Tag: suspense

It’s a fall read!

A TOWN CALLED SOLACE by Mary Lawson

            I recently picked up A TOWN CALLED SOLACE by Mary Lawson on my journey through an airport, but unlike my flight, Lawson’s plot offered pacing so steady that the ascent and descent were imperceptible. Centred around the convergence of two mysteries, the missing sixteen-year-old Rose and the mistake elderly Mrs. Orchard made decades before, this novel offers an examination of the vulnerabilities that make us human. Set in a fictional northern Ontario town, the character dynamics in A TOWN CALLED SOLACE will feel familiar to all raised in small rural towns. Readers should be aware that this novel discusses issues which may be sensitive, including death among the elderly and sexual assault.

Thank You Grace

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens

            This reading recommendation comes with thanks to my friend Grace who encouraged me to read WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. A novel full of raw emotion that will bring you to tears and also force giggles to bubble from your lips, the story of Kya Clark is one of strength, courage, and determination. Set in the mid to late twentieth century North Carolina coast, the narrative follows Kya Clark while she grows increasingly independent, inventive, adventurous, and as she develops relationships with her surroundings and select neighbours. Throughout the novel there is an air of mystery as readers begin to associate Kya with a recent crime, question her innocence, and ponder what it means to achieve justice. It should be noted that Kya’s narrative includes abuse, assault, and poverty that may be sensitive to some readers. As an educator, the novel asks you to reconsider your personal prejudices and the impact they have on your teaching, as well as your opportunity and ability to positively impact the lives of students who may need you the most. What is more, there is a depth to the scientific information regarding nature presented in this story that is undoubtedly attributable to Delia Owen’s expert knowledge in biology. Whether you introduce this novel to your students, add it to your personal bookshelf, or share it with a monthly book club, it is a must read that will inspire you to re-examine what you constitute to be a worthy read.

Carefully Crafted Suspense

RIDGERUNNER by Gil Adamson

            Gil Adamson’s RIDGERUNNER is a master work of carefully crafted suspense that will leave readers frantically searching for more pages when they reach the end. Follow the adventures of Jack Boulton and his father William Moreland in western North America during WWI to explore themes of social inequity, determination, and courage. Readers will find themselves questioning their morality as they sympathize with William Moreland, and wondering if they have ever truly known courage as they follow Jack Boulton. This novel develops delicate suspense without prioritizing mystery above adventure, creating a world for readers that overflows with intense energy. RIDGERUNNER does not simply raise the bar for quality storytelling, it upends and replaces any previous notions of what it means to successfully interweave suspense with characters’ adventures.