Crawlspace - Sarah Graves

I read this book in about 4 days. Sarah Graves is just getting better and better when it comes to suspense. This was another kidnapping but the circumstances were completely different from the last book. And this book took place mostly on the water instead of on land. The water around Eastport Maine is treacherous for small boats, lots of whirlpools, undercurrents and rocks not to mention large (huge) ships. And, of course, fog in the Fall.

A Crime Author from "away" arrives at the island with her assistant only to be kidnapped before they even check into the hotel. Her assistant, Chip, notifies the police the next morning. Police Chief Bob Arnold is skeptical but when Jake finds that her son Sam is missing as well it begins to appear more and more that both of them were kidnapped by the same person. Jake for a change does what she's told, through most of the book anyway, and stays at home waiting for phone calls. Chip meanwhile "borrows" a boat to go looking for them without telling anyone where he's gone. With Chip not being a main character you know he can die at any point. This makes it more suspenseful when he's out on unknown waters in the fog, at night, with the engine broken down and nothing to paddle with cause the oars broke. He'd have no idea which way to paddle because he can't see any lights through the fog.

See why I couldn't put it down? And that was the latest book in her series! She's left me waiting with baited breath for her next one which probably won't come out until the Fall or early 2011 if she decides to write a next one. Please, please, please, Sarah. Keep writing.

A Face at the Window by Sarah Graves

This is Sarah Graves 12th book in her "Home Repair is Homicide" series. I have to say it's my very favorite of her books, so far. I'm sure I said that before about one of her other books cause I've really enjoyed all of them.

Jake has given a very simple written statement about what she remembers from the night her mother died. Seeing as she was only 3 years old she didn't remember much but one thing that she wrote down is enough to go a long way towards convicting Ozzie Campbell, the true killer of her mother. But Jake doesn't know that until she starts receiving threatening phone calls. The next day Ellie's daughter and her daycare provider are kidnapped. Jake has to find them and, naturally, this puts herself in danger as well.

This was a sit on the edge of your seat book. Sarah Graves obviously knows how to use the literary art of switching from one set of characters in trouble to another. So you finish a chapter with a suspensful thought only to find the next chapter is devoted to the other character who is elsewhere. This results in you carrying the book around reading and doing housework at the same time.