At the Quiet Edge: A Novel

I did not see all the twists and turns coming. I found myself frightened to turn the page…so frightened sometimes I’d put the book down for days. Then when I picked it up again and it was like watching a fire from which I couldn’t turn away. Then I read the next two chapters. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I got to the last chapter. Whew, what an ending. I hope there’s a sequel. I need to know the rest of the story.

The story grabs the reader from the beginning and doesn't let go. Just when it looks like the killer might be revealed it throws another plot twist, and it just keeps going like that until the end. The sympathetic characters are solid and the villain is pure evil. A definite A+ reading experience.

At the Quiet Edge by Victoria Helen Stone, was a first read of this author. I chose it as part of Kindle's summer reading challenge. I needed a "top shelf" Editors pick and this had an interesting synopsis.At first, I found the book to be very slow as the author lays out the foundation of the plot. There was a lot of flashbacks to previous events, meant to slowly develop the characters background. It was very pycho-social, intellectual, stylized writing, that reminded me of my Honors Literature classes in 70s. I put the book down several times not sure I wanted to continue.But I kept coming back to At the Quiet Edge, trying to determine why it was on the Editors Pick list. Then suddenly, the story picked up speed and the suspense of who to trust, and who could be responsible for the heinous crimes, had me on edge for the rest of the novel.There were quite a few hold your breath and hide moments in this book. And there were times I was convinced that no one could be trusted! I even found myself yelling at the characters as though I could keep them from doing something unsafe!I had trouble relating to the main characters but was much more empathetic to the quirky neighbors and other support characters. I had wished the heroine was more assertive and less of a victim. The teenage son was very much an annoying teen. In the end both characters grew on me!Things heat up in the final third of the book. It was then that I became enthralled with the plot of the book. I couldn't put it down. It wasn't until the last few chapters that I even figured out who the real villain was! I definitely was hanging on by my fingernails there in the end!So from a slow start to a wild, crazy race to the finish, what I thought was not my cup of tea made me stand up and cheer in the end. Check it out for yourself and see why At the Quiet Edge is on Amazon's Editor Picks list!

This tale wasn't a gripping one from the start, it was more like aslow burn. Very great and surprising ending. I have to admit I never suspected who and that's rarely if ever happened to me. So that's my ringing endorsement. It's a good read.

Very real characters. Plot was twisting and end result a surprise. I am looking for more of her books to read.

Why do people go where it isn’t safe. I think I yelled to myself the whole time I read this book. No, don’t do it. Alas, I guess that would make for a boring book.

Did not see the ending happening at all. The suspense was intense and made me continue reading not even knowing who was the "bad one".

Brought to you by OBS reviewer HeidiLily knows all about what it’s like to fall for a con man. She loved her husband, Jones, and she thought he loved her too. However, it had all been a lie … even his name. He had convinced her to move to the small town she grew up in and raise their son there. Then, he slowly conned the residents there out of their money. The police never caught up to Jones though and he’s been on the run for years now. He left Lily to deal with the aftermath. She became the pariah of the town; everyone thinking she was involved in his crimes. They were even forced out of their home, not being able to pay the mortgage.Lily is working on her degree while managing the storage facility in town. At least the job comes with an on-site apartment for her and her son, Everett. Her friend, Zoey, runs a shelter for women trying to escape abusive relationships. Lily is hiding one of those women on the property as a favor to Zoey, when Detective Mendelson starts sniffing around. He thinks she knows where to find Jones. So, it’s a relief when it’s time to move Amber. However, it doesn’t get the detective out of her hair. It helps even less when Jones starts calling wanting to talk to his son.Meanwhile, Everett has found a pastime of snooping through unlocked storage units. He finds one that has a board with missing women on it. The women went missing years ago, but were never found. And, now the owner’s nephew has been hanging out with his mom! He must find out what happened to those girls and to protect his mom at all costs.It’s been quite awhile since I’ve read a mystery like this. I can get bored with too many details at times, but this one gave me just the right amount. I found the story interesting and I didn’t figure out the ending beforehand, so that’s nice. Once the climax to the story was set into motion though, I had no doubt who would be riding to the rescue though!I actually would love to know more about Jones! He seems like he could be a loveable bad guy! And, Alex seemed nice, but maybe too nice for my fictional boyfriend preferences!Overall, I found this to be a decent read, especially considering that I got it free from Amazon as part of their First Reads program for prime members. It was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of days!

My fifth book by this author and I've always given them 4 or 5*. She has luckily again taken advantage of the Kindle First programme so I got it free once more, which is handy. As soon as I saw her name was in the list I was pretty sure which one would be my choice once again !!I liked the characters she created in this one, especially Everett and Josephine. Their friendship was a lovely thing to behold. Once more she's written an interesting, twisty tale I enjoyed a great deal. This one was up there with Jane Doe for me, another favourite of hers. In this one, too, she sort of ekes out the background information and I am "oh, that was never mentioned before" as it catches you unawares but keeps your interest.Lily did get on my nerves a little with all her prevaricating when it came to dealing with her friend Zoey's little favours, though.The only little mistake I spotted was when the electricity had gone out at one point but then Everett was woken by his alarm clock. I guess it could've been a battery or wind-up job but that isn't usually the case these days.One part of the ending disappointed me a little but only because it didn't go the way I preferred so I can't really whinge about it. I like the cover and the way the font gives it a 3D effect. That is clever, though no doubt it will get altered because publishers always seem to do this. Wish they wouldn't.So another success for this author for me and one I'll be sticking with.

Good story if a little predictable at times. It lacked suspense for me and didn't always hold my interest. I skim read vast chunks of the second half.

Wasn't sure about this one to start with. A very slow burner. I liked the young characters more than the adults. The mother was a miserable and unlikeable character. After a while though the pace picked up, and it actually turned into a real page turner, with a fairly breathless 3rd act. Pity the rest of the book wasn't as well done, but overall, a good crime thriller.

Great thriller that made you want to. Carry on reading to find out the ending. Interesting characters and integrated story?lines. Easy and enjoyable read.

The synopsis of At the Quiet Edge caught my attention, so I was looking forward to a thrilling read. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen until the last few chapters of the book.