The Secrets She Kept

August 1, 2016

It has been five years since Keith Lazarow fled his personal demons and his wealthy, manipulative mother's crushing control and left Fairham Island to carve out a life of his own. Now, a self-made real estate mogul, Keith reluctantly heads back to South Carolina to lay some old ghosts to rest and deal with the aftermath of his mother's sudden--and definitely suspicious--death. But mystery and danger await, and as Keith searches for answers and an elusive killer, he is drawn once again to Nancy Dellinger, the woman he walked out on but hasn't been able to forget. VERDICT Buried life-changing secrets, realistic family drama, sharply drawn characters, and dynamic descriptions combine with an intriguing and twisty plot in this perfect sequel to Discovering You. A welcome addition to the author's latest series. Novak lives in the Sacramento, CA, area.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Five years ago, Keith Lazarow was forced to cut all ties with his mother, Josephine, in order to successfully deal with his addiction to drugs. Since then Keith has gotten used to pretending that his mother doesn't exist while he built a successful new life in Los Angeles, but he is still shocked when his sister, Maisey, calls to tell him their mother is dead. When Keith arrives home on Fairham Island, however, he is in for even more shocks. While the police believe Josephine committed suicide, Keith knows his strong-willed mother would never take her own life, and he is determined to uncover the truth about her death. Family relations, old secrets, and the battle against addiction are just a part of the tough emotional workout Novak puts her characters (and readers) through in her latest compelling novel. Because some major plot twists from The Secret Sister (2015) are revealed here, readers will want to have finished that book before beginning this richly rewarding story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)