Shelby Palmer was on her way home from school when she again saw a suspicious white van cruised her neighborhood, and had done so several days in a row. The man and woman in the van tried to hide their face with a baseball cap and large dark sunglasses.

Shelby was all set to attend her best friend’s sixteenth birthday party, the hot topic of the day, when her step-father and mother pulled the rug out from under her, telling her she had to stay home and take care of her one-year old brother. As much as she loved her baby brother, she was furious that she was going to miss such an important party.

She loved her brother and decided it wasn’t his fault. She took him to the park while she cooled down. While there, someone set off a fire cracker and when she went to check whether it was a bomb or not, someone grabbed her younger brother, threw him in a white van, and took off as Shelby screamed for help.

She ended up in an interrogation room at the police station. As the police continued to blame her for Josh’s disappearance, news reporters and interested adults staked out their home, screaming and threatening Shelby. The police wouldn’t believe her story so she went out on her own with the help of a schoolmate to try to find her brother.

Beyond Suspicion, a Whispering Springs mystery, is a young adult mystery penned by Catherine A. Winn. The fast-paced thriller keeps the plotline moving forward at a rapid rate. The characters seem true to life, the anger and frustration coming through in the dialogue and the actions of those who are most affected.

The unexpected twists and turns throughout the novel will keep readers wondering who the victim is and who the perpetrator is. It’s a story teens who have felt everyone is against them can relate to. In the midst of the chaos, the author adds a tender thread giving the main character a love interest to help her feel like she is not alone. Of course, that thread doesn’t always run smooth.

We highly recommend Beyond Suspicion for teens, young adults, and anyone else who enjoys a fast-action story that will keep them turning pages and checking the locks on their doors.

If you are interested in reading any of the author's books, they are available at Amazon.com.

A special thank you goes to The Poisoned Pencil for providing us a complimentary copy of this book for our review.