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Hidden Guilt #1
Chained Guilt
Detective David Porter was living the good life. A fifteen-year veteran of the Houston Police Department, Porter was one of the best serial killer detectives in the country, his talents known worldwide. The recently promoted officer couldn’t ask for much more. He was husband to one of the hottest women on the planet, former-model-turned-news-anchor Miranda Porter. He also had two beautiful daughters. Yes, life was good . . . or so it seemed.
A cunning serial killer was on the prowl, brutally killing every child he could get his hands on. Porter was hot on his trail, but the killer was an expert – no mistakes. A late night of work, a storm and a car accident would lead David head first into another case – a kidnapping – and this time it was personal. Could there be a connection between the two? David was staring face-first down the barrel of both cases and time was running out.
Does Detective Porter have what it takes to bring these criminals to justice? Will the good life he once enjoyed elude him forever? Only time will tell.
A cunning serial killer was on the prowl, brutally killing every child he could get his hands on. Porter was hot on his trail, but the killer was an expert – no mistakes. A late night of work, a storm and a car accident would lead David head first into another case – a kidnapping – and this time it was personal. Could there be a connection between the two? David was staring face-first down the barrel of both cases and time was running out.
Does Detective Porter have what it takes to bring these criminals to justice? Will the good life he once enjoyed elude him forever? Only time will tell.
346 pages, ebook
First published July 20, 2015
1248 people are currently reading
1613 people want to read
About the author
Terry Keys
17 books105 followersTerry Keys is an award-winning novelist, songwriter, and poet. He writes for Examiner.com and works as a project manager in the oil and gas industry. A native of Rosharon, Texas, Keys spends his free time hunting, fishing, and working out. He lives in Dickinson, Texas, with his wife and two children. Please visit his website at http://www.terrykeysbooks.com
2017 NIEA award winner for Chained Guilt.
2017 NIEA award winner for Chained Guilt.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
October 26, 2025
One really has to ask the question, if (David Porter, the MC) waiting a full year after the death of his wife to start dating the coach would have altered the outcome of the novel. I suspect it might have, but unless facing the absolute same circumstance it's difficult to presume that I might have acted any differently.
Chained Guilt, the first book of the Hidden Guilt series, was an emotional roller coaster type read. This mystery is pretty well-paced, structurally designed for the reader to feverishly turn pages to get to the end. One of my issues lies in the cliffhanger ending that stops one short before crossing the finish line. The reader is running pretty smoothly, spotting the finish, I'm just about to break the tape when an invisible barrier knocks you backward and prevents any forward movement. Ugh!
The ending was within reach. Roll credits. Martha, grab your coat. We're leaving. But then, a deus ex machina occurs and the ending becomes the start of book two. Oy vey! Mamma Mia! Hay Dios Mio!
David is a cop with a high arrest ratio. He has enemies. One abducts his wife, and makes it appear as if she was killed. A new girlfriend becomes part of the plot to cause harm to David and his two daughters. There are ups and downs in this twisty storyline. This year, I have decided to add twelve stories to my "black voices, black stories" shelf. Chained Guilt is the ninth of those twelve books.
Chained Guilt, the first book of the Hidden Guilt series, was an emotional roller coaster type read. This mystery is pretty well-paced, structurally designed for the reader to feverishly turn pages to get to the end. One of my issues lies in the cliffhanger ending that stops one short before crossing the finish line. The reader is running pretty smoothly, spotting the finish, I'm just about to break the tape when an invisible barrier knocks you backward and prevents any forward movement. Ugh!
The ending was within reach. Roll credits. Martha, grab your coat. We're leaving. But then, a deus ex machina occurs and the ending becomes the start of book two. Oy vey! Mamma Mia! Hay Dios Mio!
David is a cop with a high arrest ratio. He has enemies. One abducts his wife, and makes it appear as if she was killed. A new girlfriend becomes part of the plot to cause harm to David and his two daughters. There are ups and downs in this twisty storyline. This year, I have decided to add twelve stories to my "black voices, black stories" shelf. Chained Guilt is the ninth of those twelve books.
September 27, 2017
Wow, what a great story. I initially started on book 4 in this series, and it enjoyed it so much, that I’ve made my way back to book 1, and I’m glad I did. Terry Keys has that wonderful ability to pull the reader into the story, with a well thought and intense plot. Detective David Porter is a great character, and I can’t believe how evil one of the other characters is in this story, however that’s what really made this such a great read. The latest Serial Killer to terrorise the Houston streets is targeting and killing young girls. Unfortunately for the police the girls are being surgically carved up and left for them to find. The killer is intent on involving Detective David Porter by leaving him taunting notes at each murder scene, and blaming him for the girl’s deaths. Meanwhile his wife Miranda is investigating a high profile figure that is definitely doing something highly illegal. She’s decided to keep everything to herself until she’s ready to release her scoop to the world on TV. So it’s no surprise when she suddenly disappears after a car accident. David is beside himself, and it doesn’t matter how good a detective he is, Miranda can’t be located. Hands down a great story, and well worth the 5/5 Star rating.
August 8, 2016
Not sure about this book
It started out with a lot of action and then by the second chapter it had lapsed into boredom. It suddenly became all about how he loved his wife and how great she looked. Then the detective was called to a crime scene involving a child but seemed distracted and did very little. So I got bored and skipped to chapter 50 where the action picked up but had changed to a whole new storyline that involved his wife's kidnapping; his involvement with a new woman and her mysterious plot. So I don't know if they ever caught the child killer from earlier in the book, maybe I'll go back to find out when I have nothing else to read. Not sure I'd recommend.
It started out with a lot of action and then by the second chapter it had lapsed into boredom. It suddenly became all about how he loved his wife and how great she looked. Then the detective was called to a crime scene involving a child but seemed distracted and did very little. So I got bored and skipped to chapter 50 where the action picked up but had changed to a whole new storyline that involved his wife's kidnapping; his involvement with a new woman and her mysterious plot. So I don't know if they ever caught the child killer from earlier in the book, maybe I'll go back to find out when I have nothing else to read. Not sure I'd recommend.
July 2, 2016
Not my cup of tea. It was like reading Barbie Stops a Serial Killer. Heroic cop with a beautiful blushing model criminologist wife and their 2 perfect children that give their life any and all meaning. Gross. I got 7% in and couldn't care about anyone for the life of me.
April 18, 2017
The synopsis for this book had so much potential but sadly it really failed to live up to it. I found the writing stilted and unrealistic, especially the speech and inner monolgues of each of the characters which came across flat and fake and so unlike normal every day speech it reminded me of those body snatcher movies where the aliens try to mimic people but fail miserably. I also got somewhat confused about the killer that Porter started out chasing, he just vanished after about a quarter of the book and was never mentioned again. I get that the kidnapping of Porter's wife is a big deal but seriously, a serial killer on the loose is a bit of a bad thing too. Overall I was disappointed with this as it didn't live up to its potential at all.
June 5, 2016
I don't know who this author is but he just gained a new reader. This was sooooo good! I love suspense and this cat & mouse game between a detective and serial killer had me on the edge of my seat.
Read
June 25, 2016Only half a book. Don't read unless you can read the next book in the series.
January 24, 2024
Hidden Guilt book #1
This is the kind of page-turner thriller I love to pass my time with. It pulls you in from the start and never let’s go. Some even say this story is in the tradition of James Patterson., it may be so but Mr. Keys has his own style and as a first time reader of his, I definitely could say he has penned a very captivating story peppered with twists and turns and provided us with suspense galore to satisfy the most committed thrill seekers. What a drama he gave us. The characters are realistic and well- developed. The prose makes everything flow smoothly and in a logical manner.
There is nothing complicated in what is said, so I let myself be transported into the world of Detective David Porter as he come to face the harsh reality that a loved one is missing. As a Detective is primary task is chasing a cunning serial killer who brutally murders every child he could get his hands on. So his skills are put to test in this fast-paced cat and mouse game. But the killer was an expert....
I love this story but leaving us hanging at the end so we buy the sequel is something that annoys me to no end....
This is the kind of page-turner thriller I love to pass my time with. It pulls you in from the start and never let’s go. Some even say this story is in the tradition of James Patterson., it may be so but Mr. Keys has his own style and as a first time reader of his, I definitely could say he has penned a very captivating story peppered with twists and turns and provided us with suspense galore to satisfy the most committed thrill seekers. What a drama he gave us. The characters are realistic and well- developed. The prose makes everything flow smoothly and in a logical manner.
There is nothing complicated in what is said, so I let myself be transported into the world of Detective David Porter as he come to face the harsh reality that a loved one is missing. As a Detective is primary task is chasing a cunning serial killer who brutally murders every child he could get his hands on. So his skills are put to test in this fast-paced cat and mouse game. But the killer was an expert....
I love this story but leaving us hanging at the end so we buy the sequel is something that annoys me to no end....
February 2, 2019
One hell of a ride
This is one twist after another and I loved every second of it. This is my first book by this author and I really loved the writing style and the way the story was told.
This is one twist after another and I loved every second of it. This is my first book by this author and I really loved the writing style and the way the story was told.
January 24, 2018
received free for review:
thing done while a silly teenager Do catch up with you, as we see in this gripping story about 1 man and his family and the aftermath of a college incident.
not going to spoil story, just want to say, Listen to your kids, sometimes that see clearer than adults!
Now I need to find book 2!
thing done while a silly teenager Do catch up with you, as we see in this gripping story about 1 man and his family and the aftermath of a college incident.
not going to spoil story, just want to say, Listen to your kids, sometimes that see clearer than adults!
Now I need to find book 2!
July 12, 2017
Thi is a page turner in every sense of the word, excellent book
March 9, 2016
Captain Wilcrest (HP/D) was having Detective Lieutenant David Porter (Harris County P/D, retired US Army Ranger) investigate 2 brutally murdered very young girls.
David family consisted of: Miranda Porter (wife, BA broadcasting, MS criminology, former model), Hilary Porter (15, daughter), & Karen Porter (5, daughter).
Miranda’s car had been found demolished by the Ship Channel & she was nowhere to be found.
DL David Porter (Texas Tech) spoke with Mayor John Carter, he claims he knew nothing about Miranda.
The conclusion was Miranda had died & the family/friends had a funeral for her.
Stacy Demornay (Nurse, Hilary’s sister) is Karen’s T-Ball Coach.
Hilary & Karen think that Stacy likes their dad.
What were Rodney (Hilary’s B/F) & Hilary up to?
Detective De Luca (HC P/D, f, Italian) car was found, but he was not.
What would Hilary tell Captain Wilcrest?
Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who-dun-it murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great who-dun-it murder mystery movie, or mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Story Cartel; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
David family consisted of: Miranda Porter (wife, BA broadcasting, MS criminology, former model), Hilary Porter (15, daughter), & Karen Porter (5, daughter).
Miranda’s car had been found demolished by the Ship Channel & she was nowhere to be found.
DL David Porter (Texas Tech) spoke with Mayor John Carter, he claims he knew nothing about Miranda.
The conclusion was Miranda had died & the family/friends had a funeral for her.
Stacy Demornay (Nurse, Hilary’s sister) is Karen’s T-Ball Coach.
Hilary & Karen think that Stacy likes their dad.
What were Rodney (Hilary’s B/F) & Hilary up to?
Detective De Luca (HC P/D, f, Italian) car was found, but he was not.
What would Hilary tell Captain Wilcrest?
Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written who-dun-it murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great who-dun-it murder mystery movie, or mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Story Cartel; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
July 28, 2019
I finished it because I hate not knowing how it actually ends, but decided beforehand that I would not read anymore books by this author. Unfortunately this book has a cliffhanger that I can't ignore do I will go for the sequel after all...
What bothered me most about this book was that his supposedly 5 year old daughter has a diary in which she does not draw like any other 5 year old I know, but actually writes full pages, letters actually to her mom, that contain but a few spelling mistakes!!! I don't know which planet she came from or if maybe this author has a genius daughter, but where I come from, 5 year olds barely know how to write their name!
She comes across as completely unbelievable, she speaks and reasons as a much older girl. If you'd say 9 or 10 that would make her much more real.
I just ended up ignoring her age, which was actually not so easy because the author kept reminding me of how young and brave she was...
Next comes the mom, the incredible beautiful model which he thinks he does not deserve... What a cliché! Luckily she turns out to be a very nice and realistic person and I found myself liking her a lot. Same with the eldest daughter and boyfriend. They also come across as real people.
Now for the story, it's not so bad and quite cruel, which I like, so it kept me wondering what would happen next and how would it turn out.
There is hope for this author provided he tunes it down a knot, makes his main character less super cop and more "real". It's much more fun to read about normal people that do their job to the best of their abilities, make mistakes and end up doing a darn good job when running into bad situation and evil.
What bothered me most about this book was that his supposedly 5 year old daughter has a diary in which she does not draw like any other 5 year old I know, but actually writes full pages, letters actually to her mom, that contain but a few spelling mistakes!!! I don't know which planet she came from or if maybe this author has a genius daughter, but where I come from, 5 year olds barely know how to write their name!
She comes across as completely unbelievable, she speaks and reasons as a much older girl. If you'd say 9 or 10 that would make her much more real.
I just ended up ignoring her age, which was actually not so easy because the author kept reminding me of how young and brave she was...
Next comes the mom, the incredible beautiful model which he thinks he does not deserve... What a cliché! Luckily she turns out to be a very nice and realistic person and I found myself liking her a lot. Same with the eldest daughter and boyfriend. They also come across as real people.
Now for the story, it's not so bad and quite cruel, which I like, so it kept me wondering what would happen next and how would it turn out.
There is hope for this author provided he tunes it down a knot, makes his main character less super cop and more "real". It's much more fun to read about normal people that do their job to the best of their abilities, make mistakes and end up doing a darn good job when running into bad situation and evil.
January 24, 2016
I received a free download of this book from Story Cartel, thank you!
This book was a thriller right from the get-go. There was action and suspense throughout. As a reader, it was interesting to be able to see both sides of Stacey as the book progressed. I often cringed when David would fall for one of her antics, and wished he would hurry up and figure out who she was for real.
The story has a somewhat happy resolution, until the author throws a wrench in at the last minute, and leaves you hanging. It definitely makes you want to read the next novel in the series.
I would recommend this book to others and I would read more by this author.
This book was a thriller right from the get-go. There was action and suspense throughout. As a reader, it was interesting to be able to see both sides of Stacey as the book progressed. I often cringed when David would fall for one of her antics, and wished he would hurry up and figure out who she was for real.
The story has a somewhat happy resolution, until the author throws a wrench in at the last minute, and leaves you hanging. It definitely makes you want to read the next novel in the series.
I would recommend this book to others and I would read more by this author.
February 1, 2019
The character of David Porter didn't live up to his image created by the author, he seemed dependent on the murderer to commit a mistake so he could catch her, dependent on his daughter and her boyfriend to unearth the dirty little secret of his own girlfriend (the secret was kept a secret through out, felt an urge to hear his version of explanation as to what went down in the college when he was young), he just seemed falling for lust. Incidents seemed like forcefully connected to create a flow. The story was more of a family drama with a maniac female psycho taking revenge on a detective who didn't so much showed his intellect, and the list goes on like that
October 4, 2016
I literally could not put this book down. It started out interesting but quickly moved further on to be completely riveting. I very much like this author's writing style and look forward to reading his next book in this series. With the way this book ended, it left me little choice as to whether to read the next in the series or not. Just make sure you have time set aside to read this because it is very difficult to put this book down.
May 27, 2016
Got this book on goodreads.com worth reading give this writer a try Detective David Porter was living the good life. A fifteen-year veteran of the Houston Police Department, Porter was one of the best serial killer detectives in the country,you know it can't last ..will he bring these criminals to justice? Will the good life he once enjoyed elude him forever? Only time will tell
December 23, 2016
"Reasonably exciting detective novel"
The story rambled a little, and the ending is in the next book, I guess. That was a disappointment. The violence at times was excessive. There seems to be a big audience for this genre, so it will undoubtedly suit the tastes of other readers. Just not this one.
The story rambled a little, and the ending is in the next book, I guess. That was a disappointment. The violence at times was excessive. There seems to be a big audience for this genre, so it will undoubtedly suit the tastes of other readers. Just not this one.
December 23, 2015
Definitely a thriller good read. "Hell hath no fury" Is very appropriate for this installment of the series. Past issues come to light about the protagonist and his past. Everybody has skeletons in the closet!
June 20, 2016
? Another serial killer case for the detective, then after an auto accident, he is left with 2 young daughters, the investigation into the killer, grieving, and the stress of trying to hold it all together.
Never expected the way the year following turned out.
Never expected the way the year following turned out.
June 29, 2016
Awesome. Hard subject to read, but couldn't put it down. Surprise ending, have to go on to the next book. Really crazy character. Don't want to give anything away. Everyone needs to read it. Received this book from ebook discovery in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for giving me this book
July 27, 2016
Chained Guilt is the perfect example of why I love stepping away from the beaten path to select a book written by an author I'm not familiar with.
Keys' cat and mouse thriller was hard to put down and well worth the sleepless night spent reading!
Absolutely a great read!
Keys' cat and mouse thriller was hard to put down and well worth the sleepless night spent reading!
Absolutely a great read!
October 27, 2016
A well-written story overall, despite some grammatical issues, about a serial killer and the detective on the trail.
This dark tale has believable characters and sense of place, however, the poor ending lets it down.
This dark tale has believable characters and sense of place, however, the poor ending lets it down.
August 2, 2015
Great read. Riveting story and can't wait for the next book!
May 11, 2016
Chained
This story started out with one plot and jumped to another that stayed the course. Suspense and drama. Good story, loads of unanswered questions. I liked it.
This story started out with one plot and jumped to another that stayed the course. Suspense and drama. Good story, loads of unanswered questions. I liked it.
June 26, 2016
"I received this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for an honest review."
Having read a few police story's I must say I did enjoy this one from the start...
Having read a few police story's I must say I did enjoy this one from the start...
August 27, 2016
Chained Guilt
An outstanding masterpiece of written lore. It deserves a Sam spade award. Excellence at its best. A must read if you enjoy mystery thrillers or detective tales.
An outstanding masterpiece of written lore. It deserves a Sam spade award. Excellence at its best. A must read if you enjoy mystery thrillers or detective tales.
September 22, 2016
Good Book
I really enjoying this book. Just goes to show how much emotions can mess with your mind.Can't wait to read the next book.
I really enjoying this book. Just goes to show how much emotions can mess with your mind.Can't wait to read the next book.
January 31, 2017
loved it! very fast paced, exciting
February 26, 2020
I had a bit of trouble "getting into" this story. The first half of it seemed rambling and I did not like the writing style at all. But suddenly things seemed to become a bit more interesting, so I hung in there and eventually did become "engaged and involved" in the tale, only to have it end with a cliff-hanger. Going in, I knew it was the first book of a trilogy, but even though it was able to finally interest me to some extent, it wasn't enough to interest me into moving on to #2. So I just came up with my own ending, which suited me just fine.
The author had a way of jumping back and forth between the 2 main characters, and I found myself just a bit dismayed by that because that meant my mind had to jump back and forth too. I didn't really care for that very much. I know it doesn't bother most people, but it's just not for me.
Do I recommend it? That depends. If you are able to get so involved that you must follow the story through all 3 volumes, then yes. Go for it. Once it got into the meat of the story it did become much more interesting. I, on the other hand, do not like being led by the nose. I can and have enjoyed several multi-book stories, but generally each one had a start and a definite finish, and the author made the characters so compelling I had little choice but to keep going because I became SO involved and so interested I couldn't put it down. I did not have that experience with this story at all. But judge for yourself. This just might the one that does keep you in it's thrall.
The author had a way of jumping back and forth between the 2 main characters, and I found myself just a bit dismayed by that because that meant my mind had to jump back and forth too. I didn't really care for that very much. I know it doesn't bother most people, but it's just not for me.
Do I recommend it? That depends. If you are able to get so involved that you must follow the story through all 3 volumes, then yes. Go for it. Once it got into the meat of the story it did become much more interesting. I, on the other hand, do not like being led by the nose. I can and have enjoyed several multi-book stories, but generally each one had a start and a definite finish, and the author made the characters so compelling I had little choice but to keep going because I became SO involved and so interested I couldn't put it down. I did not have that experience with this story at all. But judge for yourself. This just might the one that does keep you in it's thrall.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews