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Finn O'Brien #3
Secret Relations
The last thing Finn O'Brien wants is to come between his partner and her daughter. But Amber Anderson is desperate for his help. Her new boyfriend, an undocumented immigrant, is missing. Cautious of his precarious position in Wilshire Division, uneasy about keeping a secret from his partner and hindered by the prejudice and politics of the LAPD, Finn is tempted to turn a deaf ear to the girl's plea - until the first body is found. Fighting a system that wants to turn a blind eye, Finn tracks a serial killer who preys on the most vulnerable, one with a gruesome secret that has been buried under decades of shame. To stop him Finn O'Brien navigates a shadowy world where life is cheap - even his own.
- GenresCrime
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2018
250 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Forster
50 books521 followersRebecca Forster began writing on a crazy dare and found her passion.
Now with over 40 books to her name, she is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling thriller author. Rebecca likes hands-on research and is a graduate of the DEA and ATF Citizens Academies. She is an avid court watcher, has taken numerous weapons courses, and even landed by tail hook on the USS Nimitz to make sure she has lived what she writes.
Rebecca is married to a Superior Court judge and is the mother of two grown sons. She resides in Southern California
Now with over 40 books to her name, she is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling thriller author. Rebecca likes hands-on research and is a graduate of the DEA and ATF Citizens Academies. She is an avid court watcher, has taken numerous weapons courses, and even landed by tail hook on the USS Nimitz to make sure she has lived what she writes.
Rebecca is married to a Superior Court judge and is the mother of two grown sons. She resides in Southern California
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 7, 2018
This is a very gritty police procedural with Detective Finn O'Brien as the protagonist. It reminds me a bit of Michael Connelly who also writes about the LAPD. There are race and class clashes (say that 3 times fast) between whites and Hispanics and problems with superior officers. The action is constant and there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
May 5, 2018
4.5/5.0
“Secret Relations” explores the topic of undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles at a sensitive time.
Read full review in the 2018 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.
“Secret Relations” explores the topic of undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles at a sensitive time.
Read full review in the 2018 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.
February 20, 2018
On a crazy dare. Now, with over 33 books to my name including the bestselling Witness Series featuring Josie Bates and the USA Today Best Seller KEEPING COUNSEL, writing is my passion.
Before I began my creative career, I earned my B.A. and MBA and worked as an advertising executive. I have taught at the UCLA Writers Program, SEAK conference and other writing venues. I also volunteer with the Youn ...more
really liked it
break from their daily routine. But on this sultry Fourth of July night during the hottest summer in Brooklyn’s history, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is abducted from his crib. Winnie, a single mom, was reluctant to leave six-week-old Midas with a babysitter, but the May Mothers insisted that everything would be fine. Now Midas is missing, the police are asking disturbing questions, and Winnie’s very private life has become fodder for a ravenous media.
Though none of the other members in the group are close to the reserved Winnie, three of them will go to increasingly risky lengths to help her find her son. And as the police bungle the investigation and the media begin to scrutinize the mothers in the days that follow, damaging secrets are exposed, marriages are tested, and friendships are formed and fractured. (less)
Rating details · 48 Ratings · 16 Reviews
They call themselves the May Mothers—a collection of new moms who gave birth in the same month. Twice a week, with strollers in tow, they get together in Prospect Park, seeking refuge from the isolation of new motherhood; sharing the fears, joys, and anxieties of their new child-centered lives.
When the group’s members agree to meet for drinks at a hip local bar, they have ...more
Kant and his first critique are still relevant for understanding the nature of truth and understanding the world. This course is perfectly presented by a Professor who understands and knows how to explain complex concepts and make them understandable to a non-philosopher like me.
‘Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind’. This course is structured in order to understand what that expression really means and Kant (and the course) does their best to bridge the emp ...more
From New York Times-bestselling author Greg Iles comes an epic trilogy that interweaves crimes, lies, and secrets past and present in a mesmerizing thriller. Raised in the southern splendor of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned all he knows of duty from his father, Dr. Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor has been accused of murdering the African American nurse with whom he worked in the dark days of the 1960s
Before I began my creative career, I earned my B.A. and MBA and worked as an advertising executive. I have taught at the UCLA Writers Program, SEAK conference and other writing venues. I also volunteer with the Youn ...more
really liked it
break from their daily routine. But on this sultry Fourth of July night during the hottest summer in Brooklyn’s history, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is abducted from his crib. Winnie, a single mom, was reluctant to leave six-week-old Midas with a babysitter, but the May Mothers insisted that everything would be fine. Now Midas is missing, the police are asking disturbing questions, and Winnie’s very private life has become fodder for a ravenous media.
Though none of the other members in the group are close to the reserved Winnie, three of them will go to increasingly risky lengths to help her find her son. And as the police bungle the investigation and the media begin to scrutinize the mothers in the days that follow, damaging secrets are exposed, marriages are tested, and friendships are formed and fractured. (less)
Rating details · 48 Ratings · 16 Reviews
They call themselves the May Mothers—a collection of new moms who gave birth in the same month. Twice a week, with strollers in tow, they get together in Prospect Park, seeking refuge from the isolation of new motherhood; sharing the fears, joys, and anxieties of their new child-centered lives.
When the group’s members agree to meet for drinks at a hip local bar, they have ...more
Kant and his first critique are still relevant for understanding the nature of truth and understanding the world. This course is perfectly presented by a Professor who understands and knows how to explain complex concepts and make them understandable to a non-philosopher like me.
‘Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind’. This course is structured in order to understand what that expression really means and Kant (and the course) does their best to bridge the emp ...more
From New York Times-bestselling author Greg Iles comes an epic trilogy that interweaves crimes, lies, and secrets past and present in a mesmerizing thriller. Raised in the southern splendor of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned all he knows of duty from his father, Dr. Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor has been accused of murdering the African American nurse with whom he worked in the dark days of the 1960s
May 22, 2019
Secret Relations (The Finn O’Brien Thriller Series Book 3) by Rebecca Forster
Amazon Digital Services 2018 ASIN B0779KCFGN
A seasoned detective knows that the best way to solve a crime is to follow the money trail, especially in a particular L.A. neighborhood where the rich float on top while the bottom feeders sink below. But we’re talking about Detective Finn O’Brien and he’s in the other L.A., the one with sun-streaked neighborhoods burning with robbery and drugs, and where kids duck for cover under a lullaby of gunfire.
Amber, his partner Cori’s daughter, bypasses her mother and asks Finn for help in finding her missing friend, twenty-two year old Pacal Acosta. Finn is conflicted about keeping a secret from his partner and challenged by the impossibility of trying to gather information to track an undocumented male immigrant.
When a number of missing young immigrant men are found murdered, Finn’s instincts kick in. There’s a serial killer on the loose targeting immigrants, and Amber’s involvement is spooking the killer which means she’s in danger too.
Friendship and trust are tested when Cori discovers the secret pact between Finn and Amber, and when she learns that her daughter loves the missing young man, her worldview gets turned upside down. Cori struggles to accept her daughter’s openness to this new blended world and is forced to confront her own prejudices.
The three work together to compare notes and scenarios. Who would kill immigrants and why? Could it be gang related? Maybe the work of Marbles, a member of the Hard Time Locos, not yet 18 but whose “evil is already old and deeply ingrained.” Ruling out money and drugs, the three of them follow, not the money trail, but the trail of blood and dead bodies.
Finn and Cori investigate possible killers, interview members of the ethnic community, and try to keep Amber safe, all the while dreading the unspoken possibility. What if Amber’s young man is the next dead body they find?
With multiculturalism quickly becoming the new normal, the fast-paced thriller Secret Relations is the novel for our times.
Read it!
Veronica Jorge
Amazon Digital Services 2018 ASIN B0779KCFGN
A seasoned detective knows that the best way to solve a crime is to follow the money trail, especially in a particular L.A. neighborhood where the rich float on top while the bottom feeders sink below. But we’re talking about Detective Finn O’Brien and he’s in the other L.A., the one with sun-streaked neighborhoods burning with robbery and drugs, and where kids duck for cover under a lullaby of gunfire.
Amber, his partner Cori’s daughter, bypasses her mother and asks Finn for help in finding her missing friend, twenty-two year old Pacal Acosta. Finn is conflicted about keeping a secret from his partner and challenged by the impossibility of trying to gather information to track an undocumented male immigrant.
When a number of missing young immigrant men are found murdered, Finn’s instincts kick in. There’s a serial killer on the loose targeting immigrants, and Amber’s involvement is spooking the killer which means she’s in danger too.
Friendship and trust are tested when Cori discovers the secret pact between Finn and Amber, and when she learns that her daughter loves the missing young man, her worldview gets turned upside down. Cori struggles to accept her daughter’s openness to this new blended world and is forced to confront her own prejudices.
The three work together to compare notes and scenarios. Who would kill immigrants and why? Could it be gang related? Maybe the work of Marbles, a member of the Hard Time Locos, not yet 18 but whose “evil is already old and deeply ingrained.” Ruling out money and drugs, the three of them follow, not the money trail, but the trail of blood and dead bodies.
Finn and Cori investigate possible killers, interview members of the ethnic community, and try to keep Amber safe, all the while dreading the unspoken possibility. What if Amber’s young man is the next dead body they find?
With multiculturalism quickly becoming the new normal, the fast-paced thriller Secret Relations is the novel for our times.
Read it!
Veronica Jorge
September 23, 2018
This is the third book in this series. I raved about the first two and this latest installment is no different. LA police detective Finn O’Brien and his partner, Cori Anderson, are great characters. They have faults and at times make questionable decisions that show they’re imperfect, but both strive to make their city a better and safer place.
The story in Secret Relations is an intense thriller that had me on edge throughout. Much of the story is focused on the undocumented alien population, targeted by the serial killer, and I found the story thought provoking as I considered their situation.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
The story in Secret Relations is an intense thriller that had me on edge throughout. Much of the story is focused on the undocumented alien population, targeted by the serial killer, and I found the story thought provoking as I considered their situation.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
April 2, 2019
When a young Hispanic man goes missing no one really bats an eye. It is until this particular man was very close to a young woman everyone knows as Amber. Torn between personal and business, Fin O'Brien takes on a case that could cost him his friendship with his partner Corey. When Corey figures out that this young man is involved with her daughter she learns something she never thought she would.
A page turning book that has me asking will Fin O'Brien and Corey Anderson be back for another case???
A page turning book that has me asking will Fin O'Brien and Corey Anderson be back for another case???
March 13, 2018
Very Timely
Forster does a good job with a sensitive topic, undocumented immigrants. In her novel, they are being preyed on by an older man who has some serious reasons to be angry with young Hispanic men. In addition to solving this case, Finn has fallout from his part in a raid on a house and his actions toward a gang member. Cori and her daughter have a difficult road, as well. I had to stay up to finish this one.
Forster does a good job with a sensitive topic, undocumented immigrants. In her novel, they are being preyed on by an older man who has some serious reasons to be angry with young Hispanic men. In addition to solving this case, Finn has fallout from his part in a raid on a house and his actions toward a gang member. Cori and her daughter have a difficult road, as well. I had to stay up to finish this one.
August 27, 2018
Excellent
I really enjoyed this really gritty police procedural. The characters were really well-drawn and believable. The plot was well-written and you couldn't find anyone less likely to be missed than an undocumented illegal immigrant. I've found a new favourite author to look out for.
I really enjoyed this really gritty police procedural. The characters were really well-drawn and believable. The plot was well-written and you couldn't find anyone less likely to be missed than an undocumented illegal immigrant. I've found a new favourite author to look out for.
August 5, 2018
Thums Up
Author did a great job to create suspense and when I thought it's going to be a helluva of a climax, I was proved wrong. The hype created just fizzled out. Ending must have been narrated more grippingly.
Author did a great job to create suspense and when I thought it's going to be a helluva of a climax, I was proved wrong. The hype created just fizzled out. Ending must have been narrated more grippingly.
June 20, 2020
Secrets between partners is NEVER a good idea ~ and while Finn is trying to help Cori's daughter, those secrets are catching up to him . . . another FAB installment in the Finn O'Brien saga . . . hope there'll be many more! Thanks, Ms Forster, for a GREAT 'new' world!
March 7, 2018
Another great Finn O’Brien mystery
I remain a big fan of Rebecca Forster thanks to her creation of the Finn O’Brien series. I am looking forward to many more Finn O’Brien thriller.
I remain a big fan of Rebecca Forster thanks to her creation of the Finn O’Brien series. I am looking forward to many more Finn O’Brien thriller.
November 8, 2018
Read this series
I highly recommend the first three Finn O’Brien books. Yes read all three an I just hope more are coming!
I highly recommend the first three Finn O’Brien books. Yes read all three an I just hope more are coming!
June 12, 2019
Great read
When is the next book in this series coming out? I love this set. Finn O’Brien is awesome. Thank you.
When is the next book in this series coming out? I love this set. Finn O’Brien is awesome. Thank you.
January 23, 2020
I seriously just love the character of Finn O’Brien.
April 22, 2020
Enjoy the writing style. Have read all the Josie Strange books except the newest. Looking forward to reading the first two Finn O'Brien books.
May 3, 2020
Excellent
I’ve enjoyed all her novels but must have missed this. Relevant to current issues of undocumented workers, hostility faced by many hopefully not this extreme.
I’ve enjoyed all her novels but must have missed this. Relevant to current issues of undocumented workers, hostility faced by many hopefully not this extreme.
November 29, 2022
You can never go wrong with a book by Rebecca Forster. She is a fabulous writer. Her characters grab you and keep your interest. I love all her books.
May 30, 2025
Coincidence
I think it's lazy writing when an author adds too many improbable coincidences to make a storyline work. Otherwise good read.
I think it's lazy writing when an author adds too many improbable coincidences to make a storyline work. Otherwise good read.
October 7, 2025
Very good read. A young girl asks her mother’s partner, a detective, to search for her illegal immigrant boyfriend that disappeared. Couldn’t put down at end.
September 9, 2020
The characters of Finn and Amber work well together. I look forward to more of this duo
April 19, 2018
Review by Gloria Lakritz Sr Reviewer for the Paranormal Romance Guild
5*****Stars
Book: Secret Relations
Series: Finn O’Brien Thriller #3
Author: Reecca Forster
Pulisher: Amazon Digital
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Release: March 3, 2018
Page Count: 370
Rated : Mature
Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca….I love this series. I love everything about it. Your imagination must work overtime young lady. You are amazing!
You have built this world into a living breathing entity. Our two police partners are wonderful. Handsome, tortured Finn is such a complicated man, and his partner Cori again a complicated woman. The two have been joined together after different life changes.
Finn will soon be newly divorced, has many regrets about himself and the loss of his marriage. Cori has had a complicated life raising a daughter alone and then having her daughter have a pregnancy resulting in a gran baby and three sharing a small apartment.
The first two books were excellent, and I was so excited for this the third! As always our author slowly lets the reader see all Pov’s and writes them flawlessly. Being a California author Ms Forster takes on the trials of the people who live in the shadows. Those that have come here because the promise of America and a better life have them dreaming of America. Some come with papers and some do not, braving many hardships at the hands of the unscrupulous ; knowing these undocumented are tortured and killed and cannot say a word. This is their story!
Cori’s daughter enlists the help of Finn, asking that he not tell Cori. Finn hates the position he is being put in but is told that a ‘friend’ at work has not returned and can Finn help find out what could have happened to Pacal.
Learning he is undocumented, Finn has very little to go by, but eventually he and Cori start looking into a killer of Hispanic workers, and we get to watch some of them thru the killers eyes. Okay, I had to put the book down a few times, not that it was making me queasy with blood and gore, but the timely book now when we are going through a maelstrom of hatred in America, it truly made me cringe that really this could happen ….In My America.
Great writing, great thriller…..Thank you Rebecca for reminding me that there still are good people in this world to thwart the bad.
5*****Stars
Book: Secret Relations
Series: Finn O’Brien Thriller #3
Author: Reecca Forster
Pulisher: Amazon Digital
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Release: March 3, 2018
Page Count: 370
Rated : Mature
Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca….I love this series. I love everything about it. Your imagination must work overtime young lady. You are amazing!
You have built this world into a living breathing entity. Our two police partners are wonderful. Handsome, tortured Finn is such a complicated man, and his partner Cori again a complicated woman. The two have been joined together after different life changes.
Finn will soon be newly divorced, has many regrets about himself and the loss of his marriage. Cori has had a complicated life raising a daughter alone and then having her daughter have a pregnancy resulting in a gran baby and three sharing a small apartment.
The first two books were excellent, and I was so excited for this the third! As always our author slowly lets the reader see all Pov’s and writes them flawlessly. Being a California author Ms Forster takes on the trials of the people who live in the shadows. Those that have come here because the promise of America and a better life have them dreaming of America. Some come with papers and some do not, braving many hardships at the hands of the unscrupulous ; knowing these undocumented are tortured and killed and cannot say a word. This is their story!
Cori’s daughter enlists the help of Finn, asking that he not tell Cori. Finn hates the position he is being put in but is told that a ‘friend’ at work has not returned and can Finn help find out what could have happened to Pacal.
Learning he is undocumented, Finn has very little to go by, but eventually he and Cori start looking into a killer of Hispanic workers, and we get to watch some of them thru the killers eyes. Okay, I had to put the book down a few times, not that it was making me queasy with blood and gore, but the timely book now when we are going through a maelstrom of hatred in America, it truly made me cringe that really this could happen ….In My America.
Great writing, great thriller…..Thank you Rebecca for reminding me that there still are good people in this world to thwart the bad.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews