Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Vanessa and Jessica look forward to their summer vacation every year. They head up the coast of Maine to Winter Harbor and spend most of their time together with the two boys next door, Simon and Caleb.

But one night Jessica gets angry at her parents and jumps off their favorite cliff--and disappears, along with Caleb.

Determined to learn more about her sister and best friend's life, Nessa heads back to Maine to find and talk with Caleb. Instead, she learns far too much about the creatures inhabiting the coast, as more bodies wash up on shore.

A thriller I could not put down. Although I guessed Nessa's true identity long before she does, the mystery keeps the pages turning. This is more of a "will they stop them at some point" rather than a "will they stop it in time" thriller. Lots of action, some romance, and of course, family secrets.

Payback Time by Carl Deuker

Dan wants to be a reporter. He's a senior this year, and is confident he'll be chosen editor of the school newspaper. When his classmate Alyssa is chosen instead, Dan can't believe it. Even worse, he's given sports instead of features.

Now Dan, or Mitch as everyone calls him, decides to do the best he can. He's determined to find a story worthy of his talent and along with his photographer, Kimi, he thinks he's found one in the new student Andy. Andy also plays football, although he doesn't appear in public to be any good. Catching him playing when he thinks no one is looking, Dan discovers Andy has a lot of talent.

Mitch and Kimi decide they need to expose Andy's story. What they don't realize is why Andy is so secretive.

While the story doesn't start off as a thriller, it definitely ends that way. Mitch or Dan, is a great character and narrator. There is lots of football talk--some volleyball too. But the reader could be confused by what's going on on the field if they don't know anything. Mitch and Kimi spend a lot of time following Andy around and trying to figure out his story, so sports are not the main issue. Many of the characters here are more than 2-dimensional.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Violet is just beginning her junior year of high school and concerned about her growing feelings for her best friend, Jay. She's not sure if he feels the same way about her, but she's pretty sure he doesn't--he never acts like it.

But that's not all Violet has to worry about. Violet has a special gift. She feels a pull or an echo, to find murdered creatures. In the forest behind her home, that usually means animals that have been eaten or killed. She's only found a human once--when she was eight she found the body of a murdered little girl.

That all changes on Labor Day weekend, when she's out on a jet ski with Jay. She feels a pull towards the shore where she finds the body of a teenage girl.

Now girls are disappearing with more regularity and Violet can't help but think she needs to help find the killer. Each echo leaves an imprint on the murderer, and she knows she's the only one that feel it, just by seeing the killer's face.

What she doesn't know is she may be the next victim.

A thriller with some romance thrown in for balance. An excellent and exciting novel. The murderer's point of view is offered every few chapters as he picks up new victims. Violet's story is well-written and terrifying. Let's just say, I didn't want to be walking out of work at night into our vacant parking lot!