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The Secrets We Bury
In this gritty crime thriller, a disturbing double murder in Upstate New York leads a detective through a maze of secrets, lies, and buried trauma.
When a young mother and her son are found dead on a church altar, investigator Valentina Knight is called to the scene. What Val finds is shocking. The mother, Gabrielle, is dressed in a white satin gown, with tree branches duct-taped to her hands, and a piece of tape across her lips. And what happened to the boy is unspeakable.
Initially, the evidence suggests a murder-suicide, but Val isn’t convinced. As she digs further into Gabrielle’s life, it becomes clear that she was trying to hide from her past. Soon Val realizes that everything comes down to one disturbing question: What really happened on the day Gabrielle’s twin siblings drowned in the family pool?
When a young mother and her son are found dead on a church altar, investigator Valentina Knight is called to the scene. What Val finds is shocking. The mother, Gabrielle, is dressed in a white satin gown, with tree branches duct-taped to her hands, and a piece of tape across her lips. And what happened to the boy is unspeakable.
Initially, the evidence suggests a murder-suicide, but Val isn’t convinced. As she digs further into Gabrielle’s life, it becomes clear that she was trying to hide from her past. Soon Val realizes that everything comes down to one disturbing question: What really happened on the day Gabrielle’s twin siblings drowned in the family pool?
- GenresMystery
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2021
88 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Mary Bush
2 books50 followersWhen not writing psychological and crime thrillers, Mary makes her living as a professor of dentistry at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. She’s also involved in forensic dentistry. In this capacity, she works on cases in which teeth are the main evidence. Mary has testified in murder trials as an expert witness, focusing on the admissibility of bite mark evidence in the US court system, including testimony on Capitol Hill regarding the need for scientific rigor in the courtroom. Her experiences have shown how truth is without a doubt, stranger than fiction. Her debut novel, A Simple Lie, was a bronze medal winner for crime fiction in the 2020 Reader’s Favorite International Book Awards and a finalist in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Awards, thriller category
As an invited speaker, her talks center on forensic evidence and the cases she’s been involved with. She currently lives in Buffalo, New York with her husband and their exceptionally spoiled cat.
Find out more about Mary or just stop by and say hello at www.facebook.com/marybushauthor/ or www.intagram.com/marybushauthor/ She’d love to hear from you!
As an invited speaker, her talks center on forensic evidence and the cases she’s been involved with. She currently lives in Buffalo, New York with her husband and their exceptionally spoiled cat.
Find out more about Mary or just stop by and say hello at www.facebook.com/marybushauthor/ or www.intagram.com/marybushauthor/ She’d love to hear from you!
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 3, 2021
THE SECRETS WE BURY is a psychological suspense novel by Mary Bush. I read the first book Mary Bush wrote, “A Simple Lie” and this is a great follow-up novel for the main character, Valentina Knight, a death scene investigator. The setting takes place in and around Buffalo, NY and are so vivid and informative in their description.
Books By Mary Bush Include:
A Simple Lie (Book 1)
The Secrets We Bury (Book2)
In Book 1 Valentina Knight is forced to give up her career as a dentist, due to an injury. Still unemployed a year later, she now has finally run out of options, with her debts rising and foreclosure looming she lies to get a position as an assistant to the county medical examiner. But this lie could soon trap her in a treacherous game with a killer.
Val is hired and now works in the County Medical Examiner’s office as an assistant death scene investigator. She finds herself quickly having to educate herself in medical knowledge to perform her tasks, but also planning to utilize her dental knowledge.
This is the review of book 2, The Secrets We Bury.
In this second book, Valentia Knight, a strong female character, returns as a death scene investigator and a former dentist. She is one of the first people to attend a crime scene to do a preliminary examination of the victim.
Valentina Knight is called to the brutal scene to collect the bodies of a young mother, Gabrielle, and her son found dead on the altar of a church. The mother, dressed in a white satin gown, has tree branches duct taped to her hands and a piece of tape across her lips. The boy has had his throat slashed.
Initially, deemed as a murder suicide, Val isn’t so sure and sets out to discover the truth. Suicide or murder?
But nothing about Gabrielle’s past is as it seems.
Who was Gabrielle, why was she trying to hide her past, and what really happened one fateful day when her twin siblings drowned in the family pool?
As Val learns more about Gabrielle it becomes clear that the Secrets We Bury will not stay hidden for long…
This is well written researched novel with focus in the area of forensics, well- developed characters, and riveting plot.
Many thanks to the author, Bloodhound Books for my digital copy. Highly recommended!
Books By Mary Bush Include:
A Simple Lie (Book 1)
The Secrets We Bury (Book2)
In Book 1 Valentina Knight is forced to give up her career as a dentist, due to an injury. Still unemployed a year later, she now has finally run out of options, with her debts rising and foreclosure looming she lies to get a position as an assistant to the county medical examiner. But this lie could soon trap her in a treacherous game with a killer.
Val is hired and now works in the County Medical Examiner’s office as an assistant death scene investigator. She finds herself quickly having to educate herself in medical knowledge to perform her tasks, but also planning to utilize her dental knowledge.
This is the review of book 2, The Secrets We Bury.
In this second book, Valentia Knight, a strong female character, returns as a death scene investigator and a former dentist. She is one of the first people to attend a crime scene to do a preliminary examination of the victim.
Valentina Knight is called to the brutal scene to collect the bodies of a young mother, Gabrielle, and her son found dead on the altar of a church. The mother, dressed in a white satin gown, has tree branches duct taped to her hands and a piece of tape across her lips. The boy has had his throat slashed.
Initially, deemed as a murder suicide, Val isn’t so sure and sets out to discover the truth. Suicide or murder?
But nothing about Gabrielle’s past is as it seems.
Who was Gabrielle, why was she trying to hide her past, and what really happened one fateful day when her twin siblings drowned in the family pool?
As Val learns more about Gabrielle it becomes clear that the Secrets We Bury will not stay hidden for long…
This is well written researched novel with focus in the area of forensics, well- developed characters, and riveting plot.
Many thanks to the author, Bloodhound Books for my digital copy. Highly recommended!
June 2, 2021
A young woman and her son are found dead on the altar of a church. Valentina Knight, death scene investigator, is called to the scene to collect the bodies.
Initially, the evidence suggests murder suicide, but Val isn’t convinced and sets out to discover the truth.
What Val discovers is more questions .. but few answers.
Family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances all have different memories of the woman... everything from secretive, to having a troubled son with medical issues, friends she dropped, a family that doesn't seem to care that she's dead, to affairs. It comes to light that she's tried to hide her past ... especially the day her brother and sister (twins) drowned.
A second story line running parallel is Val's backstory. She was a dentist until she was maliciously attacked by a suspect in a crime. She no longer can work as a dentist and she still has a problem with a leg. The DA wants Val to testify in court ... Val isn't too sure she wants to do that.
This is a cleverly written crime fiction with all manner of twists and turns. The mystery/suspense starts at the very beginning and maintains a high level through the most unexpected conclusion. Suspects are varied and many .. all who seem to have a motive for wanting the victim dead. The characters are solidly drawn.. and there is a hint of a romance to come. This would be an excellent start to a series.
With the author, herself a professor of dentistry and involved in forensic dentistry, and having testified in murder trials, I expected a great deal of credibility. I was not disappointed.
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Initially, the evidence suggests murder suicide, but Val isn’t convinced and sets out to discover the truth.
What Val discovers is more questions .. but few answers.
Family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances all have different memories of the woman... everything from secretive, to having a troubled son with medical issues, friends she dropped, a family that doesn't seem to care that she's dead, to affairs. It comes to light that she's tried to hide her past ... especially the day her brother and sister (twins) drowned.
A second story line running parallel is Val's backstory. She was a dentist until she was maliciously attacked by a suspect in a crime. She no longer can work as a dentist and she still has a problem with a leg. The DA wants Val to testify in court ... Val isn't too sure she wants to do that.
This is a cleverly written crime fiction with all manner of twists and turns. The mystery/suspense starts at the very beginning and maintains a high level through the most unexpected conclusion. Suspects are varied and many .. all who seem to have a motive for wanting the victim dead. The characters are solidly drawn.. and there is a hint of a romance to come. This would be an excellent start to a series.
With the author, herself a professor of dentistry and involved in forensic dentistry, and having testified in murder trials, I expected a great deal of credibility. I was not disappointed.
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
June 3, 2021
✍️✍️✍️DESCRIPTION ✍️✍️✍️
How far would you go to hide the truth?
When a young mother, Gabrielle, and her son are found dead on the altar of a church, death scene investigator Valentina Knight is called to the scene to collect the bodies.
What Val finds is shocking. The mother, dressed in a white satin gown, has tree branches duct-taped to her hands and a piece of tape across her lips.
The boy has had his throat slashed.
Initially, the evidence suggests murder-suicide, but Val isn’t convinced and sets out to discover the truth.
When more of Gabrielle’s background comes to light nothing is as it seems.
Who was Gabrielle, why was she trying to hide her past, and what really happened one fateful day when her twin siblings drowned in the family pool?
📚📚📚MY REVIEW📚📚📚
This book was a bit different for me and what I’m used to reading but I must admit once I started reading I didn’t want to stop. I needed to know more. This story really captivated me and made me want to devour it in one sitting ..I like the fact that it was hard to guess and wasn’t predictable at all. I loved the setting and where the book took place in Buffalo NY. Ive always wanted to visit there and this book helped me visit vicariously through this story. I could picture all of the scenes as if I was watching it on a screen. The only problem that I had with this book was that it seems to be part of a series so I felt that I needed more of the backstory or at least the goings on that took place in the first book. Nevertheless it was still enjoyable and a 5 star worthy read. I recommend this book and plan to read more from this author.
Thank you Author Mary Bush for gifting me this ARC for my honest opinion. I was not paid or persuaded in anyway to do this review 📚
✍️✍️✍️
📌What I loved about this book📌
Intriguing ✔️
Suspenseful ✔️
Unpredictable ✔️
Engaging ✔️
How far would you go to hide the truth?
When a young mother, Gabrielle, and her son are found dead on the altar of a church, death scene investigator Valentina Knight is called to the scene to collect the bodies.
What Val finds is shocking. The mother, dressed in a white satin gown, has tree branches duct-taped to her hands and a piece of tape across her lips.
The boy has had his throat slashed.
Initially, the evidence suggests murder-suicide, but Val isn’t convinced and sets out to discover the truth.
When more of Gabrielle’s background comes to light nothing is as it seems.
Who was Gabrielle, why was she trying to hide her past, and what really happened one fateful day when her twin siblings drowned in the family pool?
📚📚📚MY REVIEW📚📚📚
This book was a bit different for me and what I’m used to reading but I must admit once I started reading I didn’t want to stop. I needed to know more. This story really captivated me and made me want to devour it in one sitting ..I like the fact that it was hard to guess and wasn’t predictable at all. I loved the setting and where the book took place in Buffalo NY. Ive always wanted to visit there and this book helped me visit vicariously through this story. I could picture all of the scenes as if I was watching it on a screen. The only problem that I had with this book was that it seems to be part of a series so I felt that I needed more of the backstory or at least the goings on that took place in the first book. Nevertheless it was still enjoyable and a 5 star worthy read. I recommend this book and plan to read more from this author.
Thank you Author Mary Bush for gifting me this ARC for my honest opinion. I was not paid or persuaded in anyway to do this review 📚
✍️✍️✍️
📌What I loved about this book📌
Intriguing ✔️
Suspenseful ✔️
Unpredictable ✔️
Engaging ✔️
June 1, 2021
This was a great psychological story! Just when you think things are falling into place and the killer is revealed...WHAM! another roadblock. I really enjoyed this story and how it was weaved until the unbelievable ending! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
June 3, 2021
A mother and son are found dead in a church. Could it be muder with suicide? Valentina is a death scene investigator and isn’t convinced that this is the case due to some aspects at the scene. The dead woman Gabriella’s family have a past and as a high profile family appear to have suppressed some things- things that may have relevance to Gabriella's death. Years ago Gabriella's twin siblings were found dead after an incident at their pool. Gabriella was meant to be watching them and had her two friends over. Her sister Bridget is kept away from people, her mother citing autism and not being able to cope with company. Is this really the case and what more are the wealthy Morgan family hiding? A family that hides behind money and uses it to make things go away from the press- when the twins died certain facts were withheld from the press at the insistence of the family. This is a very cleverly thought out read. For the most part it's a crime book and then…. I won’t spoil anything. One to me where there is meticulous planning and research- I learn a thing or two along the way. I liked Val and her tenacity for the truth and would happily read other books where she takes the lead. A thoroughly enjoyable read that kept me thinking- just how I like it!
May 29, 2021
In The Secrets We Bury, we rejoin familiar characters introduced in The Lies We Tell for another thrill ride that will keep you guessing- all the way to end end!
Warning: This book will keep you up late reading; I didn’t want to put it down.
I was immediately drawn into the description of the scenes - so beautifully written by the author: “Many of the windows were stained glass depicting the stations of the cross—the crucifixion—a gruesome reminder of our violent nature, one that never would be eradicated through evolution, conditioning, therapy.”
The reader feels as though they are standing in the scenes themselves, as they begin to understand how that violent nature can manifest itself in seemingly ordinary relationships.
As the complicated associations between these characters unfold, readers will find themselves guessing at the motives and means, only to change their mind as the next is revealed.
The author’s familiarity with both the forensic world, as well as the places in and around Buffalo, NY was informative and interesting.
This was an enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to book 3!
Warning: This book will keep you up late reading; I didn’t want to put it down.
I was immediately drawn into the description of the scenes - so beautifully written by the author: “Many of the windows were stained glass depicting the stations of the cross—the crucifixion—a gruesome reminder of our violent nature, one that never would be eradicated through evolution, conditioning, therapy.”
The reader feels as though they are standing in the scenes themselves, as they begin to understand how that violent nature can manifest itself in seemingly ordinary relationships.
As the complicated associations between these characters unfold, readers will find themselves guessing at the motives and means, only to change their mind as the next is revealed.
The author’s familiarity with both the forensic world, as well as the places in and around Buffalo, NY was informative and interesting.
This was an enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to book 3!
May 24, 2021
Wow! This book is darn good. The first book in the series 'A Simple Death' is a great read but this had the edge. Such a brilliant storyline. Exciting and extremely intriguing. I was fascinated by the medical side of the investigation which just opened more doors and mystery behind the deaths. Valentina Knight is a death scene investigator and a former dentist. She is one of the first people to attend a crime scene to do a preliminary examination of the victim. A great character and I liked her immediately.
The Morgans are a wealthy and respectable family, a household name in Buffalo country. But tragedy doesn't discriminate and the death of their daughter and grandson opens up a can of worms for the Morgans. Suicide or murder...or both? Who is keeping secrets and why? The deeper the investigation goes, the darker and more sinister it becomes.
I was totally engrossed in this book from start to end. The twists, turns and escalating suspense towards the end is chilling. Excellent story telling and highly recommended.
The Morgans are a wealthy and respectable family, a household name in Buffalo country. But tragedy doesn't discriminate and the death of their daughter and grandson opens up a can of worms for the Morgans. Suicide or murder...or both? Who is keeping secrets and why? The deeper the investigation goes, the darker and more sinister it becomes.
I was totally engrossed in this book from start to end. The twists, turns and escalating suspense towards the end is chilling. Excellent story telling and highly recommended.
June 1, 2021
This is the second book in the series and it reads pretty well as a standalone though there are some background things that came into play but were enough of the details were given for me to understand how it fit in the story. DI Valentina Knight is the main character and as a death scene investigator has a role that can help find answers to what happened to those who died though sometimes she can "overstep" what her role. I felt like the story was comparable to a spider's web where there were lots of characters involved and as you find out more information you are led to the middle where you might get surprised by the spider. I had figured out some of the story though went back and forth between different answers several times so the ending didn't shock me as much but it was still a twist. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
May 26, 2021
I read Mary Bush’s first book, “A Simple Lie” and loved it, so I was very excited to hear she had a second book on the way. “The Secrets We Bury” is a great follow up novel for the main character, Valentina Knight. This was a fantastic crime thriller that truly kept me guessing. Mary builds wonderful characters and really highlights the best of Buffalo. Her medical knowledge and writing is well researched which makes it easy to follow what the life of Val, a medical examiner, might be like. This was a fast-paced read that will leave you surprised, even until the last few pages.
June 2, 2021
I enjoyed this suspenseful mystery. This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorites. This is a well developed story that is about a mother and son found murdered on the steps of a church. The problem comes in that murderer made it look like a murder suicide but things may not be as they seem. This is a fast paced story that has characters that not only bring the story to life but made it fun to read. They are relateable and made me want to see what would happen next. This is a great book which I would highly recommend reading.
May 28, 2025
Psychological thriller indeed! Please read.
A mother and her young son are found dead in a church altar. Double murder? Murder-suicide? The boy’s death is disturbing, unimaginable. Who would do that and why? This entire book is about secrets, lies, family/friend drama, and trauma. It was quite the page turner. OMG, THE ENDING! I had my suspicions but I didn’t expect thaaat. The main characters, Val and Gavin, were great. The title of the book is very appropriate. You just never know what happens behind closed doors.
A mother and her young son are found dead in a church altar. Double murder? Murder-suicide? The boy’s death is disturbing, unimaginable. Who would do that and why? This entire book is about secrets, lies, family/friend drama, and trauma. It was quite the page turner. OMG, THE ENDING! I had my suspicions but I didn’t expect thaaat. The main characters, Val and Gavin, were great. The title of the book is very appropriate. You just never know what happens behind closed doors.
May 25, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I read the first book Mary Bush wrote, “A Simple Lie” and this is a terrific follow-up. Once I started reading I couldn’t wait to get to the conclusion to see “who did it?” And the conclusion was a surprise, one I didn’t expect. The authors description of the locations where the story occurs makes me want to take a tour of Forest Lawn and downtown Buffalo-they were so vivid. A must-read-this book would be a terrific vacation read!
June 3, 2021
This is a wonderful story mystery story of death of a Gabrielle Morgan ,and her son Adam are found on the alter of a church. And Valentina Knight is on this case she death scene investigator. Val is a intelligent woman, she notice everything, and she see details, areas, and ask the right question in her mind to solve these murders, author Mary Bush made a compelling, gripping story full of chilling twist, and dark mystery. The end of story is a delightful discovery.
April 10, 2022
4.5 stars. Read The Secrets We Bury by Mary Bush. The opening scene captured me immediately. A mother and her son are found dead on a church alter. Was it a murder- suicide or a murder if both? Val, one if the detectives, delves into the lives of the victims’ family and friends. Very interesting characters and plot twists. Highly recommend this book
March 23, 2025
Definitely learned a lot of medical terms
Took the time (sometimes too much) to explain herbology and other technicalities I order to explain legal and medical assumptions and calculations. Overall, it's a good mystery and has good twists and turns,
Took the time (sometimes too much) to explain herbology and other technicalities I order to explain legal and medical assumptions and calculations. Overall, it's a good mystery and has good twists and turns,
June 13, 2025
With friends like that
Enemies abound in this book. A horde of petty, jealous, mean, murderous people. There really aren't any good guys except as police are painted. The murder weapon is a fun take. Not a lot of surprises in this story, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Enemies abound in this book. A horde of petty, jealous, mean, murderous people. There really aren't any good guys except as police are painted. The murder weapon is a fun take. Not a lot of surprises in this story, but enjoyable nonetheless.
June 2, 2021
This was a very heartbreaking mystery.
It kept me guessing until the end.
I hope there will be more books featuring Val.
Thank you Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this book.
It kept me guessing until the end.
I hope there will be more books featuring Val.
Thank you Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this book.
June 29, 2021
Decent plot but it's unfair for this to reach the level of Simple Lie.
July 6, 2021
The plot was good enough, interesting enough, therefore the three stars. But the writing is childish, amateurish, poor. Disappointing.
July 27, 2021
Excellent read!
Was on the edge of my seat the whole book! Kept changing who i thought was the killer right up until the very end! Thank you Ms Bush for this awesome story!
Was on the edge of my seat the whole book! Kept changing who i thought was the killer right up until the very end! Thank you Ms Bush for this awesome story!
November 7, 2021
I like this writers ideas, I just feel the books need to be edited better. There is far too much description ,I had to skip a lot .
November 9, 2021
An exciting well written thriller! It kept me guessing til almost the end. The author’s first book in this series was very good too.
June 5, 2024
This book was way better than the first.. which tells me that if we get a third, it’ll be amazing.. Mary.. please write another one. You haven’t written anything since 2021.. where are you?!
December 16, 2024
Great mystery .. never guessed who done it til the end !
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews