I read up on the story surrounding Linda Hazzard, and it’s truly horrifying that she convinced people to pay her money with the promise of healing and instead many people died from her questionable therapies. The author did a good job of shielding the reader from some of the more gruesome details, but still brought the story to life. There’s quite a bit of romance too as Stella finds herself falling for her longtime friend and chauffer. But her station in life prevents them from being together.

If you are a fan of the series, you’ll love the latest in the lineup. I always find it intriguing that the crimes and atrocities in these stories are all based on true events. Most of the time I’ve never heard of these crimes, so it’s interesting to see the authors’ take on the heartbreaking and sometimes horrifying events from the darker side of American history.  

Overall Rating:
4 stars (I liked it a lot and would definitely recommend)

Suspense Rating:
4 stars (lots of action and suspense to keep me intrigued)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The post The Purple Nightgown appeared first on Best In Suspense.

For fans of historical fiction, true crimes, and sinister plot lines

The Gold Digger by Liz Tolsmais the latest release in the True Colors series. These stories are based on actual crimes in American history. The Gold Digger explores some strange events from LaPorte, IN in the early 1900’s, centering around Belle Gunness and some of her suspicious behaviors.  She’s a widower twice-over, and she takes out personal ads looking for a husband. But when men show up to her farm, they never heard from again. Belle’s sister, Igrid Storset, meets Nils Lindherud who is in town looking for his missing brother. Together they begin to unravel terrible secrets at the Gunness’ farm.

This story isn’t for anyone looking for a cozy mystery. The truth is strange, terrifying, and unresolved, and the author does a great job of bringing out the drama. But it’s such a twisted story to begin with. I love the author’s notes at the end of the book showing the research behind the real Belle Gunness. It’s truly a heartbreaking and horrifying situation in real life, and Liz Tolsma does a great job of bringing the details to light, but tempering it with faith and a love interest. But it’s definitely intense, creepy, and disturbing at times.

Definitely an intriguing read, and if you are a fan of this true crimes series, you’ll be taken with this one!

Overall Rating:
4 stars (I liked it a lot and would definitely recommend)

Suspense Rating:
4 stars (lots of action and suspense to keep me intrigued)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The post The Gold Digger appeared first on Best In Suspense.

For fans of historical fiction, true crimes, and gritty dramas

The Green Dress by Liz Tolsma is part of the True Colors series. These stories are based on actual crimes in American history, and this novel focuses on the notorious Robinson family. One by one, family members die a slow and agonizing death. Harriet Peters, caregiver to the children and friend of the family, begins to realize that it’s way too coincidental that so many people in the same family all died the same way. She invites her own doctor, Michael Wheaton, to help investigate and keep the children safe from the mysterious illness that has taken the lives of so many.

This story is creepy! I read up on the historical events, and the author did a great job of bringing this story from the pages of the past and turning it into a suspenseful and intriguing story. This novel is gritty and dark, not a light read. There is a love story that develops to lighten the mood a bit. I’m usually not a fan of stories set in the 1800’s, but the author did a lot of research and the setting just adds to the macabre and nightmarish circumstances. It’s hard to believe this is based on real life! Also, by the time you understand why the title is The Green Dress, your head will be spinning.

Definitely check this novel out, especially if you like gritty true crime stories.

Overall: 5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)
Suspense: 5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The post The Green Dress appeared first on Best In Suspense.

For Fans of Suspense, Historical Fiction, and True Crimes

This is the fourth installment in the True Color series which takes strange historical crimes and turns them into suspense-filled fiction stories. Grace Hitchcock’s The Gray Chamber focuses on a dark period in the late 1800’s surrounding the poorly run women’s lunatic asylum called Blackwell Island.

Edyth Foster’s life is about to take off. She’s set to take over her parent’s estate after their death, and she finds the love of her life. But her uncle get her falsely committed to the asylum where Edyth withstands the horrible conditions. She meets Nelly Bly, an undercover reporter, and the two try to stay alive in the asylum.

The Gray Chamber puts readers right into the middle of these historical events. I hadn’t actually heard about Nelly Bly until reading The Gray Chamber, and the story surrounding Blackwell Island is creepy in its own right. But the author adds the lovable and quirky Edyth to the plot and readers endure the heartbreaking conditions of the asylum right along side her. Edyth’s spunk challenges the societal norms of the time period with her dress and actions. She even takes up fencing, which wasn’t a thing women did in the 1800’s. Edyth isn’t the damsel in distress, which made her plight all the more harrowing as she fights for her life from inside the asylum.

The Gray Chamber is intriguing and full of suspenseful twists. Sadly, much of the elements in the story happened. If you love true crimes, this is one novel you don’t want to miss. The fast-paced action plus likable characters makes this a must read.

I received a complementary ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The post The Gray Chamber appeared first on Best In Suspense.