Don't Scream [Paperback]

Wendy Corsi Staub (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

In a remote, heavily wooded area near the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Rachel Lorant died on her birthday. But she didn't die alone. That night, her four sorority sisters make a solemn, trembling pledge. They will never reveal what has just happened in those woods - ever. Instead, they will take their terrible secret to their graves...Now, ten years later, their secret is coming back to haunt them as each receives a card in the mail from Rachel: "Happy Birthday to Me. xoxo R." It's clear that someone knows what happened that night. Someone is stalking them and sending mysterious, chilling gifts that only they can understand - deadly warnings of what is to come. For the sins of the past have come back with a vengeance, and a killer will see that they all pay in blood...Brynn Costello has never felt such pure fear. She didn't want any part in what happened so long ago, but now, the mother of two will do anything to stay alive and protect her family - even if it means matching wits with a killer she can't see...a twisted psychopath who is closer than she thinks and who is saving her death for last...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Staub's latest suspense novel (following last year's bestseller The Final Victim), four Massachusetts sorority sisters make a pact following the accidental death of their sorority sister, Rachel Lorant, on her birthday; together, they swear never to speak about what they saw that night. Ten years later, the women start receiving mysterious letters alluding to Rachel's demise. When one of the four is brutally murdered on the night of her birthday, the others begin to worry what their own encroaching birthdays hold for them. While police try to track down the murderer, our heroines hold tight to their secrets, even as they're hunted and killed one by one. By the time the past finally does come to light, it may be too late for one desperate survivor. Though her prose is strictly utilitarian, Staub keep things taut and unpredictable, changing perspective often and offering up a whole school of red herrings; capped with a gratifying conclusion, Staub's latest is a surprisingly effective thriller. (May)
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About the Author

Wendy Corsi Staub is the author of ten novels of suspense, including the New York Times bestsellers The Final Victim and She Loves Me Not. She is currently working on her next suspense novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821779729
• ISBN-13: 978-0821779729
• Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 1.3 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm an award winning, New York Times bestselling suspense novelist of more than 70 novels. All of my adult thrillers and in print backlist are available on Amazon and many are e-books as well. Check out my author website at www.WendyCorsiStaub.com, my reader community site at www.WendyCorsiStaubCommunity.com, and my author page at www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Corsi-Staub/43054289209. I'm also a bestselling novelist with the chick lit and romantic comedy I write under the pseudonym "Wendy Markham."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Taut suspense that'll keep you guessing, May 21, 2007

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Scream (Paperback)

On the eve of the tenth anniversary of the death of their fellow sorority sister Rachel, Brynn, Cassie, Fiona, and Tildy each receive a birthday card that has them wondering if Rachel died that fateful night she fell over a cliff while drunkenly celebrating her 20th birthday their sophomore year in college. The four never reported the accident for fear that their sorority would shut down, or worse, they would be charged in her death. When they meet for the first time in many years to plan their next steps, old rivalries and the need to keep the past a secret have them going their separate ways. Then one by one, they fall victim to a killer who goes the extra mile in gruesome, setting up a macabre birthday party for each victim on her 30th birthday. Rachel's step-brother Isaac has been searching for Rachel for the past ten years, and every relationship has suffered as a result. Could he be so distraught that he wants to get even with the quartet?

Staub tosses out several potential killers and manages to surprise the reader with the revelation. Each of the women has a distinct personality and plenty of drama in their own lives. At nearly 500 pages, the novel is so well written that the pages just flow. It still amazes me that Staub is the same woman who writes romance novels under the pseudonym Wendy Markham! "Don't Scream" is a taut thriller that will have you second guessing at each turn.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read, May 29, 2007

By 

Michele Padluck (Washingtonville, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Scream (Paperback)

Wendy Corsi Staub's latest thriller is a treat for her fans, both new and old. This one will truly keep you guessing until the last pages. I was so sure I had the killer figured out near the end, but I was wrong. Who can resist a murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. "Don't Scream" will do just that. The characters are real and well developed. It's always difficult to wait a year for a new thriller from this talented author, but this book was well worth the wait. Don't miss it!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Turn off, February 26, 2008

By 

Trend "jewelry nut" - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Don't Scream (Paperback)

I have to agree with reviewer Ross. I'm a woman, and I didn't like it either. He felt the book was for female reading. That's because it was so full of feminine stereotypes. I didn't really feel for the characters. Because my emotions were not involved while reading, the book was "flat" for me.


The book is about 5 closeknit sorority sister being killed off one by one. Three reason I didn't like the book:

-Ten years previously one sister falls to her death while intoxicated. The other four were present. They checked to see if she was, in fact, dead; and then, they left her where she fell. They didn't want to be involved. I mean, they were close. Not one of the remaining four had the guts and character to stand up and call 911 for their "sister". They just left her to be eaten by vultures.

-The main protaganist is Brynn, she's currently married to her former professer. One of her sisters, tried to get her husband into bed. With friends like that, do you need enemies?

-Brynn and her husband have two children. He doesn't want anymore. Brynn becomes pregnant and "hides" it from him. He actually finds out she's pregnant from their young child. I mean, come on already. Brynn's husband knew Rachel, (the young woman who fell to her death). He was involved in the search party when she went "missing". In ten years of marriage Brynn has never confided in her husband about what happened that night. Brynn's husband, Garth, has his own secrets. When he tells Brynn he slept with one of her sorority sister before their marriage, and this same sister, propositioned him after their marriage; Brynn goes ballistic. She refuses to talk it over with him. He was not unfaithful after their vows, but the thing that mattered to Brynn, is he kept something that important from her. Honesty and confiding in your mate is a two-way street.

This book has too many stereotypes: wimpy females; catty females; I can keep secrets from my husband, but he's SO wrong if he keeps them from me; Your're my friend, but....not really, I can't trust you with my husband; One of the sister is a financially successful business woman, and she's a Bi***. These sterotypes, I don't buy into. They were so glaring. Even though these women were supposed to be friends(sisters), there was no real friendship between them. I couldn't like any of the characters, so I couldn't enjoy the book.