At the end of every chapter or each major section, you need to give your reader a good reason to keep going. Add touches of mystery here and there, drop a few clues in carefully chosen spots, hint at thrilling new developments, make sudden shocking disclosures, and watch the tension build. Dan Brown is a master of suspense ( read The Da Vinci Code, but please ignore his cliché-ridden descriptions ). Your reader needs to be thinking constantly, " I must find out why he made that sinister comment. " Or, " Oh my word! How will she ever get herself out of this problem? "