it on your own. What I will say is that this is not just any horror novel. There is more depth to it than you typically see, philosophical questions inextricably wound into the decisions that Duane and his niece must make. There’s also far more character development than I generally see in this genre. Finally, the word smithery Rosson brings to it makes this book grittier, more heart-rending, and far more thought provoking than other books of its ilk. Mr. Rosson was a good author before, but the brilliance of his prose has surged since his early work.

As I get older, I find I only have enough fortitude to read one or two horror novels each year; the rest of the time, I reach for other genres. If you are also an infrequent reader of horror, I strongly urge you to make this story a priority. It’s the sort of novel that stays with you long after the last page is turned.

But the sun is coming up; I must leave you.