Five Reasons to Take Joy Fielding to the Beach This Summer

With summer around the corner, no doubt images of ice cream cones, flip-flops and the all-important beach read are dancing in your head. Summer isn't the time to tax your brain by tackling "War and Peace," but rather to dive into a stack of breezy chick-lit romances or riveting thrillers.

Joy Fielding has carved out an impressive niche among suspense writers with her psychological thrillers. Unofficially known as the "Queen of the Domestic Thriller," Canadian native Fielding was an actress whose main claim to fame was appearing in an episode of "Gunsmoke" and kissing Elvis Presley. Fielding hung up her acting shoes and became a writer, hitting it big in 1980 with "Kiss Mommy Goodbye," a chilling tale of a mother's search for her missing children. Success followed quickly, as Fielding churned out one page-turner after another, eventually becoming a fixture on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Run to your local bookstore or library to check out the top five Joy Fielding books you should tote to the beach this summer:

1. "Charley's Web" - Controversial newspaper columnist, Charley Webb enjoys riling up her readers with all sorts of provocative prose, from bikini waxes to sex toys. Then, the opportunity of a lifetime finds its way to her; she's offered the chance to write the biography of death row inmate, Jill Rohmer. Recognizing that this book could take her career to a whole new level, Charley agrees, a decision she soon comes to regret. As Charley gets drawn deeper into Jill's twisted world, she realizes too late she and her loved ones have been caught in a deadly web.

Why it's so good: Like any good thriller, "Charley's Web" throws in all kinds of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. However, it's the unapologetic Charley that makes it all work.

2. "Don't Cry Now" - What could be more terrifying than a killer under your own roof? Fielding's heroine, Bonnie Wheeler, must live with this chilling reality as she tries to figure out what her husband's boozy ex-wife meant when she warned Bonnie she was in danger just before she was murdered. In the wake of the murder, Bonnie must deal with two sullen step-children, her husband's long work hours and an estranged brother who turns up on her doorstep out of the blue. As you read the book, you'll become increasingly uneasy about what's happening to Bonnie and of course, the end will surprise you.

Why it's so good: This is a genuinely creepy book. Fielding throws all kinds of unsettling elements into the mix including snakes and a nasty case of food poisoning. Bonus, this was turned into a Lifetime movie starring Jason Priestley.

3. "Whispers and Lies" - This book starts out innocently enough; nurse Terry Painter's quiet life is jazzed up by the vivacious Alison Simms, who rents a cottage on Terry's property. Soon, Terry is getting makeovers, shopping and even trying romance. However, all is not what it seems as Terry suspects Alison has a hidden agenda. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, Fielding turns the tables on you and spins the story into a whole new sinister direction.

Why it's so good: This deceptively simple book races towards a jaw-dropping conclusion you won't soon forget.

4. "Grand Avenue" - A departure from the "woman-in-jeopardy" theme, "Grand Avenue" tells the story of four women who live on the same street and whose friendship spans 20 years. Behind their happy smiles hide tears and heartaches. As the unseen narrator tells us in the first chapter, before it's all over, two of the women will be dead, one brutally murdered. As the lives of these women unfold, you're filled with an impending sense of doom and you don't dare stop reading until you've unearthed every last secret.
Why it's so good: Before the "Desperate Housewives" of Wisteria Lane, there were the Grand Dames of Grand Avenue. Quite simply, a fantastic read filled with drama, romance, suspense and murder.

5. "See Jane Run" - One afternoon in late spring, Jane Whittaker went to the store for some milk and some eggs...and forgot who she was.

With this scintillating opening, Fielding plunges us into the nightmare that is Jane Whitaker's life. All she knows is she's wearing a bloody dress and has $10,000 cash in her pocket. Bit by bit, we learn who Jane is and the traumatic event that triggered her amnesia and caused all that blood. This spine-tingler will leave you unsettled, from the first page to the last.

Why it's so good: The intriguing premise of the first sentence pulls the reader in instantly and fortunately the rest of the book doesn't disappoint. Bonus, this was adapted into an ABC-TV movie starring Joanna Kerns of "Growing Pains" fame.

Sources:

http://www.joyfielding.com/index.htm

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114382/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0940909/