Brilliant suspense fiction, Someone to Blame by C.S. Lakin

I read many of the best psychological suspense novels and this is a brilliant one, as the author, C.S. Lakin, sets an ominous tone from the first page, which carries through the book. Matt and Irene are in deep grief over the deaths of their sons, and their daughter Casey is as depressed as they are.
When they move to a small town to escape their sadness, they find there is no escape, as the town is beset by many crimes from arson to assault, and a troubled and angry young loner, Billy Thurber, appears.
Matt wishes “If only he could hack away at memories and break them into harmless pieces” and for Irene, “An ice age had settled at the very core of her being and she could only guess at the years it would take to melt those glaciers down to manageable size.”
A nasty vigilante group forms to kill the person they think is guilty of the crime wave, while Casey develops a crush on Billy.
The denouement is thrilling and brought me to tears as I watched the mom decide whether to risk her life to protect someone. This rises up from her inner turmoil over not saving or protecting her sons.
The publisher kindly sent me an ARC of this book and I recommend it highly to everyone who enjoys psychological thrillers or novels about families in stress, with the hope of healing.

Wolf of Tebron book review: A hero, a wolf and dreams

Wolf of Tebron by C.S. Lakin.
I enjoyed going on this hero’s journey with Joran and Ruyah, in this fantasy that contains elements of fairy tale and myth. Joran is an unlikely hero who sent his wife, Charris, away in a jealous fit, and Ruyah is a huge silver wolf who has long watched Joran from the woods and hills nearby.
Joran does not know why, but he has the ability to talk with animals, whether a goat on his farm or a wolf or wild songbird.
The outward purpose of the journey is to rescue Charris, who is magically imprisoned in ice in an unknown place. The author skillfully interweaves the hero encountering danger with passages where wisdom is shared and beauty is seen.
Lakin includes lyrical descriptions, characterizing the essence of light itself as “liquid joy”, and the wolf leading the way as “But he set his attention on Ruyah’s tail, which floated on the fog like a disembodied swatch of fur.”
The travelers are forced to visit Cielle, the moon’s sister, then Sola, the sun’s mother, the South Wind and finally the Sea, and face despair, fights and the threat of death as they journey toward Charris. Sola says that the moon is a jealous being and won’t give up Charris, and she is right.
I am not going to give away any plot here but I recommend that you read this fantasy which intertwines dreams and reality, and enjoy the journey.
This is the first book in the Gates of Heaven series.