Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been drawn to the natural world—not just its beauty but also its dirt, the earthiness and vitality of it. I prefer the company of animals to humans and the questions of curious children to the bland certainty of adults. I’ve worked as a teacher, news reporter, horse trainer, volunteer firefighter, and website designer. I try to pull bits of all these experiences together into my writing while also exploring the characters who fascinate me: flawed, compassionate protagonists who believe they must battle their demons alone and complex antagonists who think they have nothing to lose. There’s nothing so satisfying as a high-stakes challenge with an unpredictable outcome.


I wrote

Drawn from Life

By Sarah P. Blanchard,

Book cover of Drawn from Life

What is my book about?

Emma Gillen is haunted by guilt. Is she a victim or a killer? Almost a decade after surviving a deadly…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Save Yourself

Sarah P. Blanchard Why did I love this book?

I love learning about flawed characters who must make hard choices, and this book dropped me immediately into the lives of several.

Braffet raises dark themes of guilt, sorrow, and the power of community shaming to a high art in this gripping suspense story. Here’s a worthy struggle, indeed: How to rebuild your life as an outcast when the destruction isn’t your fault and the burden shouldn’t be yours to bear. I found myself liking and caring about these very flawed characters in spite of the bad choices they make. The writing is thoughtful and nuanced until suddenly, it isn’t.

The ending is NOT predictable.

By Kelly Braffet,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Save Yourself as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Wired Hard

Sarah P. Blanchard Why did I love this book?

I loved following the exploits of Sophie, described as a “brilliant hacker, MMA fighter, domestic abuse survivor, and chronic depressive” who likes kids and animals better than adults.

She’s the strong woman protagonist who’s also socially awkward and vulnerable. Add in the well-rendered descriptions of Maui—the lush and beautiful, the dark and dirty—and the high-stakes intrigue, and, well, it’s all here. And I’ll follow any writer who accurately captures the complex nuances of Hawaiian culture and societal issues.

By Toby Neal,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wired Hard as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Paradise hides a Lahaina thief with an obsession about the buried Hawaiian palace on Maui, and SOPHIE is the one to solve this crime.
If Lisbeth Salander and Jack Reacher had a Black/Thai love child…she would be SOPHIE.
✅ Brilliant hacker, MMA fighter, domestic abuse survivor, and chronic depressive, Sophie is complicated

✅ Likes kids and animals more than people

✅ Never, never gives up on a case.

What would you do to save something priceless?

Security specialist Sophie Ang has a new case: someone is looting artifacts from a royal Hawaiian archaeological site in Lahaina on Maui. Things get…


Book cover of Demon Copperhead

Sarah P. Blanchard Why did I love this book?

I chose not to put this 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner first on my list simply because everyone else already has.

I have loved Kingsolver’s writing from her very first non-fiction essays. So, what can I add? Except to say that this is a book for the ages:  the enthralling journey of a southern Appalachian orphan. A tale of fortitude and redemption, the modern David Copperfield.

I’ve read it three times, finding more depth each time. Kingsolver balances pain, pathos, humor, insight, and resilience—all the facets of humanity—in the compelling character of Damon.

By Barbara Kingsolver,

Why should I read it?

69 authors picked Demon Copperhead as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant foster…


Book cover of Tiny

Sarah P. Blanchard Why did I love this book?

This book snuck up on me. It’s a lovely story of hope and the strength of the human spirit, featuring three ordinary people living their lives who are suddenly tied together by the tragedy of an accidental death.

I love Hooper’s descriptions of their attempts to muddle through pain and loss, seeking reconciliation and a path forward. This book finds a more upbeat ending than the others on my list, as forgiveness, hope, empathy, and the possibility of a new life come shining through. I love the writer’s obvious compassion for all her characters.

By Kim Hooper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tiny as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Ordinary Human Failings

Sarah P. Blanchard Why did I love this book?

I chose this book first for the sheer beauty of the writing and second, for the cautionary spotlight it places on the destructive power of the media.

Set in London in 1990, this is the story of an Irish immigrant family tied by blood but not by intimacy. Their tragedies are exaggerated for gain by the ambition of a sketchy tabloid reporter who exploits the vulnerabilities of these flawed characters. I love how Nolan uses her exquisitely beautiful prose to describe tragic events and dark secrets. Everything is infused with sharp psychological insights and a keen eye for the intricate details of the worlds her characters inhabit.

Yes, it’s dark. But there’s hope, healing, and growth here, as well. 

By Megan Nolan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ordinary Human Failings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024*

*SHORTLISTED FOR FICTION - 2023 NERO BOOK AWARDS*

After the death of a young girl, the finger of suspicion is pointing at one reclusive family...

'Ambitious and original' DAVID NICHOLLS

'Gripping... A triumph' SUNDAY TIMES

It's 1990 in London and, after the death of a young girl on an estate, the finger of suspicion is pointing at one reclusive Irish family: the Greens.

At their heart sits Carmel: beautiful, other-worldly, and once destined for a future beyond her circumstances until life - and love - got in her way. Now, as the…


Explore my book 😀

Drawn from Life

By Sarah P. Blanchard,

Book cover of Drawn from Life

What is my book about?

Emma Gillen is haunted by guilt. Is she a victim or a killer? Almost a decade after surviving a deadly car crash on a remote Appalachian mountain, she’s held hostage by missing memories and long-term damage to her body. Then her volatile cousin Lucy—a possible witness to the crash—returns, bringing chaos. Emma must decide if she should bargain with Lucy to uncover their shared past.

As Lucy grows more desperate and greedy, Emma suspects there’s more at stake than just money. Struggling with shame, night terrors, and her own unreliable memory, Emma accepts help from a compassionate detective. But the choice remains hers alone. Can Emma find the strength to free herself from her cousin’s destructive power, or will Lucy bring everything crashing down?

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The Widow Maker

By Janet Fix, Cheryl Bradshaw,

Book cover of The Widow Maker

Janet Fix Author Of The Broken Soul

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Writer, reader, editor, reviewer, publisher… those are all parts of me. With a lifetime of experience in the “words” industry, I have a pretty good handle on what makes a book not just good, but hot. I say this with the understanding that each reader brings their own histories to the reading experience, and what one person may like, another may not. Nonetheless, I offer you my professional and personal favorites in the mystery/thriller/suspense categories. It is my sincere hope that you find these books as addictive as I’d found them. Superb and clever writing, engaging characters, unpredictable plots—yes, please! Though I occasionally step outside my comfort zone, I'm consistently drawn back to these categories. 

Janet's book list on intriguing whodunits

What is my book about?

Liza O’Connell was a horror buff in every sense of the word. But there was one deadly nightmare she would never be able to talk about … her own. A friend murdered. A business in trouble. A marriage struggling to survive. And that’s just the beginning. 

When salon owner Carrie King discovers Liza dead in the back room of her shop, everyone becomes a suspect, even her. As tensions in the community rise, so does the death toll, and now the local cops believe there’s a serial killer on the loose. The question is … are the two investigations connected?…

The Widow Maker

By Janet Fix, Cheryl Bradshaw,

What is this book about?

Liza O’Connell was a horror buff in every sense of the word. But there was one deadly nightmare she would never be able to talk about … her own.

A friend murdered.

A business in trouble.

A marriage struggling to survive.

And that’s just the beginning.

When salon owner Carrie King discovers Liza dead in the back room of her shop, everyone becomes a suspect, even her. As tensions in the community rise, so does the death toll, and now the local cops believe there’s a serial killer on the loose.
The question is … are the two investigations connected?…


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