Title: Garage Sale Stalker
Author: Suzi Weinert
Publisher: Smith Publicity/Barringer Publishing
Published: 11-15-2010
Pages: 352
E-Book ASIN: B004M18ZXW
ISBN-10: 0982842597
ISBN-13: 978-0982842591
Genre: Mystery
The book opens with an older lawyer, Greg Bromley, awaiting outside the home of a deceased client, Wendey Yates, awaiting the arival of her son, Ruger Yates, the presumed sole survivor of the family line. When Ruger arrives, Bromley tells him of his history and the story of how he came to grow up in a military school and have no contact from a mother whom he believed had died thirty years before and the father who died in an asylum after killing his sister. The lawyer is more than ready to leave strange man who made him so uncomfortable behind after he hands over the keys. Ruger enter the house to be barraged with the memories of an abusive mother and a vague memory of a brother. The pain and blood drive him out of the home for air. He pushes himself to return to the house with the vow that he will destroy any trace of his mother from the house and make it his own until he can sell it and get the heck away from the terrors of his childhood. Sell everything, paint and some simple used furniture should do it.
Jennifer Shannon Grabs her keys, notebook and phone and runs to her can to begin her garage sale run. Knowing she needs to return early she limits the number of sales she will attend. As she approaches the first sale she recognizes a few of "The Regulars" as she calls them; people who make regular appearances at garage and estate sales. An exiting browser knocks her down carrying out his tv. She also has an encounter with another shopper at the next sale who is belligerent and threatening when she buys a painting he wants. She realizes it is the same man who knocked her down at her last stop. After a final stop she heads home to find Jason, her husband, on the patio reading the paper. While taking about the new woman disappearing Jason tells her of another burglary. Later something clicks and Jennifer realizes the burglaries are at places where people had garage or estate sales recently. She takes her idea to the police who at first brush her off, but when she pulls out her notebook and correlates the ads with three of the robberies. Setting up a time to go to that Saturday's sales with the detective to point out the regulars she gets ready to leave. Stopping to tell him if he will check with the other paper he may have more matches.
This is a book full of mysteries. Was it really the father that killed the little girl? What happened to the older boy Mathias? What really happened at the Yates house all those years ago? Who is taking the women and where are they now? A major question when a friend of the daughter disappears. Jennifer can not leave it alone and and soon danger is stalking her. Can she figure everything out before she disappears like the other women she read about in the paper.
Many of us watched the movie, this book is based on but I need to tell you the movie can not touch the book. It is so layered in mystery that the reader's mind is so constantly saying maybe this or that was important. I'm sharing one little detail. As you approach the end of the book, don't think it is over. Suzi Wienert keeps you guessing until the very last page Well written with full bodied characters. Pick up copy or download one, either way you will find this series one you will run to obtain as soon as the latest book becomes available.