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Monday, September 7, 2026

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS





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


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

Wednesday, Suspense Sister A.D. Lawrence will review MURDERS IN THE MARQUEE by Dana Mentink. She’ll also be giving away a copy of this exciting book!

In this witty historical murder mystery set in a San Francisco hotel, an unlikely trio of amateur sleuths must uncover a killer before another guest checks out for good. This first book in the Murder Most Fowl Mysteries is perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building.

In 1905, the Grand Mallard Marquee is well known for its iconic style, as well as its daily duck parade. For Saul Niffler, a reformed jewel thief, working at the luxurious hotel offers a much-needed second chance. Staying out of trouble and in gainful employment is essential. Which makes seeing a body plummet from a penthouse window extra complicated.

Except…did he see it? There’s no body to be found, and Saul knows he should concentrate on his new duties as “Duck Commandant” rather than meddle. If only Kitty Rossi, a persistent young guest yearning to be a Pinkerton detective, would leave well enough alone. Kitty has already roped in Henry, the elevator man, to investigate suspicious goings-on around the hotel. And against his better judgment, Saul feels compelled to join them.


Between the mystery of Saul’s missing predecessor and a grisly discovery in a drain, all signs point to murder most fowl. And with a cold-blooded killer roaming the Marquee’s lavish corridors, keeping his job may be the least of Saul’s problems…

ORDER IT HERE 

Friday, author Patricia Bradley interviews Melissa Koslin about her new book, ENDLESS AS THE RAIN.

For Adriane Graham, the real question comes down to whether she's Alec Kaden's guest or prisoner…

If she's a guest, then that means Alec freed himself from his family ties to organized crime and that he's telling the truth when he says he's protecting Adriane from dangerous men. It means they both can shake off the shackles of haunted pasts and begin anew together.

If she's his guest, then Adriane Graham is no longer alone. She's safe. And maybe…just maybe…she can finally find the strength to love.

But…if Adriane is Alec's prisoner, that changes everything.

It means his tenderness is simply a ruse to keep her under control; his kindness is just poisoned hypocrisy. It means Alec is a cruel liar, and that somehow, by some desperate way, she's got to get out of this charming man's well-guarded house…before it's too late.

Troubling questions pour like fountains through Adriane's heart…flowing…Endless as the Rain.

ORDER IT HERE 


Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!



THE SUSPENSE SISTERS


WE LOVE BOOKS

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Returning to My Roots and The Stories That First Captivated Me!

 Long before I began writing suspense novels of my own, I loved stories filled with shadowy houses, buried family secrets, and heroines who could never be certain whom or what to trust.



Authors such as Phyllis A. Whitney, Victoria Holt, and Mary Stewart were masters at creating that atmosphere. Their books drew readers into unfamiliar places where danger seemed to hide behind every locked door. The setting became almost as important as the characters, and the past was never truly finished with the present.

Those novels taught me that suspense doesn’t always arrive with an explosion or a gunshot. Sometimes it begins with a sound in an empty room. A door that should be locked but isn’t. A photograph that raises more questions than it answers. Or a memory that returns in fragments—and may not mean what you think it does.

I’ve always wanted to write one of those stories and so when I began writing The Memory House, I had the opportunity to step beyond the kind of romantic suspense I usually write and explore something different: a psychological thriller with gothic undertones.

https://amzn.to/3NhHYKY

It was both exciting and a little intimidating.

Coldwater Hollow is a crumbling Victorian estate in rural Oregon filled with locked rooms, hidden passages, old journals, and disturbing recordings. But the true darkness in the story doesn’t come from anything supernatural. It comes from the secrets people keep, the damage families inflict in the name of protection, and the frightening realization that our own memories may not always be trustworthy.

At the center of the story is Elise Warren, a grief counselor who has spent her life helping others confront painful losses while avoiding the unanswered questions from her own childhood. Returning to Coldwater Hollow forces her to face those questions—and to uncover the truth about a mysterious little girl named Ivy.

Writing Elise’s story allowed me to explore memory, identity, trauma, and the ways our minds sometimes protect us from truths we aren’t ready to face. It also let me return to the kind of atmospheric suspense I loved as a reader, while giving it my own contemporary psychological twist.



Here’s more about The Memory House:

Some truths aren’t buried.
They’re hidden inside us.

When grief counselor Elise Warren inherits Coldwater Hollow, the crumbling Victorian estate of her estranged father, she expects to settle his affairs and finally leave the past behind.

Instead, she finds hidden journals, secret recordings, and evidence that her father’s controversial psychological treatments may have harmed more than they healed.

As Elise digs deeper, fragments of her childhood begin surfacing—memories of a frightened girl named Ivy, whispered warnings from her long-missing mother, and a darkness lurking beneath the house itself.

But the more Elise uncovers, the less she trusts her own mind.

Someone has been inside Coldwater Hollow.

Someone is watching her search for answers.

And someone desperately wants one missing piece of evidence to stay buried.

Because if Elise remembers what really happened twenty years ago, she may discover that the greatest mystery was never what happened to Ivy.

It’s who Ivy was.

And the truth could destroy everything she believes about herself.

I’m giving away an eBook copy of The Memory House to one reader!

To enter, leave a comment answering this question:

Do you enjoy suspense novels featuring old houses and long-buried family secrets? If so, who is your favorite book in this genre that has stayed with you?

Be sure to include your email when you respond. I can’t wait to hear your answers, and perhaps discover a few new books to add to my own reading list.

Mary

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Come Forth as Gold

 


"But He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. 
          Job 23:10

I don't know how to describe what I am going through right now, a desert time, a season of solitude, a time of waiting and wondering where God is in all this. For some time now, I have felt that something should change in my life with my writing and yet, I feel stuck and not sure what I should do. Also, as a widow, I experience a lot of loneliness and I have felt it more deeply in the past few months. It feels like I'm always having to drum up social interaction texting friends all the time to see if they want to get together. Often, they are busy with spouses or grandchildren. I am longing for a more connected life and for a community of people who are more available. I've been praying for that. And so, I wait and I pray. 

I'm sure that verse in James where it says we should rejoice in our trials came into your mind. I know it always does for me. While I know no one ever does a cheer and yells "Hip hip hooray another trial" I have been trying to practice gratitude in the midst of this feeling stuck. I ask God for the baby steps to do each day to change what my life looks like. And I wait and I pray and I pray some more. And sometimes I grow impatient. This is a trust exercise between me and God and sometimes I don't pass the trust test. 

I love the visual that that verse in Job gives of coming forth as gold. Such a beautiful picture of how trials shape us into something of value. And I am holding on to that. It gives me hope. How about you? Do you recall a desert time or a time of waiting? How did it turn out? Maybe you are in the midst of a trial right now or wondering if God has lost your number. I'd love to hear about it. Leave a comment with your email address. I will choose three people to receive a copy of my Love Inspired Suspense title Defending the Child (USA only).   

Sharon Dunn




Monday, August 31, 2026

WHAT'S NEW in Christian Mystery and Suspense

Marji Laine here. 

Camy Tang's mysteries always hold unexpected turns and a chance to laugh. I can't wait to read this one. 


Sushi and Suspicions

by Camy Tang


She knows firearms. He knows criminals. Together they may survive the truth.

Liv Whelan's world ignites into chaos when her California tactical training center is ravaged by wildfires, but suspicions arise that the fire was no accident. Amidst the ruins, Liv’s old college roommate offers an escape to the lush tranquility of Hawaii.

Yet the islands hold their own secrets, and a lucrative job opportunity morphs into a sinister plot framing Liv for the theft of an antique rifle that belonged to one of the Hawaiian princes. Determined to prove her innocence, she hires private investigator Lennox Chang, who is reluctantly impressed by Liv’s gun expertise and help in the investigation.

But as romance blossoms under the Hawaiian sun, so do threats from unexpected quarters. Together, they must trust in God to help them expose the truth connected to the calamity back in California and the perils in paradise.

SUSPENSE SISTERS: AUGUST GIVEAWAY

Suspense Sisters: August Giveaway

THIS WEEK ON THE SUSPENSE SISTERS





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

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

Wednesday, Suspense Sister Sharon Dunn will talk about Job and what it’s like when we go through trials. She’s also giving away a few copies of her wonderful book, DEFENDING THE CHILD.

Caught in a mountain blizzard with a child to protect.

After Marielle Coleman’s foster son witnesses his mother’s murder, he becomes a killer’s next target. Escaping into a raging Montana snowstorm, Marielle and her little boy hide at a remote camp—and unexpectedly reunite with her ex-fiancĂ©, Graham Flynn, an undercover DEA agent. Now Graham and Marielle must put aside their distrust to save the child from dangerous pursuers. But Graham’s still hiding secrets from Marielle…ones that could tie them all to a conspiracy that will end their lives.


From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

ORDER IT HERE 

On Friday, Suspense Sister Mary Alford will share how reading classic gothic suspense authors such as Phyllis A. Whitney, Victoria Holt, and Mary Stewart inspired her love of atmospheric stories filled with mysterious houses, buried family secrets, and heroines who aren’t sure whom to trust. She’ll also talk about what it was like to step beyond her usual romantic suspense genre and write THE MEMORY HOUSE, a psychological thriller with gothic undertones that explores memory, identity, and family secrets. She’ll also give away an eBook copy to one reader.

THE MEMORY HOUSE

Some truths aren't buried.
They're hidden inside us.

When grief counselor Elise Warren inherits Coldwater Hollow, the crumbling Victorian estate of her estranged father, she expects to settle his affairs and finally leave the past behind.

Instead, she finds hidden journals, secret recordings, and evidence that her father’s controversial psychological treatments may have harmed more than they healed.

As Elise digs deeper, fragments of her childhood begin surfacing—memories of a frightened girl named Ivy, whispered warnings from her long-missing mother, and a darkness lurking beneath the house itself.

But the more Elise uncovers, the less she trusts her own mind.
Someone has been inside Coldwater Hollow.
Someone is watching her search for answers.

And someone desperately wants one missing piece of evidence to stay buried. Because if Elise remembers what really happened twenty years ago, she may discover that the greatest mystery was never what happened to Ivy.


It's who Ivy was.

And the truth could destroy everything she believes about herself.


THE MEMORY HOUSE is a gripping psychological suspense novel about memory, identity, and the dangerous secrets families bury in the name of protection.

PREORDER IT HERE 


Don’t forget to enter our monthly contest!




THE SUSPENSE SISTERS




WE LOVE BOOKS