PositiveLibrary JournalHenkel, an American playwright, director, and artist living in Berlin, provides a peek into the city’s art world and its communities of expats. Her multilayered debut is capably written.
Romy Hausmann
RaveLibrary Journal... a complex web of death and subterfuge ... Anonymous letters to a therapist allude to a troubled childhood, which adds layers to this clever and disturbing story ... Hausmann\'s ominous psychological suspense tale masterfully uses restraint, inserting a continual flow of small but significant clues to create tension and a heavy tone. The multidimensional characters will keep readers questioning what they know. For fans of Fiona Barton and Gillian Flynn.
Alex Michaelides
MixedLibrary JournalMichaelides...skillfully infuses this mystery with stories of death and life from Greek mythology and motifs of darkness and light that suggest all is not as it seems; indeed, several disturbing characters cast doubt on the killer’s identity. While the tension could have been heightened, and the unforeseen conclusion tests believability, this is intriguing psychological suspense.
Romy Hausmann, Trans. by Jamie Bulloch
RaveLibrary JournalHausmann’s English-language debut is absorbing and sinister, with a tightening web of psychological intrigue. Tiny clues are steadily inserted into this fast-paced, shivery tale with an unforeseen denouement.
Karen Dionne
MixedLibrary JournalDionne...begins with a pleasing, pervasive sense of unease that is unfortunately rife with improbabilities by the conclusion. Moreover, the magnificent setting and convincing character study of a child psychopath are undermined by inconsistent plot details ... Despite the story\'s few flaws, Dionne knocks out a psychological thriller with a low-grade yet ever-present sense of danger. Fans of Paul Doiron and environmental thrillers may like this book.
Ivy Pochoda
RaveLibrary JournalLaced with grief and rage, racism and sexism, this edgy urban drama centers upon a serial killer’s obsession that targets women of color living a lifestyle that garners little sympathy ... Pochoda...stuns with this disquieting literary thriller rife with descriptive street language and violence. It is complex, intense, and enthralling. Fans of Rachel Kushner’s The Mars Room will experience a similar sense of feeling both captivated and bereft.
Lissa Marie Redmond
PositiveLibrary JournalWhile the conclusion is unnecessarily protracted, Redmond, herself a retired cold-case homicide detective from Buffalo, demonstrates her experience and delivers a well-crafted, pulsating mystery with a sobering twist. Fans of small-town mysteries will enjoy.
Mary Kubica
PositiveLibrary JournalKubica writes a mesmerizing tale with an unreliable narrator that draws attention to a less-understood mental health condition, but the story is wrapped up a bit too neatly. What is satisfying and most effective is the oppressive sense of unease that permeates this intense psychological suspense drama. For fans of A.J. Finn and Gillian Flynn.
Wendy Heard
PositiveLibrary JournalHeard offers an exhilarating plot of quid pro quo. Biracial Jazz is a scrappy boxer, loyal to friends and family, who only wants to offer her smart younger brother a chance to make it in life. This dark suspense is a fine addition to LGBTQ and multicultural collections.
Allison Dickson
PositiveLibrary Journal... [a] shrewdly plotted domestic suspense story ... The plot details somewhat test believability, but this first foray into suspense by horror/dystopian short story writer Dickson is a chilling tale that offers a most delectable diversion. The author is definitely one to watch.
