SUSPICIOUS ORIGIN by Patricia MacDonald
Patricia MacDonald is one of my favorite suspense writers. She can create situations where you are held in suspense from the first chapter till the last. Therefore it is always a treat when she has a new book on the shelves. Her latest is another thriller titled SUSPICIOUS ORIGIN.
This book starts off with a fire. It is a fire that envelops a home and kills a woman who is trapped inside. The woman's name is Greta and she is a wife and mother. Her husband Alec was not at home at the time of the fire, and her daughter Zoe, who was, was rescued by a neighbor.
Greta's sister Britt is a cable news director in Boston. She is shocked when she gets the call telling her of her sister's death in Coleville, New Hampshire. Although she and her sister were somewhat estranged she immediately flies to the town for the funeral and to see if she can help with her niece.
After she arrives she learns there are some suspicions surrounding her sister's death. It seems the fire was of suspicious origin. Britt decides to stick around a few days to see what else develops. She is not sure that her brother-in-law is in the clear. He has an assistant who is awfully attentive and she suspects them of being involved prior to her sister's death.
As the days pass Britt's suspicions grow. Finally Britt does come face to face with the killer and finds her
own life in jeopardy. It seems that more than one murder has been committed in this small town.
MacDonald writes with an assurance many other authors lack. She knows exactly how to move her story along so as to gain the maximum suspense. Although this book is not quite as suspenseful as some of her others, it is still enough to keep you on edge.
MacDonald has not written one of her greatest stories in SUSPICIOUS ORIGIN but it is not a book to be ashamed of either. It is a good story but just not up to the amazingly high level of her other stories.
SUSPICIOUS ORIGIN is published by Atria Books. It contains 341 pages and sells for $19.95.