Amy Suiter Clarke Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Amy Suiter Clarke is popularly known for her psychological thriller books Lay Your Body Down and Girl, 11. She was raised in a small town in Minnesota and completed her bachelor of arts degree in the Twin Cities and an MFA in Creative Writing from Kingston University in London. She resides in Melbourne, Australia, where she spends her time drafting immersive and well researched psychological thrillers for her readers to devour.

Clarke’s debut novel, Girl,11, has been translated into twelve languages and published in more than a dozen countries worldwide. Besides writing books, Clarke is known for her short stories and feature articles, appearing in The Ram Boutique Vol. 1, Eureka Street Magazine, and two Kingston University Press magazines. The author has also written corporate communications articles and marketing copies for information technology, legal, bridal, and advertising industries.

In her debut novel Girl, 11 Amy Clarke has woven a well-crafted mystery narrative revolving around a true crime podcaster’s attempt to bring a long-dormant serial killer to justice. Meet Elle Castillo, the person behind Justice Delayed, a true crime podcast that has become popular with every season released. Her latest podcast focuses on a serial killer nicknamed The Countdown Killer, aka “TCK,” who went underground years ago.

The killer initially murdered a 20year old woman in 1996; since then, each woman he kidnapped and murdered was always a year younger than the previous victim. TCK’s murder spree went cold after his 11-year-old victim escaped. Even though the cops have never given up on the case since then, their efforts seem futile as no new evidence has surfaced. This prompts Elle to put hours into the serial killer case; with each episode, more listeners are drawn into the podcast.

As the show gains popularity, she is contacted by a person claiming to know TCK’s real identity. But unfortunately, the tipster ends up murdered before Elle interviews him. Frustrated that she might be about to reveal the killer’s identity, Elle soon finds herself in a race against time as a young girl is kidnapped. Elle is certain that TCK has begun his/her murder spree again, but her close friend, Commander Ayaan Ridwaan, thinks otherwise. But this doesn’t stray Elle as she continues to pursue her theory, but the deeper she digs, the more the stakes rise as another girl falls victim. Will Elle’s podcast help nab the serial killer before more girls are kidnapped and murdered? Is the killer someone so close to Elle?

Amy Suiter Clarke has done a fantastic job creating a psychological thriller that grips and never lets you go, thanks to the detailed information and crisp description of each event in the story. The main character, Elle, is someone you will easily connect with and tag along with throughout her podcast episodes and efforts trying to bring the killer to justice. Elle is a happily married woman. Her husband, Martin Castillo, is a Hennepin County Medical Examiner. He is proud of her since her podcast has helped solve several cold cases.
Castillo is highly supportive of Elle’s work, but at the same time, he worries about her safety. On the other hand, Elle doesn’t worry even though she is sometimes scared and hence she works around the clock to track down all possible leads and new evidence. She has set her eyes on the TCK case and is stressed and worn out after the tipster is murdered and the girls are kidnapped. Both Ayaan and Martin fear for Elle’s life as Elle develops tunnel vision and her obsession with the case grows.

If TCK is responsible for the recent kidnappings, then Elle knows she must act quickly and help the cops capture him before he takes another victim. The story alternates between podcast episodes and present-time events. It’s a fast-paced, engaging mystery that will get you hooked to the last page.

In Lay Your Body Down, we meet Del Walker, who fled her hometown and swore never to return. The man she loved broke her heart by leaving her to marry a local woman, Eve, and their love life is now the focus of Eve’s viral blog embracing the pastor’s orthodox philosophy about women and marriage. Six years later, Lars (the man who broke her heart) dies, and Walker is convinced that it wasn’t an accident.

When she returns to her hometown for the funeral ceremony, she finds out that the mega-church and the insidious teaching of Pastor Rick has not only expanded in size but also gained so much influence. It’s also revealed that Eve was never happy in her marriage despite being portrayed as the “perfect wife” in her blog posts. Del knows better than anyone else how far Eve would go to get whatever she wants. Del is determined to investigate through the church’s lies and the deeply rooted corruption to find the person responsible for Lar’s death, even if it means directly confronting a religious trauma she has spent years trying to conceal.

Between the diary entries, the heroine’s past, and some blog posts from her friend Eve advocating the virtues of being a good wife, we get a glimpse of why Walker left the cult-like mentality and swore never to allow it to corrupt her mind. Amy Suiter Clarke has crafted a psychological thriller novel boasting all the ingredients of a twisty thriller, including a widow with skeletons in the closet, an evangelist who has transformed his congregation into a mega-church status, and a voicemail received by Walker a few days before Lar’s death.
This narrative will make your skin crawl as you browse through the pages trying to gather all the clues and fit the puzzle pieces together. Amy Clarke’s storytelling prowess shines throughout the story as she addresses the themes of faith, manipulation, and the evil side of religious communities. The story is filled with well-developed characters, especially the heroine, whose story is relatable and empowering. If you’re looking for an enthralling thriller with depth and substance, Lay Your Body Down is highly recommended.