For fans of intriguing plots, fact pace action and danger

Dead Silence is a fast-paced suspense novel that puts readers into the action right from the start. Elise Carmichael is able to read lips due to her hearing impaired son. She “overhears” a conversation about a murder plot. Things intensify when mysterious packages show up at her house, threatening her and her family.

Robin Caroll’s novels are always full of mystery and intrigue. Elise had many struggles before being threatened, as she suddenly found herself as a single mother and a widow. Her plight to protect her son and find herself again makes her a likable character. Lots of plot twists will readers engaged throughout the story. But I did find a few situations in the novel not entirely believable. While Elise is a strong and fierce character, she does act unrealistic when she decides to solve crimes with the help of a news reporter.  Elise at times seems oblivious to the danger around her. She withholds a lot of information from the FBI, which would have helped their investigation. It seemed like the FBI bumbled through the investigation while the “rookies” of the story were able to find out more than the agents. I wished the FBI story line had more substance. FBI Agent Rodriguez had the potential to be a strong character, but he didn’t take charge and seemed pretty passive for an FBI agent. However, this didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.

Definitely add Dead Silence to your TBR list– despite my comments above, the story is full of action and suspense and is an enjoyable novel.

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 Dead Silence appeared first on Best In Suspense.

I’ve always been a fan of Robin Caroll, and Stratagem did not disappoint. The main story line centers around a psychological game/escape room created by Grayson Thibodeaux. A game in which his ex-wife is murdered, and all signs point towards the ex-husband. The plot develops with police interviews of all of the participants in the house during the game. It creates a “who-dunnit” feel as I found it intriguing to see a crime scene through the various character’s accounts of the same event. Several characters had the motivation to commit the crime, and the reader gets caught up in putting the pieces together along side the detectives on the case.

This is a different style from some of author’s romantic suspense novels. This seems to fall more into the mystery/police procedural category. I rather enjoyed the departure from the traditional girl-meets-boy-on-the-first-page type of scenario, and if you’re a fan of romance, this might not be your favorite plot line. But it worked for me. While not action-packed suspense, this story dives into the psychology and motivations behind the crime. I’d recommend this book anyone looking for an intriguing mystery.

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

The post Stratagem appeared first on Best In Suspense.