Season Of Secrets

Lowcountry #3

by Marta Perry

The bestselling author “delivers a strong story of tension, fear and trepidation . . . an excellent mystery that’s certain to keep you in constant suspense” (Romantic Times, Top Pick).As a teenager, Dinah Westlake had witnessed the murder of her pregnant cousin, but a concussion blocked her memories of that night. Now, ten years later, her cousin’s widower, Marc Devlin, had returned to Charleston to give his young son a true Southern Christmas.It was a chance to make amends in a family torn apart by the tragedy—and the suspicion that Marc was responsible for his wife’s demise. But when several dangerous “accidents” occurred amid the colorful holiday celebrations, Dinah’s recollections of that past dark night began to resurface. Would she discover a killer inside the man she’d grown to love?“The characters are real, immersed in true southern charm, and the story is as colorful as the season. I enjoyed reading Season of Secrets and look forward to more from this talented author.” —Laura V. Hilton, author of The Amish Wedding Promise

Genres: Romance, Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense, Christian Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

283 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

Marta Perry is a Pennsylvania-based author of over 35 novels, many of them inspirational romances. She uses her rural Pennsylvania life and her Pennsylvania Dutch heritage in writing her books, especially in her Pleasant Valley Amish series for Berkley Books and her new Amish-set suspense series for HQN Books.

Marta and her husband live in a centuries-old farmhouse in a quiet central Pennsylvania valley. They have three grown children and six beautiful grandchildren, and when she's not busy writing her next book, she's usually trying to keep up with her gardening, baking for church events, or visiting those beautiful grandkids.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story but . . .

This was a great story with wonderful characters!I truly enjoyed Ms. Perry's novel. However, please go back & edit the book!!! When a scene changes within a chapter there needs to be a couple of blank lines between the two sections. The first several times this happened it was confusing but it quickly ruined the flow of the story The book is FULL of this! Please somebody update & fix this!!!

[Mary Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marta Perry is one of those authors whose work I enjoy. I liked this novel which explored the murder of Dinah's cousin ten years before. I thought the relationship between Dinah and Marc evolved quite naturally. I was suspicious of the villain from the beginning of the novel although there were a couple of other characters who behaved suspiciously too. I would recommend this novel to others who enjoy romantic suspense.

[J. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well then, who done it???

I love it when my feelings are drawn into a story as well as my impatient desire to see how it concludes … following twists and turns that challenge my detecting skills … and I especially love it when God is subtly given credit for the happily ever ending. Ms. Perry has done that for me in Season of Secrets. Thank you, Ms. Perry, for a very entertaining afternoon and evening.

[Janis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It seemed to be more of a murder mystery than a romance, and that’s just fine with me. Setting the novel at Christmas time made a lot of sense. I like to read Holiday novels during the holidays, but so often the Christmas setting is superfluous. It added a lot to this story. It’s also an inspirational novel.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragedy happened some years before and left Dinah without memories of that time, and drove Marc and his small son, Court, away. Now Marc and Court are back. Family reunions are great, sometimes. Other times, they have to be worked through. And there is also the deadly left over mystery of who killed Marc's wife-who was Dinah's beloved cousin. A fun book to settle down with. Enjoy.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never would have guessed the real killer. That was the only highlight in the book, the killer was not obvious.
Dinah and Marc are both bland characters in my mind, but the fact that they both talk about their religious and spiritual beliefs throughout the book is touching. And the fact that both characters include their prayers is touching. This is worth a read at least once.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teenager, Dinah Westlake had witnessed the murder of her pregnant cousin, but a concussion blocked her memories of that night. Now, ten years later, her cousin's widower, Marc Devlin, had returned to Charleston to give his young son a true Southern Christmas. It was a chance to make amends in a family torn apart by the tragedy--and the suspicion that Marc was responsible for his wife's demise. But when several dangerous "accidents" occurred amid the colorful holiday celebrations, Dinah's recollections of that past dark night began to resurface. Would she discover a killer inside the man she'd grown to love?

This is #3 in the Lowcountry suspense series, but it reads well as a stand alone. The setting was delightful in small town Charleston South Carolina. Perry did an excellent job including the Christmas traditions that are unique to Charleston without distracting from the plot line. Marc and Dinah connected through the loss of Annabelle, Dinah's cousin and Marc's wife. His return to Charleston to find out what really happened the night she was killed starts a chain of events that snakes around both of them as well as Marc's son Court. I enjoyed seeing things from Dinah's perspective as she uses her talents as a forensic artist. In turn, she realizes she has to break down the wall that keeps her from remembering the events she had seen the night of the murder. Court and Aunt Kate's friendship through food, Christmas traditions, and family history added a nice touch to this Christmas romance.

Recommended for readers who like suspense with a touch of romance.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptional tale by Marta Perry. With a twist, a teen almost sees a murder while living with a cousin and her husband, but blocks out anything that would lead to convict a killer. Years go by, the husband being thought guilty but never charged. After moving away and his son now a teen himself, he comes back to sell the former residence and introduces Court to the neighborhood, relatives and suspicions floating through the town. Is a killer still running loose in the area and daring Marcus Devlin to start an investigation himself? Now, Dinah Westlake goes into the house for the first time since the murder of her cousin and from then on nothing makes sense except that Court needs a family and a special Christmas in Charleston. Read and find out if the murder gets solved and why Dinah can't remember some of the clues she observed earlier in her life.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Elaine]

360

[April Suter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dinah doesn't remember witnessing her cousin's death. Many people in town think it was the husband, so when he comes back to town facts must be found.

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

GOOD, BUT NOT GREAT. BEFORE YOU GET TO THE END YOU'LL HAVE FIGURED OUT WHO THE MURDERER IS.