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Fatal Secrets
After her sister drowns, Ryan McCauley is haunted by the dead girl’s pastTwo sisters walk through a snowy wood, collecting pinecones for Christmas decorations. Something has frightened Marisa, and she’s about to explain it to Ryan, her younger sister, when she steps onto a patch of thin ice. Marisa plummets into the frigid water below, and though Ryan tries to save her, there’s nothing she can do. Even though the accident wasn’t her fault, Ryan is consumed by guilt. But guilt is not what she should be afraid of. Three weeks after Marisa’s death, Ryan sees her everywhere. At night she feels something following her, but when she turns around there’s nothing there. A creepy college friend of Marisa’s shows up at Ryan’s house, and her mother asks him to stay through Christmas. To free herself of guilt, Ryan must unlock Marisa’s terrible secret—before death takes her too. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Richie Tankersley Cusick including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1992
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931 people want to read
About the author
Richie Tankersley Cusick
50 books791 followersRichie Tankersley Cusick is the bestselling young adult author of over 25 titles, including two adult horror titles, Scarecrow and Blood Roots. Her popularity grew at the height of the horror/YA boom in the late '80s/early '90s, particularly with books like Lifeguard , Trick or Treat and Teacher's Pet, just to name a few, allowing her to keep company on the bestseller paperback lists with the likes of R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. Her fan base expanded about the time she changed publishers to Archway/Pocket Books with titles like Vampire and Someone at the Door.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 7, 2021
I’ve found that Richie Tankersley Cusick has had a pretty successful hit rate for the Point Horror range, they’ve all been quite good.
It’s slightly ironic that the only one of hers that I’d not previously read as a teen proved to be the best of a strong set of novels.
After Marissa falls to her death, sister Ryan is fraught with guilt believing she could have done more to save her sibling. But what appears to be an innocent accident might actually have serious consequences, as some would be quite happy for the secrets Marissa knows to stay buried.
It was an exceptionally well written entry for the range, I practically liked the main protagonist Ryan and really sympathised as she struggled to accept her sisters death.
I quite liked that this felt more like a thriller, their were a couple of creepy moments including some additional suspects to help move the story forward.
I’d started to wonder if I was rating the ones that I remember higher because of nostalgia, but this one proves that their were great book in the series and why we are still reading them 20 years later.
It’s slightly ironic that the only one of hers that I’d not previously read as a teen proved to be the best of a strong set of novels.
After Marissa falls to her death, sister Ryan is fraught with guilt believing she could have done more to save her sibling. But what appears to be an innocent accident might actually have serious consequences, as some would be quite happy for the secrets Marissa knows to stay buried.
It was an exceptionally well written entry for the range, I practically liked the main protagonist Ryan and really sympathised as she struggled to accept her sisters death.
I quite liked that this felt more like a thriller, their were a couple of creepy moments including some additional suspects to help move the story forward.
I’d started to wonder if I was rating the ones that I remember higher because of nostalgia, but this one proves that their were great book in the series and why we are still reading them 20 years later.
May 3, 2014
Fatal Secrets by Richie Tankersley Cusick to me is all about two things, which might seem ridiculous seeing as there's much more to the plot, believe me, but the reason I love it? Our main heroine, Ryan and the guy I like to consider her male lead from start to finish, Jinx. Okay, I'll be honest, I'm all about Jinx, Jinx and even more Jinx.
There isn't a lot of romance in this book, it's just sort of scattered in there amongst the main plot line yet still, I love the minimal romance that it has. That's probably due to me seeing Jinx as her main interest, even at times when he isn't. I love their banter, and how often he teases her. It's childish yes, but cute as heck too.
Jinx, originally named Jimmy, is by far the reason I love this book. He's witty, cheeky, most likely hot as hell and most importantly he's the sweetest guy going.
As much as Jinx is my favourite, he isn't the main focus of the book. Unfortunately. Not that our main girl isn't great. Ryan, a kind hearted girl in grieving is our MC, the story takes us through her possible mental breakdown while she tries to figure out exactly what it was her sister was trying so desperately to confide in her just moments before she died. Trying to piece her life back together Ryan finds herself feeling paranoid of a stalker. As time goes by and more unexplainable incidents build up Ryan's paranoia and fear increase rapidly. With Jinx as her confident Ryan tries to figure out exactly what's happening to her life and Marissa's before her paranoia drives her over the edge.
As a child this book was without a doubt one of my Point Horror favourites, as an adult it continues to be the same. It truly is a brilliant book and I can't help being disappointed Point Horror is no longer being published. The only way to get these books is second hand or a digital copy. The second hand copies are usually pretty cheap, but I paid £4.99 on eBooks for mine. I didn't want to wait to read it and it was well worth the money, considering usually you pay around £6.99 for a paperback depending on where you buy it.
Every time I read it, I spend the majority of it with a massive smile on my face. Usually because of Jinx or the fact I know Jinx is going to show up soon, but still the story is intriguing and keeps you on your toes, never knowing quite who to trust. Ryan is a heroine, who I've always adored but like I said, nothing beats Jinx and I will read this book for many years to come, purely because of him.
There isn't a lot of romance in this book, it's just sort of scattered in there amongst the main plot line yet still, I love the minimal romance that it has. That's probably due to me seeing Jinx as her main interest, even at times when he isn't. I love their banter, and how often he teases her. It's childish yes, but cute as heck too.
Jinx, originally named Jimmy, is by far the reason I love this book. He's witty, cheeky, most likely hot as hell and most importantly he's the sweetest guy going.
As much as Jinx is my favourite, he isn't the main focus of the book. Unfortunately. Not that our main girl isn't great. Ryan, a kind hearted girl in grieving is our MC, the story takes us through her possible mental breakdown while she tries to figure out exactly what it was her sister was trying so desperately to confide in her just moments before she died. Trying to piece her life back together Ryan finds herself feeling paranoid of a stalker. As time goes by and more unexplainable incidents build up Ryan's paranoia and fear increase rapidly. With Jinx as her confident Ryan tries to figure out exactly what's happening to her life and Marissa's before her paranoia drives her over the edge.
As a child this book was without a doubt one of my Point Horror favourites, as an adult it continues to be the same. It truly is a brilliant book and I can't help being disappointed Point Horror is no longer being published. The only way to get these books is second hand or a digital copy. The second hand copies are usually pretty cheap, but I paid £4.99 on eBooks for mine. I didn't want to wait to read it and it was well worth the money, considering usually you pay around £6.99 for a paperback depending on where you buy it.
Every time I read it, I spend the majority of it with a massive smile on my face. Usually because of Jinx or the fact I know Jinx is going to show up soon, but still the story is intriguing and keeps you on your toes, never knowing quite who to trust. Ryan is a heroine, who I've always adored but like I said, nothing beats Jinx and I will read this book for many years to come, purely because of him.
April 17, 2017
Yeah I know. Sometimes you just read books one after another that tickle your funny bone cause they are really not good. I mean, I get what Cusick was trying here, but after I got to the end and all is revealed I was like, dang? Really? This is a more brutal horror book for Cusick I thought. Ryan (she's a teen girl) and her sister Marisa are walking in the woods collecting pine cones for Christmas decorations (as one does) and Marisa falls through some ice and drowns. Ryan tries to save her, but is haunted by not being able to pull Marisa out. Just three weeks after her sister's death, Ryan starts to feel like Marisa is still there watching and blaming her for not saving her.
I think this is the first Cusick book I can recall off the top of my head that someone we are introduced to in the first few pages dies. I wish I could feel sorry for Ryan. But she had some terrible logic when it came to figuring out what is going on. She also tells everyone her plans and just generally has everyone thinking she's losing her mind.
Ryan is a teen girl that once again has two boys falling for her. Heck one of them even tells her that he only went out with her sister to get closer to her. Um thanks dude, you also kind of suck.
Ryan's best friend Phoebe and Phoebe's brother Jinx (yeah I am not looking up if I spelled that right) are seriously her only two friends besides the owner of the toy store she works out.
Due to Ryan's mother being a freaking moron, some random dude named Charles shows up saying he was dating Marisa and wants to be close to her family since she died. Since Ryan's mother went to the "I am a terrible mother and have no common sense" school she allows the dude to move in with them, and makes Ryan move out of her room into her dead sister's room so Charles can stay in her room. I am serious.
Honestly this whole book reads like a bad farce. You keep having random people thrown at you and you wonder how everything ties together. It really doesn't when the final reveal comes. My face probably looked baffled through most of this book.
Maybe this just means I should stop reading books from my youth, because most of these did not hold up well at all.
I think this is the first Cusick book I can recall off the top of my head that someone we are introduced to in the first few pages dies. I wish I could feel sorry for Ryan. But she had some terrible logic when it came to figuring out what is going on. She also tells everyone her plans and just generally has everyone thinking she's losing her mind.
Ryan is a teen girl that once again has two boys falling for her. Heck one of them even tells her that he only went out with her sister to get closer to her. Um thanks dude, you also kind of suck.
Ryan's best friend Phoebe and Phoebe's brother Jinx (yeah I am not looking up if I spelled that right) are seriously her only two friends besides the owner of the toy store she works out.
Due to Ryan's mother being a freaking moron, some random dude named Charles shows up saying he was dating Marisa and wants to be close to her family since she died. Since Ryan's mother went to the "I am a terrible mother and have no common sense" school she allows the dude to move in with them, and makes Ryan move out of her room into her dead sister's room so Charles can stay in her room. I am serious.
Honestly this whole book reads like a bad farce. You keep having random people thrown at you and you wonder how everything ties together. It really doesn't when the final reveal comes. My face probably looked baffled through most of this book.
Maybe this just means I should stop reading books from my youth, because most of these did not hold up well at all.
February 14, 2021
Fatal Secrets follows Ryan who is dealing with the death of her sister and is trying to get back to having a normal life by going to school and working a part-time job at a local toy shop. One day she starts to feel like she's being watched and followed...is her sister haunting her from beyond the grave or is there something else going on?
This is quintessential Point Horror. We've got a well-written and relatable teenage protagonist, a tragic backstory, creepy goings-on and the mystery surrounding them, plus a few potential love interests of course. Bonus points for a character called Winchester Stone. I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I could only remember some vague parts of this story and so rereading it I still found the ending to be a surprise and not what I was expecting. I also thought the romance in this one, since I'm not usually a huge fan of it, was done really well and I loved how that played out. There are some more adult themes in here that made for a very compelling story. If you're looking for where to start with Point Horror this would be a great one to pick up!
This is quintessential Point Horror. We've got a well-written and relatable teenage protagonist, a tragic backstory, creepy goings-on and the mystery surrounding them, plus a few potential love interests of course. Bonus points for a character called Winchester Stone. I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I could only remember some vague parts of this story and so rereading it I still found the ending to be a surprise and not what I was expecting. I also thought the romance in this one, since I'm not usually a huge fan of it, was done really well and I loved how that played out. There are some more adult themes in here that made for a very compelling story. If you're looking for where to start with Point Horror this would be a great one to pick up!
September 6, 2017
So there was a period of time from about 1989-1996 where I was deep into reading YA books. I was also starting to branch out into adult books but the majority of my reading was YA. YA in the 90s was different from today's YA. Back then only pre-teens and teens read YA. Now it is widely accepted for adults to read YA. But once you hit a certain age it was creepy to be seen in the YA section of the bookstore/library. I lived for authors like R.L. Stein, Christopher Pike, Diane Hoh, L.J. Smith, and the Queen of my favorite horror with romance was Richie Tankersley Cusick.
Fatal Secrets is about Ryan and her recently deceased sister Marissa. Ryan is haunted by the day that her sister fell through the ice. In fact she begins to see and feel things that has her starting to think she is going crazy. Is Marissa back from the dead or is someone trying to find out the secret that Marissa told her moments before she died?
Ok so this was one of my all time favorite books when I was a teen. I'm pretty sure I read it at least 20 times. This and her other book Teachers Pet were read so many times I had long lost the covers to the books. Yesterday my son went back to school and feeling the nostalgia of a time gone by I decided to pick up the book. It has probably been about 20 years since I last read this book. The book hasn't changed but apparently as an adult I have.
I still enjoyed parts of the book. The relationship between Jinx and Ryan still is as goofy smile inducing as it ever was. Quite honestly that was always my favorite parts of the book. I mean the interaction between the two of them. I always imagined Jinx to look like Christian Slater (still do apparently).
What did change for me now is the aggravation over the adults; specifically Ryan's mother. Now as a mother I can't imagine going through the loss of a child but her reaction and the way she ignored her other daughter bothered the heck out of me. I'd be holding my remaining "baby" all the tighter. I'd be more paranoid about her going out. Instead, Ryan's mother practically forgets she exists till (spoiler) she thinks Ryan tried to kill herself.
The best thing is that I thought I remembered everything in the book. But NOOOPE. I forgot who one of the bad guys was. And quite frankly it surprised me and it was nice to get that little twist at the end.
When I was a teen this was a 10 out of 5 stars. But now as an adult it lands probably more at a 3 1/2 out of 5 but for nostalgia reasons alone I'm bumping it up to 4 out of 5 stars
March 20, 2016
This was AMAZING. I spent a lot of time laughing in disbelief, but I loved every minute.
Things I learned from this book:
1. If you're suspicious of someone most of the time, don't use a temporary truce to tell him all about the hidden film you're having developed that might have something to do with your sister's death.
2. The guy who insults you continually and creatively but is always there to help you is a better romantic bet than guys who look hot and act romantic but are more or less completely unreliable (plus you don't trust them).
3. If there are a whole bunch of people you don't trust, relax: you aren't crazy. They're ALL in on it! Plus a couple of people you did trust! Seriously, it wouldn't have surprised me in the least if her best friend had ALSO waltzed into the barn and announced she was part of the drug ring.
How did this drug ring work, exactly? The drugs were sent to the small town and...who was the toymaker delivering them to? Is everyone in the entire town strung out all the time? I get the campus part of the ring; universities are teeming with people, many of whom might be on drugs (and many more of whom should be), but where are the toys-full-o-coke going??
Things I learned from this book:
1. If you're suspicious of someone most of the time, don't use a temporary truce to tell him all about the hidden film you're having developed that might have something to do with your sister's death.
2. The guy who insults you continually and creatively but is always there to help you is a better romantic bet than guys who look hot and act romantic but are more or less completely unreliable (plus you don't trust them).
3. If there are a whole bunch of people you don't trust, relax: you aren't crazy. They're ALL in on it! Plus a couple of people you did trust! Seriously, it wouldn't have surprised me in the least if her best friend had ALSO waltzed into the barn and announced she was part of the drug ring.
How did this drug ring work, exactly? The drugs were sent to the small town and...who was the toymaker delivering them to? Is everyone in the entire town strung out all the time? I get the campus part of the ring; universities are teeming with people, many of whom might be on drugs (and many more of whom should be), but where are the toys-full-o-coke going??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2021
I liked this almost as much as Someone at the Door. Both have winter vibes and this one with a touch of Christmas. The best was the end. Very suspenseful. The character of Winchester Stone was a bit useless except for his awesome name. Though I figure she had to have a third love interest because two including one killer (sort of) isn’t enough.
The reveal of the culprits made me sad. One was glaringly obvious as the “outsider” new to town (I thought he was the red herring throughout the book). The other was the one positive adult role model in the book but that was tarnished. I thought the reveal of the drugs was timely as there was a big war on drugs at the time. I think people like this one best because it has a bit more romance and banter than her other books.
The reveal of the culprits made me sad. One was glaringly obvious as the “outsider” new to town (I thought he was the red herring throughout the book). The other was the one positive adult role model in the book but that was tarnished. I thought the reveal of the drugs was timely as there was a big war on drugs at the time. I think people like this one best because it has a bit more romance and banter than her other books.
June 30, 2024
I have a read a few books by Cusick now and I feel like I am sensing a few patterns.
Cusick likes:
1. 3 way teenage romances
2. Bad boys with black hair and ripped jeans
3. Fantastically random climaxes to her stories that both perplex and frustrate the reader (in a good way) because it’s never what you think it’s going to be
4. Conveniently ignorant parents and/or friends
At first I did not like this one because the writing at the beginning did not pull me in. I became interested at the halfway mark when I realized it was a Christmas story and Ryan became stranded in a snow storm only to be rescued by the dashing Winchester.
There were times where the story felt forced, but in the end I enjoyed it and would recommend it as a holiday read for any mystery fan.
Cusick likes:
1. 3 way teenage romances
2. Bad boys with black hair and ripped jeans
3. Fantastically random climaxes to her stories that both perplex and frustrate the reader (in a good way) because it’s never what you think it’s going to be
4. Conveniently ignorant parents and/or friends
At first I did not like this one because the writing at the beginning did not pull me in. I became interested at the halfway mark when I realized it was a Christmas story and Ryan became stranded in a snow storm only to be rescued by the dashing Winchester.
There were times where the story felt forced, but in the end I enjoyed it and would recommend it as a holiday read for any mystery fan.
October 23, 2017
Second of my read through of the Point Horror books.
I genuinely don't think I read this one when I was a kid. Which isn't surprising, it definitely wouldn't have spoken to me then. Dead sister (I have issues with dead family and I'm an only child) and the blurb is just a bit shit.
I'm going to whisper this one... This is good. Like... Actually good. There were loads of ridiculous twists, although I guessed three of the culprits, the main one was a bit of a shock. Alright some of the action bits were ridiculous ('you didn't see Santa? He was chasing me!') and it didn't make sense (why put that much effort into finding out what Ryan knew? Why not just kill her?) but it as a total romp. I guffawed at bits because I was just enjoying it so much.
I'm having a wider issue with Cusick though. So far I'm sensing a trend in her writing. Spooky goings on are actually down to very horrible people. But there's always unexplained stuff - why was Ryan seeing and hearing her sister? Why was that never explained?!
I genuinely don't think I read this one when I was a kid. Which isn't surprising, it definitely wouldn't have spoken to me then. Dead sister (I have issues with dead family and I'm an only child) and the blurb is just a bit shit.
I'm going to whisper this one... This is good. Like... Actually good. There were loads of ridiculous twists, although I guessed three of the culprits, the main one was a bit of a shock. Alright some of the action bits were ridiculous ('you didn't see Santa? He was chasing me!') and it didn't make sense (why put that much effort into finding out what Ryan knew? Why not just kill her?) but it as a total romp. I guffawed at bits because I was just enjoying it so much.
I'm having a wider issue with Cusick though. So far I'm sensing a trend in her writing. Spooky goings on are actually down to very horrible people. But there's always unexplained stuff - why was Ryan seeing and hearing her sister? Why was that never explained?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2023
This one does hold up. It's dated of course with phone calls and cash, but I feel like teens were actually acting like teens. The story of Ryan slowly being driven out of her mind is still as creepy as it was when I was 14. The romance still holds up. Ryan's mother is still a terrible mother (RTC must have had a terrible mom, because all her mom characters are shitty parents). It was an enjoyable read for a rainy weekend.
February 8, 2014
I don't think I ever read this one as a kid, but I legitimately enjoyed reading it now. Usually my nostalgia clouds my judgment with these re-reads, but nothing about this book was familiar and I still loved it.
The ending was a total shocker, and I love that I was wrong the entire time about the killer. This was such a fun read!
Cusick was the most talented of all the Point Horror writers, and I love that my library has some of these available as e-books now. I can't wait to read more of them.
The ending was a total shocker, and I love that I was wrong the entire time about the killer. This was such a fun read!
Cusick was the most talented of all the Point Horror writers, and I love that my library has some of these available as e-books now. I can't wait to read more of them.
August 29, 2020
Totally bonkers but I loved it (murder? Mystery? Murder mystery???). Starts of a little slow but once it picks up it gets much better. Not as predictable as I thought it’d be—a couple of twists that definitely shocked me. The reveal at the end isn’t anything you could predict. No hints at ALL. Nada. But it’s still a fun read.
November 7, 2019
OMG! The ending! No spoiler don't worry... This is definitely one of the best title from Richie Tankersley Cusick! Started off good enough. A bit boring in the middle but everything did tie up together in the end. Kept me in suspense throughout. Great ending too
February 23, 2022
I have always enjoyed Richie Tankersley Cusick (from here on through RTC) and her writing style.
She has done a few novelizations of Buffy The Vampire Slayer that I enjoy and the first book of hers I ever read was Help Wanted (which I will go back and re-read eventually). In the UK, Fatal Secrets is a Point Horror but not here in the US but it doesn't make it any less spectacular!
I finished this on a dark, stormy night and it just added to the atmosphere. As it went on I realized how much more mature this was compared to other young adult/ older teen fare which also sped up my enjoyment that I could not go to sleep until I finished the whole thing!
Ryan McCauley and her sister Marissa are out in the woods trying to collect pinecones to add some festive Christmas cheer to the toy store where Ryan works. Marissa has something on her mind and tries to tell Ryan that she has a secret that could change her life and wants to have Ryan hold on to some film of photos she's taken.
Believing her older sister is pulling her leg, Ryan goes off but then hears Marissa screaming. When she reaches her sister, Ryan finds Marissa drowning through the broken ice but fails to rescue her in time and she slips under the ice.
In the few weeks that follow, Ryan feels tremendous guilt for not listening to Marissa and having a hand in her death. Her mother Leslie who favored Marissa sits in her oldest daughter's bedroom and pays little attention to her other living daughter which doesn't help Ryan feel better. Her best friend Phoebe Evans tries to cheer her up but it hardly works.
Ryan is also tormented to try and figure out the secret Marissa had to make her so scared that night and Ryan becomes paranoid that someone is watching her or that Marissa's ghost is haunting her for letting her drown?
Things don't become any better when a young man names Charles Eastman shows up on the McCauley doorstep saying that he was a friend of Marissa's and bearing gifts she had meant for the family. Ryan doesn't trust Charles but Leslie invites him to stay and Ryan is helpless to say anything to change her mind.
Troubling incidents start up the moment Charles arrives and they soon escalate where Ryan can't get her mother to listen or her boss Mr. Partini, her mother's boyfriend Steve or even Phoebe. Ryan begins to feel as if she is going crazy and solving the mystery behind Marissa's fatal secret may be the only way to lift the cloud from over her head and the heaviness in her heart...
I recognize a few of the same themes and character traits from RTC that I remember being in Help Wanted. Brunette heroine, well meaning but boy crazy best friend, handsome male characters suitable for comic relief, romantic leads and potential psychos. A tragically haunting accident as a major plot point and also...many, many curveballs that I didn't suspect.
I felt that a few characters were going just where I thought they would but then I was hit by not just one twist...but two and thankfully another one didn't pop up or my head just might have exploded!
There was also that hint of romance that I enjoy trickling into my horror like pouring cream into my coffee and it was just sweet and bitter enough to provide a happy ending to a book that was so dark and heavy yet thrilling and satisfying that I recommend that if you have not read Fatal Secrets by RTC...you do so if you can!
She has done a few novelizations of Buffy The Vampire Slayer that I enjoy and the first book of hers I ever read was Help Wanted (which I will go back and re-read eventually). In the UK, Fatal Secrets is a Point Horror but not here in the US but it doesn't make it any less spectacular!
I finished this on a dark, stormy night and it just added to the atmosphere. As it went on I realized how much more mature this was compared to other young adult/ older teen fare which also sped up my enjoyment that I could not go to sleep until I finished the whole thing!
Ryan McCauley and her sister Marissa are out in the woods trying to collect pinecones to add some festive Christmas cheer to the toy store where Ryan works. Marissa has something on her mind and tries to tell Ryan that she has a secret that could change her life and wants to have Ryan hold on to some film of photos she's taken.
Believing her older sister is pulling her leg, Ryan goes off but then hears Marissa screaming. When she reaches her sister, Ryan finds Marissa drowning through the broken ice but fails to rescue her in time and she slips under the ice.
In the few weeks that follow, Ryan feels tremendous guilt for not listening to Marissa and having a hand in her death. Her mother Leslie who favored Marissa sits in her oldest daughter's bedroom and pays little attention to her other living daughter which doesn't help Ryan feel better. Her best friend Phoebe Evans tries to cheer her up but it hardly works.
Ryan is also tormented to try and figure out the secret Marissa had to make her so scared that night and Ryan becomes paranoid that someone is watching her or that Marissa's ghost is haunting her for letting her drown?
Things don't become any better when a young man names Charles Eastman shows up on the McCauley doorstep saying that he was a friend of Marissa's and bearing gifts she had meant for the family. Ryan doesn't trust Charles but Leslie invites him to stay and Ryan is helpless to say anything to change her mind.
Troubling incidents start up the moment Charles arrives and they soon escalate where Ryan can't get her mother to listen or her boss Mr. Partini, her mother's boyfriend Steve or even Phoebe. Ryan begins to feel as if she is going crazy and solving the mystery behind Marissa's fatal secret may be the only way to lift the cloud from over her head and the heaviness in her heart...
I recognize a few of the same themes and character traits from RTC that I remember being in Help Wanted. Brunette heroine, well meaning but boy crazy best friend, handsome male characters suitable for comic relief, romantic leads and potential psychos. A tragically haunting accident as a major plot point and also...many, many curveballs that I didn't suspect.
I felt that a few characters were going just where I thought they would but then I was hit by not just one twist...but two and thankfully another one didn't pop up or my head just might have exploded!
There was also that hint of romance that I enjoy trickling into my horror like pouring cream into my coffee and it was just sweet and bitter enough to provide a happy ending to a book that was so dark and heavy yet thrilling and satisfying that I recommend that if you have not read Fatal Secrets by RTC...you do so if you can!
April 18, 2021
Richie Tankersley Cusick makes this Point Horror stuff work better than anyone else, in my opinion - these books necessarily have to move so fast because of how short they are, and yet she still manages to make the relationships and the characters feel developed and well worn while weaving in enough genuinely arresting images that you never forget you're reading horror. This was a fave when I was a teenager and I'm pleased at how well it held up.
June 10, 2019
This is... actually good?
I read this for our podcast Teenage Scream, which dissects the best (and worst) of 90s Teen Horror.
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
I read this for our podcast Teenage Scream, which dissects the best (and worst) of 90s Teen Horror.
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
October 14, 2023
A whole extra star for that ridiculously over-the-top ending <3
December 7, 2024
AKA Ryan McCauley and the Most Paternalistic Men in the World
Woof. I'm a dog. Woof woof. Also, woof: an exclamation of vehement dismay. I did not like this book. Every character is a lunatic. I'll summarize:
RYAN: Dear sister Marissa, I'm so glad you're home from college. Help me gather materials from the forest so that my Italian stereotype boss, whose name is literally Guido, can make winter garlands for his toy shop.
MARISSA: I'm not sure how much I can help, seeing as how I obviously have a dark secret weighing on me.
RYAN: I'm not intrigued by this at all. Help me find pine cones.
MARISSA: Okay, but for absolutely no reason, I'm going to give you this mysterious roll of film and insist that you have it developed as soon as possible without telling anybody else about it and also don't trust like anybody at all.
RYAN: PINE CONES GODDAMMIT.
MARISSA: Fine, I'll go wander off and make myself an easy target for anybody who might be pursuing me. *falls through ice and dies*
RYAN: O what a terrible but completely plausible accident! I'll grieve by never reflecting on how oddly she was behaving just before she died.
MOM: Well, lost the good daughter. I've already given up on this other one.
STEVE: I'm just a normal guy dating your mom. I knew Marissa because I'm a professor at the college she was attending. Don't worry about me.
RYAN: Okay.
CHARLES: Hello! I'm also a normal guy. Marissa and I were total besties even though she never mentioned me at all.
MOM: Move in forever.
RYAN: Charles, your behavior is totally shifty and I keep catching you snooping around the house.
CHARLES: It really hurts my feelings that you would say this about me.
RYAN: OMG I'm a rude bitch! I have feelings for you now.
MR. PARTINI: Weird things keep-a happening in my toy shop! Mamma Mia! Pizza pie!
PHOEBE: Hello Ryan, my best friend. I have no personality and don't believe anything you say ever. You're probably imagining everything and need a boyfriend.
RYAN: OMG I'm a crazy bitch!
JINX: As your best friend's little brother, I'm the least appealing romantic prospect in the entire world. Let's have flirtatious banter about how much we hate each other.
RYAN: Giggle giggle.
CHARLES: Ryan, I think it would help you to talk to me about your dead sister. Specifically about any dark secrets she may have told you.
RYAN: Well, she did give me this roll of film that she insisted I shouldn't tell anybody about.
CHARLES: It would be therapeutic for you to tell me exactly where you dropped it off to get it developed.
RYAN: I see no reason not to do that. Wow, I'm feeling dizzy all of a sudden. Almost like I've been drugged. Which doesn't make sense, since the only drink I've had was that hot cider Charles handed me.
PHOEBE: Here's the thing: I want to make out with this guy over here, so I'm going to let Charles, the most trustworthy man I've ever met, drive you home.
CHARLES: *dumps Ryan out of his van in the middle of the forest* Bye loser.
MARISSA: In a plot point that will never be explained, since this book isn't supernatural, my ghostly voice now calls to you from the pine trees.
RYAN: OMG I'm a haunted bitch!
WINCHESTER: Don't worry. I'm the ruggedly handsome son of a backwoods redneck. I'll carry you to my cabin and take off your clothes while you sleep.
RYAN: To keep me from getting hypothermia?
WINCHESTER: ...yes.
RYAN: How unfortunate that I keep winding up in such alluringly helpless positions around these potentially dangerous men. No, please, don't carry me around in your strong masculine arms as I faint over and over again.
WINCHESTER'S REDNECK DAD: Weird that my son let you sleep here all night instead of calling 911 and getting you medical attention. It's not like the winter storm knocked out our phone line, which is hypothetically an excuse someone might have used if they wanted to keep you here. Well, bye.
RYAN: Somebody left Marissa's necklace, which she was wearing the day she died, in her old bedroom, as if to menace me!
CHARLES: It would be impossible to figure out who did that. Anyway, sorry I left you stranded in the forest. I saw a lumpy pile of old smelly blankets in the back of the van and figured it was you.
SALVATION ARMY SANTA: I'm out collecting for charity weirdly late at night, on a street where nobody is, and I'll disappear at a convenient moment to make Ryan think she's crazy, but I will never be explained or even brought up again. Ho ho ho.
RYAN: Hey, photo lab that took three days to develop my film even though there's such a thing as one-hour photo services in 1992. Is it ready to be picked up?
LAB TECH: Some guy picked it up earlier. We weren't suspicious because he said his name is Ryan, a normal man's name. That's right, the only plot point that pays off in this entire book is the fact that the female protagonist has a unisex name.
RYAN: Well that takes the cake. First someone builds a scary six-foot snowman in my backyard to mock me, entirely without being seen, and now this. What else could go wrong?
MR. PARTINI: I-a know a lot of strange and frightening things happen around you lately, so I-a leave you alone in my toy shop! Oh by the way, your-a mom, she tell me she pick you up in half an hour, so just-a wait here after closing! Mangia mangia Gucci Ferarri.
MAN IN SKI MASK: I got in because you didn't lock the door.
RYAN: The lock is now jammed, trapping me inside with this ski-masked man, though whether this is coincidental or by design will never be explained! Guess I'd better put my fist through the window.
EVERYONE: Even though you hysterically ran to Jinx looking freaked out and begging for help, saying that someone was after you, it's pretty clear you tried to kill yourself.
PHOEBE: Ew. Talk to me when you're not suicidal anymore.
RYAN: If only I could figure out a way to stop putting myself in these dangerous situations.
GUY ON PHONE: Hello, I'm a real police officer. Come meet me out in the middle of nowhere, by yourself, to identify your sister's body.
RYAN: Be right there.
THE END
Woof. I'm a dog. Woof woof. Also, woof: an exclamation of vehement dismay. I did not like this book. Every character is a lunatic. I'll summarize:
RYAN: Dear sister Marissa, I'm so glad you're home from college. Help me gather materials from the forest so that my Italian stereotype boss, whose name is literally Guido, can make winter garlands for his toy shop.
MARISSA: I'm not sure how much I can help, seeing as how I obviously have a dark secret weighing on me.
RYAN: I'm not intrigued by this at all. Help me find pine cones.
MARISSA: Okay, but for absolutely no reason, I'm going to give you this mysterious roll of film and insist that you have it developed as soon as possible without telling anybody else about it and also don't trust like anybody at all.
RYAN: PINE CONES GODDAMMIT.
MARISSA: Fine, I'll go wander off and make myself an easy target for anybody who might be pursuing me. *falls through ice and dies*
RYAN: O what a terrible but completely plausible accident! I'll grieve by never reflecting on how oddly she was behaving just before she died.
MOM: Well, lost the good daughter. I've already given up on this other one.
STEVE: I'm just a normal guy dating your mom. I knew Marissa because I'm a professor at the college she was attending. Don't worry about me.
RYAN: Okay.
CHARLES: Hello! I'm also a normal guy. Marissa and I were total besties even though she never mentioned me at all.
MOM: Move in forever.
RYAN: Charles, your behavior is totally shifty and I keep catching you snooping around the house.
CHARLES: It really hurts my feelings that you would say this about me.
RYAN: OMG I'm a rude bitch! I have feelings for you now.
MR. PARTINI: Weird things keep-a happening in my toy shop! Mamma Mia! Pizza pie!
PHOEBE: Hello Ryan, my best friend. I have no personality and don't believe anything you say ever. You're probably imagining everything and need a boyfriend.
RYAN: OMG I'm a crazy bitch!
JINX: As your best friend's little brother, I'm the least appealing romantic prospect in the entire world. Let's have flirtatious banter about how much we hate each other.
RYAN: Giggle giggle.
CHARLES: Ryan, I think it would help you to talk to me about your dead sister. Specifically about any dark secrets she may have told you.
RYAN: Well, she did give me this roll of film that she insisted I shouldn't tell anybody about.
CHARLES: It would be therapeutic for you to tell me exactly where you dropped it off to get it developed.
RYAN: I see no reason not to do that. Wow, I'm feeling dizzy all of a sudden. Almost like I've been drugged. Which doesn't make sense, since the only drink I've had was that hot cider Charles handed me.
PHOEBE: Here's the thing: I want to make out with this guy over here, so I'm going to let Charles, the most trustworthy man I've ever met, drive you home.
CHARLES: *dumps Ryan out of his van in the middle of the forest* Bye loser.
MARISSA: In a plot point that will never be explained, since this book isn't supernatural, my ghostly voice now calls to you from the pine trees.
RYAN: OMG I'm a haunted bitch!
WINCHESTER: Don't worry. I'm the ruggedly handsome son of a backwoods redneck. I'll carry you to my cabin and take off your clothes while you sleep.
RYAN: To keep me from getting hypothermia?
WINCHESTER: ...yes.
RYAN: How unfortunate that I keep winding up in such alluringly helpless positions around these potentially dangerous men. No, please, don't carry me around in your strong masculine arms as I faint over and over again.
WINCHESTER'S REDNECK DAD: Weird that my son let you sleep here all night instead of calling 911 and getting you medical attention. It's not like the winter storm knocked out our phone line, which is hypothetically an excuse someone might have used if they wanted to keep you here. Well, bye.
RYAN: Somebody left Marissa's necklace, which she was wearing the day she died, in her old bedroom, as if to menace me!
CHARLES: It would be impossible to figure out who did that. Anyway, sorry I left you stranded in the forest. I saw a lumpy pile of old smelly blankets in the back of the van and figured it was you.
SALVATION ARMY SANTA: I'm out collecting for charity weirdly late at night, on a street where nobody is, and I'll disappear at a convenient moment to make Ryan think she's crazy, but I will never be explained or even brought up again. Ho ho ho.
RYAN: Hey, photo lab that took three days to develop my film even though there's such a thing as one-hour photo services in 1992. Is it ready to be picked up?
LAB TECH: Some guy picked it up earlier. We weren't suspicious because he said his name is Ryan, a normal man's name. That's right, the only plot point that pays off in this entire book is the fact that the female protagonist has a unisex name.
RYAN: Well that takes the cake. First someone builds a scary six-foot snowman in my backyard to mock me, entirely without being seen, and now this. What else could go wrong?
MR. PARTINI: I-a know a lot of strange and frightening things happen around you lately, so I-a leave you alone in my toy shop! Oh by the way, your-a mom, she tell me she pick you up in half an hour, so just-a wait here after closing! Mangia mangia Gucci Ferarri.
MAN IN SKI MASK: I got in because you didn't lock the door.
RYAN: The lock is now jammed, trapping me inside with this ski-masked man, though whether this is coincidental or by design will never be explained! Guess I'd better put my fist through the window.
EVERYONE: Even though you hysterically ran to Jinx looking freaked out and begging for help, saying that someone was after you, it's pretty clear you tried to kill yourself.
PHOEBE: Ew. Talk to me when you're not suicidal anymore.
RYAN: If only I could figure out a way to stop putting myself in these dangerous situations.
GUY ON PHONE: Hello, I'm a real police officer. Come meet me out in the middle of nowhere, by yourself, to identify your sister's body.
RYAN: Be right there.
THE END
January 22, 2017
Wow, this was one hell of a ride. I normally pick up these books for that B-movie level of teen horror, but this was actually pretty good. It didn’t have any of the cheese factor that most of these books from the 90’s suffered from. While the beginning was a little slow, it got better the more I read. There were a couple scenes that really creeped me out, my favorite being the part where . I also loved the writing towards the latter part of the story. It truly seemed like Ryan was falling apart and going slightly crazy with all that was going on. I spent the entire time wondering whether someone was following Ryan or if she was just plain crazy. Either way, I felt terribly bad for everything she went through. I got so mad every time that weird crap would happen and the people around Ryan would just think that she was making it up. It was even worse when they’d use some horribly illogical reasoning that made no sense to explain away whatever she was scared about.
The ending was one of those ‘wtf is going on’ type of moments where you’re hit with twist after twist. Some of it seemed unrealistic and like it came out of nowhere to me, but I have to applaud for the shock value of things. I’m not even sure how to talk about what happened without spoiling everything. I had a feeling about , but when it came to , I couldn’t have been more taken aback.
The ending was one of those ‘wtf is going on’ type of moments where you’re hit with twist after twist. Some of it seemed unrealistic and like it came out of nowhere to me, but I have to applaud for the shock value of things. I’m not even sure how to talk about what happened without spoiling everything. I had a feeling about , but when it came to , I couldn’t have been more taken aback.
July 18, 2018
I'm going to be honest. I don't entirely remember this book, but I know I read it, and I know that I loved it. During the 6th grade, roundabouts 1994, I became deeply obsessed with Rickie Tankersley Cusick. I was also reading Christopher Pike and Caroline B. Cooney, which I now understand means I was into horror/suspense. As far as I can remember, Cusick was the best of these writers, definitely when it came to suspense. (Cooney also wrote realistic YA fiction, which I don't think this author did.) Unfortunately, it seems that she wrote fewer books than the others. Maybe it takes her longer because they're better! I remember I used to be afraid to check the Borders YA section for fear that the new Cusick book STILL wasn't out yet . . . and it never was. Her books were deeply suspenseful and she really hit home when it came to romantic tension, I remember being tantalized by the young men in her books, and if I recall correctly the female protagonist would always have three love interests, and one of them would turn out to be the killer. I need to find these and read them. Her books were way better than R.L. Stine, enough said.
February 23, 2016
As expected from RTC, tons of suspense with memorable scares. The twist was really unexpected as I thought I got down the bad guy but I was only half right.
Ryan was someone I feel sorry for due to predicamanet she's in that the book made me hope there will be happy ending. Jinx is perhaps my favorite character from his sharp tongue and some surprising characteristics.
The big issue I have with the book is that sometimes it doesn't make sense how the villain(s) managed to set up their scares in terms of timing and place and it comes off as coincidental more than intentional.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's decent horror with a twinge of gloomliness regarding loss but still the book is still great horror.
Ryan was someone I feel sorry for due to predicamanet she's in that the book made me hope there will be happy ending. Jinx is perhaps my favorite character from his sharp tongue and some surprising characteristics.
The big issue I have with the book is that sometimes it doesn't make sense how the villain(s) managed to set up their scares in terms of timing and place and it comes off as coincidental more than intentional.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's decent horror with a twinge of gloomliness regarding loss but still the book is still great horror.
January 19, 2015
I actually liked this one until the ending. I just felt betrayed that at least two of those involved where actually involved. I felt like that was all because of shock value and their characters did like a 180. Quick read though.
May 15, 2023
YA Horror does not skip on the high drama and WOW this one just laid it all out. 4/5 of the men in our main characters life are all connected and involved in a drug ring! Ends in a car chase shootout!
The drama is so high that a boy runs over a pizza with his car!
The drama is so high that a boy runs over a pizza with his car!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2011
i LOVED this book!
omg at the end like at the last few pages i kept going: "kiss him! kiss himmm!" but that's the onlyy part i got disappointed at.
omg at the end like at the last few pages i kept going: "kiss him! kiss himmm!" but that's the onlyy part i got disappointed at.
September 21, 2025
fail - who did it -EVERYONE.
Her boss, her friend, her mums boyfriend
omg -similar motive to drifter. lame.
Her boss, her friend, her mums boyfriend
omg -similar motive to drifter. lame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2021
One-Line Review: Who’s out to get me? EVERYONE. I now remember why I loved this book as a teen - it’s just like my own life.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2019
I read this book along with the Teen Creeps podcast.
a) Our main character, Ryan, is rather gullible. She takes what's said to her at face value the majority of the time.
b) Phoebe, the "best friend" is the WORST from the get-go. Ryan's sister dies at the start of the book and three weeks later that she's like, "AHMGAHD RYAN, GET OVER IT. BOYS. BOYS ARE HERE." Phoebe is nowhere to be found while Ryan is being tormented because she's dating a new guy. I was shaking my head at how lame Phoebe was the entire. Time.
c) Speaking of boys, We get tugged around all over the place with all the love interests Ryan may or may not have, all throughout the book.
I've been away from YA for a LONG time, but I was nostalgic for the YA pulp horrors I read as a teen. I'd never read this book before and it was fun. There were some creepy parts for sure. I didn't see the twist coming, so that was cool. It's an enjoyable and easy-to-read YA horror.
a) Our main character, Ryan, is rather gullible. She takes what's said to her at face value the majority of the time.
b) Phoebe, the "best friend" is the WORST from the get-go. Ryan's sister dies at the start of the book and three weeks later that she's like, "AHMGAHD RYAN, GET OVER IT. BOYS. BOYS ARE HERE." Phoebe is nowhere to be found while Ryan is being tormented because she's dating a new guy. I was shaking my head at how lame Phoebe was the entire. Time.
c) Speaking of boys, We get tugged around all over the place with all the love interests Ryan may or may not have, all throughout the book.
I've been away from YA for a LONG time, but I was nostalgic for the YA pulp horrors I read as a teen. I'd never read this book before and it was fun. There were some creepy parts for sure. I didn't see the twist coming, so that was cool. It's an enjoyable and easy-to-read YA horror.
August 31, 2019
I remember reading (and loving) this book in middle school. It was purely an exercise in nostalgia, reading it again. Sad to say, it really didn't hold up. I'd say the book was 35% girly high school chatter about boys, 30% false alarm scares, 25% "No, you have to believe me!!!!", and 10% actual plot. Looking back, I think what appealed to me most about the book was that it felt very grown up. I liked young adult horror books, but the scary things were silly, like haunted ventriloquist's dummies, giant bugs, or something called "monster blood". But in this book, the bad guys were *gasp* DRUG DEALERS! That felt VERY grown up to 11-year-old Caleb. All that being said, the book is a brisk and reasonably entertaining read, so it's not all bad.
October 12, 2025
Point horror is what I reach for when in need for a cosy horror fix as they all have a certain something to them that makes them special. This one is no different as Ryan is a fabulous gothic heroine in a 90's melodrama with just a dash of christmas. Sadly, as I grew up in the UK, we only had a small selection in our local library so I've been ticking the ones I've not read before off my list and am gutted I didn't get to read this earlier as it shines with almost Twilight vibes. My baby goth heart would have loved this.
Highly recommend picking it up. Just make sure you go in understanding that it is full of teenage angst and gothic-style melodrama with 90's YA writing.
Highly recommend picking it up. Just make sure you go in understanding that it is full of teenage angst and gothic-style melodrama with 90's YA writing.
October 30, 2018
listened to this on audiobook - pretty good though the narrator was a little dull at times. overall, a solid pick though. really intriguing plot line - kept me guessing who the bad guy was!
~~SPOILERS AHEAD~~
ok so i wasn't expecting literally EVERYONE to be a bad guy (well, except jinx). like when mr. partini (sp?) showed up at the end i literally yelled while i was driving down the road. i was so mad. though i am glad that winchester didn't turn out to be the absolute worst. alsO JINX IS EVERYTHING AND DESERVES THE WORLD OK BYE.
~~SPOILERS AHEAD~~
ok so i wasn't expecting literally EVERYONE to be a bad guy (well, except jinx). like when mr. partini (sp?) showed up at the end i literally yelled while i was driving down the road. i was so mad. though i am glad that winchester didn't turn out to be the absolute worst. alsO JINX IS EVERYTHING AND DESERVES THE WORLD OK BYE.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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