Book Review: To Die, To Sleep by Stephanie Black

Deseret Book sells far more thrillers than I would expect from a church bookstore, but each one I’ve read, I haven’t been disappointed. This one is no exception. It’s nice to read a genre that I like without the sex, swearing, and gratuitous violence that sometimes almost always seems to accompany the genre. Not to mention it’s nice to read one that leaves the reader feeling somewhat resolved versus reasonably unsettled like so many thrillers often do.

Summary

Natalie Marsh has had her fair share of murder mysteries but none that come as close to home as this one. After visiting her cousin, who is a nurse at a secluded mountain getaway called “The Keep”, Natalie finds herself caught up in a mystery surrounding the death of The Keep’s owner Henry, which is soon followed by the disappearance of another staff member, the growing insanity of his son, and an additional murder. Weaving through all the possible reason she can of the insanity, jealousy, and revenge that surround this strange family, Natalie uses her skills as a psychologist to vindicate her cousin, who is somehow framed for the murders, and unmask the true killer before it’s too late.

Strengths

Plot. The author knows the thriller genre and writes it well, weaving the bits and pieces of clues that have sprung up throughout the story and weaving them together (instead of just info-dumping when it seemed integral to the story like so many other thrillers do).

Characters. Each character underwent some sort of development or there were certain revelations presented to the reader about each character. This was quite refreshing to witness since there were quite a few different characters.

Weaknesses

Protagonist’s backstory. Of course, this one is my own fault; little did I know that this novel is book #3 in a series. I’m sure Black describes Natalie and the development of her character more in the series’ prior books.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will do myself a favor and read the prior books to I can get the whole story of Natalie Marsh’s character and what her full story is in this series.