I've suffered from insomnia since I was a child, and the best way to pass the dark hours is to keep my mind engaged. Whether that means reading a thriller, murder mystery, or deep-rooted, life-altering tale, a novel has to do more than entertain me. It has to capture me. Draw my thoughts away from my bedroom’s black corners. Always, an e-book reader and paperback sit on my nightstand. If it’s past midnight and I’m awake, I hear them calling. If they are thought-provoking with lots of moving parts to keep me guessing? I can’t stop turning pages. I am CJ Zahner and I’m a true suspense junkie.
Defending Jacob is a page-turning legal thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. I recommend this novel more than any other. Both voracious book lovers and occasional readers love it. The story is flawlessly told and superbly written, the POV so realistic you’ll feel as if you’re sitting in the courtroom right beside Andy Barber, the protagonist. Book clubs (and I’ve participated in many) eat this up. On the nights we discussed Defending Jacob, no one wanted to go home. Everyone debated: is the bond between parent and child sacred or sacrilegious? Read this and decide for yourself.
If your son was on trial for murder, what would you do?
Andy Barber's job is to put killers behind bars. And when a boy from his son Jacob's school is found stabbed to death, Andy is doubly determined to find and prosecute the perpetrator.
Until a crucial piece of evidence turns up linking Jacob to the murder. And suddenly Andy and his wife find their son accused of being a cold-blooded killer.
In the face of every parent's worst nightmare, they will do anything to defend their child. Because, deep down, they know him better than anyone.
Rage of Angels introduced me to kidnap crime thrillers and inspired me to write my own. I fell in love with Sidney Sheldon after reading this and went on to devour every book he wrote. Sheldon’s character development is brilliant. If you don’t fall in love with and root for Rage of Angel’s Jennifer Parker, then you’re not human. This is a page-turning whirlwind of a tale. You’ll question her morals, your morals, and you’ll ask yourself what you would do in her situation. You’ll love characters you shouldn’t and exhaust yourself trying to figure out Sheldon’s next twist. Totally worth the read. It’s the only 500-page book I didn’t want to end.
A worldwide bestseller first published in 1980, this novel tells the story of Jennifer Parker, a successful lawyer who is loved by two men, one a politician, the other, a mafia don.
Nick Dunne and Amy Elliott are about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. Conflictingly, Nick’s thinking bizarre thoughts about the size of his wife’s head while Amy’s elatedly writing a happy-with-her-life diary entry. Then she disappears and you are hooked. You don’t realize you’re reading anymore. You’re in a maze, searching for someone. Gone Girl is ingenious suspense. The POV seesaws between Nick and Amy, and if teetering makes you dizzy, get out early, because this psychological thriller will take you on a wild ride of what-the-heck-is-going-on. There are games involved. Scavenger hunts. Pay attention to every sentence in this one. I read it in mere hours. Closed the final chapter, exhausted and sweaty. Love, love, loved it.
THE ADDICTIVE No.1 BESTSELLER AND INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON OVER 20 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE THE BOOK THAT DEFINES PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
Who are you? What have we done to each other?
These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on…
I’m a huge Jodi Picoult fan. When I’m hungry for a good read, I grab one of her books because I know a juicy story and flawlessly sweet writing await me. But Nineteen Minutes? It’s like a forbidden dessert, my favorite of all her novels. The opening grabs you and won’t let go. There’s a school shooting, lots of kids, parents, and an investigator who allows his niece to paint his toenails. (Picoult creates characters who quietly charm you.) The most thought-provoking suspense novel I’ve ever read, Nineteen Minutes describes the multi-faceted inner workings of teenagers’ minds and the fruitless attempts of parents (and investigators with pink toes) to understand them. If, like me, you like solving puzzles and enjoy stories with lots of moving parts, this one’s for you.
'Picoult makes us ponder the ambiguous relationships between love and lying, legality and morality; the strange ways repressed memories leak into the present.' Los Angeles Times
Intricately textured and rich with psychological and social insight, Jodi Picoult's novels grab readers by the throat from page one and never let go. As emotionally charged as any she has written, Nineteen Minutes is one of her most powerful works to date.
Set in a small town in the wake of a horrific school shooting, Nineteen Minutes features the return of two beloved Picoult characters - Jordan McAfee, the lawyer from The Pact…
In Big Little Lies, author Liane Moriarty interlaces the lives of five women: Jane, raising a son alone; Celeste, the quintessential beauty, hiding family secrets; Maddie, my favorite, the thinks-too-much, defends-the-weak, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer mom; Renata, the wealthy, most powerful mother at Pirriwee Public School; and Bonnie, the current wife of Maddie’s ex-husband. Never have I loved a female cast of characters as much as I love these women. This story cleverly wraps friendship foes, family saga, and Chick Lit into one page-turning murder mystery. You simply can’t put it down. The excellent writing and superb character development of strong, fierce women make this one of my all-time favorites. This was my introductory book to Lianne Moriarty. Now I read everything she writes.
*Published as BIG LITTLE LIES in Australia and the United States*
Liane Moriarty, million copy selling author of The Husband's Secret brings us another addictive story of secrets and scandal.
Jane hasn't lived anywhere longer than six months since her son was born five years ago. She keeps moving in an attempt to escape her past. Now the idyllic seaside town of Pirriwee has pulled her to its shores and Jane finally feels like she belongs. She has friends in the feisty Madeline and the incredibly beautiful Celeste - two women with seemingly perfect lives . . . and their…
Boys are disappearing and six-year-old Mikala Daly dreams they are in a dark, damp cellar. A kidnapper scribbles quotes on three abduction notes. His fourth mentions Detective Jack Daly’s daughter Mikala.Is he someone they know? Jack crumbles the note and slips it into a pocket. He can't tell anyone she's dreaming. In this page-turning crime thriller, four words on Christian stationery force a father to work alone while narrowing a web of kidnapping suspects. Years before, Jack married into a family rumored to have a sixth sense. Now his daughter has inherited that “gift.” If he uses her dreams, will he risk her life?
"I picked this up and could. Not. Put. It. Down. I kept thinking about it for weeks afterward." – Amazon Reviewer.
"a fresh narrative whose scale, ambition, and pathos elevate" -Pacific Book Review
"The December Issue warms up the soul from its first chapter to the last." -Chanticleer Book Reviews, 5 Stars
The joys of retirement feel imminent to columnist Paul Scrivensby, a native of the Great Lakes' very own St. Catherine's Cove, but when his penultimate column stirs controversy, the writer soon finds easing into carefree days of leisure a luxury growing more elusive. Embroiled in the unexpected pursuits presented before him while on the verge of retirement, Paul discovers what he and others are capable of and searches for…
The joys of retirement feel imminent to columnist Paul Scrivensby, a native of the Great Lakes' very own St. Catherine's Cove, but when his penultimate column stirs controversy, the writer soon finds easing into carefree days of leisure a luxury growing more elusive. Embroiled in the unexpected pursuits presented before him while on the verge of retirement, Paul discovers what he and others are capable of and searches for understanding of what is truly expected of him at this pivotal point in his life.
A story of discernment amid the challenges and blessings of work, retirement, family, community, and past…
