Suspense Central

January

May
Scion of Ikshvaku by
Amish Tripathi

February

June
The Six-Gun Tarot by
R.S. Belcher

March

July
Treasure Island by
Robert Louis Stevenson

April

September
An Easy Death by
Charlaine Harris

October
Crestwood Lake 2:
Satan's Revenge by
Mark R. Vogel

November
Fahrenheit 451 by
Ray Bradbury

December

October

Suspense Central Selections for
2019

*2019 selections for Suspense Central are
listed below by month. If you have difficulty
seeing a title and/or author, all selections are
listed on our meetup site.

Recaps, comments

Crestwood Lake 2: Satan's Revenge by Mark R. Vogel
Thursday, October 3, 2019 - 8p
Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace, 10 Triangle Plaza (Route 17 North) · Ramsey, NJ

Full line-up of 2019 titles is listed below - please scroll down

This group meets on the first Thursday of each month to discuss a specific
mystery, horror, or intrigue novel. Join Moderator Aurelia Long as we discuss
this month's featured selection.

This month's selection is the highly anticipated sequel to Crestwood Lake -
Crestwood Lake 2: Satan's Revenge by Mark R. Vogel.
Satan is back and out for blood. Crestwood Lake is a small, secluded town in
the woods of northern Vermont-and an epicenter of evil. Colonized in 1693, in
the aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials, Crestwood Lake has been battling
the dark forces since its inception. ... Lucifer intends to reclaim the tortured
community and establish a hell on Earth. With a renewed coven of ruthless
witches and demons, he is prepared to unleash his vengeance.

August
Nightwise by
R.S. Belcher

Nightwise by R.S. Belcher
8/1/19 recaps

AM
Our August selection for the month's theme of Deep, Dark Magic was Nightwise by R.S. Belcher. It was
a perfect start! Nightwise introduces readers to main character Laytham Ballard. It is quite clear
Laytham is not one of the good guys, yet somehow manages to keep the reader involved in the story.
Maybe that's because Laytham is self aware and freely admits he's an a-hole. The supporting
characters are all richly developed and vary from the deplorable - Dusan Slorzack - to the fun - Ichi. The
story begins with Laytham making a promise to a dying friend, Boj, that puts him on the trail of Dusan
Slorzack - a guy so bad, even the devil thinks he's bad! Finding Slorzack seems impossible and sets off
a chain of events in a world where magic exists, monsters exist - the human and demon - and plenty of
intrigue. Belcher brings the real and fantasy worlds together seamlessly. Masons, Knights Templar,
demons, a visit from Satan, plot twists and the Rock Star of the Magic World come together for a
satisfying read. The discussion was animated and almost non-stop for over an hour! Gene, who hadn't
read the book commented on the urban fantasy aspects and asked some thoughtful questions about
the story and characters. Ratings averaged in the 7 & 8 range. We would read a sequel.

Chris H
We began our dark magic theme with Nightwise by R.S. Belcher. We had just read his Six-Gun Tarot in
June and thought we'd try another of his novels. The main character, Laytham, was a self-named bad
person, and we certainly agreed with his assessment. A general consensus of '7' seemed an about
right rating.

An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
9/5/19 recap

AM
Excellent discussion on the Charlaine Harris novel An Easy Death. An Easy Death is an alternate history,
magic is real, wizards are up to no good, and "bodyguards" make a living escorting people to safe
zones. Main character Lizbeth "Gunnie" Rose is a good shot and in demand as a bodyguard. After a
mission gone wrong, Gunnie Rose is forced to take on a mission she doesn't want - protect two
wizards. Magic, gunslingers, well drawn characters made for a satisfying read. Scores ranged from 6-8.
Kathleen pointed out that Charlaine Harris, as a writer, is able to lend a different voice to each of her
series. Whether it be supernatural, western, mystery, each series has a unique voice. All would be
interested in the sequel when it's released in early 2020.