Silencing Sarah by M.L. Cordle (Romantic Suspense wth a bit of paranormal)

Could not put this one down.

This book really intrigued me. Madison's journey home to Virginia opens up a can of worms! Suddenly all the secrets and underground sexual liasions that an entire town has kept below the surface now gets shaken up. The first third of the book the reader hears all the voices and the gossip as everyone discusses Will and Maddie and the case of Sarah, speculating but not giving straight answers. A lot of this book is written in dialogue and to me it felt like living in the South, where so much of life is talking and telling stories. People get together and talk. Contrasting the gossip is the voice of Sarah haunting Will..a voice of truth that stands out amongst the gossip and destructive relationships. I can't reveal too much on account of spoilers which is really a shame because the ending of this book is really cool. Even though this book is mostly dialogue, some sections of narration were awesome,especially the sections on dreams and Sarah.

I have not read a lot of small press books but I am glad I read this one. It has a different feel than the standard fare in romantic suspense. Although it is slightly less polished, I also found it unique, more cutting edge in some ways and quite refreshing. I kept trying to put this book down so often (read around my husband's ER trip) because I had other things I had to do but I could not put it down. I think this book might not appeal to those who want a simple distracting read or something that complies with stricter genre definitions. But, to readers who want something more eclectic, something unexpected, (like people who crave indie movies versus Hollywood), this book might be a very nice refreshing choice, something to explore. As you all know, I really like variety and I have to say, this book kept drawing me inside. A mix of romance, suspense and paranormal... and a bit of spirituality too coming out of a twisted past and a murder.

This is a book that I find very hard to rate. I think it will be more enjoyed by readers wanting something fresh, something that defies easy definitions. Personally, this was a read that just kept drawing me inside over and over. This book is going to be easier for me to review comment-wise than rate. She did some awesome things and took some good chances that made this book more meaningful to me than maybe a safer kind of vetted bestseller read. Do I rate this according to me (personal) or to some average reader that doesn't exist (maybe objective, but why rate on whether a neat book appeals to 99% of people) or based on the writing and orginality (still not totally objective). Is as book that takes no chances better than one that does and opens new ground? Are classics better than ground-breakers? Weren't classics groundbreakers in their own time?  I loved this book because it is the kind of book where I followed the book versus a book that followed my expectations.

Blurb:

When Madison Owens left her rural hometown in South West Virginia to pursue her goal of becoming a writer, she never imagined that she would become a best-selling novelist and marry the man of her dreams. But she soon learns that dreams can turn into nightmares, and when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
Divorced, heartbroken, and suffering from a major case of writer's block, Madison returns to Virginia with plans to renovate her grandparent's rustic cabin and create the sanctuary she so desperately needs.

Will McGomery is a man in hiding. After his wife's suicide and the suspicious drowning death of a young local girl and family friend, Sarah Chambers, Will wants nothing more than to be left alone. The plot of land and cabin he purchased from the Owens family seemed to be the ideal place to escape the demons of his past, to live a quiet, simple life of solitude, and to silence the ghost who haunts him. But when a nosy, beautiful author shows up on his land claiming it as her own and stubbornly refusing to leave until he answers her questions about the past, Will knows that his quiet existence is at an end.

Although Madison knows she should heed Will's warnings and stay out of his life, she can't escape her growing attraction to the mysterious recluse. Her writer's imagination is awakened by his story, just as her body is awakened by his touch.
In her determination to sort out the truth from the lies, Madison wades into a quagmire of painful secrets, where no one is above suspicion and betrayal lies around every corner. Thoroughly embroiled in the mystery of Sarah Chamber's death and her growing attraction to Will McGomery, Madison will invest everything-her heart and her life-in her quest to silence Sarah.

AKA Merri
Family Challenge Team: The Spine Breakers with my dh Glenn AKA Phaedrus