Blood Red by Wendy Corsi Staub, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Rowan Mundy — wife, mother, school teacher — has moved back to Mundy's Landing with her husband Jake, a descendant of the family who founded the small village on the banks of the Hudson River. Two of their three children are in college, with the youngest, Mick, a junior in high school. Rowan, however, has a secret: fourteen years ago she nearly had an affair with Rick Walker, a single, stay-at-home dad. He had always commented how much he loved Rowan's flowing red hair. Nothing happened, mostly because a batch of cookies that Rowan was baking started burning. Now, all these years later, she receives a package in the mail: a baker's dozen of burnt, chocolate chip cookies, the same type and number that were in her oven on that fateful day so long ago, in Blood Red, the first book in a trilogy of thrillers by Wendy Corsi Staub.

Rowan can hardly bring herself to ask Rick, who still lives in the area, whether or not he sent the package. He denies doing so. But there is another strange coincidence. Several women had been murdered in and around Mundy's Landing, the only common link between them was their red hair. Some residents recall hearing from their parents and grandparents about "The Sleeping Beauty Murders" that took place in the town in 1916. Three women were killed, the crimes never solved. Could this be a copycat killer? And should red-haired Rowan be concerned that she may be a target?

Blood Red is a very suspenseful mystery, centered on the strongly drawn and very likeable character of Rowan Mundy. The supporting cast are equally well developed. The story of "The Sleeping Beauty Murders" is told in various stages throughout the book from articles in old newspapers. It adds an interesting dynamic to the story in a way that somewhat surprisingly adds to the tension. Though one can imagine where the plot is headed, the path there is filled with plenty of twists and turns, keeping readers on edge until the serial killer's identity is finally revealed.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Blood Red.

The Black Widow
Harper (Mass Market Paperback), February 2015
ISBN-13: 9780062222435; ISBN-10: 0062222430

Blue Moon
Harper (Mass Market Paperback), July 2016
ISBN-13: 9780062349750; ISBN-10: 0062349759

Blood Red

The Mundy's Landing Trilogy by Wendy Corsi Staub