Rewind

July 15, 2019
Set in Ireland, this captivating thriller from Edgar finalist Howard (The Liar’s Girl) tracks several people whose lives collide with deadly results. Dubliner Natalie O’Connor Kerr, a blogger, suspects her husband, Mike Kerr, of having an affair, which he denies. Natalie sets off for a holiday hotel near Cork, Shanamore Cottages, where she has reason to believe Mike’s trysts occur, leaving a note on her blog saying she’s taking a few days off. Her friends start to worry when a week passes and no one hears from her. Dublin journalist Audrey, who works for an online gossip magazine, figures out that Natalie went to Shanamore and travels there herself. That Shanamore’s owner has shameful secrets and a dark past complicates Audrey’s quest. Meanwhile, Mike’s having spent a night at a small Dublin hotel when his apartment had no hot water has unforeseen consequences. The suspense rises when it becomes clear that a mystery woman has been following Natalie. Astute readers will have fun picking up clues as to what’s really going on. Fans of expertly crafted whodunits will be rewarded. Agent: Jane Gregory, Gregory & Company (U.K.).

August 2, 2019

Andrew, the manager of Shanamore Holiday Cottages off the coast of Ireland, is a voyeur who secretly records the goings-on in the bedrooms of the rentals. Natalie, a successful blogger, suspects her husband is cheating, so she's come to Shanamore to find the truth but finds Andrew a bit creepy. Against her better judgment, she decides to stay in a cottage there herself. When she doesn't come home, the followers of her blog begin to speculate as to her whereabouts. Audrey, an aspiring journalist aching for a scoop, sees Natalie's disappearance as her big chance. Think Psycho meets Fatal Attraction as the village's young Garda tries to solve this murder caught on video. VERDICT Readers who enjoy books by Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware, as well as the earlier thrillers by award-winning Irish author Howard (Distress Signals; The Liar's Girl) will find this a perfect vacation read; full of twists and turns and just the right touch of creepiness. A must for mystery and thriller collections. [See Prepub Alert, 2/24/19.]--Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA

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