-The Paradise Trees by Linda Huber - I loved this gripping and fast-paced debut novel. Linda Huber has really got into the heads of her characters and her readers. The very first chapter sent a chill through me and I was hooked... From the very start we know that Alicia has some serious issues with returning to her childhood home to take care of her ill father. As soon as her car hits the road to her old village she begins to hear a voice in her head reminding her about 'the bad place' and as she settles into her old home, with the father she couldn't wait to get away from, the voice and thoughts become more frequent and more sinister. But Alicia is there to arrange care for her elderly father; diminished by strokes and dementia he is a shell of the father she remembers but try as she might she cannot feel anything but hatred for him. Her 8 year old daughter, Jenny, is the light of her life and although Alicia has bad memories of the place she wants to ensure that her daughter enjoys her time there; what could make better memories than to play in the sun in the woods with a kitten and a dog and a playmate called Oberon.... Interspersed with the chapters of Alicia struggling to cope with her father and settling into village life are the chapters about the stranger. The stranger has a story - and a mission. The story is that he lost his Helen and has found not one but two new Helen's. His mission is to unite them all in Paradise..... Although we know from the start what the intention of The Stranger is and who his intended victims are, the mystery of the story is who is The Stranger. Linda Huber takes the readers on a very well plotted and tense path with various characters easily fitting the protocol for The Stranger. Hints are dropped and discarded, doubts are cast, red herrings slipped in but it is not until the very end when we truly know who The Stranger is. Linda Huber does an excellent job of casting aspersions on all and her use of language and the mannerisms of the characters to play with the readers mind and to build the tension is a joy; I found myself turning the pages in trepidation and anticipation, fearing they wouldn't discover in time! It's an easy, uncomplicated read but very enthralling and immensely enjoyable. Characterizations were fantastic and realistic. Will definitely be looking out for more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title.