Every Vow You Break

January 4, 2021
This suspenseful thriller from Swanson (Eight Perfect Murders) explores a familiar genre theme—the consequences of entering a marriage with a guilty secret. As Abigail Baskin faces her approaching wedding to wealthy Bruce Lamb, she’s wracked with guilt over sleeping with someone else during her bachelorette party weekend. Her situation becomes even more fraught when that one-night stand, whom she only knows as Scottie, starts stalking her. After Scottie sends Abigail an email suggesting they share a deep connection and she should cancel the nuptials, she goes ahead with the wedding, but fears Scottie’s continuing obsession with her. She hopes for a respite when Bruce spirits her away for their honeymoon on a Maine island, but that’s dashed when Scottie appears there as well, setting in motion a deadly series of events that imperils her life. Credible, fully realized characters and tense situations compensate for plot twists that aren’t as memorable as in Swanson’s best work. Many readers will devour this page-turner in one sitting. Agent: Nat Sobel, Sobel & Weber.

January 1, 2021
Lots of thriller writers know how to set a hook, but Swanson isn't satisfied with just one; the further we go into his devilishly twisty tales, the more hooks he sets, and the harder we bite down on the line. This time we start out on what seems like familiar ground: then-bride-to-be Abigail had a booze-fueled one-night stand during her bachelorette party and is now being stalked by the man with whom she dallied. Fatal Attraction, right? Well, maybe, but we quickly see there's more to it than that. Something seems a little off on the idyllic honeymoon island where Abigail and husband Bruce are ensconced (and it isn't just the lurking presence of the stalker). Naturally, there's no internet on the island (the resort bills itself as a ""screen-free"" getaway), but the landlines aren't working, either. And why are there so few women on the island? The woman-in-peril theme is in grave danger of overexposure right now, but Swanson does force the resourceful Abigail to run a doozy of a gauntlet, and we're panting along beside her all the way.

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February 1, 2021

Marriage vows are meant to be kept, but what if you broke them right before your wedding? Isn't that what a bachelorette party is for? Abigail Baskin has found the perfect man--intelligent, affectionate, and wealthy. Millionaire Bruce Lamb didn't exactly sweep her off her feet, but Abigail is sure he's the one. At least, she's sure marrying a responsible man will be good for her. But right before the wedding, she sees her one-night stand--he's stalked her across the country. She keeps it a secret, not wanting to ruin her wedding or the honeymoon on an isolated private island Bruce has planned. But Abigail doesn't know that Bruce has secrets of his own. As the honeymoon proceeds, strange things happen. Abigail notices she and another guest are the only women on the island and fears someone is conspiring against them. Not sure whom she can trust, she wonders if she should have married Bruce. VERDICT Swanson's (Eight Perfect Murders) new novel is a good match with Lucy Foley's psychological wedding thriller, The Guest List. Readers will bask in the creepiness of being stranded on a remote island, considering how far some might go to punish those who break sacred promises.--K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX

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