[Once again, yes, I am part of the Whitney Academy and will be casting my vote. And no, your opinion here, no matter how cleverly worded, will not sway my vote.]
The finalists for MYSTERY/SUSPENSE are :
- Lockdown, by Traci Hunter Abramson
- Methods of Madness, by Stephanie Black
- Murder by the Book, by Betsy Brannon Green
- Lemon Tart, by Josi Kilpack
- Altered State, by Gregg Luke
In the comments section, state which book you think should win 2009 Best Mystery/Suspense and why.
Or, if you have another favorite that didn't make the list, you can go ahead and tell us about it too.
(And I'd love it if you'd repeat your comment over on the LDS Fiction post for that book.)
9 comments:
So far out of those, I haven't read Betsy's book, so I can't say on that one. I would for for Lockdown of those choices. It was the best by far. ;)
I haven't read any of these Whitney books. My local library doesn't carry any of them and I can't afford to buy them.
Wish I could!
I would hands down pick Lockdown. That is one of my favorite books. It is such a wonderful story.
Anon, does your local library do interlibrary loan?
For me, this was the category that was extremely difficult to choose one winner. I could see all of them winning, but the two that stood out to me were Methods of Madness and Lemon Tart. Methods of Madness created an amazing level of suspense and I literally couldn't put it down. It was chilling and unpredictable. Lemon Tart was masterfully done, the mystery making me second-guess myself several times. Both of these authors raised the bar of mystery/suspense in my opinion and I would love to see either one win the Whitney. But the fact that any of these finalists could win is a testament to the wonderful books (and authors!) that are out there now.
Lemon Tart. I really, really appreciate solid voice. Sadie's personality shone throughout every word. I never felt like there was an author intruding, telling me descriptive details that violated the point of view of the main character. I thought the mysteries all did well as far as plot (especially Altered State), but for solid, consistent voice, as well as the other elements of a good mystery, it's got to be Lemon Tart.
I also very much enjoyed Murder by the Book. Great Southern atmosphere, with good voice as well.
I enjoyed each of the nominated books and thought they were all well written, but Lockdown was definitely my favorite. It helps that I was already in love with the characters of the Saint Squad from previous stories, but the excitement of this story is a great stand alone too. (and the romance is just a little icing on the cake)(and who doesn't love a little icing now and then?!?!)
Love, love, love Lemon Tart! SO funny, fresh and exciting! Everything I want in a mystery!
I have read two books in this category and I liked them both equally. Therefore, I must refrain from selecting a favorite. My favorite author from this group is Betsy Green. That, of course, is just personal preference.
Charlie
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