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Don't Scream
Don't Tell A Soul. . .
In a remote, heavily wooded area near the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Rachel Lorant died on her birthday. But she didn't die alone. That night, her four sorority sisters make a solemn, trembling pledge. They will never reveal what has just happened in those woods--ever. Instead, they will take their terrible secret to their graves. . .
Don't Think About The Past. . .
Now, ten years later, their secret is coming back to haunt them as each receives a card in the mail from Rachel: "Happy Birthday to Me. xoxo R." It's clear that someone knows what happened that night. Someone is stalking them and sending mysterious, chilling gifts that only they can understand--deadly warnings of what is to come. For the sins of the past have come back with a vengeance, and a killer will see that they all pay in blood. . .
And Whatever You Do--Don't Scream. . .
Brynn Costello has never felt such pure fear. She didn't want any part in what happened so long ago, but now, the mother of two will do anything to stay alive and protect her family--even if it means matching wits with a killer she can't see. . .a twisted psychopath who is closer than she thinks and who is saving her death for last. . .
In a remote, heavily wooded area near the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Rachel Lorant died on her birthday. But she didn't die alone. That night, her four sorority sisters make a solemn, trembling pledge. They will never reveal what has just happened in those woods--ever. Instead, they will take their terrible secret to their graves. . .
Don't Think About The Past. . .
Now, ten years later, their secret is coming back to haunt them as each receives a card in the mail from Rachel: "Happy Birthday to Me. xoxo R." It's clear that someone knows what happened that night. Someone is stalking them and sending mysterious, chilling gifts that only they can understand--deadly warnings of what is to come. For the sins of the past have come back with a vengeance, and a killer will see that they all pay in blood. . .
And Whatever You Do--Don't Scream. . .
Brynn Costello has never felt such pure fear. She didn't want any part in what happened so long ago, but now, the mother of two will do anything to stay alive and protect her family--even if it means matching wits with a killer she can't see. . .a twisted psychopath who is closer than she thinks and who is saving her death for last. . .
476 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
260 people are currently reading
2339 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Corsi Staub
82 books1,900 followersNew York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub is the award-winning author of more than ninety novels, best known for the single title psychological suspense novels she writes under her own name. Those books and the women’s fiction written under the pseudonym Wendy Markham have also appeared on the USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookscan bestseller lists.
Her current standalone suspense novel, THE OTHER FAMILY, is about a picture-perfect family that that moves into a picture-perfect house. But not everything is as it seems, and the page-turner concludes “with a wallop of a twist,” according to #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben.
Her critically acclaimed Lily Dale traditional mystery series centers around a widowed single mom—and skeptic—who moves to a town populated by spiritualists who talk to the dead. Titles include NINE LIVES; SOMETHING BURIED, SOMETHING BLUE; DEAD OF WINTER; and PROSE AND CONS, with a fifth book under contract.
Wendy has written five suspense trilogies for HarperCollins/William Morrow. The most recent, The Foundlings (LITTLE GIRL LOST, DEAD SILENCE, and THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER), spans fifty years in the life of a woman left as a newborn in a Harlem church, now an investigative genealogist helping others uncover their biological roots while still searching for her own.
Written as Wendy Markham, Wendy’s novel HELLO, IT’S ME was a recent Hallmark television movie starring Kellie Martin. Her short story “Cat Got Your Tongue” appeared in R.L. Stine’s MWA middle grade anthology SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN and her short story “The Elephant in the Room” is included in the Anthony Award-nominated inaugural anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A three-time finalist for the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, she’s won an RWA Rita Award, an RT Award for Career Achievement in Suspense, the 2007 RWA-NYC Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement, and five WLA Washington Irving Prizes for Fiction.
She previously published a dozen adult suspense novels with Kensington Books and the critically-acclaimed young adult paranormal series “Lily Dale” (Walker/Bloomsbury). Earlier in her career, she published a broad range of genres under her own name and pseudonyms, and was a co-author/ghostwriter for several celebrities.
Raised in Dunkirk, NY, Wendy graduated from SUNY Fredonia and launched a publishing career in New York City. She was Associate Editor at Silhouette Books before selling her first novel in 1992. Married with two sons, she lives in the NYC suburbs. An active supporter of the American Cancer Society, she was a featured speaker at Northern Westchester’s 2015 Relay for Life and 2012 National Spokesperson for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has fostered for various animal rescue organizations.
Her current standalone suspense novel, THE OTHER FAMILY, is about a picture-perfect family that that moves into a picture-perfect house. But not everything is as it seems, and the page-turner concludes “with a wallop of a twist,” according to #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben.
Her critically acclaimed Lily Dale traditional mystery series centers around a widowed single mom—and skeptic—who moves to a town populated by spiritualists who talk to the dead. Titles include NINE LIVES; SOMETHING BURIED, SOMETHING BLUE; DEAD OF WINTER; and PROSE AND CONS, with a fifth book under contract.
Wendy has written five suspense trilogies for HarperCollins/William Morrow. The most recent, The Foundlings (LITTLE GIRL LOST, DEAD SILENCE, and THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER), spans fifty years in the life of a woman left as a newborn in a Harlem church, now an investigative genealogist helping others uncover their biological roots while still searching for her own.
Written as Wendy Markham, Wendy’s novel HELLO, IT’S ME was a recent Hallmark television movie starring Kellie Martin. Her short story “Cat Got Your Tongue” appeared in R.L. Stine’s MWA middle grade anthology SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN and her short story “The Elephant in the Room” is included in the Anthony Award-nominated inaugural anthology SHATTERING GLASS.
A three-time finalist for the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, she’s won an RWA Rita Award, an RT Award for Career Achievement in Suspense, the 2007 RWA-NYC Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement, and five WLA Washington Irving Prizes for Fiction.
She previously published a dozen adult suspense novels with Kensington Books and the critically-acclaimed young adult paranormal series “Lily Dale” (Walker/Bloomsbury). Earlier in her career, she published a broad range of genres under her own name and pseudonyms, and was a co-author/ghostwriter for several celebrities.
Raised in Dunkirk, NY, Wendy graduated from SUNY Fredonia and launched a publishing career in New York City. She was Associate Editor at Silhouette Books before selling her first novel in 1992. Married with two sons, she lives in the NYC suburbs. An active supporter of the American Cancer Society, she was a featured speaker at Northern Westchester’s 2015 Relay for Life and 2012 National Spokesperson for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has fostered for various animal rescue organizations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
December 4, 2023
This was a very good mystery and I am a fan of WCS so I must say that I really enjoy her style of writing.
WCS's books usually take place in suburbia and the main characters are women who are mothers, married or single
and all being stalked in some way.
This book involves four women and they have a big secret from their past that they
all share and it is coming back to haunt them when upon receiving birthday messages from their dead friend, all
their lives are now threatened.
Good suspenseful read, it keeps you guessing up to the end of the book!
4 MYSTERIOUS 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
WCS's books usually take place in suburbia and the main characters are women who are mothers, married or single
and all being stalked in some way.
This book involves four women and they have a big secret from their past that they
all share and it is coming back to haunt them when upon receiving birthday messages from their dead friend, all
their lives are now threatened.
Good suspenseful read, it keeps you guessing up to the end of the book!
4 MYSTERIOUS 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
September 13, 2019
Ten years ago, Rachel Lorant accidentally fell to her death.
Her four sorority sisters make a pact to keep silent about it for fear that they will be arrested because they were all drinking and they weren't able to stop Rachel from falling. They figure in the morning her body will be found and people will think she was drinking alone and just fell. Except that in the morning, her body was gone. Now in the present, the four women are getting letters that seem to be from Rachel. Someone is stalking them, and threatening them, and wants them to pay.
Aside from the mildly implausible premise that four girls decide to hide the fact that they were there when their friend fell—it seems like 4 witnesses who all had the same story would prevent them from being arrested or anything—the book was good. There were some nice twists and the characters were sympathetic. It definitely held my attention and was an absorbing read. I will certainly read more by this author.
Her four sorority sisters make a pact to keep silent about it for fear that they will be arrested because they were all drinking and they weren't able to stop Rachel from falling. They figure in the morning her body will be found and people will think she was drinking alone and just fell. Except that in the morning, her body was gone. Now in the present, the four women are getting letters that seem to be from Rachel. Someone is stalking them, and threatening them, and wants them to pay.
Aside from the mildly implausible premise that four girls decide to hide the fact that they were there when their friend fell—it seems like 4 witnesses who all had the same story would prevent them from being arrested or anything—the book was good. There were some nice twists and the characters were sympathetic. It definitely held my attention and was an absorbing read. I will certainly read more by this author.
July 3, 2015
Wendy Corsi Staub is m FAVORITE author! This book makes it even more so! This book had twists and turns and I loved the way the murderer set up the victim's bodies and how it all coincided around birthdays. A great twist at the end! Couldn't put it down. Highly recommend.
October 10, 2020
Staub has great plotlines...but toooo many characters!! Why does she make most of the heroine's children bratty and spoiled? Brynn was irritating from the first page with no backbone. And what is with the pregnancy-hormone thing? "I must have imagined it because of the hormones..." or "I must be hearing things b/c of..." or "I ate a whole jar of nuts and don't remember. Must be the hormones!"
Like I said, great ideas with shocking twists and turns. Ending is too wham-bam, though. Do not consider her in the same calibre as Mary Higgins Clark like the cover of all the paperbacks say. Sorry!
Like I said, great ideas with shocking twists and turns. Ending is too wham-bam, though. Do not consider her in the same calibre as Mary Higgins Clark like the cover of all the paperbacks say. Sorry!
December 26, 2015
good mystery to pass the time while on my nebulizer machine every few hrs. Will read more from this author as I downloaded some of her other books after this satisfying read!
May 2, 2013
This was thrilling. One night 10 years ago, 5 sorority sisters went into the woods behind their college to have a drink to celebrate the birthday of one of them- Rachel. Rachel had been markedly upset at the birthday party at her sorority house and they hoped to cheer her up by giving her a depressant drug in the form of alcohol? Yep, that's college girl logic for you.
An oddity about the college is that students were assigned to rooms in the sorority house based on birth month. Rachel's birthday is in September while Brynn, Cassie, Fiona, and Tildy's birthdays were all in October.
On that fateful night, Rachel was carrying a terrible secret- she was pregnant but wasn't sure if it belonged to her stepbrother Isaac or to another boy who was the boyfriend of one of her sorority sisters. Either way, she had a problem. She brought along some super strong alcohol in a mason jar and chugged it down then got too close to the edge of a precipice and fell off to her death. Or is she dead at all?
Tildy climbed down and told the others that Rachel was dead and forced them all to swear to keep the secret. Worried that they might be accused of killing Rachel, they all swore they would never tell anyone and for 10 years have kept their secret. But someone knows it anyway.
Rachel was presumed missing by the college and when searchers went over the trail where her body had fallen, no trace was found. Now, on what would have been Rachel's 30th birthday, Brynn, Cassie, Fiona, and Tildy all get odd looking birthday cards that say "Happy Birthday to Me. R"
Is Rachel alive? Does someone know they abandoned her and never spoke a word? Or is it one of the 4 remaining sorority sisters playing a cruel and sick joke. Could it even be her stepbrother?
One woman who witnessed the killer with the envelopes with the cards is murdered in a hit and run and the killings just keep coming after it.
All 4 women hold other secrets. Tildy, the rich bitch among the women, lives in Back Bay Boston, is the petted daughter of a rich man (her mother is dead) and is having an affair with a married influential politician, the father of triplet daughters who has his eyes on the presidency. Cassie is finishing up her medical residency in Connecticut and is engaged to her long time physician boyfriend but has such cold feet she is acting crazy. She has mother issues too- hers is a cold hearted bitch. Fiona had been married to Patrick and has a young daughter Ashley. She had not wanted kids, thought Patrick was a loser for failing in law school, and had a very bitter divorce and is now a high driven career woman and single mom to a child she has no time for. Brynn pretty much wasted her college education and is a household frump (she admits it herself) who spends all day with son Caleb (who starts kindergarten) and his little brother Jeremy, spending her spare time begging Garth, her professor husband, to let her have a third kid though they can't afford it. She is so involved with kids, she is pushing her husband away from her. He does not want a third child and notices that all Brynn has on the brain is babies. He has a secret too- he once had an affair with Tildy while living with Brynn. Fiona and Brynn still live in their college town.
The women gather to discuss the situation but decide to keep their secret. And then here comes October with the three birthdays. Tildy's is first and she comes home to a cake, a little girl's pink party- and a murderer.
There are plenty of creepy, scary, heart pounding moments here and I kept on reading at a furious pace. Exciting and full of emotional drama.
An oddity about the college is that students were assigned to rooms in the sorority house based on birth month. Rachel's birthday is in September while Brynn, Cassie, Fiona, and Tildy's birthdays were all in October.
On that fateful night, Rachel was carrying a terrible secret- she was pregnant but wasn't sure if it belonged to her stepbrother Isaac or to another boy who was the boyfriend of one of her sorority sisters. Either way, she had a problem. She brought along some super strong alcohol in a mason jar and chugged it down then got too close to the edge of a precipice and fell off to her death. Or is she dead at all?
Tildy climbed down and told the others that Rachel was dead and forced them all to swear to keep the secret. Worried that they might be accused of killing Rachel, they all swore they would never tell anyone and for 10 years have kept their secret. But someone knows it anyway.
Rachel was presumed missing by the college and when searchers went over the trail where her body had fallen, no trace was found. Now, on what would have been Rachel's 30th birthday, Brynn, Cassie, Fiona, and Tildy all get odd looking birthday cards that say "Happy Birthday to Me. R"
Is Rachel alive? Does someone know they abandoned her and never spoke a word? Or is it one of the 4 remaining sorority sisters playing a cruel and sick joke. Could it even be her stepbrother?
One woman who witnessed the killer with the envelopes with the cards is murdered in a hit and run and the killings just keep coming after it.
All 4 women hold other secrets. Tildy, the rich bitch among the women, lives in Back Bay Boston, is the petted daughter of a rich man (her mother is dead) and is having an affair with a married influential politician, the father of triplet daughters who has his eyes on the presidency. Cassie is finishing up her medical residency in Connecticut and is engaged to her long time physician boyfriend but has such cold feet she is acting crazy. She has mother issues too- hers is a cold hearted bitch. Fiona had been married to Patrick and has a young daughter Ashley. She had not wanted kids, thought Patrick was a loser for failing in law school, and had a very bitter divorce and is now a high driven career woman and single mom to a child she has no time for. Brynn pretty much wasted her college education and is a household frump (she admits it herself) who spends all day with son Caleb (who starts kindergarten) and his little brother Jeremy, spending her spare time begging Garth, her professor husband, to let her have a third kid though they can't afford it. She is so involved with kids, she is pushing her husband away from her. He does not want a third child and notices that all Brynn has on the brain is babies. He has a secret too- he once had an affair with Tildy while living with Brynn. Fiona and Brynn still live in their college town.
The women gather to discuss the situation but decide to keep their secret. And then here comes October with the three birthdays. Tildy's is first and she comes home to a cake, a little girl's pink party- and a murderer.
There are plenty of creepy, scary, heart pounding moments here and I kept on reading at a furious pace. Exciting and full of emotional drama.
June 10, 2011
Rachel Lorant died on her birthday. In a remote , heavily wooded area of Massachusetts. She didn,t die alone four if her sority sisters where there. They made a solemn pledge. They will never reveal what happened in those woods. They,ll take the secret to their graves. Now ten years later, their secret is coming back to haunt them each recieves a birthday card Happy Birthday xoxoR. It,s clear someone knows what happened that night. Someone is stalking them and sending , chilling mysterious gifts that only they can understand-The question is will they live to see there next birthday?
November 13, 2018
Wendy Corsi Staub is my guilty pleasure. I absolutely love her books, and this one is my all time favorite by her! She paints very vibrant and realistic characters. The mystery unfolds with lots of delicious twists and turns. The ending left me speechless. What more can I say? I couldn't put this book down.
May 26, 2025
Exactly what to expect from a 2007 thriller: some predictability, some off-their-rocker twists, and the most tropes I’ve seen in a single book (though the year is the only reason I’m giving to not taking off a star for killing the only semi-main gay character). I did not guess the final twist, and for that reason I would consider other books by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2019
At first I thought this book was going to be like "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and although there were similarities it had a more convoluted plot. It kept me interested up to the ending.
July 7, 2021
Rachel Lorant died 10 years before this book begins under dark and secretive circumstances. Rachel was with four sorority sisters deep in the Massachusetts woods the night she died. She died on her birthday.
The four remaining women determine they will never tell anyone what happened that night. They swear one another to secrecy and do their best to get on with their lives. And they do. For 10 years.
On the 10th anniversary of Rachel’s death, which is the same day as her birthday, the four survivors get birthday cards signed by Rachel with her trademark signature comprised of X’s and O’s for kisses and hugs and the letter R written after them. Who knew that’s how Rachel used to sign her name? Who knew this was the 10th anniversary of her birth? Worst of all, who knew that she died that creepy September night 10 years earlier?
Things get ever more tense when one of the four remaining sorority sisters dies on her birthday. The others receive blood-saturated items designed to let them know that one of the four met an awful fate. Because their birthdays cluster around the same time of the year, the three remaining women begin to fear that their lives are in danger as well. Indeed, they are. The second of the four women dies brutally on her birthday, and now it’s a race against time and a sadistic killer who seeks the death of all five of the women.
This has all the hallmarks of a great thriller that I look for. I vacillated between two characters as the possible killer, and Staub so skillfully wrote this that I couldn’t figure out who killed the sorority sisters. Indeed, the people between whom I vacillated weren’t the killers at all. I never saw that end coming.
You also get the opportunity to dabble in the troubled private lives of these women. Brynn fears telling her professor husband that she’s pregnant with their third child; that same husband, on the other hand, has a thing for undergraduate girls with large breasts. He’s an insomniac who allegedly spends much of his nights at the university where he’s working on his next book.
If you enjoy a good thriller, this one won’t be easy to lay aside while you live the essential portions of your life that you can’t put off in favor of the book.
The four remaining women determine they will never tell anyone what happened that night. They swear one another to secrecy and do their best to get on with their lives. And they do. For 10 years.
On the 10th anniversary of Rachel’s death, which is the same day as her birthday, the four survivors get birthday cards signed by Rachel with her trademark signature comprised of X’s and O’s for kisses and hugs and the letter R written after them. Who knew that’s how Rachel used to sign her name? Who knew this was the 10th anniversary of her birth? Worst of all, who knew that she died that creepy September night 10 years earlier?
Things get ever more tense when one of the four remaining sorority sisters dies on her birthday. The others receive blood-saturated items designed to let them know that one of the four met an awful fate. Because their birthdays cluster around the same time of the year, the three remaining women begin to fear that their lives are in danger as well. Indeed, they are. The second of the four women dies brutally on her birthday, and now it’s a race against time and a sadistic killer who seeks the death of all five of the women.
This has all the hallmarks of a great thriller that I look for. I vacillated between two characters as the possible killer, and Staub so skillfully wrote this that I couldn’t figure out who killed the sorority sisters. Indeed, the people between whom I vacillated weren’t the killers at all. I never saw that end coming.
You also get the opportunity to dabble in the troubled private lives of these women. Brynn fears telling her professor husband that she’s pregnant with their third child; that same husband, on the other hand, has a thing for undergraduate girls with large breasts. He’s an insomniac who allegedly spends much of his nights at the university where he’s working on his next book.
If you enjoy a good thriller, this one won’t be easy to lay aside while you live the essential portions of your life that you can’t put off in favor of the book.
October 10, 2017
If I had to describe this book I would say it is like the adult version of Pretty Little Liars. The story revolves around 4 woman, a tragic accident, a missing girl, a shared secret, and a horrible stalker-killer obsessed with tormenting them for their past misdeeds.
Overall, I would give this book 3 stars. I am admittedly a tough rater, but there were a few things that kept me from giving the extra star. Although I would recommend this book to mystery lovers and found myself constantly guessing who the killer was - I can't say it something I would reread. As I said, I liked the mystery but I can't say I was emotionally involved with many of the characters. Also at times the narration simply seemed dry. I wanted to know who the killer was, but there was little suspense to the novel. The main characters and potential victims basically knew from the beginning they were being targeted and why. They also knew when they would be in the most vulnerable -yet they spent most of the novel denying they were really in danger and simply waiting for the next shoe to drop. Even when it was obvious there was a crazy killer stalker after them intent on killing them because of their shared secret. But as I said above, I still believe the book is worth reading.
Lastly, I would warn readers that the novel is written from several different characters points of view. Although, I didn't feel like the different point of views interfered with the flow of the story and thought it helped add to the mystery, I can see that some readers may have problems with how the author jumps from one character narrative to another without warning. The author does not use any signals like different fonts or chapters to differentiate who is speaking. This maybe confusing/irritating to some readers.
Overall, I would give this book 3 stars. I am admittedly a tough rater, but there were a few things that kept me from giving the extra star. Although I would recommend this book to mystery lovers and found myself constantly guessing who the killer was - I can't say it something I would reread. As I said, I liked the mystery but I can't say I was emotionally involved with many of the characters. Also at times the narration simply seemed dry. I wanted to know who the killer was, but there was little suspense to the novel. The main characters and potential victims basically knew from the beginning they were being targeted and why. They also knew when they would be in the most vulnerable -yet they spent most of the novel denying they were really in danger and simply waiting for the next shoe to drop. Even when it was obvious there was a crazy killer stalker after them intent on killing them because of their shared secret. But as I said above, I still believe the book is worth reading.
Lastly, I would warn readers that the novel is written from several different characters points of view. Although, I didn't feel like the different point of views interfered with the flow of the story and thought it helped add to the mystery, I can see that some readers may have problems with how the author jumps from one character narrative to another without warning. The author does not use any signals like different fonts or chapters to differentiate who is speaking. This maybe confusing/irritating to some readers.
December 16, 2008
I've just been reading this book while staying in my hotel room. I like mysteries but this one just didn't catch my interest much. It's about the Birthday Killer. Four girls see one of their friends fall to her death (on her birthday) and then don't tell anyone because they think that somehow they will be blamed. 10 years later someone comes back and starts killing the girls that were there, on their birthday's. I was kind of disappointed in who the killer was. Yea, sure you never know who a cold blooded killer could be but this one really just gave it a ridiculous surprise at the end. The girl that died was pregnant and it was a guy who thought it was his baby, it wasn't by the way. He also happened to be married and divorced from one of the girls. Seemed kind of empty to me. The characters didn't feel authentic or anything. Fee magically recovers and turns into this loving wonderful person after the event? Pat doesn't try to kill Brynn immediately after catching her after he did with the others? It was an entertaining read but not exactly realistic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2011
I grew up with mystery novels like the suspenseful Agatha Christie and the suspenseful Mary Higgins Clark, so when my mom recommended "Don't Scream" but an author I had yet to hear of, I was skeptical. I was captivated by the very first chapter and literally couldn't put this book down. Staub has a true gift for storytelling, unique plot developments and cliffhanger chapters. Usually I know "whodunit" by the first chapter of most books...however, I literally was guessing until the climactic page and was so pleasantly proud of this book that I tried buying her entire collection! Bravo, bravo. =)
August 2, 2011
I am very disappointed by this book. I have read several other books by Wendy Corsi Stuab and loved all of them. I didn't like the character development and the beginning of the book was so slow I just couldn't get into it at all. Those who are reading Wendy Corsi Staub for the first time, give her books another chance because her other books are great.
March 12, 2014
This one kept me turning pages - and kept me thinking about it when I wasn't reading.
I appreciated the conversation about what really matters in life. It made me think about other conversations around setting priorities and building patterns now that will allow me to have balance in my life/ with my family.
I appreciated the conversation about what really matters in life. It made me think about other conversations around setting priorities and building patterns now that will allow me to have balance in my life/ with my family.
October 25, 2012
Wow!!!! Literally just finished the book. So did not see the ending happening the way it did. Found a new favorite author that is for sure. Love hen I am freaked out and can not guess the ending.
Thought for sure that Rachel was going to have survived, also was so creaped out by h step brother
Thought for sure that Rachel was going to have survived, also was so creaped out by h step brother
May 31, 2013
Omg!!!!! This book was AWESOME!!!! It had me on the edge of my seat wanting more! The ending was great, the storyline was beyond phenomenonal and the overall book was spectacular! I'm working on my book club listing which will feature more books by Wendi! Awesome book!
October 26, 2008
Wow. Just finished this one this weekend. Kept me hanging on until the end. What a thriller... I'll definitely buy another from Wendi Corsi Staub.
April 8, 2014
Really good book, I liked how it was written, the twist and the ending, a lot.
It gave the right quantity of suspense I was expecting.
It gave the right quantity of suspense I was expecting.
August 27, 2014
It was a great plot, but just seemed to drag on a little at the end.
Read
October 3, 2015I didn't even get to the second chapter. This book was a snooze. Too many unnecessary details that not only make the chapters longer then they should be but the whole book as well
March 12, 2016
A Real Page Turner
If you like murder mysteries, consider reading "Don't Scream". Each chapter brings a new surprise and I promise you won't even guess who the killer is.
If you like murder mysteries, consider reading "Don't Scream". Each chapter brings a new surprise and I promise you won't even guess who the killer is.
August 7, 2017
In 'Don't Scream', four sorority sisters are still haunted by a tragedy that happened ten years ago. Out of fear, they made a pledge to keep their friend Rachel's untimely death / disappearance a secret. However, now someone is making sure that they don't forget what had happened and that they know their secret was never a secret. With their birthdays just around the corner, will they live to grow another year older?
This thrilling murder mystery was gripping from the very beginning. The author did a great job alternating between the four main characters who were living such different lives. Brynn was a happily married, stay-at-home mother with two sons. Fiona was busy running her own company to the extent that she was neglecting her daughter and at the same time trying to put her divorce behind her. Meanwhile, Cassie was engaged but she was tired of living her life based on the expectations of those around her. Tildy was rich and secretly seeing someone but she was tired of her persistent admirer.
Each character was gradually fleshed out though truth to be told, I found none of them to be likeable. Brynn was selfish and impractical, longing for another child despite knowing her family was already struggling financially. Fiona's work ethics and confidence were admirable but she was an awful parent. Cassie was indecisive and timid, afraid to express herself even when it came to her upcoming marriage. Tildy was cold and just downright mean. She was easily the least likeable of the whole bunch.
The murders were interesting at first but they became formulaic and predictable pretty quickly. What kept me turning the pages was my quest to figure out the identity of the murderer as well as his or her motive. There was a generous pool of suspects, with a couple of red herrings (that were a little too obvious). The pivotal scene namely was too drawn out. The killer behaved completely out of character as .
Besides that, the revelation of the character's identity was a letdown because . The aforementioned character's motive was somewhat believable but the revelation simply didn't have the shocking effect I'd expected it to have, probably because I was hoping was the culprit all along. Plus, the twist in which could be seen from a mile away. That aside, the mystery was engaging and fun. Unfortunately, the ending was too Disney-like for my liking.
Overall, 'Don't Scream' was a dark, intriguing read featuring a couple of truly creepy scenes that will make you dread your birthday.. or not.
This thrilling murder mystery was gripping from the very beginning. The author did a great job alternating between the four main characters who were living such different lives. Brynn was a happily married, stay-at-home mother with two sons. Fiona was busy running her own company to the extent that she was neglecting her daughter and at the same time trying to put her divorce behind her. Meanwhile, Cassie was engaged but she was tired of living her life based on the expectations of those around her. Tildy was rich and secretly seeing someone but she was tired of her persistent admirer.
Each character was gradually fleshed out though truth to be told, I found none of them to be likeable. Brynn was selfish and impractical, longing for another child despite knowing her family was already struggling financially. Fiona's work ethics and confidence were admirable but she was an awful parent. Cassie was indecisive and timid, afraid to express herself even when it came to her upcoming marriage. Tildy was cold and just downright mean. She was easily the least likeable of the whole bunch.
The murders were interesting at first but they became formulaic and predictable pretty quickly. What kept me turning the pages was my quest to figure out the identity of the murderer as well as his or her motive. There was a generous pool of suspects, with a couple of red herrings (that were a little too obvious). The pivotal scene namely was too drawn out. The killer behaved completely out of character as .
Besides that, the revelation of the character's identity was a letdown because . The aforementioned character's motive was somewhat believable but the revelation simply didn't have the shocking effect I'd expected it to have, probably because I was hoping was the culprit all along. Plus, the twist in which could be seen from a mile away. That aside, the mystery was engaging and fun. Unfortunately, the ending was too Disney-like for my liking.
Overall, 'Don't Scream' was a dark, intriguing read featuring a couple of truly creepy scenes that will make you dread your birthday.. or not.
August 7, 2019
Okay, let’s start with the good ... once the action actually begins, the plot gets interesting. Once the murders begin, I didn’t hate this book as much as I did until that point.
The plot: as their thirtieth birthdays approach, four former sorority sisters start to get messages from a person who seems to be their old friend, Rachel. The young woman who fell to her death in their company one night, and they left to die. Each woman is in danger. It should be exciting. But it just ... isn’t.
Yes, the plot is okay, but the writing is far from it. This is my first experience of Wendy Corsi Staub, and it is most definitely my last. Here are a few of the problems I had with this text: Firstly, the hook is weak. The first half of the book is purely the author telling (not showing) us the main characters. Information that could have been written in a few chapters. Narrator intrusion. Oh my gosh, so much! The story is told from many, many points of view, and even they have the narrator interacting with them and giving sarcastic insides. It’s way too complex. And unnecessary. The number of adjectives and adverbs used is beyond belief. There is little employment of stronger verbs rather than weak verbs plus adverbs. For example, we have a, “drenching downpour.” Seriously. Is there any other kind? Also, one of the characters has a “carefully non-combatant expression.” Aargh! There were many times I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room and never return to this book. But, I promised to read it as part of a book club, so I persevered. And, in the end, I’m glad I did. I enjoyed the more active parts. I enjoyed the excitement when here was some. These parts of the book brought it up from a 1 star rating to a 2.
The plot: as their thirtieth birthdays approach, four former sorority sisters start to get messages from a person who seems to be their old friend, Rachel. The young woman who fell to her death in their company one night, and they left to die. Each woman is in danger. It should be exciting. But it just ... isn’t.
Yes, the plot is okay, but the writing is far from it. This is my first experience of Wendy Corsi Staub, and it is most definitely my last. Here are a few of the problems I had with this text: Firstly, the hook is weak. The first half of the book is purely the author telling (not showing) us the main characters. Information that could have been written in a few chapters. Narrator intrusion. Oh my gosh, so much! The story is told from many, many points of view, and even they have the narrator interacting with them and giving sarcastic insides. It’s way too complex. And unnecessary. The number of adjectives and adverbs used is beyond belief. There is little employment of stronger verbs rather than weak verbs plus adverbs. For example, we have a, “drenching downpour.” Seriously. Is there any other kind? Also, one of the characters has a “carefully non-combatant expression.” Aargh! There were many times I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room and never return to this book. But, I promised to read it as part of a book club, so I persevered. And, in the end, I’m glad I did. I enjoyed the more active parts. I enjoyed the excitement when here was some. These parts of the book brought it up from a 1 star rating to a 2.
March 23, 2023
This one kept me guessing through most of the story. I sort of felt like these women got away with something and not all really were as regretful of their mistake as others were. I actually got rather tired of hearing about the Rachel character as I did not find her to be worthy of all this drama. The only character I really liked was Cassie. I felt sorry for her because she was so unhappy and had so much pressure from her family and boyfriend and she never really gets to experience any happiness. Brynn was a bit overly dramatic and very wishy washy so it was hard to root for her. It's a good page turner and will hold your interest. WARNING: A cat and bird are killed in this and it is quite horrific. I wish the author had not done this and the poor lady who kept looking for her cat. Very upsetting.
May 16, 2022
Four sorority sisters make a promise that forever changes their lives. Telling you much more than that about the plot might spoil an absolutely incredible reading experience, so you just have to trust me: this one is well worth your time.
I love character driven plots and this definitely fits that bill. You will get to know each of these women and the significant people in their lives very well. And if you can figure out the ending, you are much smarter than I am; it makes perfect sense, but it came as a complete surprise.
I love character driven plots and this definitely fits that bill. You will get to know each of these women and the significant people in their lives very well. And if you can figure out the ending, you are much smarter than I am; it makes perfect sense, but it came as a complete surprise.
June 15, 2017
I wanted to Love this book. The premise sounded so interesting. However, after being about 250 pages in and the characters still have no depth, I realized that maybe this book wasn't going to be a 5 star. I felt the story could have been told in half the length. I only felt interested towards the very end when the killer is revealed, but the ending felt light and fluffy.
September 19, 2018
I enjoyed this book. The author wrote this book really well. You're reading and you think she's about to reveal a secret but she kept you on the edge so you would have to keep reading to find out the cliffhanger. The only thing is the characters were hard to figure out who she was talking about. But Very Good.
February 6, 2019
I usually don’t read thriller/horror books but opt to movies instead. This time I gave it a try and HECK YES this book is absolutely my favorite and I knew it as I lost track of time cramming for it. Quite easy to read & mysterious enough to get your fingers flip to the next page. Highly recommend!
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