Fade to Black

...because there IS someone watching Mallory Eden!A retired actress, Mallory Eden fakes her death to leave the Hollywood life and enjoy peace and solitude in a small coastal community in Rhode Island.Peace dodges her; she receives anonymous letters from somebody who knows secrets from her past. The anonymous writer threatens to blackmail her. Mallory Eden hides behind a false name; the name she chooses has an interesting twist to the story as well.The list of suspects is a long one. Her neighbor's husband, a rather questionable police officer is one possibility. An embittered young woman who suffered disfigurement is another. People Mallory knew in her small midwestern hometown pose yet more possibilities. Even though the blackmailer's identity was not surprising towards the end of the book, it was a masterful mystery. I was sorry to see the curtain come down on such a wonderful book with a host of realistic, interesting and refreshing characters.

Mallory Eden, a famous actress, disappears to a sleepy village in Windmere Cove, Rhode Island, where she becomes Elizabeth Baxter, a loner who keeps to herself for fear that the stalker that made her run away 5-years ago would find her. One day Elizabeth finds a pink envelope in her mailbox that turns her world upside down; the note inside says "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE ". Elizabeth finds solace in the arms of Harper Smith, the only person she has allowed to get close to her, but can Harper be trusted? FADE TO BLACK is a great mystery that is well written, filled with suspense, wondering, and heart racing excitement that keeps you guessing until the climatic final act. The characters are very thought out and a wee bit strange, except Elizabeth, who I found to be an interesting and sympathetic character whose only desire is to have her life bank and feel safe in it.

A famous actress disappears. Believed to have committed sucide. But in reality she has assumed a new identity to escape the stalker that had made her life a nightmare. On her own for five years in a small town Elizabeth is starting to feel safe until she receives a note in the mail saying I know who you are. All of sudden her new sense of security is ripped out from underneth her. This story brings a lot of different characters who all have a reason it seems to see Elizabeth aka Mallory dead. This book will keep you guessing until the final act.

Elizabeeth Baxter had managed to stay out of sight for five years, until one day a pink envelope turns her life into fear. From there, you are kept guessing and until the real stalker is revealed, you have just about put everyone in the guilty seat. This was my first book of Wendy Corsi Staub, but it will not be my last.

Fade to Black...is a book with a very interesting underlying idea that I've thought about. What if for some reason, a celebrity faked his/her own death to get out of the spotlight? Often when people die before their time, there are ideas like this floating about, conspiracy theories and the like. This novel makes you think about this concept while putting a creative spin on it.Mallory Eden leaves her life as a celebrity in order to escape a stalker. She lives in fear - will she be discovered? When will things all come unwound? The novel is wonderful in the way that things do become unwound because of various circumstances. Its not really one thing or event that exposes her, but rather, things snowball at the end. The novel ocassionally changes perspectives and I find this to be very interesting and refreshing. I recommend this novel for an "easy" read. The novel is written clearly and is highly "readable" and enjoyable. (and reasonally priced in paperback which I also like!) I hope to find other novels by this writer!