What Makes a Suspense Story Impossible to Put Down?

 

There’s something about returning home that can stir up memories you thought were long buried.

Sometimes those memories are comforting—family dinners, childhood friendships, familiar places that remind us of where we came from.

But sometimes… the past waits in the shadows and it’s not so nice.

That idea became the heartbeat behind my upcoming release, Unsolved Amish Abduction, releasing March 31.

In this story, Anna Hartzler returns to the Amish community she once fled after receiving an anonymous letter containing a bracelet that belonged to her missing sister. For Anna, the bracelet isn’t just jewelry—it’s a reminder of the worst night of her life.

Ten years ago, two sisters walked into the woods.
Only one came home.

Anna has spent a decade trying to move forward. She built a life. She’s raising her young daughter. She’s tried to convince herself that the past is over.

But the moment she steps back into her hometown, it becomes clear that someone hasn’t forgotten.

Someone has been waiting.

And the only person she can turn to for protection is Jaxson Thomas—the boy she once loved, now a police officer and K-9 handler. Jax never expected Anna to return, and he certainly never expected to find himself protecting the woman who once disappeared from his life.

As the threats escalate and secrets begin to surface, Anna and Jax must confront the truth about what happened that night in the woods… before the same person who stole her sister comes back for her.

One of the things I love about writing suspense is exploring how the past shapes who we become—and how unresolved mysteries can echo through years, even decades. In Unsolved Amish Abduction, the danger isn’t just physical. It’s emotional too. Anna must face the guilt of surviving when her sister didn’t… and the terrifying possibility that the nightmare isn’t over.

Because sometimes the most dangerous place to return… is home.

Buy link: https://amzn.to/49N4dBh

So Let’s Talk Suspense!

One of my favorite parts of being a suspense writer is hearing from readers who love trying to solve the mystery before the characters do.

So, I’m curious…

What kind of suspense hook grabs you the fastest when you pick up a book?

• A cold case from the past
• A missing person mystery
• A secret hidden in a small town
• A second-chance romance in the middle of danger

Or something else entirely?

Tell me in the comments for a chance to win an eBook copy of Unsolved Amish Abduction. Be sure to leave your email address so that I can reach out to you.

I can’t wait to hear your response!

 

Blessings,
Mary

Country Folks

My current book, Montana Ranch Crime Ring, takes place in Eastern Montana, a very rural part of the state where the neighbors are few and far apart. Conflicts between ranches and farms can go back for generations from fights over property lines to who got a BLM lease. Even with all that conflict, I have found that there is much to admire about country people. People put their past aside to help a neighbor out when needed. My late husband was from Eastern Montana and I noticed three ways in which these people knew what it meant to be a neighbor. First, if your vehicle goes into a snowbank or slides off the road for any reason, the first person to come upon you feels an obligation to help you out. If they don't have the equipment to pull you out, they will go get it or find someone who does. Second when you hear that your neighbor is sick, you drive the miles required to bring them some food and let them know you are there to help if needed. Finally, my husband's father at the end of his life had alienated most of his neighbors and had become somewhat of a recluse. But when we drove over for his funeral, people showed up and were very kind to us. In a rural part of the state, when someone dies, you go to the funeral regardless of your history with that person. 

I imagine there are unwritten rules for what people do for neighbors in distress in cities as well. Did you grow up being taught what it meant to be a neighbor? What were some of things you saw your parents do that showed neighborliness? Leave a comment with your email address. I will be giving away five copies of Montana Ranch Crime Ring (USA only).

Sharon Dunn

 

WHATS NEW IN INSPIRATIONAL SUSPENSE

Wondering what's HOT in inspirational fiction? Kristine Delano has a brand new suspense, The Lies We Trade, recently released from Tyndale House. Here's a little bit about the story:

Meredith Hansel's prestigious Wall Street career is soaring---until her personal life implodes. A crumbling marriage, troubled daughter, and disturbing vandalism shake her world. Then Betsey, her trusted colleague, goes rogue, sending a cryptic thumb drive threatening to reveal a devastating secret. What are Betsey's true motives? And was she sending a threat . . . or a warning?

You can buy The Lies We Trade HERE from Tyndale House.

Have a great week of reading, lovers of inspirational suspense and mystery! ~ Mary Ellis, Suspense Sisters

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

We have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters!

On Tuesday, Suspense Sister Mary Ellis will tell us what’s hot in inspirational suspense and mystery.

Wednesday, we’ll hear from author Sharon Dunn who will talk about growing up in a rural state. She’s also giving away a copy of MONTANA RANCH CRIME RING.

Exposing a smuggling operation could uncover dangerous secrets.

As veterinarian Erika Gunderson races to save her horses from a burning barn, she is assaulted—and left for dead inside. Newly hired ranch hand Daniel Fowler comes to the rescue just in time. Little does Erika know that Daniel is an undercover ATF agent, investigating gunrunners operating in the isolated Montana wilderness—and considers her a potential suspect. When they unearth a body on the ranch and Erika’s father mysteriously vanishes, hidden family secrets begin to emerge. With more than just their lives on the line, they’ll need to risk everything to take down the smugglers and expose the truth.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

ORDER IT HERE 

Friday. Suspense Sister Mary Alford tells us about her March 31st release, UNSOLVED AMISH ABDUCTION. Leave a comment for a chance to win an eBook copy.

The mystery of her sister’s disappearance could reveal some deadly answers…

An anonymous letter containing her missing sister’s bracelet lures Anna Hartzler back to her Amish hometown—and into a trap set by the kidnapper she escaped years ago. She’s rescued from another abduction by Jaxson Thomas, her former neighbor turned police officer. Now Anna must depend on Jaxson to protect her and her little girl, who he doesn’t know is his child. But as the threats grow, can he keep them safe long enough to identify and catch the culprit—before this enemy sets his sights on their daughter?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

PREORDER IT HERE 

Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

WE LOVE BOOKS

God Loves Bristly Characters

Kristen here. Watch Your Back turns one year old this month! Perfect timing, it is now available on audiobook, narrated by the fabulous Sandra Huston. Whether you prefer paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, or audiobook, my Crossroads Suspense series has you covered.

Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Kelly Jo Wilson on The Christian Romance podcast about Watch Your Back, and the word bristly came to mind when she asked me to describe my heroine, Avery. (Enjoy our full conversation here.)

I just couldn’t think of a better word than bristly to describe Avery. She’s a self-made private investigator with a lot of hardened edges. As a child, she was abandoned by both her parents and eventually aged out of the foster care system. Is it any wonder she has a hard time building relationships and struggles to believe that a heavenly Father could be worth trusting?

This is a spoiler-free blog post, so I won’t reveal how her story unfolds, but I want to pause for a second and reflect: What are the “bristly” parts to our own stories? I think we all have them, in one way or another. Perhaps you felt overlooked when someone received the promotion you deserved, and you had to fight against pride. Perhaps there are difficult parts of your family’s story, or perhaps God hasn’t given you the family you prayed for, and you've struggled with bitterness. 

The truth is, we all have bristly sides to our stories, because we live in a world broken by sin. The real question is: Are we willing to let God refine our rough or wounded edges? 

But Kristen, you don’t know about my bristles.

You’re right. I don’t. But God does, and He is in the business of redeeming even the most bristly people. Consider Saul in the New Testament. The man’s sole aim in life was to persecute Christians—men and women. Then one day, God revealed Himself to Saul on the Damascus road and replaced Saul’s bristly heart with a soft heart, dedicated to relentlessly telling others about Jesus. (See Acts 9). God literally replaced Saul's "heart of stone" with a "heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).

You see, radical transformations aren’t just the plotlines of fiction. God can and does redeem the most bristly, broken, real-life stories and turn them into beautiful testimonies of His grace.

Turns out, God loves bristly characters. He just wants us to surrender our lives to Him and watch Him redeem what feels hopeless. 

Today, I’m giving away one audiobook copy of Take My Hand, book one in my Crossroads Suspense series. You’ll meet Avery in that story, and I hope you’ll get your copy of Watch Your Back, where her story takes center stage.

Simply leave a comment on this post, along with your email address, to be entered into the giveaway. 

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Congrats to Connie R. for winning the giveaway, and thank you to everyone who commented!

BOOK REVIEW: DARK DESIGN by Suspense Sister Nancy Mehl

Marji Laine here. 

What a way to start a suspense! It requires the reader to put on the skin of a crazed serial killer and read his twisted thoughts. This story starts out creepy-squared! 

This is an intensive psychological thriller with layers of developments. The characters are, as with the first book in this series, very real with their own needs for growth, weaknesses, and areas of expertise. They wrestle with their own shattering issues, with glimpses of hope that they can overcome their difficult pasts. 

Technically, this is an “Erin Delaney” mystery, but her friend Kaely Quinn-Hunter, shoulders some of the story’s perspective. Kaely’s husband Noah and Erin’s friend Adrian fill out the main character cast. Each has a strong personality, needs, goals, and obstacles, making the perspectives unique and deep.

And the mystery is disastrously twisted, affecting characters in two different locals at the same time. How does a shooting in a tiny town in the Smokey Mountains connect with a missing woman in a suburb of Washington DC? See if you can figure that one out before the experts do! 

And while you’re at it, take a peek on into the life of a best-selling author. Nancy Mehl paints an extraordinary story with DARK DESIGN. Here’s a little more about the book: 

As she began to lose consciousness, she realized that she'd just made a very serious mistake. 

She tried to call out for help, but she couldn't see anyone on the shore.

There was no one to save her.

When Erin Delaney learns that a serial killer has mimicked the murder portrayed in her bestselling novel, she joins her friend Kaely Quinn-Hunter, a former FBI profiler, in Virginia. Their reunion, only a few months after fending off an eerie killer in the woods of Tennessee, is bittersweet, as Kaely has been tasked by the FBI to recruit Erin's help to identify a suspect. The FBI's team is stumped by the murderer who re-creates killings from the books of multiple authors, with only ominous notes left behind. As Erin is drawn further into the web of fear and chaos, Kaely begins to fear for Erin's safety.

On top of tracking down a murderer, Erin must shoulder the weight of a haunted past and claims that she stole the plot of her novel from one of her sources. As she struggles on multiple fronts, the enemy looms closer than ever--and Erin's life hangs in the balance.

"Readers will be riveted by this non-stop, twisty thriller."--Elizabeth Goddard on Shattered Sanctuary

Bestselling author Nancy Mehl threads a plot of police investigations and shadowy evidence with heart-drumming suspense in this clean, high-stakes read that will thrill fans of Lynette Eason and Elizabeth Goddard.

Get your copy HERE! 

What’s at the top of your To-Be-Read pile right now? I have a the short mystery BOUND BY TROUBLE and the following books of that series by Christy Barritt. I’d love to know what you’re reading next! And one of you who share might win a copy of GRIME BEAT, the first of my top-selling series. Don’t forget to leave your email address!