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! 

BOOK REVIEW: Hang on Every Word

Even in a small town, things and people aren't always what they seem. 

This fourth, stand-alone book from Julie Cosgrove's Wordplay mysteries once again marries some of the best things together - mysteries and word puzzles. 

I love them both, so this totally works for me. But let me catch you up to speed. 

Wanda Warner is a closet sleuth that is suddenly not so closet anymore. In fact, she's the head of the neighborhood watch for the whole town of Scrub Oak, Texas, and she takes that role seriously. 

In this fourth stand-alone book of the Wordplay Mysteries, Wanda herself is up against it. Somehow, she has foreknowledge of terrible crimes, and a lot of the townspeople are beginning to doubt her integrity. 

Horrors. 

Here are the details from the back of the book: 

It can't be happening again!

Wanda Warner is delighted to design the wordplay puzzles in The Oakmont Gazette. But when the clues to her Hangman puzzle are used to coordinate robberies, some people in tiny Scrub Oak, Texas wonder if she's masterminding the thefts so she can "solve" them in order to bask in more glory.

Then her own nephew, one of the town's cops, hauls her into the police station as her neighbors look on. The totally embarrassed Wanda is determined to crack this treacherous word puzzle crime spree, but can she do it before her fellow citizens hold a lynch party?

My Take

Since I'm already a fan of word games (Can't get enough of Wordle!) these books are right down my alley. But I also really like the way Mrs. Cosgrove has built consistent characters with realistic responses and genuine friendship. 

Take Wanda for instance. She has a cute little dog. She doesn't forget the dog, draws her into the "at home" scenes, and generally pays attention to her dog. Like a normal person. And she struggles with exercise and her eating habits. She's even been known to put her foot in her mouth and regret a harsh word to a friend. 

Never once does the author paint Wanda outside of those lines. She doesn't change her stripes for the sake of a scene. She's consistently kind, sometimes a little impatient, sincere in her faith, and very sharp. I love it when characters are so real. They make an impact, and their stories (or in this case the entire series) are more memorable for it. 

I also like the interplay between Wanda and her nephew and friends. It isn't the same type of interaction with any of them. Another example of real life. I tend to speak differently to my husband than I do to my grown kids, than I do to my neighbor, than I do to my best friend. So does Wanda. The depth of these characters is keeping readers coming back again and again. 

Add to that a twisted little mystery that kept me guessing to the end. With a well-woven story, I can always reflect and see the details that led to the revelation of the culprit, even if I don't catch them upon the first read. While it's always satisfying to beat the sleuth to the punch, I love being able to plainly see what I missed if I fail. Mrs. Cosgrove does a brilliant job of layering the details that will ultimately make a difference.

I really enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed all of the Wordplay Mysteries. While you don't have to read them in order, it is more fun to watch Wanda's progression through them. 

HANG ON EVERY WORD is available on Amazon as an e-book or a paperback. 

Are you more a fan of cozy mysteries or of word puzzles? Which type of word puzzles do you like the best? (I'm a fan of logic problems along with Wordle!) Share your thoughts in the comments and you might win an e-copy of the first book of this series. 

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS

 

We have exciting things planned for you this week on the Suspense Sisters! New books, new releases, and new insight into the lives of some of your favorite authors.

Tomorrow, Mary Ellis will tell us What’s Hot in Inspirational Suspense and Mystery.

Find out your next favorite read!

On Wednesday, Mary will be back to share her review of 

A Fatal Grace

Welcome to winter in Three Pines, a picturesque village in Quebec, where the villagers are preparing for a traditional country Christmas, and someone is preparing for murder. No one liked CC de Poitiers. Not her quiet husband, not her spineless lover, not her pathetic daughter - and certainly none of the residents of Three Pines. CC de Poitiers managed to alienate everyone, right up until the moment of her death. 

Check out this new intrigue! 

And on Friday, A.D. Lawrence will be reviewing Cast the First Stone by David James Warren. 

One case haunts him. One chance to fix the past. One mistake could cost him everything.

Ex-Minneapolis Police Detective Rembrandt Stone walked away from a career he loved—just the price of being sure he can come home to the wife and daughter he cherishes. But he can’t shake the deep regret over a case left behind.

When his mentor, the former Chief of Homicide dies and leaves Rembrandt with a box of cold cases and a mysterious watch, he finds himself thrust into a world he recognizes—a world from twenty years ago—the same world he’s woken from in a cold sweat a hundred times. But is it a dream, or some kind of twisted reality?

If he solves the case that plagues him, and justice is finally served, will it destroy the life he loves?

Strap in for a mind-bending, time travel thrill ride in Book One of this riveting new series, The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone.

She'll be giving away a kindle copy of Cast the First Stone to someone who leaves a comment, so be sure to leave your email address ( as in name at whatever)!

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