Stay Close, by Harlan Coben

Stay Close
Written by Harlan Coben

"Maybe he thought...maybe it was time for all of them to move on."--Broome, Stay Close, by Harlan Coben


The first audio book I ever listened to was during a road trip with my best friend and her mother. There is something utterly delicious about riding along in the car, seeing the road pass you by, when you abruptly find yourself transported to a completely different world.

Suddenly the road ceases to exist as the largest part of your conscious becomes so deeply entrenched in the story you're listening to. To this day, I have to admit that thrillers are my favorite genre to experience in audio format. And the car is my favorite place to listen to them.

Before I go into what I enjoyed about this book, I have to take a moment to rave about the actor/writer whose amazing voice was chosen to tell this story, Scott Brick. He was fantastic. He just has that perfect resonance that was ideal for a thriller. Kudos to Scott Brick, the superb voice who made this audio book by Coben that much more intriguing.

This was also my very first experience with a Harlan Coben novel. I only found out about the book because it showed up on the monthly email I get from goodreads.com that details new releases. I read the little blurb and thought it sounded like it might be a fun read. When I saw my local library had it in audio format, I was sold. I requested the next available copy and anxiously awaited it's arrival.

I was not disappointed. Coben does an awesome job of describing his characters. Combining his descriptions with Brick's voice is an award winning combination. This is something that I always look for in a book, but especially when it's a thriller. It's those small hints of personality, those insights into the character's psyche that make them interesting and foreshadow what is to come. Also, it's what makes them seem real. It allows you to love each character for their own uniqueness, and also to question whether or not they could be responsible for some of the horrible acts you're reading about.

Sometimes I find that suspense writers, in an effort to keep the reader in the dark about who the villain is, will weave a story so complicated that it's hard to follow and no fun to read. I don't want to feel the need to buy the cliff notes just to keep track of all the plot points. I loved that this plot was simple to follow through each of the twists and turns, but still compelling enough to keep me interested. I was impressed with Coben's ability to lead me through the story with enough info to make me think I might have figured it out, but leaving enough to be revealed later to keep me just a little unsure. It wasn't until almost the very end, when a few of the final pieces of evidence came to light, that I realized who, if anyone was truly innocent.

I read some of the other reviews who weren't as impressed with Coben as I was. I saw over and over that his previous books were better. I enjoyed Stay Close, and I think I'll have to check out some of his other books as well now. If they are even better, in the opinion of these more harsh critics, they must be absolutely awe-inspiring.

Beneath the Shadows, by Sara Foster

Beneath the Shadows
Written by Sara Foster

"She took a deep breath, trying to quell the worry that was winding her nerves into knots.  Adam's note had unsettled her. 'Won't be long. I have to talk to you when I get back, don't go anywhere. A x.'" -- Chapter One, Beneath the Shadows, by Sara Foster

When I found out that I was the lucky winner of an advance copy of Beneath the Shadows, I got excited.  I had read the summary of the book and I had been anticipating it's release this summer.  When I found out I'd get to read it a month before it hits the shelves, I began anxiously awaiting it's arrival in the mail.  It's always fun to read new authors, but I still cannot believe that this was Sara Foster's debut novel! Her poignant writing, leaves me restless with anticipation of her next novel. Beneath the Shadows was brilliantly told, and the characters instantly draw you in. You won't regret picking this one up and whiling away a hot summer day on the couch. 

I literally could not put this book down.  I started reading it the first chance I got yesterday, and I was reading it every spare second for the rest of the day.  I just barely managed to finish it before bed-time last night. 

Beneath the Shadows kept me in thick suspense as Sara wove a story about a woman, Grace, in her determined search to find out how and why her husband, Adam, disappeared a year ago.  I loved how there was just enough foreshadowing to hint at who may have been involved in Adam's disappearance, but it was handed out in such a clever way that it added to the anticipation. In an attempt to carry on with her life after the baffling disappearance of Adam, Grace returns to the place of his disappearance in a hope of finding the answers she so desperately needs.  More importantly, she hopes to find peace so she can move on and raise their daughter Millie, who was born just a few weeks before the disappearance and may never know her father. 

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster will be released on June 5, 2012!  Happy Reading!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month