Customer Reviews

If You Ever Tell

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is another excellent mystery by Ms. Thompson. The book builds to a crescendo and I was up to 2a.m. finishing it because I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters and the ending was a total surprise. I like Ms. Thompson's books because they are exciting and suspenseful with a small amount of romance. Please keep writing!

I have been a big fan of Carlene Thompson since the first book. I had to back order a few of them and I have never been let down. This latest entry is no exception. This book had me on the edge, I literally did not want to put it down. I had no idea who the killer was until the end, when you know all the facts everything falls into place. I also love how the author gives her dog a place in the story. I am a big dog lover too. Carlene Thompson is great.

Five stars are not enough to rate this superb thriller by Carlene Thompson. With suspects aplenty, a cast of well-defined characters, and a creepy killer hiding in plain sight, IF YOU EVER TELL ranks as one of the best suspense novels of the year. I give it ten stars - don't miss it!

In the last 3 months, I have read every book Carlene Thompson has written and I've loved everyone of them!! I thought that maybe this time I had really figured out who the killer was...but once again I was wrong.
She does a great job of telling the story, describing details (without over doing it). The characters are so believable, I was able to relate to them and that made me feel connected to the story.
I hate to finish her books, cause I enjoy them so much, but it's great that she puts in an epilogue!! (I hate authors that kill or catch the bad guy and boom the book ends.) I can't wait for her next book!!

Eight years ago someone broke into the Farr home in Point Pleasant, West Virginia killing the parents and stabbing preadolescent Celeste. Since teenager Teresa Farr was untouched, the police and the media assume she killed her father, stepmother and failed at murdering her stepsister. However, serial killer Roscoe Lee Byrnes confesses to the murders after he is caught. He is convicted and placed on death row awaiting state execution while Celeste has remained silent since the assault.

However, just before Byrnes is to be executed, he renounces his confession in the Farr homicides. Meanwhile Teresa begins receiving notes insisting she will soon face "justice" while mute Celeste recognizes a unique smell and begins to talk for the first time in eight years; insisting her stepsister is not only innocent, she saved her life. However others do not believe the traumatized child including the note writer as someone wants to divert attention to Teresa for the killings; if necessary even set up a murder suicide scenario that will eliminate the survivors while casting culpability on the older soon dead stepsibling

This is a tense suspense thriller that grips readers the moment that Teresa enters her home to find a nightmare that awaits her. Everyone except for Celeste believes she is the cold blooded killer even after Byrnes confessed. The story line is fast-paced as the killer raises the ante to insure no one alive knows the truth. However, fans will be irritated with the heroine's denial that danger is mounting although her reaction seems psychologically realistic since Teri cannot emotionally deal with a second deadly encounter until she has no choice. Still Carlene Thompson provides an engaging romantic suspense thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Theresa "Teri" wakes up one night and discovers the bodies of her father and step-mother in their bed. She immediately runs out of the room to check on her step-sister, Celeste, and runs into the killer. The killer stabs her in the arm, sparing her life, and flees into the night. A short time later, a serial killer confesses to the murders, despite the town believing Teri killed her father and step-mother.

The story takes place eight years later around July 4th weekend. The week of his execution, Roscoe Lee Byrnes recants his confession. Once again, suspicion falls on Teri. Meanwhile, Celeste is left mute after the murders and finally starts talking again. Memories flood her and soon she starts to piece together that tragic night. While she desperately attempts to recall the killer's face, the killer is watching and plotting his/her next move.

Carlene Thompson has again written a suspenseful novel. You suspect several characters of the murders, but don't know until the very end who the villain is. Ms. Thompson is one of my favorite writers. This last novel is another hit.

I thought this book was a good read for a cold rainy day. Not the best I've read recently but certainly not the worst. Many complex
characters, a lot of mystery and suspense.

This is another entertaining novel of suspense by an author who really never fails to deliver. Her novels are well-written and usually feature ordinary people to whom extraordinary things happen. This book is no exception.

Teresa Farr is just a teenager living with her wealthy father and step-mother in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, when her life is turned upside-down. She woke up one night only to discover that both her father and step-mother had been savagely murdered in their beds, and her beloved, eight year old step-sister, Celeste, had been stabbed but was still alive. Teresa had also been wounded, though superficially, by the killer whom she had surprised.

Originally, Teresa was a suspect in the killings but was supplanted as a person of interested by a serial killer who confessed to the murders and attempted murder. Eight years later, however, the serial killer recanted his confession, and suspicion once again falls upon Teresa. Celeste, the only person who could exonerate Teresa, has been mute since the day she was stabbed. Something happens, however, that triggers Celeste's ability to talk, and, once again, she and Teresa are in danger.

This is a tautly written novel with many twists and turns in the plot. Fans of the author will definitely enjoy this novel of suspense, while those reading the author for the first time will be hooked and want to read the author's other books. In this genre, this author numbers among the best.

I liked 8 or 9 of Carlene Thompsons novels.
Was really disappointed with "If you ever tell" and "Since you've been gone", found both books very confusing with too many characters. It took me a while to get used to the fact that Terry and Teresa were identical. At first I thought they are two different women.

If you want to give Thompson a chance, start with "All fall down". I think it's even better than her first book "Black for Remembrance", because it creates such a great atmosphere.

"The way you look tonight" and "In the Event of my Death" are also excellent suspense novels.
"Don't close your eyes" is very well written.
"If she should die" has a very slow beginning, but after almost 100 pages it picks up and develops a humorous relationship between the main character, Christine Ireland, and the new sheriff which really cracked me up.

"Last Whisper" was very thrilling and is definitely recommendable.
"Share no Secrets" and "Last seen alive" are not bad, but not among her better ones.
I still need to read "You can run", so I cannot say anything about that one