Synopses & Reviews
Patricia MacDonald has captivated readers worldwide with her page-turning suspense novels that are filled with surprising twists and turns and psychologically perceptive characterizations. Now MacDonald delivers her most masterful work to date -- a chilling thriller about a woman who, while investigating her sister's death in a house fire of suspicious origin, uncovers the work of a twisted killer who has taken refuge in an idyllic Vermont town. When Boston cable television news producer Britt Andersen learns of the death of her beautiful sister, Greta, she heads straight for her sister's hometown. Estranged from Greta since their father died, Britt meets for the first time her attractive brother-in-law, Alec Lynch, the owner of a successful snowmobile dealership, and her eleven-year-old niece, Zoe, who narrowly escaped the fire with her life. Surprised by the emotional bond that springs up between her and Zoe, Britt decides to spend time with her sister's family to help her niece recover from the tragedy. But soon Britt clashes with her brother-in-law and picks up clues about her sister's unhappy marriage and Alec's likely infidelity.
When the fire marshal discovers the house fire was set deliberately, Britt pushes the police to question Alec more closely. An outsider in a small town whose ways she doesn't understand, Britt finds it difficult to sort the truth from the gossip and the innuendos. Why does Dr. Olivia Farrar, with whom Greta worked, hold a grudge against Alec? Is pretty Lauren Rossi merely Alec's devoted employee or "the other woman"? And what do the Carmichaels, Alec's former neighbors, really know about the events that led to the deadly conflagration? When Britt learns a closely guarded family secret she begins to question everything she believed about her sister's life and death...and unwittingly places herself on a collision course with a killer.
With a vibrant cast of memorable characters, unerring insight into the dark side of human nature and exciting twists of plot, Suspicious Origin holds readers engrossed as it races to its stunning, emotionally charged conclusion.
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Tess Gerritsen I could not put down this book. It haunted my dreams, called to me through the day.
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Andrea Kane New York Times bestselling author of Scent of Danger A tightly woven tapestry of psychological suspense...Tension, revelation and self-discovery abound!
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Kirkus Reviews Now that Joy Fielding seems to have left soccer-mom suspense behind her, MacDonald may well be the leading practitioner of...domestic intrigue.
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Tess Gerritsen New York Times bestselling author of The Apprentice Patricia MacDonald is now on my list of favorite authors.
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The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) One of the best practitioners of romantic suspense.
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Lisa Gardner New York Times bestselling author of The Survivors Club MacDonald ratchets up the tension. Even when you think you know what will happen next, MacDonald twists the plot in a new and startling direction.
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Kay Hooper New York Times bestselling author of Once a Thief MacDonald kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.
Synopsis
When her estranged sister, Greta, is killed in a fire, Boston news producer Britt Andersen heads straight for her sister's Vermont town where, for the first time, she meets her handsome brother-in-law, Alec Lynch, and her eleven-year-old niece, Zoe -- who narrowly escaped the blaze. Surprised by the bond that she forms with Zoe, Britt stays to help her recover from the tragedy. But when she clashes with her brother-in-law, Britt begins to suspect that her sister's life was far from perfect. Then the deadly fire is declared arson....
To find Greta's murderer, Britt desperately tries to sort truth from innuendo in a close-knit town. But when she uncovers a family secret her sister kept from her, Britt must reexamine her own past -- and face the wrath of a twisted killer who wants her dead....
About the Author
Patricia Macdonald's darkly hypnotic tales have captivated readers across America, as well as in France, where she is a #1 bestselling author. Her previous novels include Suspicious Origin, Stranger in the House, Not Guilty, and the Edgar Award-nominated The Unforgiven. She lives with her husband and daughter in New Jersey, where she is working on her next novel.