Suspicion by Alexandra Monir Published by Delacorte Press on December 09th 2014
Pages: 368
Source: Random House Children's via Netgalley
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A modern-day twist on the classic thriller, Rebecca, with a dash of the supernatural, a powerful romance, and a deadly family mystery.
“There’s something hidden in the maze.”
Seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford has never forgotten the last words her father said to her, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family’s English country manor.
For seven years, images of her parents’ death have haunted Imogen’s dreams. In an effort to escape the past, she leaves Rockford Manor and moves to New York City with her new guardians. But some attachments prove impossible to shake—including her love for her handsome neighbor Sebastian Stanhope.
Then a life-altering letter arrives that forces Imogen to return to the manor in England, where she quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind Rockford’s aristocratic exterior. At their center is Imogen herself—and Sebastian, the boy she never stopped loving.
Combining spine-tingling mystery, romance, and unforgettable characters, Suspicion is an action-packed thrill ride.
Going into Suspicion, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t read the classic, Rebecca, so I didn’t know what this story contained at all – and I was so excited to go into it with no expectations!!
The characters were enjoyable to read about. Imogen, the main character, was definitely my favorite. I loved her inquisitive nature and how she refused to stop investigating what was happening. She was definitely brazen and I really appreciated that quality. The other characters didn’t stand out, but they did play a great part to the story so I can’t say anything negative about them.
The plot was interesting, fast paced and very enjoyable. I really was on the edge of my seat and had no idea what was coming next. I must say though that the paranormal aspect of this book was odd. It felt almost thrown into the story and didn’t really play a part until the very end. It obviously was a pivotal part of the final chapters, but it felt so out-of-place leading up to that point. Really though, that’s the only issue I had with Suspicion.
I flew through this book once I sat down to read it. I had initially started it, read the first chapter and then put it down for until the weekend but once I picked it back up I didn’t put it down until I finished! I was soooo intrigued with what was going to happen and everything would unfold.
The ending SHOCKED me. Honestly, I had no idea the twist that unfolded in the end. Maybe it’s because I hadn’t read Rebecca, but I absolutely didn’t see it coming at all and that really cemented it as a four star read for me. I love to be completely surprised by an ending, but it doesn’t usually happen so that alone was a huge plus in my mind.
I have seen a lot of mixed reviews for Suspicion since I’ve read it and I’m happy I fell on the good side of that coin. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that likes a bit of a dark mystery!
About Alexandra Monir
Author and recording artist Alexandra Monir broke onto the scene in her early twenties with the release of her popular debut YA novel, the paranormal romance TIMELESS (Delacorte Press/Random House). The book caught on quickly, landing on the Barnes & Noble Bestsellers chart and being named one of Amazon's "Best Books of the Month." The sequel, TIMEKEEPER, was published in 2013. Both books in the series have been featured in a variety of media, from USA Today to teen magazines and websites such as J-14, JustJaredJr, Teen.com and Justine Magazine. SUSPICION (Random House; December 9, 2014) marks Alexandra's first novel outside of the Timeless series, as well as her first foray into the mystery genre. Her fourth YA novel for Random House will be published in April 2016.
Alexandra is also a singer/songwriter, known for integrating music into her books' pages. She wrote and recorded three original songs to accompany TIMELESS and TIMEKEEPER, which were released as the album "The Timeless EP" and distributed by Jimmy Buffett's record label, Mailboat Records. She additionally recorded a new song to be released along with Suspicion, and is composing a stage musical geared toward Broadway. Alexandra is the granddaughter of the late Monir Vakili, the foremost Persian opera singer.
Alexandra currently resides in Los Angeles, California. She has been invited to speak at middle schools and high schools across the country, and at major events including Comic-Con, Bouchercon, the Iranian-American Women's Leadership Conference, and New York Public Library's annual Teen Author Festival, among others.
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