Katheryn's Secret

Coast of Maine #3

by Linda Hall

This is an ACE of ASIN:B005A74400 Katheryn's Secret

Interweaving elements of mystery and suspense with a message of hope, Linda Hall's seventh novel brings healing to those wounded by legalism in the church. In Katheryn's Secret, mystery writer Sharon Colebrook finds herself the unexpected recipient of her deceased Aunt Katie's journals-and hopes to learn about a murder Katie had hinted at years before. But as Sharon and her husband, Jeff, begin to investigate, the carefully kept facade of her strict religious family begins to crumble. Secrets, long buried, begin to surface-and only God's grace can put this family back together again.

About the Author:

Linda Hall is the author of seven novels and six nonfiction books, including Margaret's Peace, Island of Refuge and Katheryn's Secret. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Linda has worked as a journalist and a creative-writing instructor. She and her husband, Rik, live in Fredericton, New Brunswick. They have two grown children.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Christian

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 27, 2000

About the author

I write mystery novels and short stories. So far I have 20 in print - with more coming. My newest mystery series begins with Night Watch and introduces my new series character, boat captain Em Ridge.

Other series include the Corporal Roger Sheppard mysteries, The Teri Blake-Addison PI thrillers and the Fog Point mysteries, as well as a number of romantic suspense novels and short stories.

For information about sales, new releases, contests, plus a 'free' short story, I'd love for you to sign up for my newsletter: writerhall.com/newsletter

I grew up near the coast in New Jersey, and it was there that my love of the ocean was nurtured. I married a Canadian and have lived in Canada ever since - well, actually, I have lived in three countries: the U.S., Canada and for a short stint - Taiwan.

I hope you enjoy my books.

Reviews

[Richard Seltzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The real secret in Katheryn's Secret is one of narrative style. This is a book that you can't put down -- not because of the intrinsic power of the story, but rather because it is told so well. The narrative proceeds at what seems a leisurely pace -- focusing on hints of a possible murder decades before, with lots of digressions dealing with current-day events in the life of the narrator and her family and their concerns regarding religion, in particular their disillusionment with and rebellion from the legalistic view of religion that predominated in previous generations. But as the story unfolds -- revealing just enough in each chapter to keep you intrigued, and keeping you intrigued enough so you pay attention to everything, even to what seems to be irrelevant -- it turns out that everything is essential to the plot, that the old mystery and the current concerns have much in common, all related to the underlying religious theme.

"Religious theme"? For a suspense/mystery story? Why not? It is common for a series of mystery stories to be held together by a common moral thread, which usually is tied to the personality of the detective. That is certainly the case with Robert Parker's Spenser novels. Everything that happens in such a book attains significance with respect to the underlying moral code. In fact, Spenser is often far more interested in resolving the ambiguities in his code, as forced on him by the challenge at hand, than in carrying out the wishes of his current employer.

In her recent novels, all set in Maine, and all with protagonists who have ties to Canada, Linda Hall uses different central characters each time. But those characters have a common moral code and concern about the fate of present-day Protestant Christianity which provides a consistency of tone and purpose and makes these books feel like a series, with a common structure in which the suspense/mysteries unfold. The first two of these novels, Margaret's Peace and Island of Refuge worked very well. But this one rises to a new height, delicately interweaving tales of three generations, bringing nearly a dozen characters to life -- some directly and some from hearsay and fragmentary evidence -- with just enough well-timed revelation to both satisfy expectations and to surprise. She deserves a much wider audience. Enjoy.

[Eric Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character in this book, Sharon, a successful author from Vancouver, seems to reflect the career and hopes of the book’s author. Sharon Sullivan Colebrook is offered a chance to have her Summer Whitney series chosen to become a TV program. She is being pressured to produce another in the series by a certain date. At this juncture she receives word of an inheritance that will plunge her into a real world mystery. She leaves Vancouver with her husband, a news editor, to travel to Maine to help settle the estate she and her brother have inherited. Her brother’s whereabouts are unknown. Did he commit suicide? The law firm searches to find him.

Meanwhile Sharon and her husband move into the inheritance, an old house on the coast that she remembers from her childhood. Her memories are not altogether happy. Her stern grandparents and their daughters lived there and attended a strict local church. One aunt was stern and cold, the other eccentric and artistic, a teller of tales, including stories of murder.

The house and family hide many mysteries. Is the house haunted? Are there skeletons in the family closet? Who was murdered? Sharon Colebrook and her husband try to make sense of the characters they meet in this this mysterious world of whisper and religious legalism Their wandering daughter arrives with her strange ways further complicating the story. Sharon’s father seems lost in a world of his own, a world of meteorology. The maid is skittish and filled with superstition.

Although I felt the story started slowly, I become engrossed in the mysteries. The ending was quite unexpected and satisfying. This is one of Linda Hall’s better novels.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Hall had a unique way of presenting her story. The mystery kind of sneaked up on me, and then suddenly it was all there and began to be solved in bits and pieces.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that takes place at a beach. Really enjoyed it. Lots of mystery.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

So so corny. Disappointed in the revealing of mysteries. The characters are all portrayed so stereotypically and are unlikable. You got the grumpy dad, the "troubled" mom, the edgy moody young adult. Some of the occurrences in the books are left unanswered/unfinished. It felt like some of the characters are there to take up space rather than contribute anything.The ending on the note of Christianity is so out of touch with the reality of the harm Christian missionaries do to communities in colonized countries and to their own communities at home. White saviors bs. Pushes contradictory messages on Christianity as well.

[Penny Evenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery writer Sharon Colebrook finds herself the unexpected recipient of her deceased Aunt Katie's papers, and hopes to learn about a murder Katie had hinted at years before. But as Sharon and her husband Jeff head from the west coast of Canada to the east coast of Maine to begin to investigate, the carefully kept facade of her strict religious family begins to crumble. Secrets, long buried, begin to surface, and only God's grace can put this family back together again.

Great mystery plot and an amazing ending! I want to read more of her books!

[Parkland Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

🇨🇦 CANADIAN AUTHOR 🇨🇦

I own many Linda Hall paperback books and I read them years prior to beginning my Goodreads account in 2017. I just added them all to Goodreads in 2023 because I’ve been doing an inventory of all the books I own.

I do not have specific dates read—or even which years I read them in. I know that I loved them all. I strongly recommend her books.

[Jjean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very unique way of writing her story of a fractured family. The mystery/murder sneaked up on me, and then suddenly it was there and being solved in different ways - Along the way you learn the way/thoughts of different characters & their secrets - A can't put down book.

[Crystal Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, with enough suspense to carry the reader through to the very end. Interesting characters.

[ChrisGA · Rating 4 out of 5]

.interesting story....family secrets and religion as opposed to faith in God.
How much damage contemporary Pharisees cause.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowed from Nancha, written by a former roommate? Set in Maine, quick read, "Christian" theme.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story first and foremost about keeping up appearances, trying to be good or look good to the church and others. I struggle with this, so the story hits close to home. Motives are key, and this book goes into that. The mystery starts slowly, and grows in intensity and interest, leading this way and that. It is not that action-packed, as are some mysteries, but there is a depth of writing skill, smells and pictures coming alive, moods that you feel along with the characters. Though I somewhat disagree with the book's message that rules are bad, I do agree there should be much grace and care with people, and the how and why of things. We cannot earn salvation, for sure, as the author subtly points out. She seems to go beyond it a bit and say Christians shouldn't concern themselves about much of anything, such as what music to listen to, etc., so I had mixed feelings about that. Overall a pretty good read with more meat than some novels I've read.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character, Sharon Colebrook, is an author of a successful mystery book series. Her Aunt Katie dies and leaves her and her estranged brother the cottage in Maine. Sharon and her husband, Jeff, travel to Maine to settle the estate. As Sharon reads through Katie’s papers, she realizes she wants to write a biographical novel about her aunt’s colourful life. As they delve into the family history, they unearth family secrets which have long been buried. Ghosts, shame, pride, murder, and misunderstandings are uncovered. It is an interesting book which kept me turning the pages to see what happened next. The author lives in Fredericton.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was okay book. It's about Sharon,a successful mystery author, a woman who had no close relationship with her family except for her Aunt Katie. When Katie dies and Sharon inherits Kaite's house. She wants to write a biography of Kaite's life. While researching her life she finds truth to some of her stories, even the one about a murder on the beach next to her house, and an aunt that died at age 17 and then was never metioned again. It's a good book about finding those relationships with your family again.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly, I didn't enjoy this nearly as well as I hoped. Linda Hall certainly has a fine writing style, but I didn't connect with the characters; they just seemed whiny for most of the book, but the whininess never paid off. I also found a few of plot/character developments felt unfinished at the end of the book. I guess I've been spoiled with other great writers I've read recently. So, overall, I found the story underdeveloped and the emotions did not ring true to me.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

A skeleton or twelve have been uncovered in a beach house left to a neice of a storytelling spinster. Sharon has to sift through memories os stories to find one real one about a murder, then try to solve it years later.

[Barbara Derksen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the mystery of a murder committed long ago that is uncovered in Kathryn's Secret and it's continuing affects on the people involved. Secrets keep people in bondage and it's wonderful to see how, once the secret is revealed, how people change. Good job, Linda.

[Kim]

Was a good book. While investigating a long-unsolved murder, mystery writer Sharon Colebrook and her husband Jeff, find unexpected secrets, startling revelations, and dangerous truth within their own family tree.

[Barbara Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different.. overall enjoyed the story.. there were issues where that the author and I don't agree on and that marred the book a bit for me.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mix of suspense and mystery Sharon ends up with her aunts home that has a ghost that haunts her until with the help of long lost friends help her uncover. Good book.