11/01/2020
Pinter's second "Rachel Marin" thriller (builds on the success of Hide Away, reinforcing the grit and tenacity of his determined single-mom protagonist. Featuring several returning characters, this title slowly uncovers more details about Rachel's past but still leaves plenty to guess at. When her teenage son's teacher at Ashby High is tortured to death and his home torched, Rachel and her family are drawn into a series of events gone wrong. Bennett Brice, a charismatic businessman, quickly becomes a murder suspect when Rachel's son, Eric, is recruited to join YourLife in a mysterious gathering hosted by Brice at a baseball field after midnight. As founder of YourLife, allegedly created to help young people develop business skills and improve their self-image, Brice is arrogant, pompous, and seemingly untouchable. However, after Det. John Serrano, Rachel's love interest, witnesses the late-night initiation, he and Rachel become convinced that YourLife is a glamorized Ponzi scheme somehow tied to the murder. Pinter subtly weaves into his page-turner themes about family bonds, challenges of same-sex parenting, relationships in single-parent families, even bonds between coworkers. VERDICT Pinter's strong depictions of diverse types of love, respect, and loyalty resonate loudly in this nail-biter novel.—Jeffrey W. Hunter, Royal Oak, MI
2020-09-17
A suburban mom–turned–crime fighter becomes involved in a second case that threatens her family.
After her husband was murdered, Rachel Marin transformed herself to shield her children from harm in Hide Away (2020). She changed her name, moved her family to another state, took self-defense classes, and eventually became more than friends with police officer John Serrano, whom she assisted in solving a murder in her new town. When schoolteacher Matthew Linklater is brutally slain just after sending Rachel an email asking to talk to her about an unspecified threat to his students, she’s sucked into the investigation. Her son, Eric, is already secretive, morose, and friendless. When he starts refusing to tell her where he’s going, she follows him and learns that someone is recruiting high school students for shady business deals that earn them plenty of cash. The sudden arrival of Evie Boggs, Rachel’s self-defense teacher, who knows her past and knows that her husband’s killer is still out there, is unnerving, especially when Evie strongly suggests that Rachel drop her investigation. Although the shady businessman seems fairly harmless, the two brothers he’s working with are stone-cold killers who will go to any lengths to attain their nefarious goals. Furious and terrified, Rachel risks her life to protect her children and other innocents caught in a perilous situation.
Beneath the brutality in this suspenseful thriller lie bone-deep fear and a genuine concern for justice.
Beneath the brutality in this suspenseful thriller lie bone-deep fear and a genuine concern for justice.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Outstanding…This powerful family-values thriller is a convincing, moving performance.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“This second in the Rachel Marin series maintains the promise of the first (Hide Away, 2020), with full-bodied characters in a compelling plot and graphic elements leavened by doses of humanity.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Pinter’s strong depictions of diverse types of love, respect, and loyalty resonate loudly in this nail-biter novel.” —Library Journal
“A superb psychological thriller…A Stranger at the Door both challenges our sensibilities and fuels our emotions, a rare combination for a thriller indeed.” —Providence Journal
“Outstanding…[Jason Pinter] delves deep into his characters while creating credible, realistic suspense and terror…Strong plotting, sharp dialogue and believable characters elevate A Stranger at the Door.” —Sun Sentinel
“A superb sequel…Jason Pinter’s A Stranger at the Door is a fast-paced, suspense mystery with a ton of emotional drama.” —Gumshoe Review
“Jason Pinter dazzles with a protagonist whose past is anything but clear in this electrifying sequel to his newest series.” —Mystery & Suspense Magazine
“A Stranger at the Door by Jason Pinter is a simply riveting read from cover to cover and will prove to be an extraordinary and popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections.” —Midwest Book Review
“A gripping suspense thriller that never lets up the pace.” —Writers & Readers Magazine
“A thrilling page-turner, A Stranger at the Door is a fully fleshed-out story that questions the meaning of justice. Fulfilling the promise of this sophomore release, readers will eagerly anticipate more of Rachel Marin’s developing story.” —Mountain Times
“[Pinter] gives the reader suspense and excitement from cover to cover. A Stranger at the Door is filled with action and mystery that will keep readers turning page after page…A thriller that is impossible to put down.” —The Nerd Daily
“A Stranger at the Door is a solid read, and Rachel Marin is tough to root against even when she frustrates at every turn by often becoming her own worst enemy.” —Bookreporter
“An absolutely riveting read from first page to last.” —The Strand Magazine
“A Stranger at the Door is a worthy successor to Hide Away in the Rachel Marin series. Chilling and suspenseful, a page turner in the best sense.” —William Landay, New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob
