Why Didn't You Come For Me? / by Diane Janes

It's been twelve years since her infant daughter Lauren's abduction and Jo Ashton continues to receive photographs of her baby in the mail, the words "I still have her" scribbled across the back. Even though she's remarried and moved with her new husband and stepson to an isolated part of the country, she still gets them. The police insist it's just a cruel joke, a creepy but harmless taunt by someone just wanting to stir things up. But Jo knows it's not just a prank. She knows that whoever sent them has monitored her every move and is at least sincere about letting her know it. And though she can't be sure of who or where the kidnapper is or even if they're telling the truth about Lauren, Jo has a gut feeling that her daughter's out there somewhere, still alive. There's another side to the story though, an even more sinister element reaching further back into Jo's past even before the birth of her daughter to a scarred, repressed childhood marked by horror, abuse and murder. As things in her life start to unravel, Jo's deepest hopes and darkest fears begin converging in ways she could never have foreseen.

Janes was nominated for a CWA (Crime Writer's Association) and Dagger award for her novel Pull of the Moon, a story of long hidden secrets in which a deathbed confession leads the protagonist down a path of intrigue and betrayal. It was a book critically acclaimed by both readers and critics for its psychological suspense and marked Janes as a noteworthy new author in the genre. Why Didn't You Come For Me? is another solid story concept with Janes effortlessly erecting a lurid, creepy tale. The demented premise of a woman being taunted by her child's kidnapper, a sordid past of the protagonist and a wonderfully situated setting all contribute to the book's appeal. The story is so good that the character of Jo doesn't quite measure up to the gravity of her situation. There are times where she seems as much a fish out of water as a heady protagonist and in certain instances, she's largely outweighed by the magnitude of the conflict. (MYS JANES)

Before I Go To Sleep: A Novel / by S.J. Watson

"The Bedroom is strange. Unfamiliar. I don't know where I am, how I came to be here. I don't know how I'm going to get home."

Recurring amnesia is a serious issue with Christine, such a problem that even when she 'knows' the who, where and why, she's still suspicious. Every morning her husband Ben must explain everything about her past, her present and the condition caused by a trauma, an accident some time ago. Recently her work with a new doctor has given Christine the idea to document her the important, key facts in her life, reminding her of things she may not know or remember but which could make or break the rest of her life. Keeping track of daily events, with and without her husband's knowledge, Christine begins piecing things about her story together and some things don't add up, like certain details surrounding her accident. When she one day finds a note-to-self with "Don't Trust Ben" written on it, Christine's situation becomes far more serious than just loss of memory.

This is a very entertaining book, a suspense driven psychological thriller with enough substance to leave readers thinking. Watson digs to the very soul of Christine's problem and, at the same time, to the very soul of truth and existence. The narrative structure isn't the easiest and readers might have a difficult time piecing the mystery together even after reading it, but its a plot driven story with twists at every page, a compelling story and wonderful debut novel. More than a few movie fans may remember the film 2000 Memento starring Guy Pearce, based on an originalshort story by Jonathan Nolan, brother of director Chris Nolan, will reconnect with the synopsis about an individual whose memory is swept away each new day. But with Watson's novel, there is so much more to the character and the story. (FIC WATSON)

Black Water (DVD) 2007 / a film by David Nehrlich & Andrew Traucki; starring Diana Glenn, Andy Rodoreda & Maeve Dermody

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After spending the Christmas holiday at home, Australian sisters Grace and Lee along with Grace's husband Adam take their time traveling back to their jobs in Sydney, stopping off at various off-the-beaten-path locales, quaint remote lodges and assorted regional attractions. Yet terror finds them during a guided tour of a mangrove swamp when a vicious attack by a man-eating crocodile capsizes their boat, the beast killing the tour guide and leaving the trio trapped up a tree with the crocodile still lurking in the shallow water. Attempts to contact the outside world, gain access to the drifting boat and navigate the tree limbs in pursuit of a path out of the swamp prove futile, even fatal when Adam's efforts to retrieve the boat go awry and he too is taken under (and eaten) by the croc. Isolated, preyed upon and utterly alone, the stranded sisters await their fate with little hope of escape, rescue or survival.

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What may suggest another generic creature feature from the outer casing, not to mention any preconceptions based on movies like Jaws, Cujo, King Kong or Jurassic Park, is actually an intriguingly gratifying film. The story, based on true accounts of crocodile attacks in this particular region of Australia, is less focused on the savagery of nature or man vs. beast battles and more concerned with the psychology of fear, the reactionary immobilization (both literally and figuratively) of an individual amidst stunningly perilous circumstances. A low-budget indie picture with little-to-no adapted or CGI effects (real crocodiles were used), Black Water transcends any limitations and emerges as an intense, moving experience.

There Goes . . .

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The Neighborhood / by S.K. Epperson

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Hospice nurse Abra Ansen thinks she's made a smart career move when she moves into the quiet home of bed-ridden Thomas Conlan, a man slowly dying of AIDS . . . or so she's been told. In actuality (and as Abra soon finds out), Mr. Conlan ails from a completely different illness; one that's just as deadly but far more infectious--smallpox. Supposedly a disease which was wiped out decades ago, Conlan suffers from a unusually volatile strain which has somehow been re-introduced into the natural world. But why would such a bizarre illness be attached such a harmless old man? And why the lie in the first place?

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Meanwhile the world outside concerns itself with the sudden disappearance of Cindy Melo, a local teenage girl seemingly having vanished into thin air a little over a week ago. The search for the missing girl ongoing, Abra steadily begins to learn more about her new neighbors; things like retired cop Zane Campbell's home business involving prosthetic eyeballs and creepy Craig Peterwell's assortment of exotic pets all eerily interconnected somehow amidst some very strange and sinister dealings. Slowly does Abra realize what's truly at stake concerning Mr. Conlan and his neighbors.

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S.K. (Sharon K.) Epperson may be the best kept secret within the thriller genre and, more particularly, within the context of psychological suspense. From the very first page all the way to the end, the story is uncannily original with the reader perpetually drawn to the plot. Yet unlike many traditional thrillers where action and suspense are the central attributes, it's the characters--primarily Abra, Zane and Craig--which evoke the most intrigue, Epperson's well-crafted involvement of each's motives and their successive contributions to the story subtley making for a rewarding read.

In The Woods / by Tana French

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"Picture a summer stolen whole from some coming-of-age film set in small-town 1950's . . ." (p. 1)

Rob Ryan has a past to fit his profession. 20 years ago, in a harrowing event marking him for life, the homicide detective was witness to two child murders in a wood near his boyhood home. Now another case of uncanny resemblance has found its way to Ryan and partner Cassie Maddox. The victim, Katie Devlin, was a 12-year-old aspiring ballet dancer, already accepted to the Royal Academy, when she went missing one day in August. The impending search would end soon, however; her body discovered at an archaeological site only days following the disappearance. It's with eerie irony that Ryan must confront these circumstances as he and Cassie erect an investigation; himself having found remnants of the two children—Peter and Jaime—in the exact same location (more or less) only decades before.

Mirroring the now cold case from his past, Ryan’s current assignment is anything but open-shut, even as a more-than-normal collection of leads and motives intersect in the murky, beneath-the-surface exploration into Katie’s world. There’s her family for one, a visibly normal but quirky set with more than their share of ambiguities. For while its apparent that her loving--if tenacious--father cared deeply for his daughter, unselfishly supporting Katie's dancing ambitions alongside his reserved wife, it's also evident that various confidentialities are concealed behind both parents' curious demeanor. Then there's the sisters--the older Rosalind and Katie's twin, Jessica; their very manner and appearance bespeaking of deeper issues within the home. Other factors play into the drama. Not least among them is the archaeological dig itself and the political uproar aroused over the new expressway set to bypass it (tax dollars footing the bill).

In the Woods won the 2008 Edgar Award for best mystery novel but the book recommends itself. A psychological thriller of the old school, it will gratify those enjoying suspense as much as the more sinewy world of crime and detective fiction. Genreflecting aside, the writing is the real hook, a willowy style of revelation branded with a practiced air of authenticity. Irish author French must've done quite a bit of her own 'digging around' in researching for this exquisitely articulated work.