May Genreflecting: Mystery & Suspense: The Basics

I wanted to do a reading challenge for the subject of Genreflecting, but I didn't get much feedback (maybe because it asked you to read 2 books for each genre and discuss them or because it's not really a "reading challenge" per se, but more an educational experiment), so I've turned it into a monthly feature! For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. I'm planning to have author input and at least 2 reviews of books in the genre as well.

April's genre is Mystery & Suspense! These two books often go hand-in-hand simply because they are so closely linked. While mystery books are usually trying to find out the who & why of an event and suspense books usually know something terrible has happened, but are experiencing the book with a sense of impending disaster. These book tend to be read by those teens seeking a more intriguing read as puzzles are often-times a main component. That's not to say that these are all "thinking" books though, I personally love some of the paranormal mysteries that seem to abound. But as that is a subgenre, you'll just have to wait until next week to learn more! (paraphrased from Teen Genreflecting, 2003)

A few of my favorite authors you may recognize in this genre are:
Carol Plum-Ucci- The Body of Christopher Creed
Lois Duncan- Daughters of Eve, I Know What You Did Last Summer
Christopher Pike- Chain Letter

I'm excited to say that I've chosen my two books, one older and one newer, to read for this challenge. The older book is The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin (originally published in 1998) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, May 24th. The newer book is All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab (originally published in 2010) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, May 31st. I'll also be hosting a giveaway, so stay tuned!