Female Suspense Authors . . . Add Two

I'm bustin' my buttons with excitement. It's kind of like when you learn a new word and suddenly notice that word everywhere you look.

(Okay, yeah. The picture has nothing to do with buttons. But I promise you, if you go to Morgue File and put in "buttons" this little fella is in the pile of pics to choose from. And I couldn't say no.)

A few weeks ago, I shared a conversation my friend Leslie and I had regarding top-notch female suspense writers and the apparent lack thereof. Like magic, I've found two to add to a list I hope to see growing as the year goes by.

These women should be household names. Seriously.

I recently completed Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke. It was terrific. A strong—but still vulnerable—female protag in a solidly written suspense involving a serial killer . . . what more could one hope for? In fact, based on that read, I've preordered her new one, 212.

Today at lunch I opened the cover of The Bone Chamber by Robin Burcell. I only had time to read one chapter, but I know this is going to be a fabulous story filled with high energy, suspense, and authoritative juice. In only a few short pages, I'm wowed.

The connective tissue, aside from fantastic writing, is the flavor they each lay down in their stories. Authenticity. It doesn't come from detailed, textbook data strewn across the page, but rather from subtle imagery and assumption that the reader is neither a dummy or a frustrated student of minutia. They don't have to show me how much they know, because by achieving a brilliant balance I trust them both implicitly. They don't allow facts to get in the way of the story.

I'm hooked.




It's all better with friends.