Families have secrets. Some secrets are locked, sealed and taken to the grave. Others beg to be told. They ooze through cracks a little at a time. You tease them out until an ugly truth is fully exposed.
Ella Perri knows there’s something hidden in the family cottage. In his last breath, Ella’s grandfather reveals to her a startling secret that hints at something sinister. On behalf of her … behalf of her beloved grandfather, she embarks on a dangerous quest for truth. A World War II diary and the 21st century collide as Ella desperately chases every clue in a faraway and unfamiliar setting where the real story begins. Who can be trusted and who has something to hide? One secret leads to another. Ella must decide: share the secrets and alter the fates of her loved ones forever or become part of the lie that’s been buried deep for decades.
Buried Secrets is a suspenseful mystery with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the shocking ending.
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This was an interesting story. A lot going back & forth between past & present. The story probably could’ve been shortened a bit for clarity.
Buried Secrets sees the reader being transported to the beautiful Italy as Ella goes there following the death of her grandfather. He told her to find ‘the box’ and upon discovering it Ella decides to head to the town where he came from in search of answers to secrets that she discovered.
It appears that one secret leads to more and the more that Ella discovers the more tangled the story becomes. There are many twists and turns though I have to admit I kinda guessed where the story was heading early on when she had a conversation with her uncle, and despite that I really enjoyed the story and the wonderful setting in Italy.
4 stars
It was a wonderful book and I was unable to put it down once I started it. I know that has been said by many people who have recommended books and you can include this one to the list. Ella is a very driven and intelligent woman who stops at nothing to get the answers she wants.
Ella’s grandfather, as he lay dying, reveals a family secret that hints at something sinister.
BOOK BLURB: On behalf of her beloved grandfather, she embarks on a dangerous quest for truth. A World War II diary and the 21st century collide as Ella desperately chases every clue in a faraway and unfamiliar setting where the real story begins. Who can be trusted and who has something to hide?
As Ella follows the clues she discovers a hidden box … its contents reveal a crime and a missing woman named Gianna…. which leads her to Italy. The more she discovers, the more questions are raised. As the dark truth comes to light, Ella must make a life-altering decision.
This is a fast-paced romp through Italy searching for the truth. It’s packed with a punch .. a lot of action, suspense that starts at the very beginning and maintains a high level that leads to a most unexpected conclusion. The multi-layered characters are solidly drawn. As Italy has always been on my bucket list, it was wonderful getting lost in the author’s descriptions of the people, the culture.
Many thanks to the author / BooksGoSocial /Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction/mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Here’s the BookBub Review:
Five shiny stars!
The author uses weather and setting to create an atmosphere with mastery. The moods change as the mystery deepens, and the MC dives into the family secret. The plot has many intertwining layers in the past and present- written smoothly and with clarity.
The only tiny minus is that I skipped some pages in the middle—otherwise, awesomeness. But I’m a person who reads four books at the same time. I went back and read the pages after I wolfed down the awesome surprise ending.
The main character’s story is easy to follow as she deducts the clues from the US to Italy. And I love the description of Italy’s villages, shores, and vineyards. The ending is thrilling, and I didn’t see the different betrayals coming.
I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel and shall buy it the moment it comes out. Friends of mystery and historical fiction, this is the book to read.
This is a terrific, heart-touching, heart-breaking story with plenty of suspense, great characters, and several twists and turns. (I will admit to expecting another twist before the end but it didn’t materialize.) I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the Italian countryside and the historic places Ella and her friends visit. The story hooked me with its details from the very beginning and didn’t let go until I turned the last page.
Those are the things I loved about the story; now the things I didn’t. Buried Secrets is written in my least favorite point of view- first person present. That point of view feels so awkward to me as a reader. I know some people like it but I’m not one of them. I never feel as if I’m a part of the story. I’m an outsider listening to someone tell me about things that happen. I realize this is just my personal opinion so it doesn’t have any bearing on my rating. The reason it is rated 4 stars instead of the 5 I would have liked to give it is because of the ending. There isn’t one. It just stops and leaves the reader hanging. Now, it’s not EXACTLY a cliffhanger because the major plotline is carried through to 98% completion, but there are still huge questions that aren’t answered and two pivotal characters who just disappear. There is no explanation for what happened to them, just gone. Several places could have used the services of an editor. Either spelling, grammar, missing words, or very confusing sentence structure. Also, there were times I felt Ms. Baccaro was trying to see how flowery she could make a normal sentence and things were overdramatized.
Even with all of the above issues I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope there will be a sequel to see if the remaining questions are ever answered.
I want to thank Story Origin and Ms. Baccaro for allowing me to read Buried Secrets. I highly recommend it.
The aura of suspense increasingly bumped up my anxiety, notch by excruciatingly-taut notch. The palpable tension held me in thrall. The twists made me audibly gasp in shock. And, the fast pace of the wildly-captivating plot kept me swiping the pages feverishly.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
What a fantastic read! Right from the beginning this book pulls you in, and with every chapter, it leaves you wanting more. The characters are so genuine, and Krissy Baccaro’s descriptive writing makes you feel like you’re there in the story. I also like the way the story ended with unanswered questions, being the first book in a sequel, it did what it needed to do. Snuggle up with Buried Secrets. You’ll be glad you did! Can’t wait for the Ella Perri Mystery Book Two to come out!