Books like Fool Me Twice

I didn't think I was a fan of “suspense” as a genre, but this book pulled me in and kept hold for an incredibly fun ride. Maybe I'm just a fan of a good story well-told. Or maybe I just like Stephanie Black for having known her in college. Whatever the case, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and devoured it in more or less one big gulp.I'm actually a little uncertain about the genre designation. I vaguely remember someone telling me that “suspense” is a mystery where you know who done it. If so, then this book mostly qualifies. i.e. we know from the start at least some of the “who”. Through the course of the novel we learn details (some as the protagonists learn them, some from alternate perspectives) until, by the end, we know all the whos as well as the whys and hows.Black turns out to have a real talent for maintaining my interest by timing her reveals such that I a) know enough to ask the right questions without b) needlessly or cheaply withholding information to keep me in suspense. The story never lags as each reveal prompts new questions or introduces a logical twist or consequence that poses new dilemmas. Now, it may be that I'm just the ideal target audience for this book as the timing was pretty much perfect to keep me in the window of wondering without hitting the expiration of exasperation. I'd be interested to see how others see this dynamic, particularly with this book.All that said, my real draw to the book is the character of Megan. I not only really liked her from the start, but I was thrilled with her development in the course of the story. She's unsure of herself and feels trapped by obligation and the needs of others. She is clearly being used by her mother in a co-dependent relationship and has sacrificed her dreams to meet her mother's needs. Black does a good job of keeping Megan sympathetic, even as you see that she has allowed herself to be trapped by her weakest impulses into following the easiest path (emotionally speaking). Seeing her learn to consider her own needs, and even wishes and desires, and to recognize her strengths was gratifying. Redemption through adversity and allowing good things to come from bad people doing bad things was a lovely creative twist, as well.I do have one caveat with the book, and it's one that has prompted a new shelf for me here at GoodReads (my “LDS” shelf). Fool Me Twice is published by Covenant Communications and is targeted for an LDS readership. Certain aspects of LDS culture are very lightly painted here and Black didn't elaborate as much as she might have for non-LDS readers to catch all of the byplay between the characters. Trevor, in particular, has motivations and personality immediately recognizable to LDS cognoscenti that may not translate well to the uninitiated. I have to be careful here, though, because it's hard for me to say how it'd play for a non-LDS reader. I don't think it'd preclude someone parsing the full impact of events, but it might. Take it as a caution (and invitation for one of my non-LDS friends to pick up and provide feedback).So I guess that’s twice I’ve asked for others to verify my perception here. I’m not usually so uncertain of myself, but I suppose that’s natural as I seldom read either suspense as a genre or specifically LDS targeted books as a category. I may need to reconsider both predilections…