What do you think?
Rate this book
Secrets That Find Us
Buried Secrets, protected lies, and cunning deception all play a pivotal role in Sahar Abdulaziz’s new Contemporary Fiction, Secrets That Find Us.
Seventeen years ago Terri Ann Stone began serving a life sentence, charged with the double homicide of her mother and stepfather. Up to now, Terri’s anger, hate and relentless commitment to hiding the truth kept her alive behind bars. However, the bitterness that once fueled Terri's center begins to wane. Her pledge to secrecy dissolves. With no prospect of ever being set free, she reveals the entire ugly truth to the single person left in the world who still matters to her.
Riddled with intrigue and the ability to destroy, can the power of Terri’s secrets live on, or will disclosure at long last uncover the answers so desperately desired?
Author of The Broken Half, and As One Door Closes, Abdulaziz again exposes the devastating impact betrayal and secrets have upon those forced to protect them.
Seventeen years ago Terri Ann Stone began serving a life sentence, charged with the double homicide of her mother and stepfather. Up to now, Terri’s anger, hate and relentless commitment to hiding the truth kept her alive behind bars. However, the bitterness that once fueled Terri's center begins to wane. Her pledge to secrecy dissolves. With no prospect of ever being set free, she reveals the entire ugly truth to the single person left in the world who still matters to her.
Riddled with intrigue and the ability to destroy, can the power of Terri’s secrets live on, or will disclosure at long last uncover the answers so desperately desired?
Author of The Broken Half, and As One Door Closes, Abdulaziz again exposes the devastating impact betrayal and secrets have upon those forced to protect them.
236 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
3 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Sahar Abdulaziz
21 books90 followers2025 Winner: Fofky’s Reader’s Choice Award, Thriller category
2025 The Bookfest Awards Fall 2025 Second Place Fiction-Humor-Relationships
2025 The Bookfest Awards Fall 2025 Second Place, Fiction-Detective-Amateur Sleuths
2025 Finalist: The Book Excellence Award
2023 Finalist: Best Thriller Book Awards
2023 Semifinalist: Mystery, The Best of Indie 12th Annual Kindle Book Awards
2022 Winner, Firebird Book Award
2020 Finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Award
2019 Winner of the Daybreak Press Book Award for Muslim Fiction
2019: Essay Winner, Women in Scrutiny Anthology; Brooklyn Girls Books
2019 Finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Award
2019: Winner, Fofky’s Reader’s Choice Award
2016 Winner of the Community Written Expression Award
2016 Winner, AAN Sistah Chat Radio Women of Distinction Award
2016 Winner, Monroe County Image Awards Sistah Chat Radio Media Communication
“Abdulaziz is a master at crafting a thriller paced by truth.”
Suspense writer Sahar Abdulaziz is the author of seventeen books—including, But You LOOK Just Fine, The Broken Half, Tight Rope, Secrets That Find Us, The Gatekeeper’s Notebook, Unlikely Friends, Devoted Friends, Unexpected Friends, Forever Friends, Who Killed Gary?, Ashes, Dust, Who Killed Gary?; and her most recent, 2025 release: Who Killed Karen? Most of her work is in realistic fiction: psychological thrillers, suspense, and satire. She writes about characters facing complicated life challenges and is determined to tell their stories, eager to put pen to paper to share their compelling accounts.
Rep’d by Shaggy Dog Publications
2025 The Bookfest Awards Fall 2025 Second Place Fiction-Humor-Relationships
2025 The Bookfest Awards Fall 2025 Second Place, Fiction-Detective-Amateur Sleuths
2025 Finalist: The Book Excellence Award
2023 Finalist: Best Thriller Book Awards
2023 Semifinalist: Mystery, The Best of Indie 12th Annual Kindle Book Awards
2022 Winner, Firebird Book Award
2020 Finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Award
2019 Winner of the Daybreak Press Book Award for Muslim Fiction
2019: Essay Winner, Women in Scrutiny Anthology; Brooklyn Girls Books
2019 Finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Award
2019: Winner, Fofky’s Reader’s Choice Award
2016 Winner of the Community Written Expression Award
2016 Winner, AAN Sistah Chat Radio Women of Distinction Award
2016 Winner, Monroe County Image Awards Sistah Chat Radio Media Communication
“Abdulaziz is a master at crafting a thriller paced by truth.”
Suspense writer Sahar Abdulaziz is the author of seventeen books—including, But You LOOK Just Fine, The Broken Half, Tight Rope, Secrets That Find Us, The Gatekeeper’s Notebook, Unlikely Friends, Devoted Friends, Unexpected Friends, Forever Friends, Who Killed Gary?, Ashes, Dust, Who Killed Gary?; and her most recent, 2025 release: Who Killed Karen? Most of her work is in realistic fiction: psychological thrillers, suspense, and satire. She writes about characters facing complicated life challenges and is determined to tell their stories, eager to put pen to paper to share their compelling accounts.
Rep’d by Shaggy Dog Publications
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 23, 2016
Everyone has their secrets, some so strong that we will do anything to protect them. The problem is that it is these secrets that lead to lies and deception, and this can be soul destroying for many. This book is about people, love and the ties that bind us, even if they are not bound by the blood of family. Sometimes a real family is not always connected by DNA, you can have such close relationships where others replace these traditional roles but love just as strongly and will protect those they love with everything they have. To me the strength of this book was in these relationships which are so well personified. In life we make mistakes, sometimes big ones but in the end we can only be true to ourselves, what we believe in, and in our minds what seems right. I am very impressed by this author's work and will look forward to more.
I would like to thank Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 1, 2021
We need our secrets, and we work tirelessly to make sure they remain unknown because their exposure can result in a spectrum of consequences, from the embarrassing to the devastating. In SECRETS THAT FIND US, NbA Muslim author Sahar Abdulaziz has a different take on secrets in a way that poses the question, “What happens when secrets seek you out?”
Young Raven is mourning the recent death of her parents and trying to get her life together when a plethora of twisted secrets and lies unfurl before her horrified eyes in the form of a letter from her dead sister Terry. Terry is in prison for murdering her mother and stepfather, when she decides to take her life. Before she commits suicide, she pens a letter to her younger sister, Raven, and reveals things about which Raven was unaware. Terry’s final words present Raven with a stream of gut-wrenching, mind-blowing revelations, each one more nefarious than the last. Abdulaziz cunningly leaves the reasons for Terry’s suicide and admissions to Raven tortuously vague. Was Terry confessing to purge her soul? Was she trying to redeem herself to those who considered her a monster? Was Terry attempting to protect Raven? The reader must decide while simultaneously watching Terry’s downward spiral in prison as well as Raven’s life unravel in her childhood home.
Read my full review on nbamuslims.com
http://nbamuslims.com/2016/03/14/book...
Also watch the NbA Muslims video review of Secrets that Find Us - https://youtu.be/5L_vWWQacz4
Young Raven is mourning the recent death of her parents and trying to get her life together when a plethora of twisted secrets and lies unfurl before her horrified eyes in the form of a letter from her dead sister Terry. Terry is in prison for murdering her mother and stepfather, when she decides to take her life. Before she commits suicide, she pens a letter to her younger sister, Raven, and reveals things about which Raven was unaware. Terry’s final words present Raven with a stream of gut-wrenching, mind-blowing revelations, each one more nefarious than the last. Abdulaziz cunningly leaves the reasons for Terry’s suicide and admissions to Raven tortuously vague. Was Terry confessing to purge her soul? Was she trying to redeem herself to those who considered her a monster? Was Terry attempting to protect Raven? The reader must decide while simultaneously watching Terry’s downward spiral in prison as well as Raven’s life unravel in her childhood home.
Read my full review on nbamuslims.com
http://nbamuslims.com/2016/03/14/book...
Also watch the NbA Muslims video review of Secrets that Find Us - https://youtu.be/5L_vWWQacz4
July 22, 2016
Secrets That Find Us was a sad love story amongst other things. The plot thickened alright! At first, I thought I was up against a mystery novel based on the book cover alone which it is to some extent but it deals with CSA (Child Sexual Abuse), the damages it causes, and the skeletons it leaves behind. As I read, I drew parallels with Abdulaziz's other novel : As One Door Closes.
However, several plot twists in this book threw me off the trail I thought I had guessed. Honestly, I didn't see many things coming. When an author succeeds in leading you astray in the intent of you not guessing the end game, the author has succeeded. And dear readers, Sahar Abdulaziz has succeeded with me!
I kept 'flipping' the pages of my eBook because like that I said earlier, the plot thickened! When I thought I knew what was going on and BAM, the skillful writer Abdulaziz flipped the script and revealed another secret to Raven who is Terri's baby sister. Terri explained why she killed their parents and uncovered a whole lot of things Raven had no idea about but had wondered about as she grew up because of the elusiveness of the answers to her normal questions had been. Raven who has lived a somewhat perfect life all this while now sees her whole world crashing down. She also starts her legacy of secrets. Secrets are pesky little things I tell you. As much as we want to cover them, they always have a way to find the recipient and reveal themselves.
Get your copy. I guarantee you will be surprised by the twists and turns the story takes with the Mama bears.
However, several plot twists in this book threw me off the trail I thought I had guessed. Honestly, I didn't see many things coming. When an author succeeds in leading you astray in the intent of you not guessing the end game, the author has succeeded. And dear readers, Sahar Abdulaziz has succeeded with me!
I kept 'flipping' the pages of my eBook because like that I said earlier, the plot thickened! When I thought I knew what was going on and BAM, the skillful writer Abdulaziz flipped the script and revealed another secret to Raven who is Terri's baby sister. Terri explained why she killed their parents and uncovered a whole lot of things Raven had no idea about but had wondered about as she grew up because of the elusiveness of the answers to her normal questions had been. Raven who has lived a somewhat perfect life all this while now sees her whole world crashing down. She also starts her legacy of secrets. Secrets are pesky little things I tell you. As much as we want to cover them, they always have a way to find the recipient and reveal themselves.
Get your copy. I guarantee you will be surprised by the twists and turns the story takes with the Mama bears.
April 9, 2016
Copy furnished by Net Galley in exchange for a review.
Lies and more lies. Lying to protect, lying by omission. Lying when the truth would serve better. Almost 20 years worth of secrets and falsehoods make their way to the surface here, courtesy of a shocking tell-all letter written to a young woman whose life is upended by the telling.
The author has a love of words that cannot be denied. Long descriptive phrases, while written well, didn't seem to fit with the general content of the story. A leaner and meaner approach might have served better, in my opinion.
I liked how the book was laid out, but there were some inconsistencies with some of the characters that was disconcerting. Not sure I bought off on the reasoning behind the biggest lie. Nice finish, making one wonder if there is a reason in the making for yet another nest of lies to be fostered.
Lies and more lies. Lying to protect, lying by omission. Lying when the truth would serve better. Almost 20 years worth of secrets and falsehoods make their way to the surface here, courtesy of a shocking tell-all letter written to a young woman whose life is upended by the telling.
The author has a love of words that cannot be denied. Long descriptive phrases, while written well, didn't seem to fit with the general content of the story. A leaner and meaner approach might have served better, in my opinion.
I liked how the book was laid out, but there were some inconsistencies with some of the characters that was disconcerting. Not sure I bought off on the reasoning behind the biggest lie. Nice finish, making one wonder if there is a reason in the making for yet another nest of lies to be fostered.
April 5, 2018
Secrets that Find us is dark suspense thriller. It kept me hooked on my seat until i finished off the book.The twists and turns were worth the read and unexpected to my prediction ability. it Gets a bit dark , so I dont recommend reading it on a happy day , require a bit of empathy to understand the protagonists and a somber mood . It leaves you with questions at end of story that author wants you to think about for example I liked of the the lines to describe a character rather promiscuous :She was a product of her environment and surroundings.There were many wonderful one liners . I dont mind considering it for second reading too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2018
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This was a good story but was obvious.
Still a nice easy read.
This was a good story but was obvious.
Still a nice easy read.
April 26, 2017
Gripping story.
This is a gripping story. The writing is excellent and the characters are compelling. Not for the faint of heart.
This is a gripping story. The writing is excellent and the characters are compelling. Not for the faint of heart.
October 19, 2016
Secrets That Find Us is an important work of fiction. First, I would caution that there is some content in here that could potentially be triggering for abuse survivors, so I would keep that in mind when choosing to read this. Second, I think it's important to know that the author has first hand experience with this type of trauma as a former domestic violence abuse counselor and advocate. I have no doubt she's seen and heard of cases much more disturbing than the one portrayed here.
Having said that, I think the way the story was written and how it unfolded, was the best way to bring to life the characters and their experiences. If you have trouble grasping that this could really happen, I would have to say to you that it's wonderful that you've never experienced such trauma, but do your homework before suggesting that.
I would highly recommend this book, if for no other reason than to encourage people to consider that there are things that happen in the world that may feel like fiction but are absolutely true and to consider our own internal motivations for how we respond to these situations, which are far more pervasive than is perhaps realized or acknowledged.
Lastly, I would say the only thing that wasn't addressed out loud, but rather implied, was the damaging affect of keeping secrets - even painful ones. It is my hope that work like this helps others to speak up and speak out. Thank you Sahar for being a voice for others.
Having said that, I think the way the story was written and how it unfolded, was the best way to bring to life the characters and their experiences. If you have trouble grasping that this could really happen, I would have to say to you that it's wonderful that you've never experienced such trauma, but do your homework before suggesting that.
I would highly recommend this book, if for no other reason than to encourage people to consider that there are things that happen in the world that may feel like fiction but are absolutely true and to consider our own internal motivations for how we respond to these situations, which are far more pervasive than is perhaps realized or acknowledged.
Lastly, I would say the only thing that wasn't addressed out loud, but rather implied, was the damaging affect of keeping secrets - even painful ones. It is my hope that work like this helps others to speak up and speak out. Thank you Sahar for being a voice for others.
February 2, 2016
I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book and have to give a big shout out to the author. The story grabs you from the prologue and holds you in a tight grip right to the final page. While the main theme is secrets and the damage they can cause I felt that overall it becomes love story...the love between parent & child, the love that can develop between strangers. The characters are well drawn so you feel like they are more than just descriptions on a page. Ms. Abdulaziz is so adept at bringing their emotions and thoughts alive that you feel their distress, their pain, their conflicts and their flaws as you would your own in the circumstances. With some exception, there are no out & out saints or sinners among the characters, each has shades to their makeup.
Another theme that she is successful at portraying is isolation....emotional or physical. Because of the circumstances the characters find themselves they are all isolated in some way. Not all of them are cognizant of this isolation, at least not admittedly. But, you as a reader can sense it.
While the reader may be privy or savvy enough to guess at certain secrets there is one that takes you by total surprise....you never see it coming and gasp when you read it. That is the mark of a skilled writer, in my opinion.
Highly recommended read.
Another theme that she is successful at portraying is isolation....emotional or physical. Because of the circumstances the characters find themselves they are all isolated in some way. Not all of them are cognizant of this isolation, at least not admittedly. But, you as a reader can sense it.
While the reader may be privy or savvy enough to guess at certain secrets there is one that takes you by total surprise....you never see it coming and gasp when you read it. That is the mark of a skilled writer, in my opinion.
Highly recommended read.
March 1, 2016
In an effort at full disclosure, I reached out to Abdulaziz's publisher to request an ARC. I had enjoyed her first book so much, I couldn't wait for the next one. Here's my review:
Sahar Abdulaziz’s newest, SECRETS THAT FIND US, balances a letter from the recent past with conflicts going on in the present with remarkable similarities.
This psychological suspense takes the reader into a dysfunctional family to unravel mysteries that probably should be left untold.
Raven, abandoned by her mother and adopted by a loving but older couple, grows up in the shadow of her sister, who is serving a life sentence for murdering their parents. Terri, the sister, confesses to killing her mother and stepmother. But why does she do that? What were her motives? And why, now that she is dead, does she reach out to her sister through a letter that throws Raven’s world in turmoil.
Raven struggles to understand the why of Terri’s actions. She had had little contact with her sister until shortly before her death. Why now? Does Terri want to make a deathbed confession?
The tension builds until the last sentence. Very rewarding read. I recommend it.
Sahar Abdulaziz’s newest, SECRETS THAT FIND US, balances a letter from the recent past with conflicts going on in the present with remarkable similarities.
This psychological suspense takes the reader into a dysfunctional family to unravel mysteries that probably should be left untold.
Raven, abandoned by her mother and adopted by a loving but older couple, grows up in the shadow of her sister, who is serving a life sentence for murdering their parents. Terri, the sister, confesses to killing her mother and stepmother. But why does she do that? What were her motives? And why, now that she is dead, does she reach out to her sister through a letter that throws Raven’s world in turmoil.
Raven struggles to understand the why of Terri’s actions. She had had little contact with her sister until shortly before her death. Why now? Does Terri want to make a deathbed confession?
The tension builds until the last sentence. Very rewarding read. I recommend it.
June 5, 2016
Secrets That Find Us is a heart-wrenching read. Sahar Abdulaziz artfully entwines taboo topics like rape, abuse, incest, and violence into the story. The author also skillfully mentions how these issues can affect the victim's mental state.
Secrets That Find Us is aptly titled with almost every chapter leaving you in a cliffhanger. The more you read, the more secrets are uncovered, and the more you continue reading.
This book is definitely NOT for the sensitive, the empath. You need to either remove yourself from the book emotionally, or be a bit of a hard heart.
I would highly recommend this book to be used as Recommended Reading (for discussion basis) for Psychology students.
Secrets That Find Us is aptly titled with almost every chapter leaving you in a cliffhanger. The more you read, the more secrets are uncovered, and the more you continue reading.
This book is definitely NOT for the sensitive, the empath. You need to either remove yourself from the book emotionally, or be a bit of a hard heart.
I would highly recommend this book to be used as Recommended Reading (for discussion basis) for Psychology students.
April 12, 2016
What if all your life as you know it was built on lies?
Secrets revealed when it is too late fill this interesting book. Life could have been totally different...
Terri's life unfolds within a long letter found by Raven after Terri's suicide in prison and answers Raven's questions in a way she never expected.
It's not a pleasant read but thought-provoking.
Secrets revealed when it is too late fill this interesting book. Life could have been totally different...
Terri's life unfolds within a long letter found by Raven after Terri's suicide in prison and answers Raven's questions in a way she never expected.
It's not a pleasant read but thought-provoking.
November 30, 2025
What a dark read. Sahar Abdulaziz's Secrets That Find Us is sure not for the sensitive heart.
I've been wanting to check out Sahar Abdulaziz for a long time, and Secrets That Find Us caught my eye. Purchased it on my Kindle and forgot about it for a while before eventually picking it up after a long time.
It took me almost a month to finish; I kept putting it down. I'm glad I finally finished it!
Full review @ My Blog
I've been wanting to check out Sahar Abdulaziz for a long time, and Secrets That Find Us caught my eye. Purchased it on my Kindle and forgot about it for a while before eventually picking it up after a long time.
It took me almost a month to finish; I kept putting it down. I'm glad I finally finished it!
Full review @ My Blog
April 8, 2016
Sahar Abdulaziz's most recent book, Secrets That Find Us, deals with difficult subjects and characters whose lives are filled with situations many of us can't even imagine. While the protagonists, Terri and Raven, are separated by nearly a generation, they are sisters who scarcely know each other. Terri has been in prison serving a life sentence for murder, and she communicates very little with her much younger sister. And she has refused to allow Raven to visit her. Not a spoiler: after Terri manages to take her own life, her personal effects are passed on to Raven, and among them is a journal she has managed to keep. As Raven reads this journal, all of Terri's secrets are ... one by one ... revealed. And while I guessed at some, the darkest secrets were a shock for Raven, and for the reader.
Abdulaziz is a skillful writer, and the fact that I find her work not easy to read is no reflection on her writing. It is, rather, being brought face to face with a side of life which, thankfully, many of us have never experienced. Intellectually, we are aware of these tragic lives. Abdulaziz forces us to share in these awful experiences by involving us in the lives of her characters so intensely. This is an honest look at what some of our fellow humans have to endure, and well worth the read.
Abdulaziz is a skillful writer, and the fact that I find her work not easy to read is no reflection on her writing. It is, rather, being brought face to face with a side of life which, thankfully, many of us have never experienced. Intellectually, we are aware of these tragic lives. Abdulaziz forces us to share in these awful experiences by involving us in the lives of her characters so intensely. This is an honest look at what some of our fellow humans have to endure, and well worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews