Both Lucy Walsh and Jeremy Cavalon are survivors of abduction and of serial killers; now they are married and expecting a baby. Lucy, who has already suffered two miscarriages, has a tendency to worry; Jeremy is determined to protect his family, to keep their present from being destroyed by their past.

Driven by his need to conceal past actions, Jeremy must never let Lucy . . . or anyone else know . . . the truth of what happened when Papa died. And when Jeremy’s grandmother suddenly dies in an accident, they have no way of knowing that a malevolent predator lurks in the shadow, waiting.
Has the past caught up with Jeremy? What drives their unseen predator? Can they escape the horrors of the past or are they doomed to become the victims once again?

The story begun “Live to Tell” and continued in “Scared to Death,” the first two volumes in the trilogy, concludes here; readers who have not read the first two narratives will find sufficient explanation of previous events to follow this narrative without difficulty. The building suspense keeps the pages turning and the palpable tension keeps readers on the edge of their seats as the emotional roller coaster takes them for a breathtaking ride. As the plot twists and turns toward the final reveal, readers will discover a satisfying end to the tale as well as to the trilogy. ( )

A long awaited baby on the way, a rent free apartment, it would seem that Lucy and Jeremy are on the road to recovery and happiness. However unbeknownst to them they are being watched. I have read a number of Wendy Corsi Staub's books and she has become one of my favorite authors. She draws me in with her complex characters and unpredictable twists and turns. I would highly recommend "Hell to Pay". ( )

"Fresh Meat" by Laura K. Curtis for Criminal Element

Perhaps because my own family had more than a few “boundary issues” and privacy was at a minimum, I’ve always been fond of mysteries that focus on long-hidden family secrets. In her newest novel, Hell To Pay, Wendy Corsi Staub reveals more buried secrets than any genealogical excavator could possibly hope to find.

In many ways, this book—which is my first Wendy Corsi Staub in quite a few years, and I am not sure why—reminded me of a Mary Higgins Clark mystery. (And no, not just because they both have three names!) The pacing and characterization felt similar, and families are a staple of Clark’s work as well.

(Read the rest at http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2011/09/fresh-meat-wendy-corsi-staubs-hell-... )