Secret Lives

by Susan Wells

Heart-warming, busybody, Bernice Butzen reports her neighbor, Carolyn Fazzino, missing. Veteran Detective Waller is forced to work with new Detective Garcia. They discover Carolyn’s car, purse, iPhone, and camera footage of a man abducting her, proving she has been kidnapped. Detectives interview Carolyn’s estranged husband, Vince, who has a past of domestic violence. During an intense interrogation, he confesses, he has a girlfriend, Jenny Maxwell. But the married Jenny denies dating the egotistical womanizer making him look guilty in the eyes of the police. Tension mounts when Carolyn wakes, devastated, confused and hurt, finding herself in the killer’s trap. The list of suspects grows to include Carolyn’s drunk psychiatrist and her introverted boss with a suspicion of solicitation. Detectives wonder if he did away with his employee who may have discovered his secret. The psychopath killer becomes violent trying to stab Carolyn when she refuses to cooperate. Frustrated, the kidnapper throws the only food she will receive while being held captive. Carolyn’s frantic mother, Ruth, pleads for her daughter’s safe return.

Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2020

About the author

Susan Wells is an author with a keen interest in law enforcement and emergency response procedures. A graduate of the Citizen’s Police Academy in 2018, she used her knowledge and firsthand insights gained from consulting and interviewing professionals in the field—such as police officers, detectives, EMTs, and medical staff—to create authentic narratives in her writing. Wells is currently working on a mystery/thriller titled Samaritan Sins, which features the same detective team as in her previous book, Secret Lives.

Reviews

[Phylicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I attend a writers' group with Sue, so I've known her for years. I didn't help with this story unfortunately. A good mystery appeals to me. Though they are intriguing novels or films.
Given her background in law enforcement, Susan could tell the narrative more genuinely than what one could see on television, which isn't always true. Although I frequently wish people would not be nosy neighbors, it's okay to be nosy when Carolyn Fazzino is “missing.” Where is she if her husband did nothing to her and neither her friends nor other family members nor coworkers had seen her? What happened to her? I like how the story shows Carolyn's point of view. Waking up unconscious, worrying if the bad guy or guys will be back, how to escape, etc. Happy ending.
There are a few punctuation and spelling errors, which bothered me, hence the 4 stars, but I enjoyed the book.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted this to be good because the setting was my home town. However, that wasn’t t the case. The second half of the book was better than the first—-. This read like a Dateline episode. Some may enjoy that type of writing. The editing of this left much to be desired, i.e. “addiment” instead of “adamant”, and numerous misspellings. I am generous with 3 stars because I enjoyed the brief references to my hometown.

[Sherry Kushibab · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read - the story line kept me reading….and it doesn’t end 5 pages after you reach the conclusion. Like another reviewer it takes place near where I live but you wouldn’t really know that as cities are thrown into a sentence and nothing further is said to either describe the area or make the reference remotely significant. If you like something with a little suspense I would recommend it.

[DramaQueen12 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book needed a better editor. The conversations in the first half of the book are awkward and unnatural. Half way through there is a major change in writing, as if another person wrote the second half. The spelling errors are numerous. I know the town this story is placed and it was somewhat accurate. I made myself finish to give some respect to a local author. I doubt I would read another one of her books.

[Cynthia Hartford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very complex plot, twisting through the action to a conclusion that is very satisfying. Will probably reread to align the complex plot twists and turns in my memory. Very nice work.

[Anne Bodine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner!

From the first page till the last the story has you hooked. It was hard to put down! A "must " read if you like mystery books!

[Sue Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

It sure kept me hanging trying to figure out the mystery. (OMG) I was completely on edge. It was so suspenseful.

[Carol Neumann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read, Susan has excellent command of the workings of the police and the forensics people. Her characters are unforgettable!