Do you like suspense?

If you are a fan of suspense novels, I have two suggestions for you. Caroline Cooney's latest novels Diamonds in the Shadow and Code Orange kept me on the edge of my seat!

Diamonds in the Shadow has an interesting connection to stories we heard when Mawi Asgedom was visiting. Like Mawi's experience, a refugee family from Africa is sponsored by a church group and moves to the United States. Unfortunately, the apartment rented for this family, the Amabos, is no longer available so they have to move in with Jared, his sister, mom and dad. After the two families live together for a couple of weeks, Jared and his sister Mopsy begin to suspect that these refugees are not who they claim to be. Jared also discovers that the son Mattu is hiding "blood diamonds." To make the story even more suspenseful, a fifth refugee, who arrived at the same time as the Amabos, begins to hunt for them and readers are left wondering why.

Code Orange is just as suspenseful, especially if you can picture what would happen if the smallpox disease began to spread again. As a high school sophomore, Mitty has perfected the art of avoiding homework. However, in order to stay in the same class as a girl he likes, Mitty is told he must complete the research paper on an infectious disease that his biology teacher assigned. While flipping through some medical books in the basement, Mitty runs across an envelope. He opens the flap and scabs fall out in his palm. As Mitty continues his research, he realizes that these scabs were from the smallpox epidemic that hit the U.S. over 100 years ago. Mitty starts to experience some of the symptoms of smallpox and is afraid that he has contracted the disease. Not only is the thought of infecting others with smallpox or dying of the disease himself, Mitty is afraid some terrorists are interested in getting their hands on the scabs themselves.

What suspense novels have you read in the past that you would recommend to your friends?