Corpse Pose

by Lesa Knollenberg

Ex-marathoner Sam Jameson can’t run from her problems anymore. She begins a hot yoga practice to conquer her paralyzing grief, loneliness, and guilt over a shameful past. As she cautiously forms new relationships with a mentor, lover, and a friend, she discovers she’s being stalked. As the heat rises, she realizes one of them wants her dead. If Sam can’t discern ally from adversary, corpse pose could take on a whole new meaning.

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2023

Reviews

[Jennifer Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Corpse Pose! Rarely does a book cause me to both laugh out loud and yet have a level of suspense that I cannot wait to get back home to pick the book up again! I was hopping back and forth between suspects for the majority of the story. The characters in Lesa Knollenberg's book soon felt like friends- with lovable flaws, warts and all. There was a raw honesty in the protagonist's narration that was both disarming and also made me want to reach in and shake some sense in to her at times. I loved the yoga pose 'teasers' at the start of each chapter. Each was filled with so many truths, and I've found myself thinking about them during my yoga practice ever since! This was a delightful cozy mystery and I am so looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Judi Ketteler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A definite page turner! Once this book gets going, it doesn't stop. I love that the story keeps us guessing. But it also has strong character development. Our hero, Sam, isn't perfect. She has a past and things she's ashamed of, which makes her very relatable. As a runner and yogi, I also love the fitness theme, and how the author develops the emotional side of being active. I found myself nodding along as Sam is talking about how exercise feels in her body and what it means to her. I love stories about family, and family really underpins everything about this book. Yes, the suspense drives the plot, but the relationships with family keep it grounded. Highly recommend!

[Betsy Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fellow Wisconsinite and Yogi, this book was a perfect fit for me. I loved how each chapter began with a different yoga pose and how the pose correlated with what was happening in the story. It was brilliant and well thought out. I learned a lot about the poses I do in yoga and how it can relate to my own life. No more leaving the poses on the mat! Bring them with you into the rest of your day and like Sam, you can withstand whatever life throws your way. I also loved how the author described places in Madison- running through the arboretum for example- I could picture it perfectly. My favorite part of the story was when she described driving through Devils Lake- I know those twisty roads; they are scary to drive on in full daylight! Picturing Sam driving those roads at night, seeing deer eyes, knowing her niece was nearby possibly walking the no shoulder road looking for her, and then having to speed being chased by someone? Compound that with her fear of car crashes because her parents died in one recently- it all made my heart race and want to scream out loud. I had to keep reading to see how she got out of that one! This book also has some funny parts - very relatable to anyone that has taken a yoga class. It’s the right amount of scary and entertaining and I loved the irony in the end.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing page-turner —with depth!—that was well-written. Kudos to the author for her debut novel.
This was a good, intriguing and compelling suspense novel about a woman being stalked and threatened, yet the book was not gory or violent which I liked; the author wrote a cozy thriller able to be read without worrying about horror sneaking in. It was suspenseful so you kept turning pages, and it had depth and layered characters. The main character practiced yoga and the author wove that through expertly, in coping with her past and present circumstances and loss, and giving the heroine an empowering narrative. It says its a series suspense novel so I look forward to more of her work.

[OceanGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Summer Read

This is one of those books I could not stop reading once I started. The main character was interesting and the yoga additions were helpful and enlightening. The “murdery parts” were light but the book was still suspenseful. I’d like to read more from this author.

[Katie Temp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got caught up in some of the small details not feeling consistent, but I loved that it took place in Madison as someone who lives here. The car scene at Devil’s Lake had me so on edge, and the twist at the end was really good!

[Michelle Eversoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!

[Darcy Edl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a page turner that I had an incredibly hard time putting down. The characters are brought to life in the writing and I loved the suspenseful ending. This is a writer to watch!!

[Chris Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing mystery. Very well written! Has you wondering to the end!

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Come

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to support local authors. This was add n easy one to support because this was a well written novel with Madison as a backdrop. I loved it

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining! Excellent character development and good writing that kept me engaged. I don’t normally read mysteries but if there is another by this author, I will read it!

[Caroline Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love books set in Madison so when a book is set in Madison AND has a hot yoga theme, I’m sold! Not sure I could ever do hot yoga again after everything Sam went through, though!