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173 books added
Karen Dionne
(Karen L Dionne)
Detroit native Karen Dionne is the internationally published author of Boiling Point, an environmental thriller about an erupting volcano, a missing researcher, and a radical scheme to end global warming.
Karen is cofounder of the online writers community Backspace, and organizes the Backspace Writers Conferences held in New York City every year. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the International Thriller Writers, where she serves on the board of directors as Vice President, Technology.
Karen has been honored by the Michigan Humanities Council as a Humanities Scholar for her body of work as an author, writer, and as co-founder of Backspace.
Karen blogs at The Huffington Post, and has written about the publishing industry from an authors perspective for DailyFinance. She also reviews for The New York Journal of Books.
Karen is cofounder of the online writers community Backspace, and organizes the Backspace Writers Conferences held in New York City every year. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the International Thriller Writers, where she serves on the board of directors as Vice President, Technology.
Karen has been honored by the Michigan Humanities Council as a Humanities Scholar for her body of work as an author, writer, and as co-founder of Backspace.
Karen blogs at The Huffington Post, and has written about the publishing industry from an authors perspective for DailyFinance. She also reviews for The New York Journal of Books.
Awards: Barry (2018) see all
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Novels
Freezing Point (2008)
Boiling Point (2010)
The Marsh King's Daughter (2017)
aka Home
The Wicked Sister (2020)
Boiling Point (2010)
The Marsh King's Daughter (2017)
aka Home
The Wicked Sister (2020)
Books containing stories by Karen Dionne
This Time For Sure (2021)
Bouchercon 2021 Anthology
(Bouchercon Anthology)
edited by
Hank Phillippi Ryan
Awards
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Award nominations
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Karen Dionne recommends
The Inheritance (2025)
Trisha Sakhlecha
"With its masterful plotting, gorgeous setting, and diverse cast of characters I could relate to and root for, The Inheritance had me turning the pages at warp speed all the way to its stunning conclusion. You know a book is good when you wish you'd written it!"
Catch You Later (2024)
Jessica Strawser
"Jessica Strawser's Catch You Later is exactly the kind of smart, twisty, heartbreaking, and ultimately satisfying novel that I love; a book with totally relatable characters which raises so many questions I knew within the first pages that I was going to devour every word until I reached the end. Don't think you can guess where the story is going; just put yourself in Strawser's capable hands and enjoy the ride!"
The Best Lies (2024)
David Ellis
"The Best Lies is the best book I've read in a long time; a complicated, high-stakes thriller in which all the characters have something to win and everything to lose. With an absolutely unpredictable plot and an ending that was as surprising as it was satisfying, I raced through this book in a single sitting. Just read it!"
The Hunter's Daughter (2024)
Nicola Solvinic
"Deliciously unpredictable and absolutely engrossing, Nicola Solvinic's The Hunter's Daughter is one of the best debuts I've read in a very long time. With a dash of magical realism and the kind of complicated, conflicted heroine I love, Solvinic pulls off a nearly impossible feat: making the reader care about a woman who may well be following in her serial killer father's footsteps. Put The Hunter's Daughter at the top of your TBR list - I loved this book!"
You Know What You Did (2024)
K T Nguyen
"K.T. Nguyen's You Know What You Did is a stunning debut, a complex and compelling thriller that grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the very end. Nguyen's keen eye for detail and gorgeous prose contrasts with her deeply tormented narrator to set up an escalating tension that elevates this novel far above most domestic thrillers. I loved this book!"
The General's Gold (2024)
(Turner and Mosley Files, book 1)
Bruce Robert Coffin and LynDee Walker
"THE GENERAL'S GOLD by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin is a rip-roaring adventure story, as classic as Stevenson's Treasure Island and as current as the billionaire tech genius and the social media sensation treasure hunters at its core. Smart, fun, and utterly engaging, I tore through this book in a single sitting. Just read it!"
When I'm Her (2024)
Sarah Zachrich Jeng
"Twisty doesn't begin to describe Sarah Zachrich Jeng's When I'm Her - a complex, mind-bending, mind-blowing psychological suspense unlike anything I've ever read. Jeng's first novel was a stunner, and now she's completely outdone herself. Just read it!"
Leave no Trace (2024)
(National Parks Thriller, book 1)
A J Landau
"You know a story that begins with a terrorist attack on the Statue of Liberty is going to be a tense, edge-of-your-seat nail-biter, and Leave No Trace by A.J. Landau is all that and more. This no-holds-barred, white-knuckle thrill ride grabbed me from the first page and held tight until the very end. More, please!"
Daughter of Ashes (2023)
(Teresa Battaglia, book 3)
Ilaria Tuti
"A heroine unlike any other and a beautifully crafted sense of place."
The Beautiful and the Wild (2023)
Peggy Townsend
"The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat Alaskan wilderness survival story and so much more; a brilliantly insightful and compelling dysfunctional family drama that kept me turning the pages at warp speed. I loved this book!"
You Always Come Back (2023)
Emily Smith
"Emily Smith's psychological thriller You Always Come Back is a tense, absorbing, heartbreaking, and absolutely unputdownable debut; a masterful portrait of what may well be the ultimate dysfunctional family. Smith's quirky yet realistic characters along with her gorgeous prose grabbed me from the first page, while her expert plotting and her unique take on the challenges of escaping a less-than-perfect childhood kept me enthralled until the very end. Highly recommended!"
The Long Way Back (2023)
Nicole Baart
"In Nicole Baart's gripping new thriller The Long Way Back, a mother creates a perfect Instagram life for herself and her teenage daughter, traveling the country while chronicling their adventures for legions of fans. But despite doing everything right, never posting her daughter's face and never identifying their location until they've moved on, things go horribly wrong. Timely and provocative, Baart's marvelously relatable characters and gifted storytelling take the reader on a wild and unexpected ride. I loved this book!"
Symphony of Secrets (2023)
Brendan Slocumb
"Brendan Slocumb's Symphony of Secrets is a wonderfully compelling page-turner that's so authentic you'll swear that Slocumb himself was part of the 1920s Manhattan music scene. Slocumb's musical background along with his unique characters and gorgeous prose create a fascinating story of astonishing talent and extraordinary deceit. I loved this book!"
Just One More (2023)
Annette Lyon
"Annette Lyon's Just One More is the ultimate thrill ride; a heart-pounding, terrifying page-turner that grabbed me from the opening paragraphs and didn't let go until the final sentences. Don't think you know how this plays out; just put yourself in Lyon's eminently capable hands and enjoy the ride!"
Such Pretty Flowers (2023)
K L Cerra
"An astonishing debut . . . creepy, compelling, terrifying, and utterly original psychological suspense that grabbed me from the first page and held tight until the last. Cerra's deft plotting and assured voice control her readers as skillfully as her antagonist manipulates her victims. Bump this one to the top of your TBR list - I loved it!"
The Second Stranger (2023)
Martin Griffin
"Break out the superlatives! The Second Stranger absolutely blew me away. This superb thriller is the book everyone's going to be talking about, a brilliant, tense, twisty, atmospheric, and utterly compelling debut from a major new voice in crime fiction. Just read it."
Dark Rivers to Cross (2022)
Lynne Reeves
"Reeves writes a powerfully moving exploration of how far a mother will go to keep her children safe--an intimate portrait of a family defined by secrets and lies. Riveting, propulsive, and haunting, with bonus points for its wilderness setting, I loved Dark Rivers to Cross!"
The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way (2022)
Raymond Benson
"Raymond Benson's The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way is absolutely brilliant; truly one of the most original stories I've ever read. Clever, witty, unexpected, and utterly engaging, I loved this book!"
Dead Drop (2022)
(Detective Nathan Parker, book 1)
James L'Etoile
"James L'Etoile's Dead Drop hooked me from the opening sentences to the very last page. A truly twisted plot, gifted storytelling, and dead-on characterization combine to make this tense, timely, and heart-breaking thriller a truly memorable read. I loved it!"
Beneath the Stairs (2022)
Jennifer Fawcett
"Jennifer Fawcett's Beneath the Stairs had me from the very first page. Tense, surprising, and utterly gripping, I loved this book!"
The Tally Stick (2022)
Carl Nixon
"From its first sentences, The Tally Stick by Carl Nixon swept me up and carried me away to a world I never knew and a place I've never been: New Zealand's West Coast, a rough and rugged place where after just five days in the country the Chamberlain family completely disappears. But more than the impeccably described landscape, it's the complicated moral choices the characters must confront that makes this novel so much more than a gripping story of loss and survival. Richly drawn, intensely atmospheric, and absolutely stunning, I loved this book!"
The Girls in the Stilt House (2021)
Kelly Mustian
"Kelly Mustian's THE GIRLS IN THE STILT HOUSE is a triumph, a heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting debut that's as rich and lush as the Natchez Trace where the story takes place. Mustian's lyrical prose combined with her deep insight into the resiliency of the human spirit make this novel shine. You know a book is good when you wish you'd written it!"
Oslo, Maine (2021)
Marcia Butler
"seductive, imaginative, and utterly unique story; an astute and compassionate foray into the intersecting lives of characters who are both ordinary and exceptional, saintly and deeply flawed."
Let Her Lie (2021)
Bryan Reardon
"Bryan Reardon is at the top of his game...Complex and conflicted characters along with a taut and twisty plot had me racing through the pages...Wonderfully written and unfailingly compelling, I loved this book!"
Little Threats (2020)
Emily Schultz
"Emily Schultz's Little Threats is a complex, powerful, emotionally wrenching thriller with a deceptively simple premise: what if you agreed to serve 15 years in prison for a murder you have no memory of committing? Intense, twisty, and compelling--once you begin reading, you won't be able to stop!"
The Girl in the Mirror (2020)
Rose Carlyle
"Rose Carlyle’s debut psychological suspense The Girl in the Mirror left me gobsmacked. With its exotic setting, incredibly drawn characters, masterfully intricate plot, and an ending I absolutely did not see coming, Carlyle doesn’t just knock the ball out of the park—she sends it flying into the next universe. The Girl in the Mirror is a triumph, one of the best books I’ve read all year."
Don't Look For Me (2020)
Wendy Walker
"Wendy Walker hits it out of the park once again in her newest psychological suspense DON'T LOOK FOR ME, a riveting and intimate story of unimaginable loss which raises the question: When you’ve already done the unthinkable, can there be any chance of redemption? Sharp, nuanced, utterly real and absolutely terrifying, this beautifully written and emotionally powerful novel is Walker at her best. I didn’t simply read this book?I devoured it!"
Convince Me (2020)
Nina Sadowsky
"One of the cleverest psychological suspense novels I’ve read in years . . . tense, gripping, and fast-paced. . . lies piled upon lies and an entire cast of unreliable narrators that will have you wondering if anyone is telling the truth. . . I raced through this wickedly deceptive thriller in one sitting—highly recommended!"
Little White Secrets (2020)
Carol Mason
"Taut and emotional, with an ending that literally left me gasping, Carol Mason’s Little White Secrets reminds us that secrets will always make their way to the surface no matter how deeply we think we’ve buried them. I loved this book."
A Mother's Lie (2020)
Sarah Zettel
"Sarah Zettel's The Other Sister is as dark and twisted as they come; a compelling and sinister psychological thriller in which every character is deeply flawed, their desire for revenge understandable and relatable. With its intricate web of secrets long buried, readers won't be able to stop turning the pages!"
The Sleepover (2019)
Samantha King
"Samantha King's intense and twisty thriller is a heartrending tale of broken trust and unimaginable loss in which a single mother is catapulted into the abyss when her only son goes missing; the only way out the answer to a single question: Where is my boy? King's fearless and terrifying new novel cements her place as one of the most talented and important psychological suspense authors today. I loved this book!"
Black Nowhere (2019)
(Lisa Tanchik, book 1)
Reece Hirsch
"Smart, intense, and frighteningly real—I loved this book! Readers who enjoy thrillers with a heavy dose of high-tech computer wizardry will devour Reece Hirsch’s gripping new novel. When two of the smartest people on the planet face off in a cat-and-mouse game that might be the end for them both, the outcome is anything but certain."
The Woman in the White Kimono (2019)
Ana Johns
"The Woman in the White Kimono is a powerful and heartbreaking literary novel; a lush and masterful exploration of the indomitability of the human spirit set against the backdrop of post-World War II Japan. Johns's exquisite and emotionally satisfying tale spans a cultural divide to marry a mother's courageous determination to protect her daughter at any cost with a daughter's quest for truth. I loved this book!"
The Missing Years (2019)
Lexie Elliott
"A maelstrom of complicated friendships and shifting alliances. This addictive debut will keep you up late into the night!"
The Liar's Child (2019)
Carla Buckley
"This book is a deeply affecting, complicated family drama and a heartbreaking and ultimately satisfying story of secrets, mistakes, and good intentions gone wrong. Told in Buckley’s trademark evocative prose, The Liar’s Child spotlights her singular gift: the ability to tug on the threads of her characters’ lives, make them unravel, and then expertly stitch them back together again."
Last Night (2019)
(Searchers , book 2)
Karen Ellis
"Karen Ellis's twisty plot, dark storytelling, and nail-biting action kept me reading far too late into the night."
The Plotters (2018)
Un-su Kim
"A work of literary genius; a quirky, compelling, intelligent, darkly funny, highly original and thought-provoking thriller like nothing I've read."
The Lines We Leave Behind (2018)
Eliza Graham
"The Lines We Leave Behind is mesmerizing; a deeply affecting story of treachery, deception, sacrifice, and loss. Beautifully written and completely absorbing…"
In Her Bones (2018)
Kate Moretti
"Sensational; a stunning psychological thriller that kept me riveted from the first page to the last. A dark and compelling exploration of what it's like to grow up with someone who just may be the worst mother in the world, Moretti's chilling and insightful novel answers the question: If your mother is a serial killer and you're obsessed with her victims, what does that make you?"
Somebody's Daughter (2018)
David Bell
"With razor sharp prose and a satisfyingly twisty plot, Somebody's Daughter is an intense, emotional thrill ride readers won't want to miss!"
Scrublands (2018)
(Martin Scarsden, book 1)
Chris Hammer
"Chris Hammer's powerful debut Scrublands establishes his place among the handful of thriller writers who understand the importance of setting as character, deftly weaving the story of a landscape burned dry and a town whose residents are barely hanging on with a complicated mystery that could only happen in this place in exactly the way Hammer tells it. Fresh and hypnotic, complex and layered, Scrublands' gorgeous prose swept me up and carried me toward a conclusion that was both surprising and inevitable. I loved every word. Highly recommended."
Lies That Bind Us (2018)
Andrew Hart
"How can you possibly understand the present if the past isn’t what you thought? Andrew Hart’s Lies That Bind Us answers that question with a compulsively unreliable narrator, a fascinating setting, intricate plotting, and prose that’s as smooth as the Aegean Sea where the story takes place. A tense and engaging thriller that will keep readers biting their nails until the very last page."
Jane's Baby (2018)
Chris Bauer
"Chris Bauer's JANE'S BABY is a fresh and engaging page-turner in the tradition of Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen, with a 'Wish I'd thought of that' premise, a bounty hunter with a serious problem, and a cast of quirky sidekicks on a collision course with both the past and the future. I read this in one sitting. Such a clever book!"
Turn a Blind Eye (2018)
(D.I. Maya Rahman, book 1)
Vicky Newham
"Vicky Newham's TURN A BLIND EYE is a sensational debut; a current, timely police procedural featuring a DI like none you've ever seen. I loved this book!"
The Ruin (2018)
(Cormac Reilly, book 1)
Dervla McTiernan
"Fans of Tana French will love McTiernan's expertly plotted, complex web of secrets that refuse to stay hidden."
Paper Ghosts (2018)
Julia Heaberlin
"A stunner: a creepy, complicated thriller that crawls under your skin from the outset and burrows deeper with every page; the kind of ‘there’s no way this is going to end well’ story in which you know that what the character is doing is a very, very bad idea, but you can’t look away. It’s a chilling, nuanced, just-one-more-page novel from a master of psychological suspense. Highly recommended!"
Strangers in Budapest (2017)
Jessica Keener
"A mesmerizing story of love and loss. Keener probes the depths to which grief and disappointment can drive a person away from those who only wish to love them."
The Devil's Claw (2017)
Deep Dark Water
(Jennifer Dorey Mystery, book 1)
Lara Dearman
"A powerful debut. With smooth prose and engaging characters, Dearman draws her readers into a tangled web of secrets. Layer upon layer of lies and unexpected connections will keep readers guessing until the very end."
Look for Her (2017)
(Keene and Frohmann, book 4)
Emily Winslow
"Nothing is easy or simple, thanks to Winslow's delightfully devious mind. Surprising and satisfying, you won't be able to stop turning the pages of Look for Her."
The Last Mrs. Parrish (2017)
(Last Mrs. Parrish, book 1)
Liv Constantine
"Liv Constantine’s THE LAST MRS. PARRISH is a beautifully constructed set piece, an intricate narrative that doubles back and folds in on itself like a Mobius strip, revealing secret upon secret, and layer upon layer, with a seductive ‘just one more chapter’ urgency that will keep readers up all night. Giving new meaning to the adage ‘be careful what you wish for,’ THE LAST MRS. PARRISH proves that the worst that can happen just might be when you get what you want. Addictive!"
The Innocent Wife (2017)
Amy Lloyd
"The Innocent Wife is a stunner that leads the reader down a twisty path to a surprising, yet satisfying conclusion. You won't be able to stop turning the pages!"
The Dark Lake (2017)
(Gemma Woodstock, book 1)
Sarah Bailey
"I raced through this deliciously complicated, mesmerizing debut at warp speed. Sarah Bailey's The Dark Lake is sure to keep readers awake far too late into the night."
Just Between Us (2017)
Rebecca Drake
"Rebecca Drake's Just Between Us is a stunner - a tense, twisty thriller about four ordinary women that begs the question: When a friend is in trouble, and all you want to do is help, how can everything go so terribly wrong?"
The Marriage Pact (2017)
Michelle Richmond
"This sometimes disturbing, always thought-provoking, stunner of a novel will keep you reading far too late into the night."
Can You Hear Me? (2017)
Elena Varvello
"Readers will devour this novel in one sitting as I did, then chew over it long after the book is done."
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Questions? Comments? Corrections? Please email webmaster@fantasticfiction.com
© 1999 - Fantastic Fiction
