Tuesday, September 03, 2024

Six psychological suspense stories featuring young protagonists

M. M. (Marjorie) DeLuca spent her childhood in the beautiful cathedral city of Durham in North-Eastern England. She attended the University of London, Goldsmiths College, studied psychology, then became a teacher. She immigrated to Canada and lives in Winnipeg with her husband and two children. There she also studied writing under her mentor, Pulitzer Prize winning author, Carol Shields.

She loves writing for all ages and in many genres—suspense, historical, sci-fi for teens. She's also a screenwriter with several pilot projects in progress.

DeLuca enjoys teaching workshops in Creative Writing and the writing process.

Her latest novel is The Night Side.

[My Book, The Movie: The Night Side; The Page 69 Test: The Night Side; Writers Read: M.M. DeLuca (January 2024)]

At CrimeReads DeLuca tagged six "gripping stories of psychological suspense that feature young protagonists struggling with the legacy of growing up in the chaos of a toxic family." One title on the list:
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

Cat, the main character, and one of two ‘mirror’ twins ran far away from Edinburgh and all the trauma of her childhood, but now returns to the brooding, Gothic house she lived in as a child, upon learning that her twin is missing after a suspicious boating accident. Her sister El’s husband, Ross, is still living there and grieving the loss of his wife.

Cat finds herself drawn back into Mirrorland, the strange make-believe world under the pantry stairs, where the two sisters invented an imaginary world of pirates, clowns and witches among the dark, twisty passageways. Mirrorland was a safe place. A sanctuary where they could hide from the nameless but brutal presence that dominated their lives.

What follows is a dark, twisty and truly chilling ‘treasure hunt’ as Cat tries to uncover the truth about her sister through a mysterious series of messages that keep appearing. This atmospheric and chilling novel delves deep into the haunting nightmares of childhood and the real and imaginary fears that we, as adults, repress and hide in the deepest parts of our subconscious. It’s also a haunting story about family sacrifice, deception and subterfuge and breaking free from the iron shackles of the past.
Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue