 |
The romantic suspense category was split off from contemporary last year, as romantic suspense covers have developed into a unique style of their own. The covers have to convey suspense while still attracting the romance reader, and each of the finalists in this category have found a balance between "romance" and "suspense".
Mira |
The first place cover in this category was The Widow. Readers found this cover the most evocative and suspenseful – "eerie", "ominous", "spooky" and "chilling" appeared in most of the voter's comments. Maria agreed. "This is such a sad, haunting image. The colors, the twisted trees, the lone figure in the distance. The cover doesn't instantly make me think of romance, but it is eye-catching." Amber also found the cover appealing: "I love this cover. I love that those angry trees in the forefront and all of the cliffs in the background and the way they dwarf the person on the cliff. Very intimidating." This cover was simple, but very effective. Nancy commented, "It's highly evocative. I feel cold and afraid just looking at it!" And Bethany summed up the cover's appeal. "It is just spooky–sometimes simple is still the most effective." |
The second place cover, Last Kiss Goodbye, was only a few votes behind The Widow. Voters felt that this cover was most effective at combining romance with suspense. Maudeen felt "it was the best overall at evoking both the romance and suspense element." Francesca agreed. "Everything (suspense and romance and mystery) is combined skillfully. I love it!" The cover drew readers into the story. Sandy was particularly intrigued: "What's at the end of that path? Love or death? Good or evil? Hope or dread? It tells me something is there, I just have to get to the end to find out, if I dare. Very effective!" Julie also liked the combination of elements. "This was another hard choice, but I went with Last Kiss Goodbye because it really blended both the romance and the suspense must better than all the others. And I liked how the title was part of the whole package. Very nicely done." |
HQN |
Harlequin |
The colors and atmosphere of Killing Me Softly also appealed to many voters. Jennifer found the cover especially lovely. "I really like how the colors blend yet contrast. The shadowing gives it realism. It is attractive and caught my attention." Alma agreed: "I see both life, joy happiness, beginnings.. Then I see death, sadness, quietness, loneliness. It's beautiful." Islandelf summed up the appeal of this cover: "Strangely enough, one of the most innocuous covers but the swamp looks either like fire and smoke or a curtain. It shouldn't be scary or mysterious but it is." |
The fourth place cover was Cold As Ice. The previous book in this series, Black Ice, was a finalist in last year's contest, and this cover continues with the icy theme. Voters loved the way the cover worked with the title and the story. Jane was impressed by the "clever interplay between type and illustration." Anna agreed. "A wonderful match of graphics and color to the title's theme." Jeanne also found the cover intriguing. "This cover best conveys a sense of menace and danger to me. I love the visual of jagged shards of ice that might be sharp enough to harm." And Danielle found the cover particularly evocative: "Just looking at those pieces of ice hanging makes me cold!" |
Mira |
Harper |
The reprint of a classic by Barbara Michaels, The Master of Blacktower, was the fifth place cover. Many readers commented that they had read this book years ago, and were pleased to see it reissued with a new cover. Elaine agreed. "I first read this over 30 years ago! Can't believe it's been reissued. I love the new cover!" Readers loved the gothic atmosphere conveyed by the cover. Karen said, "I love this cover! It's so suggestive with the glowing fire and lamp and the elongated shadows on the floor, especially the one that might or might not be another person. The viewing angle is suggestive, too, almost like we're a ghost or spirit looking down into the room." Sandra agreed. "Whose shadow might this be? Is he dangerous but exciting? Cruel and fascinating? Or just plain wonderful? Open this enticing cover to find out." |
The Ribbon Murders is another cover that uses simplicity to advantage. Voters were intrigued by the deceptively simple cover. Liz commented, "The darkness of most of the cover makes the ribbon jump out. The artist gets extra points for making something as innocuous as a ribbon look so sinister." Michelle found the cover particularly suspenseful. "This was the best cover as a romantic suspense. Some of the others were very good, but they could have been for just about any kind of story. The colours used are atmospheric, a tinge spine-tingling. Definitely evocative. Cleverly tied in with the title too." |
Five Star |
Pocket |
Alone In The Dark was the seventh place cover. Readers who like to see people on covers particularly liked this one. Alyssa agreed. "The only one that used a figure to sell the suspense. You can really feel the suspense in her pose. I'm just not feeling suspense in a landscape or the figure seen from a distance." Many voters were reminded of old movies and gothic novels. Katie said, "The setting looks like an old fashioned movie: 'Don't go up those stairs!'" Traci also found it suspenseful. "How creepy is this? It really draws you in, with the light glowing in the window, the woman dressed for bed. Cool." |
Many voters were intrigued by the unusual composition of Body of Evidence. D. agreed. "At first I didn't even notice the woman in the background. I thought it was a mountain range. This is just a very cool cover." Sandra found it appealing as well. "I love the vibrant, sunset colors. Very romantic." This was my favorite cover. I picked this book up at the store because I found the cover so intriguing! I always enjoy covers that take unusual elements and try something new and different. |
Mira |
Silhouette |
The last finalist, Dead Wrong, appealed to voters who liked the combination of title and cover. Terry commented: "Wow–the title really jumps out at me and lets me know all I need to know at first about a possible purchase. Immediate sense of mystery with the figure walking away, back turned." Marilynn liked the simplicity of the cover. "The starkness is easy on the eyes. I could almost do without the man on the road, but the subtitle "To know him... is to die for him" makes him fit." |
One cover deserves a special mention. The cover for Alaska Twilight by Colleen Coble was one of our finalists, but after the contest was over, we discovered that the cover that was used in the voting was not the final version of the cover. The cover was changed shortly before publication, and we didn't get the updated version of the cover. The two versions of the cover are shown below, the final version to the right. Since the cover we used for the contest wasn't the final, published version of the cover, we feel that we can't include it in our final list of winners. This cover was extremely popular with voters, so it deserves an honorable mention, and I apologize that the correct cover wasn't included in the contest. |
|
WestBow Press |
WestBow Press |
To the Alternate Reality Cover Results |
To the Two-Image Cover Results |
 |
Return to the summary page of Winners |
|
|
Comment on our Message Board |
|
|
Submit a nomination for the current year's cover contest |
|
|
Return to Cover Cafe's Home Page |