Past Suspicion (Christian Romantic Suspense) [Kindle Edition]

Therese Heckenkamp (Author)

Book Description

"Don't trust anyone..." So whispers Robin's mother just moments before she dies. 

Uprooted from all she's ever known, 17-year-old Robin Finley is sent to her mother's old hometown to live with an uncle she's never met. The town is small, but it shelters big secrets. Robin encounters two mysterious young men, a tragic mansion, and disturbing questions about the past. While unraveling the threads of her mother's shrouded life, Robin meets more confusion. Her soul longs for peace and her heart yearns for love--yet she's consumed by suspicion and fear. Why did her mother flee this town so many years ago and never return? Robin's determination to discover the truth ensnares her in a tangled web that spans the years and threatens to destroy her future.

"Past Suspicion is a page-turner, and Heckenkamp is an author to be reckoned with." -- Nancy Mehl, best-selling Christian author

"A riveting mystery that will keep readers turning pages." -- Regina Doman, author of the Fairy Tale Novels

Awards:  Past Suspicion has been awarded the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval.

Note: The new paperback edition of Past Suspicion is now available on Amazon: amazon.com/dp/0615719325

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Her plot is solid, and is very movie or television friendly . . . lots of action; pathos; conflict; glamour; etc. It's all there, and Heckenkamp is a confident and sure writer. She has no trouble keeping all of her balls in the air and resolving them at the end of this page-turner with a flair." 
- The Midwest Book Review

"Past Suspicion is a page-turner, and Heckenkamp is an author to be reckoned with." 

- Nancy Mehl, best-selling Christian author

"Heckenkamp is a solid, engaging writer who has created well-developed characters and interesting plot lines. . . I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for an interesting, engaging read with a cast of well-defined characters."

- Ellen Gable, author of Stealing Jenny, In Name Only, and Emily's Hope.

"Past Suspicion is billed as a suspense for young adult readers, yet . . . would be welcome by older fans of thrillers as well . . . a remarkable debut."
- Kathryn Lively, author of Saints Preserve Us: an Ash Lake Mystery and Dangerous Words.

"Past Suspicion is a riveting mystery that will keep readers turning pages. An outstanding effort by a first-time novelist!"
- Regina Doman, author of The Shadow of the Bear and other the Catholic Fairy Tale Novels for teens.

"Past Suspicion" is suitable for readers 12 and up and can hold the attention of readers through age 100. I found this novel refreshing and commend Ms. Heckenkamp for not sullying the story with profanity."
- E. Dian Moore, Christian Freelance Writer and Editor.

About the Author

Therese Heckenkamp, eighteen when she completed the first draft of Past Suspicion, has been writing stories since before she could spell. A homeschooled student, she won numerous writing awards while growing up. Therese lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children and is currently working on more novels. Her second book, Frozen Footprints, is a Christian suspense thriller for readers 16 and up. Learn more at www.frozen-footprints.com Therese always welcomes reader feedback and comments. Visit her online: Therese's website: www.thereseheckenkamp.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/therese.heckenkamp Twitter: www.twitter.com/THeckenkamp

Product Details

• File Size: 551 KB
• Print Length: 324 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0615719325
• Publisher: Ivory Tower Press (October 28, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005SZ1696
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,091 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #12 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Religious & Liturgical
  • #23 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Religious & Liturgical

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a great summer read for teens/adults April 29, 2012

By danardoyle, author "Hope for Healing from the Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse," & "God Messaging."

Format:Paperback

"Past Suspicion" by Therese Heckenkamp is a terrific fiction novel suitable for teens and adults as well. It is the story of a young woman whose mother dies and leaves her in the care of an uncle that she has never met. Forced to live in an unfamiliar sleepy little town, Robin plans her escape upon her eighteenth birthday. While tolerating her circumstances and looking forward to "freedom," she discovers much about her mother's secretive past that intrigues her. This leads her to delve more deeply into the mysterious events of her mother's past. Along the way, Robin forms some special relationships and learns to love and to trust once again.

Therese masterfully develops the characters so that the reader truly feels involved in the story and has an interest in Robin's personal outcome. Though I usually prefer to read nonfiction, I was drawn to pick up Therese's book again and again as the characters were believable and their issues were things for which I felt I could relate. This book would make a great summer read for teens and adults! I know you will enjoy it!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A particularly compelling achievement January 15, 2004

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Paperback

It is not often that I write about a woman who cut her first draft of a mystery at age eighteen, but it is true in the case of Therese Heckenkamp, a fellow Wisconsinite! Heckenkamp has already won numerous awards for writing at her young age and lives in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.

Robin Finley has just lost her mother, her home, and any family except an uncle in some small town in Wisconsin, where she is headed for an uncertain future. She meets two young men, almost right off the bat. One is a newspaper reporter, and the other is a "free spirit" who captures her imagination and desire for freedom. Then there is the matter of just what happened to her mother in this small town. She had a mysterious fall off of a balcony at a deserted mansion more than twenty years before. Robin begins to unravel the story of her mother's high school years: the romances; the "fall"; her relationship with Robin's quiet but caring uncle; and the map, which turns into the focal point of the story. Robin also overhears a conversation which leads her to believe she might be in danger:

"The words were spoken with such wrath, it hurt my ears to hear what little I did, but I had to stay and listen. What did this mean? I trembled in my hiding place. The very fact that these two guys-the only two guys I knew in this whole town-were together, alerted me that something was up..."

Being home-schooled, Heckenkamp probably understands something about the brilliant recluse. It shows in her writing. Her heroine is sensitive, angry, hurt, intelligent, stubborn, curious, and has a large heart underneath all of her confusion. She is a typical seventeen year old...Heckenkamp captures the angst of those years beautifully. Her plot is solid, and is very movie or television friendly...lots of action; pathos; conflict; glamour; etc. It's all there, and Heckenkamp is a confident and sure writer. She has no trouble keeping all of her balls in the air and resolving them at the end of this page-turner with a flair. Her denouement is terrifying, exciting, and then whoosh...she brings in the romantic element with panache.

Past Suspicion is a terrific first mystery/novel from a very promising talent. It is a particularly compelling achievement considering Ms. Heckenkamp has her future ahead of her. Bravo!

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Clean and Exciting June 5, 2012

By Aravis Tarkheena

Format:Kindle Edition

After reading several disappointing or even disturbing Christian YA fiction books, I was reluctant to give Past Suspicion a chance. But when I discovered that the author was an eighteen-year-old homeschooler when she wrote the first draft, I bought the book, my expectations high. I wasn't let down. Past Suspicion is a decent suspense novel marked by tastefulness and believability.
Robin Finley, a sheltered seventeen-year-old, is forced to move to Wisconsin from California after her mother's sudden passing. Feeling stifled by the idea of small-town life with an uncle she barely knows, Robin counts the days until her grand escape to freedom on her eighteenth birthday. While working at her uncle's bookstore, she separately meets two young men interested in helping her sort out her mother's past, forever marked by her tragic fall from a local haunted mansion. Robin pores through old newspapers and her mother's teenage diary, trying to find the truth about the accident as the two young men compete for her attention. Now Robin must find out who her mother was - and who she herself will be - in the midst of a sinister plot that takes everyone by surprise.
Robin is a very believable character. She's no angel, but neither is she an aggravating brat. She's a very realistic, relatable teen struggling with a desire for freedom. She has moments of rebellion, passion, stubbornness, silliness, and gullibility, just like any average teen. Robin's intelligence and sense of decency make her very likeable and understandable.
What I really appreciated about this book is its ability to be exciting without compromising decency. Though the book contains elements of crime, violence, and evil, it never goes overboard. It's a definite accomplishment considering the plot revolves around two violent falls at a spooky mansion. Also tastefully handled is the romance element. Robin is being pursued romantically by two young men, but neither guy gets aggressive with her. Never does the book stray into raunchy territory at all; even though both guys spend some alone time with Robin, nothing inappropriate happens. The romance is understated and sweeter than commonly found in YA books, even other Christian ones.
Past Suspicion is a solid three star book that manages to be exciting without being tasteless. I recommend this one to readers age twelve and up who seek good, clean adventure tinged with romance and suspense. This is a story that will keep you flipping pages - or mashing Kindle keys.

More About the Author

Therese Heckenkamp was born in Australia in 1981, but moved to the USA in 1983. Always a fan of books, she started writing stories before she could spell. A homeschooled student, she won numerous writing awards while growing up, including an August Derleth Prize in 2001.

At age 18, Therese completed the first draft of "Past Suspicion," her first published novel, a Christian suspense story for readers 13 and up. Visit www.PastSuspicion.com for more details.

Therese's second novel, "Frozen Footprints," is a Christian suspense thriller for readers 16 and up. Visit www.Frozen-Footprints for more details.

Therese lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children, and is currently working on more novels. Therese always welcomes reader feedback and comments. Visit her online: www.ThereseHeckenkamp.com.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/therese.heckenkamp
Follow Therese on Twitter @THeckenkamp.