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Mundy's Landing #1
Blood Red
From New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub comes the first in a terrifying new series set in a small town with a sinister secret The razor's gleaming blade slices effortlessly through skin and tendon, and he relishes the final anguished moments of his prey. There's only one thing he prizes their long, silken strands of red hair. But these women are merely stand-ins . . . a prelude to his ultimate victim. Nestled in New York's Hudson Valley, Mundy's Landing is famous for its picturesque setting—and for a century-old string of gruesome unsolved murders. Rowan returned to her hometown years ago, fleeing a momentary mistake that could have destroyed her family. Life is good here. Peaceful. Until an anonymous gift brings Rowan's fears to life again. The town's violent history was just the beginning. Soon everyone in Mundy's Landing will know that the past cannot be forgotten or forgiven—not until every sin has been paid for, in blood.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 29, 2015
267 people are currently reading
2485 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Corsi Staub
81 books1,893 followersNew York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub is the award-winning author of more than ninety novels, best known for the single title psychological suspense novels she writes under her own name. Those books and the women’s fiction written under the pseudonym Wendy Markham have also appeared on the USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookscan bestseller lists.
Her current standalone suspense novel, THE OTHER FAMILY, is about a picture-perfect family that that moves into a picture-perfect house. But not everything is as it seems, and the page-turner concludes “with a wallop of a twist,” according to #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben.
Her critically acclaimed Lily Dale traditional mystery series centers around a widowed single mom—and skeptic—who moves to a town populated by spiritualists who talk to the dead. Titles include NINE LIVES; SOMETHING BURIED, SOMETHING BLUE; DEAD OF WINTER; and PROSE AND CONS, with a fifth book under contract.
Wendy has written five suspense trilogies for HarperCollins/William Morrow. The most recent, The Foundlings (LITTLE GIRL LOST, DEAD SILENCE, and THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER), spans fifty years in the life of a woman left as a newborn in a Harlem church, now an investigative genealogist helping others uncover their biological roots while still searching for her own.
Written as Wendy Markham, Wendy’s novel HELLO, IT’S ME was a recent Hallmark television movie starring Kellie Martin. Her short story “Cat Got Your Tongue” appeared in R.L. Stine’s MWA middle grade anthology SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN and her short story “The Elephant in the Room” is included in the Anthony Award-nominated inaugural anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A three-time finalist for the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, she’s won an RWA Rita Award, an RT Award for Career Achievement in Suspense, the 2007 RWA-NYC Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement, and five WLA Washington Irving Prizes for Fiction.
She previously published a dozen adult suspense novels with Kensington Books and the critically-acclaimed young adult paranormal series “Lily Dale” (Walker/Bloomsbury). Earlier in her career, she published a broad range of genres under her own name and pseudonyms, and was a co-author/ghostwriter for several celebrities.
Raised in Dunkirk, NY, Wendy graduated from SUNY Fredonia and launched a publishing career in New York City. She was Associate Editor at Silhouette Books before selling her first novel in 1992. Married with two sons, she lives in the NYC suburbs. An active supporter of the American Cancer Society, she was a featured speaker at Northern Westchester’s 2015 Relay for Life and 2012 National Spokesperson for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has fostered for various animal rescue organizations.
Her current standalone suspense novel, THE OTHER FAMILY, is about a picture-perfect family that that moves into a picture-perfect house. But not everything is as it seems, and the page-turner concludes “with a wallop of a twist,” according to #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben.
Her critically acclaimed Lily Dale traditional mystery series centers around a widowed single mom—and skeptic—who moves to a town populated by spiritualists who talk to the dead. Titles include NINE LIVES; SOMETHING BURIED, SOMETHING BLUE; DEAD OF WINTER; and PROSE AND CONS, with a fifth book under contract.
Wendy has written five suspense trilogies for HarperCollins/William Morrow. The most recent, The Foundlings (LITTLE GIRL LOST, DEAD SILENCE, and THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER), spans fifty years in the life of a woman left as a newborn in a Harlem church, now an investigative genealogist helping others uncover their biological roots while still searching for her own.
Written as Wendy Markham, Wendy’s novel HELLO, IT’S ME was a recent Hallmark television movie starring Kellie Martin. Her short story “Cat Got Your Tongue” appeared in R.L. Stine’s MWA middle grade anthology SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN and her short story “The Elephant in the Room” is included in the Anthony Award-nominated inaugural anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A three-time finalist for the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, she’s won an RWA Rita Award, an RT Award for Career Achievement in Suspense, the 2007 RWA-NYC Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement, and five WLA Washington Irving Prizes for Fiction.
She previously published a dozen adult suspense novels with Kensington Books and the critically-acclaimed young adult paranormal series “Lily Dale” (Walker/Bloomsbury). Earlier in her career, she published a broad range of genres under her own name and pseudonyms, and was a co-author/ghostwriter for several celebrities.
Raised in Dunkirk, NY, Wendy graduated from SUNY Fredonia and launched a publishing career in New York City. She was Associate Editor at Silhouette Books before selling her first novel in 1992. Married with two sons, she lives in the NYC suburbs. An active supporter of the American Cancer Society, she was a featured speaker at Northern Westchester’s 2015 Relay for Life and 2012 National Spokesperson for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has fostered for various animal rescue organizations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
July 12, 2016
Blood Red by Wendy Corsi Staub is a 2015 William Morrow publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Blood Red gets the new 'Mundy’s Landing' series off to a great start with a psychological toned thriller that kept me glued to the pages from the first chapter to the last.
Mundy’s Landing is known by many as the setting for one the most puzzling unsolved mysteries of all time… The Sleeping Beauty Murders. There is even a museum of sorts, and every year amateur sleuths and crime buffs descend upon the town hoping to solve the mystery.
Otherwise Mundy’s Landing is a picturesque and peaceful place to live… until now.
Fourteen years ago, when her husband, Jake, was often working away from home, Rowan became close to her neighbor, Rick, a stay at home dad. One fateful day, the friendship nearly became a lot more, but Rowan was saved from making a monumental mistake by a batch of burning cookies and a smoke alarm.
Crisis averted, Rowan puts Rick out of her mind, and over the years learned she had adult ADHD, after her third child was diagnosed with the disorder. Now taking medication to control her impulsiveness, Rowan has settled into a normal, healthy life, teaching fourth grade and raising her children.
But, when a strange package arrives, with fourteen burned cookies inside, wrapped in a newspaper dated fourteen years ago, to the very day she and Rick nearly went too far, Rowan’s peaceful, mundane life is turned upside down.
There are several threads working at once here and all three are tense and upsetting. There is someone out there taunting Rowan, and that same person may be kidnapping and murdering other women, while Rowan struggles with trying to find out who is taunting her and why. We also follow Rowan’s son, who has a crush on a girl that could become the killer’s next victim.
I got so caught up in Rowan’s guilt, regret, and fear of discovery, that I sometimes forgot the real danger that lurked under the surface. Rowan was a potential victim, and in grave danger, but I occasionally lost sight of that due to her extreme distress over being found out and having her whole life upended.
But, I was also very curious about who was sending her these little packages and why it took them fourteen years to make a move. Was it Rick? Or one of the few people Rowan had confided in? Or someone Rick told? Or… Jake?
The reader has access to the killer’s inner thoughts, but we don’t know how he is connected to the players involved in this cat and mouse game, but we do know he has an affinity for redheads. In addition, we know before anyone else what he’s planning, but must sit by helplessly, as events unfold.
This is a crafty thriller, with outstanding pacing, bringing all the elements together, with a huge crescendo, that left me feeling like I had survived a harrowing situation myself.
While this story is most assuredly taut with suspense and mystery, it’s also a bit of a cautionary tale. Secrets and lies usually refuse to stay buried and will eventually find you out and the consequences could be deadly…
Overall, if this book is any indication, this series will be one to watch for.
4 stars
Blood Red gets the new 'Mundy’s Landing' series off to a great start with a psychological toned thriller that kept me glued to the pages from the first chapter to the last.
Mundy’s Landing is known by many as the setting for one the most puzzling unsolved mysteries of all time… The Sleeping Beauty Murders. There is even a museum of sorts, and every year amateur sleuths and crime buffs descend upon the town hoping to solve the mystery.
Otherwise Mundy’s Landing is a picturesque and peaceful place to live… until now.
Fourteen years ago, when her husband, Jake, was often working away from home, Rowan became close to her neighbor, Rick, a stay at home dad. One fateful day, the friendship nearly became a lot more, but Rowan was saved from making a monumental mistake by a batch of burning cookies and a smoke alarm.
Crisis averted, Rowan puts Rick out of her mind, and over the years learned she had adult ADHD, after her third child was diagnosed with the disorder. Now taking medication to control her impulsiveness, Rowan has settled into a normal, healthy life, teaching fourth grade and raising her children.
But, when a strange package arrives, with fourteen burned cookies inside, wrapped in a newspaper dated fourteen years ago, to the very day she and Rick nearly went too far, Rowan’s peaceful, mundane life is turned upside down.
There are several threads working at once here and all three are tense and upsetting. There is someone out there taunting Rowan, and that same person may be kidnapping and murdering other women, while Rowan struggles with trying to find out who is taunting her and why. We also follow Rowan’s son, who has a crush on a girl that could become the killer’s next victim.
I got so caught up in Rowan’s guilt, regret, and fear of discovery, that I sometimes forgot the real danger that lurked under the surface. Rowan was a potential victim, and in grave danger, but I occasionally lost sight of that due to her extreme distress over being found out and having her whole life upended.
But, I was also very curious about who was sending her these little packages and why it took them fourteen years to make a move. Was it Rick? Or one of the few people Rowan had confided in? Or someone Rick told? Or… Jake?
The reader has access to the killer’s inner thoughts, but we don’t know how he is connected to the players involved in this cat and mouse game, but we do know he has an affinity for redheads. In addition, we know before anyone else what he’s planning, but must sit by helplessly, as events unfold.
This is a crafty thriller, with outstanding pacing, bringing all the elements together, with a huge crescendo, that left me feeling like I had survived a harrowing situation myself.
While this story is most assuredly taut with suspense and mystery, it’s also a bit of a cautionary tale. Secrets and lies usually refuse to stay buried and will eventually find you out and the consequences could be deadly…
Overall, if this book is any indication, this series will be one to watch for.
4 stars
March 14, 2018
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This book was very well done. I have had a review copy of this book for a very long time and really regretting the fact that I didn't read this one a long time ago. I love a good mystery thriller and this book pulled me in right from the start. I had such a good time trying to figure out how everything would come together and who the killer would be in the end. I glad I finally decided to give this book a try.
I have to admit that some of my favorite parts of the book were the parts that let us in the killer's head. I liked the fact that we get to meet the killer from the very beginning of the book and even learn his name very early. His identity and everything about him was still a complete mystery to me. The book isn't overly bloody but getting to really see the thought process of this killer really took the story to a new level.
Rowan is a teacher and mother of three in the town of Mundy's Landing. She leads a happy life now despite a mistake that she made and put behind her in the past. When a simple package shows up that could threaten everything, she tries to figure out what is going on. Mick, Rowan's teenage son, leads the busy life of a high school boy. He plays a sport at the school and works a part-time job where he is trying his best to be noticed by the pretty teen girl. Rowan and Mick tell the majority of the story along with the killer but we do also get to hear from a couple of police detectives and Rowan's sister, Noreen.
There were times in the book that I did wonder where things were leading. Honestly, I couldn't understand why Rowan was making such a big deal about things. I kind of wanted to tell her to just move on but I had a feeling that there would be more to the story and there was. It was really the killer's point of view that helped keep the story moving forward. By the end of the book, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough because I had to know what would happen next.
I would recommend this book to others. I liked how all of the pieces of this book came together to tell a very exciting story. This book is the start of a trilogy but I really felt like the story in this book is complete. I am not sure if I will be reading the other installments in this series but I do hope to read more from Wendy Corsi Staub in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from HarperCollins - William Morrow via Edelweiss.
Initial Thoughts
This was very well done. There were a whole lot of things going on in this book and part of the mystery was trying to figure out how everything would come together. Three were a lot of POVs that were used to tell the story and I liked that we got to see things from the killer's point of view even though I had no clue regarding his identity or motivation.
This book was very well done. I have had a review copy of this book for a very long time and really regretting the fact that I didn't read this one a long time ago. I love a good mystery thriller and this book pulled me in right from the start. I had such a good time trying to figure out how everything would come together and who the killer would be in the end. I glad I finally decided to give this book a try.
I have to admit that some of my favorite parts of the book were the parts that let us in the killer's head. I liked the fact that we get to meet the killer from the very beginning of the book and even learn his name very early. His identity and everything about him was still a complete mystery to me. The book isn't overly bloody but getting to really see the thought process of this killer really took the story to a new level.
Rowan is a teacher and mother of three in the town of Mundy's Landing. She leads a happy life now despite a mistake that she made and put behind her in the past. When a simple package shows up that could threaten everything, she tries to figure out what is going on. Mick, Rowan's teenage son, leads the busy life of a high school boy. He plays a sport at the school and works a part-time job where he is trying his best to be noticed by the pretty teen girl. Rowan and Mick tell the majority of the story along with the killer but we do also get to hear from a couple of police detectives and Rowan's sister, Noreen.
There were times in the book that I did wonder where things were leading. Honestly, I couldn't understand why Rowan was making such a big deal about things. I kind of wanted to tell her to just move on but I had a feeling that there would be more to the story and there was. It was really the killer's point of view that helped keep the story moving forward. By the end of the book, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough because I had to know what would happen next.
I would recommend this book to others. I liked how all of the pieces of this book came together to tell a very exciting story. This book is the start of a trilogy but I really felt like the story in this book is complete. I am not sure if I will be reading the other installments in this series but I do hope to read more from Wendy Corsi Staub in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from HarperCollins - William Morrow via Edelweiss.
Initial Thoughts
This was very well done. There were a whole lot of things going on in this book and part of the mystery was trying to figure out how everything would come together. Three were a lot of POVs that were used to tell the story and I liked that we got to see things from the killer's point of view even though I had no clue regarding his identity or motivation.
August 15, 2018
Great thriller!! This was fast paced and kept my attention throughout. I couldn't wait to get back to the story whenever I could find the chance to read. I wish the ending had tied up all of the loose ends but alas this is book one in what is currently a three book series. I hope those ends get tied up in the those and are not just left hanging. If that happens I'm sure it will sour my overall impression of the books. Until then I'm giving Blood Red 5 stars... rounded up from 4.5.
5* (4.5)/ 3.75
5* (4.5)/ 3.75
April 12, 2018
3.5 stars If you like old school serial killer thrillers, you'll probably want to read this. If not, then it's probably not your thing.
The novel is set in the small town of Mundy's Landing in upstate New York. Rowan Mundy and her husband Jake both grew up there, but left for the NYC suburbs. Now back in town to raise their family, they will soon find that the secrets of their past are back to haunt them.
Along with the Mundy's story, readers get glimpses into the mind of a killer obsessed with kidnapping and slashing to death women with long red hair - the sort of hair Rowan used to have back before her move back home. And that's where the qualifier "old school" comes in.
We learn early in the story that Rowan almost - but not quite - had a fling with a stay-at-home dad neighbor while her husband was working long hours in the city. The discussion of this, as well as some of the motivations of the killer, reminded me of 1980s/90s horror where the good girls got away and the bad girls...didn't. It's an uncomfortable overlay at times, though not enough to throw me out of the story.
In the end, I did find myself sucked into this book at some points. However, as with many books by this author, I enjoy it while I'm reading but it doesn't linger in my mind long thereafter.
The novel is set in the small town of Mundy's Landing in upstate New York. Rowan Mundy and her husband Jake both grew up there, but left for the NYC suburbs. Now back in town to raise their family, they will soon find that the secrets of their past are back to haunt them.
Along with the Mundy's story, readers get glimpses into the mind of a killer obsessed with kidnapping and slashing to death women with long red hair - the sort of hair Rowan used to have back before her move back home. And that's where the qualifier "old school" comes in.
We learn early in the story that Rowan almost - but not quite - had a fling with a stay-at-home dad neighbor while her husband was working long hours in the city. The discussion of this, as well as some of the motivations of the killer, reminded me of 1980s/90s horror where the good girls got away and the bad girls...didn't. It's an uncomfortable overlay at times, though not enough to throw me out of the story.
In the end, I did find myself sucked into this book at some points. However, as with many books by this author, I enjoy it while I'm reading but it doesn't linger in my mind long thereafter.
July 9, 2015
It has been a while since I have read anything but this author. So when I saw this book and that it was the first one in a new series from the author I thought now was a good time to read something by this author again. I was disappointed in this book. There was hints of murders being conducted but there was none that really took place expect for a quick moment in the beginning. However if you blink you will miss it. Plus I did not find anyone in this book that particularly intriguing. I did read this book all the way which is amazing. I guess I just held out the whole time that it would get better. I would have to say this book is not one of the author's best showings.
October 20, 2018
Book #1 in series. Really enjoyed. The historical element of the town was extremely interesting. Great MC. Ready for Book #2. 4 stars
August 29, 2015
Rowan and Jake Mundy have left New York City and moved to the small town of Mundy's Landing, their hometown. Mundy's Landing is famous for its scenery as well as a string of century old unsolved murders. The Mundy children Braden and Kate are away at college. The youngest son Mick still lives at home and is in high school.
When the family moved back to Mundy's Landing Rowan felt she was escaping from a mistake she almost made that could have ruined her marriage. Now the mistake has been brought back to haunt her in the form of a package received containing 13-burnt cookies. Such a strange gift but Rowan knew exactly what it meant.
The Mundy's neighbor in New York was Rick Walker who was a stay at home husband while his wife worked. Rowan and Rick became close since they spent so much time together doing activities with the family. Rowan was baking cookies and was stopped from almost giving in to Rick's advance when the buzzer on the stove went off and the cookies were burnt.
Rowan is a red head and there have been some recent murders involving victims with red hair. It appears that Rowan may soon be one of the victims if she doesn't solve the mystery of who is sending the anonymous packages. Rowan discusses the problem with her sister Noreen who has her own troubles and doesn't have much advice for Rowan except to be honest with her husband Jake.
Rowan's son Mick is interested in a girl at school who also has red hair and when she disappears, he is questioned since he has been leaving her some secret Santa gifts.
Rowan's problem is finally solved in the end but not without injury to a family member. I am a big fan of Wendy Corsi Staub and have read most of her books but there was one part of the book that was not brought to a conclusion at the end of the story. This may be because it will be a start for the second book in the series but I did not like the way the incident was just dropped.
When the family moved back to Mundy's Landing Rowan felt she was escaping from a mistake she almost made that could have ruined her marriage. Now the mistake has been brought back to haunt her in the form of a package received containing 13-burnt cookies. Such a strange gift but Rowan knew exactly what it meant.
The Mundy's neighbor in New York was Rick Walker who was a stay at home husband while his wife worked. Rowan and Rick became close since they spent so much time together doing activities with the family. Rowan was baking cookies and was stopped from almost giving in to Rick's advance when the buzzer on the stove went off and the cookies were burnt.
Rowan is a red head and there have been some recent murders involving victims with red hair. It appears that Rowan may soon be one of the victims if she doesn't solve the mystery of who is sending the anonymous packages. Rowan discusses the problem with her sister Noreen who has her own troubles and doesn't have much advice for Rowan except to be honest with her husband Jake.
Rowan's son Mick is interested in a girl at school who also has red hair and when she disappears, he is questioned since he has been leaving her some secret Santa gifts.
Rowan's problem is finally solved in the end but not without injury to a family member. I am a big fan of Wendy Corsi Staub and have read most of her books but there was one part of the book that was not brought to a conclusion at the end of the story. This may be because it will be a start for the second book in the series but I did not like the way the incident was just dropped.
October 16, 2015
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.
A fan of mystery books and thrillers, I jumped at the chance to read and review Blood Red by Wendi Corsi Staub, the first book in her Mundy’s Landing series. Using a small town setting, a series of gruesome murders that took place in the 1600’s and a recent set of killings, Ms. Staub takes us inside the mind of a killer and a woman keeping secrets. While not quite what I was hoping for, this is a book many mystery lovers would enjoy reading.
Introducing us to Rowan Mundy, the main character of the story, Ms. Staub quickly provides a quick sketch of “Mundy’s Landing”, the gruesome crimes that are a part of the town’s history, and the person whose plans will once again put this small town in the spotlight. While the mystery of who sent Rowan the “burnt” cookies, how it ties into her past and why she reacts the way she does is well done, I felt as if something was missing. I felt like the story jumped between Rowan’s viewpoint and the viewpoint of “Casey”, another primary character, too much.
While there are plenty of secondary characters, only a couple of them are interesting. I especially liked Mick, Rowan’s teenaged son and it was interesting to watch him and Rowan interact – especially since they both shared a medical condition. I also expected a touch of violence and blood but most of that action took place off the page. While I am not into a lot of blood and gore, perhaps a touch of it would have made the “serial killer” aspect of the book more realistic.
Will Rowan discover who is behind the threat to her safety before it is too late? Will she be able to keep her family out of danger? You will have to read Blood Red to find out.
A fan of mystery books and thrillers, I jumped at the chance to read and review Blood Red by Wendi Corsi Staub, the first book in her Mundy’s Landing series. Using a small town setting, a series of gruesome murders that took place in the 1600’s and a recent set of killings, Ms. Staub takes us inside the mind of a killer and a woman keeping secrets. While not quite what I was hoping for, this is a book many mystery lovers would enjoy reading.
Introducing us to Rowan Mundy, the main character of the story, Ms. Staub quickly provides a quick sketch of “Mundy’s Landing”, the gruesome crimes that are a part of the town’s history, and the person whose plans will once again put this small town in the spotlight. While the mystery of who sent Rowan the “burnt” cookies, how it ties into her past and why she reacts the way she does is well done, I felt as if something was missing. I felt like the story jumped between Rowan’s viewpoint and the viewpoint of “Casey”, another primary character, too much.
While there are plenty of secondary characters, only a couple of them are interesting. I especially liked Mick, Rowan’s teenaged son and it was interesting to watch him and Rowan interact – especially since they both shared a medical condition. I also expected a touch of violence and blood but most of that action took place off the page. While I am not into a lot of blood and gore, perhaps a touch of it would have made the “serial killer” aspect of the book more realistic.
Will Rowan discover who is behind the threat to her safety before it is too late? Will she be able to keep her family out of danger? You will have to read Blood Red to find out.
October 2, 2015
Wish series were released at the same time. Anxiously awaiting the next release.
May 30, 2024
I usually like this author, so I am a little bummed this listen fell flat for me. I didn't quite understand the newspaper articles from the past that kept coming up between chapters. So that was annoying. Maybe it will make more sense if it is done in the next book? I'll have to read that one with my eyes.The mystery was reasonably good. It was just a slow read for a while, and took a second to actually get interesting.
January 7, 2018
I have read many Wendy Corsi Staub books but sadly this one was a bit of a disappointment.
There wasn't much action but plenty of endless inner monologues. I would say 95% of the book is inner thoughts going through the same thought processes in their head over and over ad nausem and 5% action.
The ending didn't grip me. If I'm reading a mystery/suspense I want to be on the edge of my seat, gripped in panic or terror for the characters. While reading this book I was instead very underwhelmed with the climax.
Blood Red was not one of my faves from Ms. Staub but I will still continue to read her work without a doubt.
There wasn't much action but plenty of endless inner monologues. I would say 95% of the book is inner thoughts going through the same thought processes in their head over and over ad nausem and 5% action.
The ending didn't grip me. If I'm reading a mystery/suspense I want to be on the edge of my seat, gripped in panic or terror for the characters. While reading this book I was instead very underwhelmed with the climax.
Blood Red was not one of my faves from Ms. Staub but I will still continue to read her work without a doubt.
Read
December 3, 2022DNF - Oh man, I didn't realize this was by the same author as the book I'd read before it. I feel exactly the same way about it so I guess I'm just going to copy and paste my previous review, because I think that's about the same amount of effort that goes into spewing out these books.
I felt like this was extremely cookie cutter in every way... like maybe the author just tries to pump out as many books as possible, as fast as possible, without giving any thought to foreshadowing, character depth, originality, or substance. Sorry if that seems mean, but... I'm a quality > quantity sort of reader and this just wasn't it.
I felt like this was extremely cookie cutter in every way... like maybe the author just tries to pump out as many books as possible, as fast as possible, without giving any thought to foreshadowing, character depth, originality, or substance. Sorry if that seems mean, but... I'm a quality > quantity sort of reader and this just wasn't it.
November 11, 2018
When redheads are found murdered in different states no connection is found until one turns up in New York. Two detectives make the connection and start investigating. Rowan Mundy lives in Mundy's Landing unaware that the killer is talking her. She is more concerned that her husband will find out she almost had an affair 14 years before. Than she gets a package in the mail that brings it all closer to home and it all starts unraveling. Characters that grab you from the first and keep you wanting more to find out what will happen next.
February 21, 2018
Full review soon
November 5, 2018
Love love love Wendy. She’s always lots of entertaining and scary and very thrilling!
May 25, 2025
Too many convoluted twists to keep track of, interesting story, at least the main story is, rather a lackluster motive for murder though, and a lackluster serial killer as well, with trite beginnings and then a twisted path, how no one noticed how divorced from reality he really was, was a plot failure.
It’s an interesting read, but constantly broken up by those 1-2 page headlines from the past that never did figure into the story, but for the last one and that was lackluster at best as well.
I don’t think this was put together as well as it could have been though it exemplifies the problem so many have with acting on impulse, then lying it about it, including to themselves, for decades. Absolutely everything hinges on a momentary lapse in judgment that propels an already lost soul into becoming a serial killer. How the detectives from New York put that together was decidedly unbelievable. I enjoyed the read but this wasn’t her best effort.
It’s an interesting read, but constantly broken up by those 1-2 page headlines from the past that never did figure into the story, but for the last one and that was lackluster at best as well.
I don’t think this was put together as well as it could have been though it exemplifies the problem so many have with acting on impulse, then lying it about it, including to themselves, for decades. Absolutely everything hinges on a momentary lapse in judgment that propels an already lost soul into becoming a serial killer. How the detectives from New York put that together was decidedly unbelievable. I enjoyed the read but this wasn’t her best effort.
April 15, 2016
This is the first of a new series which takes places in New York's Hudson Valley. It's a quiet town, one of those places that everyone seems to know each other. Lots of atmosphere ...especially those of a series of murders that took place in the very early 1900s..which were never solved.
This picturesque little town has attracted a serial killer, one who's been killing for years with no one any the wiser. He does love those nice young ladies with porcelain skin, a smattering of freckles across their noses .. and those beautiful long strands of red hair. He always takes the hair with him when he's done .... but these are merely stand-ins. He's after one particular redhead ..but he's going to play games with her first.
Rowan Mundy is that redhead. She and her husband and their grown children returned here years ago ... she to run from a mistake she made. And now .. someone knows that secret ... and wants her to pay with her hair ... and her blood.
I can always count on this author to write a tightly knit suspenseful book... and she has succeeded once again. This one is a page turner. Highly recommend to anyone who likes mystery/suspense.
This picturesque little town has attracted a serial killer, one who's been killing for years with no one any the wiser. He does love those nice young ladies with porcelain skin, a smattering of freckles across their noses .. and those beautiful long strands of red hair. He always takes the hair with him when he's done .... but these are merely stand-ins. He's after one particular redhead ..but he's going to play games with her first.
Rowan Mundy is that redhead. She and her husband and their grown children returned here years ago ... she to run from a mistake she made. And now .. someone knows that secret ... and wants her to pay with her hair ... and her blood.
I can always count on this author to write a tightly knit suspenseful book... and she has succeeded once again. This one is a page turner. Highly recommend to anyone who likes mystery/suspense.
November 27, 2018
A fast-paced thriller set in a (fictional) town with an interesting past. I liked everything about this one. It got me out of my reading rut (thanks, Bets ;) 4 stars. I'll be sticking with this series for sure.
June 26, 2015
Page-turner alert! I stayed up way too late last night trying to finish this one. I just read the last 2 chapters of this thriller with my morning coffee. Loved it!
Someone has a thing for redheads, and not in a good way!
I received this book from a giveaway on Goodreads.com. Thank you for the opportunity to get to know this author. I will be adding Ms. Staub to my favorite authors list and checking out her other books soon.
Someone has a thing for redheads, and not in a good way!
I received this book from a giveaway on Goodreads.com. Thank you for the opportunity to get to know this author. I will be adding Ms. Staub to my favorite authors list and checking out her other books soon.
August 13, 2015
Rowan made a marital "mistake" several years ago and is now in the cross-hairs of someone who wants her to pay for her past. This story is a new series by Staub, whose books are similar to Mary Higgins Clark (but better!). Really enjoyed the back story of the Munday family and the New England setting. This was a real page-turner that took me by surprise. A great read that you should go grab!
October 10, 2015
5 days it took me to finish this book! I avoided it and that is not me.... I did like parts of this book. I liked the Mundy family. The twist would have been more exciting if it didn't drag out so long. WHY are newspaper articles in between each chapters? On to the next Wendy Corsi Staub and hope it's better.
February 5, 2019
Interesting premise. Liked how the town was almost a character itself. Lots of history to it with an interesting backstory. The pace of the story was a bit slow for me, but I thought the mystery was well done.
August 17, 2016
Loved it. Can't wait to read the next.
November 1, 2017
I always enjoy diving into a new Wendy Corsi Staub book around this time of year. The story line of this one fell a little flat for me. I felt like my attention wasn't grabbed and that I was skimming some of the chapters.
January 11, 2020
I absolutely loved this series. Wendi Corsi Staub is a very talented writer, connecting characters, events, and a captivating fictional history in each book and throughout the series. Her use of symbolism is extraordinary in my opinion. All of these components come together to cleverly solve the mystery at the end of each book. In book 1, I was very compelled to keep reading to find out the real identity of the killer, Casey. The main character, Rowan, receives a mystery package of burnt cookies and is trying to find out who sent it, as only one other person would know the significance of them. There is a nail-biting connection to several women of the book, because of their red hair. Rowan's teenage son is trying to win over a girl from school, and his efforts to do so are putting both him and the girl at risk. All of these things are cleverly connected to create one riveting story. Meanwhile, you are captivated by the history of Mundy's Landing--and will see how it returns to play a significant role in the next two books! Perfect winter read. Passing this one on.
July 27, 2020
This is a tightly written, highly entertaining read. After I hit the midway point, I couldn't put it down. Wendy Corsi Staub introduces believable characters and the list of characters builds as the story unfolds. Everyone she introduces plays a part; every one the people we meet goes beyond a two-dimensional plot point and becomes integral to the story. The story arcs in genre-specific -- and very interesting -- ways. Wendy Corsi Staub also creates a believable Hudson Valley town, Mundy's Landing. Having grown up in New York State and having a familiarity with the Hudson Valley and parts of Manhattan that are mentioned, I was delighted by how the setting develops as a part of the story itself, almost a character on its own. Without giving anything away, I can say that Mundy's Landing is a literary place that I'll be visiting again -- especially since Wendy Corsi Staub tantalizes us with the seeds of other Mundy's Landing stories.
July 21, 2018
I always enjoy Staub’s books, and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. Very quick read. I enjoy her books, as they are written in 3rd person, and most chapters switch between points of view....this allows the reader to get good intel as to what is going on with all of the characters. I especially enjoyed this book, as the killer seems to be killing those with read hair...and my husband is a ginger, and I also have a thing for gingers (not that I want to go around killing them or anything).
Also, being a teacher, I thought the scenes in the school setting were fairly realistic; having a parent come along on a field trip, only to complain and pay attention to only their child....a fairly normal occurrence. I also liked the description of Rufus, the family dog, who they affectionately refer to as “Doofus.” He reminds me a bit of my not-quite-an-Einstein dog, and there was even a point where I LOLed at the description of him.
Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Also, being a teacher, I thought the scenes in the school setting were fairly realistic; having a parent come along on a field trip, only to complain and pay attention to only their child....a fairly normal occurrence. I also liked the description of Rufus, the family dog, who they affectionately refer to as “Doofus.” He reminds me a bit of my not-quite-an-Einstein dog, and there was even a point where I LOLed at the description of him.
Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
February 23, 2022
This was a pretty good thriller set in small-town New York, where places called hamlets still actually exist. Rowan Mundy, married to a descendent of one of the town founders, is an average elementary school teacher with college age children and a teenager still living at home. Fourteen years ago, she had a slight indiscretion with a stay at home dad neighbor, and though it was only some necking and no more and only happened once, it appears someone is digging it back up in an attempt to ruin her successful marriage and possibly more. Well written, smartly paced, and quite engaging. My only quibble is I didn't feel enough information was doled out during the story for readers to make an educated guess at the perp.
February 15, 2019
When I find a good writer I tend to add that author to my "follow that author" list and then systematically read as many books I can from that writer when I find them. Learned that from my Mom. Wendy Corsi Staub has been added to that list.
Her writing is enjoyable with the right mix of history, believable characters and is a real page-turner that kept me guessing until the very last pages. The little hints that made you think, "okay, this has to be the killer" but then you start to think another person is to only find out that none of the people you originally thought was.
Her writing is enjoyable with the right mix of history, believable characters and is a real page-turner that kept me guessing until the very last pages. The little hints that made you think, "okay, this has to be the killer" but then you start to think another person is to only find out that none of the people you originally thought was.
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