Buried Secrets: A Madeline Maclin Mystery

by Jane Tesh

PI Madeline Maclin reluctantly agrees to help her ex-husband Bill find his children’s nanny, Nadia Conrad. But while exploring in Carson’s Cave, Madeline and her husband Jerry Fairweather find Nadia’s body. Secrets and suspects abound from Bill, trying to cover up his affair with Nadia, to Nadia’s former high school friends, all of whom witnessed a classmate’s fatal accident in the same cave years ago, to Rodman Fogarty, a self-proclaimed expert on UFOs, who arrives in Celosia to investigate rumors of aliens landing in Carson’s Crater and who has ties to Jerry’s con man past. It’s up to Madeline to uncover secrets that have been buried for way too long.

163 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2024

About the author

Jane is a 2022 Book Excellence Award Finalist for her fantasy novel, Butterfly Waltz and a 2023 Book Excellence Finalist for her mystery novel, Ghost Light.

Jane lives and writes in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, the real Mayberry. She is the author of the Grace Street Mystery Series, the Madeline Maclin Mysteries, four fantasy novels, and over thirty plays for children.

Reviews

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I have read several of this author’s other series this is the first in this series I have read. The mystery was interesting but I felt like I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the whole series. Overall I didn’t love this main character amateur sleuth. For example I struggled with why she was investigating this case for her ex-husband who had no redeemable qualities. I imagine that was more me than the book. Madeline accepts a case reluctantly from her ex. His nanny (dash affair partner) has gone missing and he’s worried if he reports her officially he’ll be a suspect. Madeline finds her easily, but unfortunately for all of them she’s dead and Madeline is determined to figure out what happened. I liked the side mystery with the necklace and I did like Madeline’s current partner. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars which I rounded up since I think I would have liked it more if I read the series in order.

[Melanie Mckinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

PI Madeline Maclin gets herself involved in helping her ex-husband Bill find his children’s nanny, Nadia Conrad after she goes missing. What Madeline doesn’t expect is to find Nadia’s body after she was murdered. Hoping it isn’t Bill that has murdered the missing nanny, many secrets and suspects come to light. Many people had no idea that Bill was having a heated affair with Nadia. This of course gives everyone a great reason to think that Bill is the murderer. But what we don’t know is that a former classmate of Nadia’s of which was a close friend had a fatal accident years ago. Is the accident and Nadia’s death related or is a coincidence with the two situations?

This book was a great fun cozy mystery featuring detective Madeline and her husband Jerry. It was a quick read involving the solving of a murder as well as the missing alien necklace. This was the first book that I have read by this author. I greatly enjoyed this book and will be going back to read other previous books in this series. I especially enjoyed the fact that Nadia’s last name was “Conrad”. That was my maiden name. It was fun to see this name used by the author in the book. Coming from a small town I could relate with the group of friends from high school. Especially since we also had a small cave in my hometown. It was exciting to think about these places and place the actual surroundings of the book as I read through it. I highly recommend this book. It’s a great weekend read.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mac is back and nearly gets herself and Jerry killed in her latest adventure. The beauty queen turned private detective is hired by her ex-husband to find his nanny and the adventure starts. One of the things that make these books such fun is the cast of supporting characters and the goings on in this small town. A skink festival who else would come up with something so fun. Jerry's past is never far behind him and it provides so many interesting characters, in Buried Secrets we meet a UFO hunter and a bartender who can play a drug addict very convincingly. In the course of her investigation Mac meets a group that were friends in high school with a terrible secret that leads to more death and destruction. In addition to the main murder there is also the case of the cursed alien necklace, which provides a lot of comical moments. And in the end Mac with the help of Jerry saves the day! For an evening of fun, pour yourself a glass of tea and join Mac in her latest case.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former beauty queen turned PI, Madeline Maclin is sitting behind her desk in Celosia, Nebraska, when her ex-husband, Bill, comes in trying to make small talk at first until Madeline tells him to get to the point. It appears he really needs her PI help in trying to find his children's nanny, Nadia Conrad, with which he had an affair. It appears she has gone missing and he is the first suspect in her disappearance especially if the affair becomes public which of course Bill is trying to hide. With great reluctance, but the need to find the truth and justice, she agrees to help. So Madeline and her husband, ex-con Jerry begin an investigation which takes them to the Carson's Cave where years ago there was a fatal accident. While in the cave, they discover Nadia's body. With so many secrets to uncover, Madeline and Jerry dig deep into the many secrets that long held in order to find a murderer. With so many twists and turns and turns and with a little humor thrown in, we are taken to a surprise ending! This is a really good addition to the Madeline Maclin series that I highly recommend. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Kara Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best I can tell, this is the seventh book in this series; I’ve read a few, but not all, of the previous books. This book can stand alone really well, though. Madeline is a great main character, a private investigator on her second marriage. Her ex-husband comes to her to pay her to locate his nanny who has disappeared; to complicate matters, he’s been having an affair with her, because of course he has—Madeline is not surprised a bit. When Madeline and her new husband, Jerry, happen upon the nanny’s body in a cave, there are numerous suspects, including Bill, Madeline’s ex. For being a mystery, there’s a lot of humor, and it’s a very enjoyable read. Add in a previous death in the cave and some possible alien activity in the area, oh and the possibility of a con, and the story gets more complicated. The story is well-written and a quick read. I can definitely recommend this book and the series. I was provided an ARC, for which I’m grateful, but these opinions are my own.

[Geri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buried Secrets is an installment in the Madeline Maclin Mysteries. It is the first one that I have read and I had a bit of a time getting into it at first. Once into the story, it moved right along.
Madeline's ex-husband comes to her for her to help find his missing nanny. Complicating the situation is that he was having an affair with her. Madeline and her current husband, Jerry, work to try the missing person. While doing so they uncover a BIG secret that the missing girl and some of her high school friends have. Twists and turns ensue as Mac (Madeline) and Jerry work through a plethora of suspects. Who did it? What are the secrets? Are there aliens? You'll just have to read this book to find out. Enjoy!

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madeline

It's been awhile since we heard from Madeline and Jerry with tales from Celosia. I have to admit that I was very excited to learn about this newest addition from author Jane Tesh. Once again she has woven murder, con men, bucolic living, and countless personable characters into a story that entertains the reader while trapping them in a delightful bubble. Like a step back in time, the story's pacing is placid while the content is exciting. This contrast in tempo makes the reader less frantic and more invested in the characters, the town, and the oddities of the multiple mysteries that are exposed.
It is a delightful series of small town living and mysteries. My only complaint is it's over too soon!

[Alicia Kozak · Rating 3 out of 5]

A missing persons case turns into murder. Mac is also searching for a "cursed alien necklace."
This is seventh in the series. I haven't read any of the previous books and I'm thinking I missed out on some important stories there. I also didn't really connect with the characters, maybe reading from the beginning would've helped with that. I wanted to know more about Jerry's time as a con man.
This is a fast read at only 165 pages. There's some humorous parts and the main mystery, while a common theme, was still interesting. I enjoyed the discovery of the location of the necklace.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the seventh in the Madeline Maclin Mystery series and I would have been better served if I had started at the beginning and understood some of the motivation. I wasn't sure why Madeline would help the ex-husband at all since he has no redeeming qualities.

The book is an interesting mix of characters and I really enjoyed learning more about Madeline and her current husband who seems a good guy with a bad past. The twisty turns are fun and in the end it all wraps up into a neat story that makes sense.

I enjoyed the setting and the way the story wraps up.

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely enjoyable read. It may be a series, but reads as a stand alone. Interesting cast of characters. Reads like an internal movie. Three mysteries solved that were not actually linked, except for the group of people Madeline came in contact with while working on the main mystery. It's a days read, and I cannot recommend it more highly. This paperback was sent to me from the author at no cost to me. My review is my own honest opinion. I definitely will be reading more of the Madeline Maclin series.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madeline Maclin, a private investigator, is hired by her ex-husband to find his nanny who has gone missing. Did he have an affair with the nanny? He does have a bit of a wondering eye. Her current husband, Jerry, has somewhat of a checkered past that may not be in the past completely. Add in a UFO hunter and you have a cast of wonderful characters. Will the long buried secrets come to light? Does she ever find the nanny? You won't be able to put the book down!

[Julia David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good mystery with entertaining characters. Madeline's ex-husband comes to her because his nanny, that he has been having an affair with, is missing. Madeline and Jerry uncover a lot of secrets, and they aren't sure if they will live to uncover them all. The more they investigate, the murkier it becomes.
Throw in some UFO hunters and you have a very entertaining story.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Madeline and her husband Jerry. Madeline is a P.I. and despite being divorced from her first husband Bill, she agrees to help him find his children's nanny who has gone missing. This is an enjoyable quick read with a lot of twists and turns, a unique festival and a lot of interesting characters. This book grabbed my attention from beginning to end and I highly recommend it!

[Lisa Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buried secrets is another fun, cozy mystery featuring detective Madeline, and her husband Jerry. they solve both the mystery of who killed the nanny and the missing alien necklace. This story kept me guessing until the end. Looking forward to the next book.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is a cozy mystery with a splash or two of humor in it. It's a good story. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.