If you read thrillers go now and get this novelette for a quick read. I am usually not a fan of short stories because it doesn’t seem like it is possible for the author to check all of the boxes. Not in this case. The author leaves a plot hole on purpose to drag you in and then cover it back up. This story takes place of 5 significant days that feel like a life time of sinister and mysterious action. Kudos!

Really good short psychological thriller. A wife gets the worst news possible: Her husband has died. Soon after she learns she’s pregnant, adding to the drama. In steps her brother-in-law to help . . . or so she thinks. I’m looking forward to reading a full-length novel from Holly.

A lot was packed into 31 pages! I didn’t want to put down this novella thriller. It centers around a woman who loses her husband. She is lost and does not have the money needed to pay her bills. When someone offers to help she can’t help but agree. What she doesn’t know is that the offer has stings attached. This is a great story packaged into a few pages. If you are looking for a quick, thrilling read you will want to check out this novella.

I finished reading this book in less than an hour. It was short, but it was good. It kept me so interested. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to the characters at the end. That’s a good thing. I liked the main character and was rooting for her to find out the truth about her husband. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a good short story. The only thing I disliked is I wish it was longer because I wanted a certain character to face justice.

This book can be read in an hour, but do not let it’s length fool you. These 46 pages pack quite a story and one heck of a twist. Lara drops her husband Cameron off for a lunch with his brother Jason and then returns home. This is not an unusual occurrence as Jason and Cameron often spend time together. This time though, Cameron is tragically killed, and Lara realizes her gut feeling that day was actually spot on. Jason, wanting to do right by his brother, offers to care for Lara. His motives seem pure and Lara believes him. Are his motives as pure as they seem? This story starts off with a letter from a mother to a child and then goes back in time to fill in the blanks. I was immediately absorbed in this story and for all the things I thought I knew, as I pieced the puzzle together, I was quite shocked at how it all played out. The author wove quite a story in this novelette and I am definitely curious to see what she does next.

This book can be read in an hour, but do not let it’s length fool you. These 46 pages pack quite a story and one heck of a twist. Lara drops her husband Cameron off for a lunch with his brother Jason and then returns home. This is not an unusual occurrence as Jason and Cameron often spend time together. This time though, Cameron is tragically killed, and Lara realizes her gut feeling that day was actually spot on. Jason, wanting to do right by his brother, offers to care for Lara. His motives seem pure and Lara believes him. Are his motives as pure as they seem? This story starts off with a letter from a mother to a child and then goes back in time to fill in the blanks. I was immediately absorbed in this story and for all the things I thought I knew, as I pieced the puzzle together, I was quite shocked at how it all played out. The author wove quite a story in this novelette and I am definitely curious to see what she does next.

Wow! This was such a fun, thrilling, and interesting story! It kept me on the edge of my seat and made my jaw drop a few times. It’s amazing how much was packed into such a short story without making it feel rushed or lacking anything. Even thought I figured out who the killer was right from the start I did not mind it because I don’t think it was the purpose of the story. It was terrifying, disturbing, and claustrophobic. The ending was very emotional and it’s taken me a long time to digest it. This would make for a really good movie!

A delightfully disturbing morality play that will give you a case of the goose-bumps. When a young woman’s husband is brutally murdered she thinks things can’t get any worse, only to find that her brother-in-law wants to take his place. As his only surviving sibling, he will become her Kinsman, providing her with financial support and the comfort that she craves. But beneath this display of altruistic concern, he harbors deeper passions, demanding that she share his bed, and so become his wife. Yet that same wife has her own secret. She is pregnant with her first husband’s child. And she decides that this child’s welfare must trump her mother’s hopes for freedom. Even when she learns that her so-called Kinsman was the one who killed her first husband—his own brother— she will play the loyal spouse, knowing the day will eventually come when the child must learn the truth.

THE KINSMAN is a short story about a wife’s struggle to come to terms with her husband’s murder and the brother-in-law who swoops in to pick up the pieces. I sadly can’t dig too much into the narrative since it’s 46 pages, and I don’t want to ruin it for future readers. With that said, Holly Sheidenberger instantly pulled me into Lara’s world with a heartbreaking grief no wife should endure. Lara is likable off the bat and easily relatable. As time passes, a life-changing event puts Lara in a situation she never imagined. Jason, her brother-in-law, has been a beacon of hope, but he’s starting to show temperamental signs. What could go wrong? You’ll have to find out!⠀ ⠀ Sheidenberger is incredible with words. The overall concept was refreshing and highly enjoyable, with a pleasant twist. Ultimately, it wrapped up too quickly, so I hope Holly will grace us with a full-length novel one day! She has a knack for piquing and maintaining a reader’s interest until the very end.

This is a fantastic psychological thriller. Amazingly, it’s short enough to finish on your lunch break, but none of the details are left out. The pace was fast but not rushed, the plot was well thought out and thorough. Nicely done. I’ll be looking for more from Sheidenberger.