Never Smile at Strangers by Jennifer Minar-Jaynes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story really grabs you right at the start and does not let go until the very end. It was refreshing to read a mystery that is not truly solved until almost the end. I enjoyed the fact that a few times I was positive that I knew who the culprit was only to discover I was wrong and have a different person I suspected. Jennifer did a wonderful job of keeping the identity of the killer a secret which not a lot of books accomplish, I usually figure it out rather early in a book, and then I'm disappointed cause I still have so much left to read. Sometimes knowing who the bad guy is can ruin a book for you and kill the suspense.
Not only has the author been able to weave a fascinating mystery, she also creates characters who are truly believable, characters that come alive in your imagination. For a debut novel, I was surprised at how well she had pulled it together and how believable the characters actually were. Usually authors seem to have a better grasp on their writing style by the second or even third books. But with this book and author that was evident in her her first book. The writing style is very easy & pleasant to read. I enjoyed the point of view changing and the reader getting a new perspective with each chapter. What I mean is the book wasn't always from Haley's point of view and sometimes you got a glimpse into the killers POV. The chapters were short, which I almost feel made the book much more enjoyable.
This book has some Sexual themes in it, so if you're bothered by reading about sex or abuse, I don't think this book would be good for you. It got rather dark and intense in some places, this didn't get so overwhelming as to bother me while reading this book though.
If you like murder mystery and suspense you will really like this book and I recommend you read it.
If the author writes another book, I would definitely check it out.

I won this book on Goodreads for an honest review. Thanks for the book and opportunity to read a great new author.

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