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Suspicious Origin
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.... 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....
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 8, 2003
374 people are currently reading
481 people want to read
About the author
Patricia MacDonald
70 books557 followersLibrarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Patricia MacDonald is the author of several psychological suspense novels set in small towns. MacDonald grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut and has a master's degree from Boston College. Before writing her own novels she was a book editor and was once an editor for a soap opera magazine in New York. She is married to writer Art Bourgeau. They live in Cape May, New Jersey and have one daughter.
Her first novel, The Unforgiven, published in 1981, received an Edgar Award nomination from the Mystery Writers of America. Secret Admirer (1995) won the literary prize at the 1997 Deauville Film Festival in France, where MacDonald is consistently a number one bestseller. She’s also been awarded the prize for literature at the International Forum of Cinema and Literature in Monaco.
Patricia MacDonald is the author of several psychological suspense novels set in small towns. MacDonald grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut and has a master's degree from Boston College. Before writing her own novels she was a book editor and was once an editor for a soap opera magazine in New York. She is married to writer Art Bourgeau. They live in Cape May, New Jersey and have one daughter.
Her first novel, The Unforgiven, published in 1981, received an Edgar Award nomination from the Mystery Writers of America. Secret Admirer (1995) won the literary prize at the 1997 Deauville Film Festival in France, where MacDonald is consistently a number one bestseller. She’s also been awarded the prize for literature at the International Forum of Cinema and Literature in Monaco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 13, 2021
I had not read a book by this author in years. What a page-turner. Lots of action and twists and turns. I recommend her books.
November 26, 2024
I was hooked from the start of this psychological thriller.
Britt's sister died in a fire...it's a twisted tale from here.
Well-written and fast-paced this was an engaging tale of mistrust, misconceptions and lies. The characters were believable and suited the plot, and the plot had many avenues. Who to trust?
No spoilers - just to say I enjoyed this story and recommend it.
Britt's sister died in a fire...it's a twisted tale from here.
Well-written and fast-paced this was an engaging tale of mistrust, misconceptions and lies. The characters were believable and suited the plot, and the plot had many avenues. Who to trust?
No spoilers - just to say I enjoyed this story and recommend it.
June 23, 2017
Just love this author. Great suspense thriller.
January 26, 2024
DNF - Horrible set up; incredibly awful, amateurish writing; no suspense in the plot as every element was loudly telegraphed; none of the characters elicited any compassion; bad grammar and typos. Overall, a real dud of a book.
January 24, 2024
Britt was a royal pain in the butt! What a horrible character
August 19, 2023
Origine suspecte de Patricia MacDonald, présentation
Kevin Carmichael est avocat. Il se réveille en sursaut. Il fait des rêves d’anxiété. Il est marié à Caroline, qui dort paisiblement. Elle ne peut pas avoir d’enfant, son voeu le plus cher. Ils ont fait appel à Vicky et ils adopteront son bébé.
Il y a un incendie chez leurs voisins.
Avis Origine suspecte de Patricia MacDonald
Britt est appelée car sa soeur est décédée dans l’incendie de sa maison. Elle n’a pas revu sa soeur depuis de nombreuses années. Elles entretenaient des relations très distantes, suite à une dispute. Britt était la cadette et elle culpabilise énormément car elle n’a pas su reprendre contact avec Greta. Pourtant, elle tentait de conserver des liens, en envoyant des cartes, de l’argent à sa nièce Zoe. Dès que Zoe voit Britt, elle se précipite dans ses bras.
Pour Britt, le coupable est très vite trouvé. C’est son beau-frère. Son comportement laisse à penser qu’il a tué sa femme. Britt va faire en sorte, en menant l’enquête de son côté, qu’Alec paie son crime. Surtout que Britt est victime, elle aussi, d’un incendie. Britt est une jeune femme qui a réussi professionnellement. Elle est productrice d’une émission à succès. Côté sentimental, elle a entretenu une relation avec le présentateur vedette, marié, mais il n’a jamais pris soin d’elle, elle était son faire-valoir. Britt s’interroge beaucoup concernant cet homme. Lorsqu’elle apprend la mort de sa soeur, elle culpabilise énormément, mais elle veut tout faire pour sa nièce, pour rester près d’elle et pallier à l’absence d’Alec, qu’elle juge coupable car tout est contre lui. Britt croit qu’elle impose ses idées aux autres pour faire condamner Alec. Mais malgré tout, elle n’est pas fermée et dès qu’elle trouve des éléments qui la feront changer d’avis, elle mettra tout en oeuvre pour faire pencher la balance de l’autre côté. Britt change très vite d’avis, malgré les circonstances. Son but est tout de même Zoe et que cette dernière ne souffre pas malgré les circonstances.
Alec est, bien entendu, le coupable tout trouvé. Il semble que son couple avec Greta n’était pas forcément uni, malgré la belle maison, l’argent… Mais Alec, voulant protéger sa femme et surtout sa fille, ne dit pas tout et surtout des recherches entreprises par Greta pour retrouver sa mère, qui a disparu alors qu’elle était adolescente et Britt encore une enfant. Mais, comme Britt, il changera très vite d’opinion quant à ses relations avec sa belle-soeur, surtout lorsque cela tournera en sa faveur.
Le couple qui habite à côté de chez Alec, avec le mari ancien avocat à Boston, attend avec impatience l’arrivée de leur bébé. Pour cela, ils ont fait appel à une jeune femme et ils adopteront son bébé. Mais Caroline mène la vie dure à la jeune fille enceinte. D’ailleurs, au fur et à mesure, le lecteur apprendra tout ce qu’il faut savoir sur le passé de ce couple, de cette femme, au coeur des évènements qui ont lieu dans la région.
Ce n’est pas le premier roman de Patricia MacDonald que je lis. D’ailleurs, celui-ci a été lu il y a une quinzaine d’années et je ne retrouve pas ma critique, donc je ne peux pas dire mon ressenti à ce moment-là. Quoi qu’il en soit, je n’ai pas franchement adhéré à ce roman, au personnage de Britt, à certains éléments d’écriture et surtout à la fin. Concernant les éléments d’écriture, j’ai trouvé que certains éléments étaient franchement pas très crédibles. En effet, comment peut-on garder un chat, dans ses bras, pendant plusieurs minutes, alors que l’on essaie de trouver des éléments suspects. On aurait dit que Britt ne l’avait pas pendant tout ce temps, mais dès son retour à la maison, elle le libère. En ce qui concerne l’enquête, tout dépend des découvertes de Britt et de ses expériences. Je n’ai pas vu venir le coupable, ni la fin de ce roman.
Kevin Carmichael est avocat. Il se réveille en sursaut. Il fait des rêves d’anxiété. Il est marié à Caroline, qui dort paisiblement. Elle ne peut pas avoir d’enfant, son voeu le plus cher. Ils ont fait appel à Vicky et ils adopteront son bébé.
Il y a un incendie chez leurs voisins.
Avis Origine suspecte de Patricia MacDonald
Britt est appelée car sa soeur est décédée dans l’incendie de sa maison. Elle n’a pas revu sa soeur depuis de nombreuses années. Elles entretenaient des relations très distantes, suite à une dispute. Britt était la cadette et elle culpabilise énormément car elle n’a pas su reprendre contact avec Greta. Pourtant, elle tentait de conserver des liens, en envoyant des cartes, de l’argent à sa nièce Zoe. Dès que Zoe voit Britt, elle se précipite dans ses bras.
Pour Britt, le coupable est très vite trouvé. C’est son beau-frère. Son comportement laisse à penser qu’il a tué sa femme. Britt va faire en sorte, en menant l’enquête de son côté, qu’Alec paie son crime. Surtout que Britt est victime, elle aussi, d’un incendie. Britt est une jeune femme qui a réussi professionnellement. Elle est productrice d’une émission à succès. Côté sentimental, elle a entretenu une relation avec le présentateur vedette, marié, mais il n’a jamais pris soin d’elle, elle était son faire-valoir. Britt s’interroge beaucoup concernant cet homme. Lorsqu’elle apprend la mort de sa soeur, elle culpabilise énormément, mais elle veut tout faire pour sa nièce, pour rester près d’elle et pallier à l’absence d’Alec, qu’elle juge coupable car tout est contre lui. Britt croit qu’elle impose ses idées aux autres pour faire condamner Alec. Mais malgré tout, elle n’est pas fermée et dès qu’elle trouve des éléments qui la feront changer d’avis, elle mettra tout en oeuvre pour faire pencher la balance de l’autre côté. Britt change très vite d’avis, malgré les circonstances. Son but est tout de même Zoe et que cette dernière ne souffre pas malgré les circonstances.
Alec est, bien entendu, le coupable tout trouvé. Il semble que son couple avec Greta n’était pas forcément uni, malgré la belle maison, l’argent… Mais Alec, voulant protéger sa femme et surtout sa fille, ne dit pas tout et surtout des recherches entreprises par Greta pour retrouver sa mère, qui a disparu alors qu’elle était adolescente et Britt encore une enfant. Mais, comme Britt, il changera très vite d’opinion quant à ses relations avec sa belle-soeur, surtout lorsque cela tournera en sa faveur.
Le couple qui habite à côté de chez Alec, avec le mari ancien avocat à Boston, attend avec impatience l’arrivée de leur bébé. Pour cela, ils ont fait appel à une jeune femme et ils adopteront son bébé. Mais Caroline mène la vie dure à la jeune fille enceinte. D’ailleurs, au fur et à mesure, le lecteur apprendra tout ce qu’il faut savoir sur le passé de ce couple, de cette femme, au coeur des évènements qui ont lieu dans la région.
Ce n’est pas le premier roman de Patricia MacDonald que je lis. D’ailleurs, celui-ci a été lu il y a une quinzaine d’années et je ne retrouve pas ma critique, donc je ne peux pas dire mon ressenti à ce moment-là. Quoi qu’il en soit, je n’ai pas franchement adhéré à ce roman, au personnage de Britt, à certains éléments d’écriture et surtout à la fin. Concernant les éléments d’écriture, j’ai trouvé que certains éléments étaient franchement pas très crédibles. En effet, comment peut-on garder un chat, dans ses bras, pendant plusieurs minutes, alors que l’on essaie de trouver des éléments suspects. On aurait dit que Britt ne l’avait pas pendant tout ce temps, mais dès son retour à la maison, elle le libère. En ce qui concerne l’enquête, tout dépend des découvertes de Britt et de ses expériences. Je n’ai pas vu venir le coupable, ni la fin de ce roman.
January 20, 2026
1.5/5 stars
I took a break from reading this because there’s a lot of issues going on here…
We got Hallmark movie levels of agoraphobia leading to:
- An unlikable main character from the big city who only has redeeming moments when she considers moving to the small town the plot is set in
- Said main character starting issues with almost every single person in the town, leading them to hate her and the city life
- Culprits who originally came from, you guessed it, the city!
-Cutthroat work life back home in the city that fires the man character for “taking too much time off” after her sister is murdered…
- A man so caught up in his career and desire to move to the city (for a man he randomly he hooked up with to like him???) committing crimes and pinning it on others all in the name of getting to the city life
I love living in a city but DAMN this propaganda fest of a book was making me question that. On top of that, the pacing DRAGGED, we had red herrings that turned into entire B and C plots that didn’t feel fleshed out enough. This leads to a feeling of what the hell was the point. This is not to say dead ends shouldn’t be a thing in mystery novels. They are and SHOULD be a fixture of them. But normally their build up is earned through clever deductions that just didn’t fully connect to the rest of the puzzle, whereas this book just dropped these plot points right after we got to the end of them and they don’t feel satisfying as a reader. They feel cheap and put there for shock value. We could have trimmed the fat off a close to 500 page book (kindle edition) and made the read more enjoyable by just dropping these plot lines altogether.
One thing I will highlight is the last 50 pages or so had great moments of tension that had me tearing through to the end. I enjoy mystery/thriller novels because I love the feeling I get when my heart is racing as I’m making connections faster than these characters. The author made great use of shifting perspective and fragmented knowledge across the two, leaving me with all the answers and desperately hoping the characters can catch up with all the information they have. On top of that, the characters also have to deal with the culprits themselves in several back to back life-or-death situations. Great usage of suspense, but unfortunately not enough to save this book from a two star rating.
I took a break from reading this because there’s a lot of issues going on here…
We got Hallmark movie levels of agoraphobia leading to:
- An unlikable main character from the big city who only has redeeming moments when she considers moving to the small town the plot is set in
- Said main character starting issues with almost every single person in the town, leading them to hate her and the city life
- Culprits who originally came from, you guessed it, the city!
-Cutthroat work life back home in the city that fires the man character for “taking too much time off” after her sister is murdered…
- A man so caught up in his career and desire to move to the city (for a man he randomly he hooked up with to like him???) committing crimes and pinning it on others all in the name of getting to the city life
I love living in a city but DAMN this propaganda fest of a book was making me question that. On top of that, the pacing DRAGGED, we had red herrings that turned into entire B and C plots that didn’t feel fleshed out enough. This leads to a feeling of what the hell was the point. This is not to say dead ends shouldn’t be a thing in mystery novels. They are and SHOULD be a fixture of them. But normally their build up is earned through clever deductions that just didn’t fully connect to the rest of the puzzle, whereas this book just dropped these plot points right after we got to the end of them and they don’t feel satisfying as a reader. They feel cheap and put there for shock value. We could have trimmed the fat off a close to 500 page book (kindle edition) and made the read more enjoyable by just dropping these plot lines altogether.
One thing I will highlight is the last 50 pages or so had great moments of tension that had me tearing through to the end. I enjoy mystery/thriller novels because I love the feeling I get when my heart is racing as I’m making connections faster than these characters. The author made great use of shifting perspective and fragmented knowledge across the two, leaving me with all the answers and desperately hoping the characters can catch up with all the information they have. On top of that, the characters also have to deal with the culprits themselves in several back to back life-or-death situations. Great usage of suspense, but unfortunately not enough to save this book from a two star rating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2023
An Absolutely engrossing book, ‘Suspicious Origin” by Patricia MacDonald is a one-sitting read. It is about two sisters who have been estranged for years. And then Britt finds out that her sister Greta has been killed in a fire . Returning for her funeral Britt meets for the first time, Greta’s husband, Alec and her daughter Zoe, reeling from the shock.
In her effort to find out what caused that fire, Britt unwittingly enters a mystifying tangle of suspects. After many twists and turns, the resolution of the mystery is a surprise.
I enjoyed the book.
4 Stars
In her effort to find out what caused that fire, Britt unwittingly enters a mystifying tangle of suspects. After many twists and turns, the resolution of the mystery is a surprise.
I enjoyed the book.
4 Stars
June 15, 2018
A meddling auntie wants to nail her obnoxious brother-in-law. Too bad her sister died in the guestroom - but bad stuff happens. Snowmobiles are noisy but are toned way down in this tale. If it weren't for caring a neighbor Zoe wouldn't amount to much more than a lump of ashes There you have it - go for it. Enjoy New England.
February 4, 2024
Could have been a 5!!!
I scored it low only because of the “f” bomb and the “gd” a few times. The book would have been perfect without those two obscenities!! A very good story and several surprises in the plot, but I refuse to yield to the demands of popular culture. Unfortunately, I won’t be reading any more books by this author .
I scored it low only because of the “f” bomb and the “gd” a few times. The book would have been perfect without those two obscenities!! A very good story and several surprises in the plot, but I refuse to yield to the demands of popular culture. Unfortunately, I won’t be reading any more books by this author .
January 15, 2024
Animal abuse
Needless. Pointless. A turtle tortured by two brats a few pages in. I skipped over that part hoping that was it, but no, later she goes on to describe a puppy electrocuted in a bathtub. Last book I'll ever read by this author. Sickening.
Needless. Pointless. A turtle tortured by two brats a few pages in. I skipped over that part hoping that was it, but no, later she goes on to describe a puppy electrocuted in a bathtub. Last book I'll ever read by this author. Sickening.
March 4, 2025
Interesting turn of events
Patricia McDonald weaves a tail with so many twists and turns you begin to wonder who really done it! The ending was totally unexpected. Enjoy her great storytelling.
Patricia McDonald weaves a tail with so many twists and turns you begin to wonder who really done it! The ending was totally unexpected. Enjoy her great storytelling.
June 3, 2017
Great story. Thought I had it all figured out and then it got me towards the end.
December 7, 2019
Bien ficelé, j'ai beaucoup aimé ma lecture (sauf les toutes dernières pages, d'où 4/5*).
Read
March 15, 2020Espagne
August 10, 2021
Intense page turner!
August 15, 2022
3 1/2 Really good, kept you guessing
January 16, 2023
Its worth a 2.75. Not fully a 3.
October 27, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
Lots of twists, turns, and suspense!
Lots of twists, turns, and suspense!
January 19, 2024
Thrilling- complicated characters - murders they lead you to different suspects.
January 26, 2024
Definitely a Five star Book
Read in one day. Could not put it down. Outstanding writing. I can’t wait to read more of Patricia MacDonald’s books.
Read in one day. Could not put it down. Outstanding writing. I can’t wait to read more of Patricia MacDonald’s books.
March 30, 2024
Very well written, suspenseful and no predictability.
April 30, 2024
Interesting at the start but soon descended into deftness don’t waste your time
June 14, 2024
Enjoyed this book, as usual Patricia brought all her characters alive 😀
September 10, 2024
It's a great build-up story, but the plot is shaky, and the ending is awkward.
February 11, 2025
Good story. Didn't see who the murder was. Great ending.
March 21, 2025
This story is absolutely UNHINGED.
August 26, 2025
Actually so unpredictable and an insane page turner. Full of action and questions until the end where it all builds up to
November 13, 2025
A page turner- hard to put down!
February 23, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast moving thriller that had me thinking one way, then another.
Britt and her sister Greta are estanged. Britt gets a phone call from her brother-in-law that Greta was killed in a house fire and she heads off to Vermont to see if she can help with her niece. Once she gets there, she finds out that the fire was intentionally set and that both Greta and Zoe had been drugged. Britt, being a television producer, begins to dig to find out what really happened. I swung from the television reporter, to the neice, to the husband, to the neighbour, the unwed mother and back and forth with my suspicions. The ending was another twist to the story. This book will keep you riveted.
Britt and her sister Greta are estanged. Britt gets a phone call from her brother-in-law that Greta was killed in a house fire and she heads off to Vermont to see if she can help with her niece. Once she gets there, she finds out that the fire was intentionally set and that both Greta and Zoe had been drugged. Britt, being a television producer, begins to dig to find out what really happened. I swung from the television reporter, to the neice, to the husband, to the neighbour, the unwed mother and back and forth with my suspicions. The ending was another twist to the story. This book will keep you riveted.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews