Jennifer Shannon lives in secure, affluent McLean, Virginia, where she stumbles into danger lurking in places she thought absolutely safe. Her passion for weekend treasure hunting at local garage and estate sales pulls her into a twisted world of crimes, child abuse and murder. When Jennifer is forced to match wits with an antagonist bent on revenge, her family's safety and her own desperate situation hinge on her intelligence and resourcefulness. Nothing prepares her for the ultimate discovery, producing a startling climax. Suzi Weinert, a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, lives with her husband in the Virginia countryside. Garage Sale Stalker is the first in the series of Garage Sale mysteries. www.garagesalestalker.com
"You might say it's the U.S. Army's fault," chuckles Suzi Weinert, remembering the first military thrift shop she ever attended. "It was a treasure trove of unusual artifacts laced with practical items." An Air Force brat turned military wife, this attraction to thrift shops led her to swap meets and bazaars before she concentrated on garage and estate sales.
Moving 11 times across the United States and overseas with her husband - while raising their five children and trying to make every new house a home - she quickly learned whatever couldn't be taken on a move could later be supplemented with judicious second-hand buys.
But what began as a need turned into a 25-year bona fide weekend garage sale passion. Then, following a spine-chilling experience at a sale in Virginia, she found herself writing a short story that would eventually become a book: her debut novel, Garage Sale Stalker, and first in her series of Garage Sale mystery-thrillers.
Soon Suzi found herself in a position most authors fantasize about. A Hollywood producer chose her book as the basis for a 2-hour TV movie on Hallmarks Movie & Mystery Channel, so successful they developed it into 15 movie episodes in Hallmark's Garage Sale Mystery Series. Talented film star Lori Loughlin brought the novel's protagonist, Jennifer Shannon, to life.
When asked where she gets her story ideas, Suzi says, "Plot potentials are almost endless at garage sales if connected to something Jennifer Shannon sees or hears or buys there, or someone she meets."
Author of four Garage Sale Mystery novels, Suzi belongs to Mystery Writers of American and Sisters-in-Crime. Her first novel was published when she was 75, the second when 78, the third at 81 and her newest novel when she's 85. She lives with her husband, a retired Army General, in northern Virginia. This award-winning author has appeared on TV morning shows, talk radio, internet blogs, podcasts and magazines articles. s everywhere.
Garage Sale Stalker by Suzi Weinert is the first book in the Garage Sale mystery series. Jennifer Shannon has a passion for all kinds of garage and estate sales and notices that a lot of the sales she attends seem to be tied to various burglaries. She also becomes involved in the disappearance of several local women leading to her own kidnapping. An interesting, captivating book looking at issues related to child abuse and neglect. Lots of twists leading to a surprising climax. I look forward to reading more of the series.
Although this has a fun premise this is a very dark book with child abuse and violence. I read for entertainment and do not find this kind of topic entertaining. Not very well written.
The title of this book, Garage Sale Stalker, sounded to me as if it were probably a cozy mystery. Far from it! Though our heroine is a 60 year old grandma, this is the story of a brutal serial killer and how he became that way.
Jennifer loves her family and a good garage sale. She’s smart and observant. When a string of local burglaries coincides with the addresses of recent garage and estate sales, she puts two and two together to help the local police find the culprits. In the course of following these crimes, however, she keeps crossing paths with another garage sale shopper who is definitely not the type she normally sees at these sales. Her growing concern about and fear of him are not misplaced.
This story was not what I was expecting at all but that can be a good thing. It kept me interested from the first page. I like the use of older heroines as I move closer to that age category. The characters were believable and acted believably. Considering recent headlines, the story was something you could almost expect to hear on the news any day.
There were just two drawbacks for me. The use of exclamation points was distracting because there were so many of them. This is unusual for writers in this genre. The other drawback was that at times I felt like I was reading two different books. When reading about Jennifer’s family life, it did almost feel like a cozy but the switch to the segments about the killer felt like you were almost in a horror movie. A bit jarring at times.
The book has descriptions of brutal violence and child abuse. It’s best to know that going in.
I received this through Netgalley and I appreciated the opportunity to read and review this book.
I like the mystery movies on the Hallmark Mysteries and Movies channel. As far as I can tell, they are based on mystery book series. My quest this summer is to read at least one book from each of the series those books are based on. There isn't much resemblence between this book and the Garage Sale Mysteries movies on Hallmark. The main characters' names are the same, and the main character goes to lots of garage sales, and it's a mystery. There the resemblence ends.
That being said, I liked the book. I like "cozy mysteries." They're quick and easy to read, and are free from profanity, blood and gore. This fit right into that category.
Having been totally surprised by the Hallmark Channel's tv movie version of this book, I was anxious to red the original source material. SO glad I did. The characters are richly detailed and so charming you can't help but get immediately involved with them. The book, as always, has so much more than the tv movie, and a lot of it was very harrowing. Can't wait to read more of Ms. Weinert's work!
I love garage sales. I picked this book thinking it would be a little dull. After reading the first chapter or so it wasn’t dull but the characters were “hokey”. Had some chuckles and enjoyed reading some of the parts to my husband. So I kept on reading. The plot is what got me. I had to see how it would end. It was a page turner. And it was completely hokey to the end. A nice read.
I started this book expecting a cosy crime however this story was far from it. The main character Jennifer turned out to be a gritty determined older woman who is kidnapped by a serial killer and has to try to escape before his uses for her run out.
The author tells the story from Jennifer’s perspective but also of Ruger the killer as the book is as much about how be became that way as about the crime itself. Although I was rooting for Jennifer and her family, I also felt sorry for Ruger (and his dog) which made for a nice confliction in my reading experience here. This book was going to have a 5 star review but for two small things. Firstly, the sappy ending had me rolling my eyes a little but mainly it’s the title of the book. It doesn’t do it any justice and completely detracts from the actual style of the book. However the writing was great and pulled me in, exciting me and keeping me reading late into the night. I look forward to reading more from this author. 4/5 Stars
This was not what I expected it to be! I thought it was going to be a cozy mystery but to my surprise and enjoyment it was thrilling and a bit intense. I have a long commute and need to stay awake and alert so this ended up being the first book for that! The way she describes the scenes were really spectacular to me, although the dialog seemed "dumbed-down" to a point it still carried the story along at a good pace. It takes you on a thrilling roller coaster with thrills and chills, romance, sadness, and everything in between. At the same time it depicts some nasty scenes around truly horrifying child abuse and domestic violence, which will deter some readers. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
I'm torn about how many stars to give this book. It does move right along and it kept me reading, although near the end I kept checking the percentage left to see if it was finally going to be over.
There's a throwaway mystery that is solved easily and then never mentioned again. Most of the story involves the main character's interactions with a serial killer.
The last part of the book depended on a lot of coincidences and things that just seemed implausible.
The writing itself was sometimes good and then other times veered into sloppy and juvenile. If awards were handed out for using the most exclamation marks, this book would probably win.
If I hadn't gone into this expecting to read a cozy mystery, would I have enjoyed it more despite the flaws? Possibly.
Very well written but not what I was expecting. I read this book after watching the hallmark movies. I read another book series that a hallmark movie was based on and they were cozy mysteries with little to no descriptions of violence or blood so that what what I expected from this book too. However, it was very different and dealt with significantly more real-world violence and criminals who don't necessarily have a a nice, neat motive like a classic or cozy mystery would. It was really not my cup of tea, and yet I was still was intrigued enough to continue reading the entire book and appreciated the author's clearly well researched and well written book. I would recommend to those who lean more towards darker true crime and are looking for a fiction version of that.
A quarter of the way through the book I was thinking that I was only going to rate this book with three stars because it was starting to get really difficult to read about the abuse that the antagonist and his brother had to endure as children, and I was thinking about not continuing the story, but by the end of the book I had to change my rating because I could not put this book down until it was done. It was a well written, well put together story.
Garage Sale Stalker is an important read because it sheds bold light on a serious problem in our society. Three million cases of abuse and neglect of children are reported in America every year which, of course, means a significant number remain unreported. In addition, it is a fast moving, thrilling, keep you on the edge of your seat, reading late at night read. You won't put it down once you start reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had drama, love, it was sad then happy. It was very detailed. It really pulled at my heartstrings. I felt so bad for those boys and what they endured. I also felt bad for Mrs Shannon and what her family endured but the ending was a happy one.
VERY different from the hallmark show! Which I actually enjoyed. This was solid writing, and a tough subject to deal with. Nothing light nor fluffy about this novel. I enjoyed the details, and the ending started to become a bit obvious to me, but I enjoyed this none the less. A good read.
I am not sure the title describes the essence of the book. Was an enjoyable read, but the author leaves the reader with some ideas to think about that are almost haunting.
I picked this up because of the Hallmark Movie & Mysteries series. I enjoyed it and understand the changes they made to Jennifer, but the book character was still lovely.
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.
I was first drawn to this book by the title and cover. My two favourite things are Garage Sales and Stalkers (though not necessarily together!) I love trawling round car boot sales and garage sales in the hope of a good bargain or two, I also love reading about Stalkers ~ though wouldn't like my own personal one!
I felt this book was really two books in one. When I first started reading it, it felt like I was reading a calm, uneventful and relaxing read ~ How wrong I was! The book suddenly turned into a breakneck speed thriller which in places had me curled up and wincing at certain occurrences. Then again at the end it became a more gentle read and calmed my nerves down, slightly!
The only thing that frustrated me a bit was that many of the words beginning with the letters "TH" were missing or replaced with either a square box or other symbol. I even came across a few Tiger smilies (which were rather cute). I had to really think what words I should be reading but after a while my mind adjusted and it became almost second nature to realise what I was reading.
A great book despite these odd occurrences and I really hope to read the follow on book "Garage Sale Diamonds" very soon too. I'm also really looking forward to seeing the Hallmark movie "Garage Sale Mystery" which is based on the book.
Many Thanks to the author and publisher at Net Galley for letting me read this in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I stumbled upon this scary read in my fav bookstore, Books-A-Million in Naples, FL. Suzi was talking with a columnist and I glanced her book on the cafe table. I immediately checked it out as a Nookbook.
This is one great read: suspenseful, hard to put down:
Garage Sale Stalker is the first in a series of Garage Sale mysteries. The main character, Jennifer Shannon, lives in secure, affluent McLean, Virginia, where she stumbles into danger lurking in places she thought absolutely safe. Her passion for weekend treasure hunting at local garage and estate sales pulls her into a twisted world of crime, child abuse and murder. The heroine is forced to match wits with a protagonist hell-bent on revenge, her family's safety and her own desperate situation hinge on her intelligence and resourcefulness. Nothing prepares her for the ultimate discovery, producing a startling climax.
Really enjoyed this story about a mom who goes garge saleing every weekend while her family sleeps. She notices that robberies around the area are from were she went yard selling. She take her thoughts to the police and finds someone who will listen to her but still does not think much of it as a lead. He goes with her one weekend and starts coming around to her way of thinking. The book also gives you the side over the ones who are doing the crime and how they got started. I thought that was a good part of the story. This book has a few twists in it and makes you think you know who it is and then there was a surprise. Don't want to say to much about that. A very good story about something that goes on every weekend. I really enjoyed the book.
I can understand other reviewers trouble with some of the editing and formatting of the book, but I really enjoyed the story (and as the author's first book it's understandable). I concur with others that at first the book seemed a bit slow but as an avid reader I know you have to stick a book out in order to properly judge it. For me, the book definitely delivered! I recommend sticking with it. Additionally, I looked up the author and found that the story is being made into a Hallmark TV movie starring Lori Loughlin as the main character (Jennifer Shannon). I don't think Hallmark would buy rights to something they didn't know they could sell, so I think that says something for the story.
Garage Sale Stalker is the first book in a series and is average. At times I wanted to stop reading because I felt that the writing could have been stronger. However, I stuck it out and slowly but surely got pulled in towards the end. Jennifer is a woman who cruises garage sales looking for treasure. Her innocent hobby gets her involved in a seedy world of child abuse and crime. Action picks up---I promise. There were a few graphic scenes.....if people stick with it, they will enjoy it.
Thanks to Suzi Weinert and netgalley.com for the advanced copy to read.
I really enjoyed this book. Jennifer Shannon lives in secure, affluent McLean, Virginia, where she stumbles into danger lurking in places she thought absolutely safe. Her passion for weekend treasure hunting at local garage and estate sales pulls her into a twisted world of crime, child abuse and murder. Forced to match wits with a protagonist hell-bent on revenge, her family's safety and her own desperate situation hinges on her intelligence and resourcefulness. Nothing prepares her for the ultimate discovery, producing a startling climax.