Okay, so I’ll admit the main reason I gravitated towards Suspicion, by Alexandra Monir, was the absolutely gorgeous cover. But, a cover alone isn’t enough to warrant a read — the synopsis itself is what sealed the deal. Tales of class intrigue are always fun, then add to that the unexpected inclusion of the paranormal, and it’s an easy sell.
Suspicion starts near the end of the story with an incident involving the police wanting to question main character Imogen Rockford, newly crowned Duchess of Wickersham. Overcome with emotion, Imogen relives the past seven years of her life — beginning with a tragic accident that claimed the life of not only her parents, but her close cousin’s parents as well. Wrought with guilt over the death of her parents, Imogen left her remaining family – including newly orphaned cousin – behind and moved back to America, locking away any memory of her life before the devastating fire. Circumstances changed when Imogen finds herself on the cusp of adulthood and was thrust back into English society, coming face to face with the past she sought to forget.
Monir does an excellent job threading together memories of the distant past with more recent recollections. Every piece of information Monir uses in the story serves to propel the narrative forward. Clues are sprinkled throughout the story hinting at what will happen, at what has happened, yet placed so gingerly that the reader barely gives it a second glance. Once the mystery is solved and the twist at the end revealed, all of the breadcrumbs sprinkled earlier in the story come together. Even characters that seemed extraneous (hello Zoe) had their purpose, and ofttimes more than one reason for existing.
My sole complaint would be that, for all of the serious themes it touches, Suspicion felt too light of a book. I would have loved a deeper look into the characters, a greater sense of darkness or fear from the events. However, given it is meant for a tween/teen audience, I definitely can understand the limitations and still found it enjoyable.
Suspicion is a great, fun read, especially for those interested in YA. I definitely would love to see a follow-up.
