The Suicide House: A Gripping and Brilliant Novel of Suspense

by Charlie Donlea

Book Overview

A chilling murder in a prestigious prep school is at the heart of this riveting novel from acclaimed author Charlie Donlea, featuring forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore and her psychologist partner, Lane Phillips. Inside the walls of Indiana's elite Westmont Preparatory High School, expectations run high and rules are strictly enforced. But in the woods beyond the manicured campus sits an abandoned boarding house, infamous among Westmont's students as a late-night hangout. Here, only one rule applies: don't let your candle go out--unless you want the Man in the Mirror to find you . . . One year ago, two students were killed there in a grisly slaughter. The case has become the focus of a hit podcast, The Suicide House. Though a teacher was convicted of the murders, questions remain. The most urgent: why so many students who survived that horrific night have returned to the boarding house--to kill themselves. Rory is working on the podcast with Lane, recreating the night of the killings in order to find the elusive answers. But the more they learn, the more convinced they are that the sinister game inside Westmont Prep hasn't ended. It thrives on secrecy and silence. And for its players, there may be no way to win--or to survive . . .

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786046422
• ISBN13: 9780786046423
• Release Date: May 2021
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.7" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Grab This One!

This book is so good it's scary! The thrill of a great thriller will be at your fingertips as you turn the pages in this book, it's one that you can't put down until you find out who the killer is. I love how all the clues were placed in every page to make you solve the crime. It’s like a puzzle in your hands. You'll be hooked till the very end!

Fantastic Thriller!

I must say, I am enjoying reading this type of thriller this summer. They are just so wild and great distractions. This book is split between two times, a year ago and current day, with the occasional journal entry of a serial killer's childhood that was super creepy and interesting. I did have to go back a few times to the beginning of the chapters to remember what time period I was reading but other than that, it was a fast read for me because I did not want to put it down. The Suicide House is about a secret society at Westmont Prep that turns out to be more than what it seems. And anyone who tries to learn the truth, or tell it ends up dead, whether by suicide or something else. I really liked the character of Rory. She was very interesting with the way that she solved cases, as well as her doll restorations. She makes me want to read the other book she is in so that I can learn more about her. Ryder was pretty cool too. I was able to guess the secret before the end, but I still enjoyed it. This was a great book to read!

Don't let your candle go out!

The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea Published by: Kensington Books I received an awesome prize pack from the publisher that accompanied the ARC of the book. It had: 3 pencils from Westmont Preparatory High School (the fictional school in the book), a flattened, stamped Lucky Penny, a small, red candle, a letter from the administrator of the school, a small journal. This book sounded interesting. A suicide house, that teens were going to and killing themselves, by stepping in front of trains. Sounds creepy, too. There all sorts of law investigators who are directly and indirectly involved in the plot. There are reporters who are unofficially investigating. The idea of a private school where there's a secret society that causes kids to kill themselves is a strong draw for the investigators. Of the investigators, the two main ones are Dr. Lane Phillips who is a forensic psychologist and a criminal profiler with his partner Rory Moore who is a cold case reconstructurist who happens to have an Autism Spectrum Disorder that allows her to focus on cold cases and bring missed clues to light and help solve the cases. Lane and Rory have joined up before, they provide a unique method for solving crimes. The case began a year ago, when two male students were found murdered at an abandoned faculty boarding house on the campus of Westmont Preparatory High School. The two boys who were murdered had been tormenting a chemistry teacher at the school. Evidence pointed to the teacher's manifesto that was found in his house and the fact that the teacher tried to kill himself by stepping in front of a train locomotive. The teacher is basically brain dead, so the police declared the case solved. This year, three different students have killed themselves by stepping into the path of the oncoming train and has stirred up the notion that the case isn't as closed as it appears to be. One of the investigative reporters, Mack Carter has a podcast that has attracted the attention of the students at the school and others who would like to solve the case once and for all. When Lane arrives at Mack's house to go over a taped interview with one of the suicide victims, there was an explosion and Mack is killed and Lane is severely injured. Only with the arrival of Rory on the scene, by following the tracking device on Lane's cell phone, is she able to successfully get Lane out of the burning house. At the school, all students are encouraged to journal all of their thoughts and feelings. The thing is, a lot of people have something to hide and their journal in the wrong person's hand spells disaster. The Seniors at Westmont Prep are hazing selected Juniors with their game of MAN IN THE MIRROR. The Juniors have a list of quests they must accomplish in order to become members of the secret society. Never let your candle blow out. I was provided the fun prize pack and a complimentary copy of this book by Kensington Publishers with no obligation to post a review.