Staff Picks Category: Suspense

The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack [Book]

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Sent to Switzerland to catalog a manuscript collection for her auction house employer, Semele Padnow nearly overlooks its greatest treasure, a volume written by Ionna, the daughter of a librarian at the Library of Alexandria. Womack (The Memory Painter) weaves the stories of these two women together as Semele translates the ancient text. Upon her return to Manhattan, Semele’s employer inexplicably removes her from the project, but by then she’s already become attached and continues to work from her unauthorized digital copy. What began as memoir becomes prophecy, and Semele is amazed to realize that Ionna accurately foresaw events occurring generations after her death. When the original client reaches out, Semele begins to piece together the events that connect past to present.

Beginning as a clever mystery based on an ancient manuscript and evolving into a family epic spanning centuries, international thrills, and predestined romance, The Fortune Teller has something for everyone, particularly fans of A.S.Byatt’s Possession and Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series.

The Diviners by Libba Bray [Book]

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An enchanting mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end! A dark story of the supernatural set in 1920s New York City. Speakeasies, theater, jazz and plenty of twenties slang to keep you giggling.

The story follows a young woman named Evie O’Neill who possesses a power she just can’t explain. After Evie’s brother dies, she is sent to New York City to live with her uncle, a professor of the occult. A chilling murder takes place and Evie’s uncle is called in to help the police investigate the mysterious circumstances. Could Evie’s power help solve this disturbing mystery?

Bray’s characters will stay with you long after you finish reading. Stay tuned for the second book in this series, Lair of Dreams.

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts [Book]

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Rowan Tripp has been fighting fires since she was 18, and is the daughter of a retired forest fire fighting legend. We meet the new crop of rookies, and get to see the intense ways they train, as well as meet the surviving crew from the previous season when they lost one of their own. The fire season is difficult enough on its own, but we find that someone hasn’t let go of last year’s tragedy. The suspense is more in the people vs. fire, with a lot of details including training, equipment and on the line fire fighting. Although this definitely qualifies as a romance, I didn’t find it too over the top, and felt the steam came more from the water vs. fire than the relationships. There is a secondary romance that adds an interesting element.