Review: Beyond Suspicion by Catherine A Winn

Beyond Suspicion

by Catherine A Winn

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Pages: 234

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Her mom’s remarriage has been hard on fifteen year old Shelby. Roger is strict and treats her like a child. At least they’re letting her go to her first boy-girl party. That is until she gets home from school and finds that Roger has changed his mind—he wants Shelby to babysit her year-old brother Josh. It’s so unfair! Fuming, Shelby takes Josh in his stroller to the park. After all, it’s not his fault. Someone sets off fireworks, distracting Shelby. When she turns around—Josh is gone.

Shelby tells the police she’s seen a white van cruising the neighborhood lately, and she thinks she saw it at the park as well. But to her horror, the police are not interested: Pointing to angry texts to her girlfriends about getting back at Roger, they accuse her of causing Josh’s disappearance! The police focus on the woods around the park, driving Shelby wild with fear and anger that the kidnappers will get away. With TV reporters all over the front yard, Shelby sneaks out the back to find her brother, any way she can.

So begins Shelby’s race against time—and against a world that has turned on her. And yet she finds help along the way. There’s mysterious Matt, who says he wants to help, but doesn’t seem to want anyone to know it. And there’s Jess, who watches out for Shelby as, against the odds, she tracks down the kidnappers down just as they are leaving town.


Kritters Thoughts:  Shelby is a high schooler and was really wanting to go to a party, her mom and step dad need her to stay home and baby sit her brother.  She relents because deep down she truly loves him and while out in her care he is kidnapped.  She is blamed for the kidnapping but she thinks she knows a few of the clues as to who took him.

Shelby was a great sleuth.  Not only was she connected to the crime, but a person of interest and she was out collecting clues without a drivers license!  I loved how she was completely into collecting clues and finding out who dun it.  And I loved the final perp, the twists and turns were great and although I may have guessed it a little early, I still loved how it all came together in the end.

Narrated by a high schooler and without any crazy crazy content, this book is perfect for the YA reader who may enjoy getting into the mystery thriller genre.  This is a perfect beginners into the genre - could create an early fan!  For the reader who may be older in age (I know all ages read YA, I mean you are actually older than a high schooler) then you will enjoy this change of pace by having a younger narrator and main character in the story.


Rating:  perfect YA read

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Partner in Crime Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.