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Harbored Secrets # 2
BY Natalie Walters
Revell
Nov 5, 2019/ ISBN 9780800735333
Mystery/Thriller
Reviewed
by Elise Cooper
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Deadly
Deceit by Natalie Walters is a story with a lot of mystery
and action blended with some romance. As the chapters progress,
so does the suspense.
The story starts with an intense scene where the main heroine,
Vivian DeMarco, finds her boss lying on the floor and just minutes
away from death. Readers might remember her from the previous
book, Living Lies, but in this novel, she more than redeems
herself.
Walters commented, “In the last book she came off as very
brash, tenacious, and driven. In this book, I wanted to find
out what made her into this person. Although she has a take-charge
attitude, she does not want people to get hurt by her stories.
Because of issues with her father, she has insecurities that
have caused her to build a wall. She does not want to appear
soft, seeing it as a weakness. Vivian is really good at keeping
herself at a distance from people, so she doesn’t get
hurt.”
She works with Deputy Ryan Frost, who is assigned to investigate.
After the death is ruled a murder, he and Vivian work together,
searching for clues. When a video surfaces of her boss, with
a mysterious woman, Vivian realizes that there is a blackmailer
out there who wants to be compensated. Soon, there are more
people involved as the blackmailer, known as The Watcher, tries
to make everyone’s life miserable and leaves a trail of
destruction in his midst. The deeper Vivian and Ryan dig, the
more twisted the truth becomes with false leads and incriminating
emails that put Vivian’s life in danger.
The banter between Ryan and Vivian adds to the storyline, especially
when they discuss Super Heroes. Both had some great one-liners
that added humor to the intense plot. Ryan was lovingly nick
named Captain America. As Vivian states, “why'd he have
to be so Captain America-like? If he had the arrogance of Tony
Stark, it would be a lot easier to hate him.”
“I wanted to write a quote about people in a relationship.
“The right kind of love isn’t earned…That’s
the beauty of godly love. The kind that is forgiving, unwarranted,
undeserving, and unconditional.” When people are single,
it is all about me, me, me. In a relationship, it is about giving
your best to your partner. Trust is so important to give 100%
of yourself. There should always be unconditional love between
partners, parents, children, and friends. It is a give and take.”
This story has danger, extortion, fires, and family secrets.
Readers are kept guessing until the last few pages. This is
an incredible story of family, forgiveness, redemption, and
love.
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