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Secrets to the Grave
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Secrets to the Grave
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Secrets to the Grave
Audiobook13 hours

Secrets to the Grave

Written by Tami Hoag

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag returns with her second thriller in the Deeper than the Dead microseries, exploring the early days of forensic investigation, the characteristics of innocence-and the nature of evil.
Marissa Fordham had a past full of secrets, a present full of lies. Everyone knew of her, but no one knew her.
When Marissa is found brutally murdered, with her young daughter, Haley, resting her head on her mother's bloody breast, she sends the idyllic California town of Oak Knoll into a tailspin. Already on edge with the upcoming trial of the See- No-Evil killer, residents are shocked by reports of the crime scene, which might not have been discovered for days had it not been for a chilling 911 call: a small child's voice saying, "My daddy hurt my mommy."
Sheriff's detective Tony Mendez faces a puzzle with nothing but pieces that won't fit. To assist with his witness, Haley, he calls teacher-turned-child advocate Anne Leone. Anne's life is hectic enough-she's a newlywed and a part- time student in child psychology, and she's the star witness in the See-No-Evil trial. But one look at Haley, alone and terrified, and Anne's heart is stolen.
As Tony and Anne begin to peel back the layers of Marissa Fordham's life, they find a clue fragment here, another there. And just when it seems Marissa has taken her secrets to the grave, they uncover a fact that puts Anne and Haley directly in the sights of a killer: Marissa Fordham never existed.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 28, 2010
ISBN9780739365847
Unavailable
Secrets to the Grave
Author

Tami Hoag

Tami Hoag is the #1 international bestselling author of more than thirty books, with more than thirty-eight million copies of her books in print in more than thirty languages. She lives in Florida.

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Reviews for Secrets to the Grave

Rating: 3.960573400716846 out of 5 stars
4/5

279 ratings26 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another good suspenseful story. I have now figured out that whoever I think did it, is the absolutely wrong person. It will be anyone else. Entertaining read if you like reading this type of story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This mystery takes place about a year after Deeper than the Dead. Vince has quit his job at the FBI and is doing some consulting. Anne has quit teaching fifth grade, is working on her psychology degree, and is also a child advocate for the Court system. Both of them are waiting for the trial of the man who attempted to murder Anne and likely did murder a number of other women. Anne suffers from PTSD and has nightmares.Anne has chosen to be the advocate for 11-year-old Dennis Farman despite being told by her new husband Vince that Dennis was probably too far gone into evil to be redeemed. Sections of the book are told from Dennis's point of view and I have to agree with Vince. Dennis has violent and sexual fantasies and seems to alternate between needing Anne and wanting her dead. He's a pyromaniac with a knife fetish.When a new child needs her, Anne is quick to volunteer. Haley is only four. She was found cradled next to her mother's brutalized and blood-soaked body. Marissa Fordham was an artist with a mysterious past. She was the protegee of local philanthropist Milo Bordain who is the wife of parking lot mogul Bruce Bordain and the mother of up-coming politician Darren Bordain. Marissa was a great mom and a girl who liked to have many men friends. Haley is the only witness they have to Marissa's death but she is a traumatized four-year-old who calls all the men who hang around with her mother "Daddy." The Bad Daddy is the one who killed her mother. As Vince and the Sheriff's Department investigate, some people who were suspects in the earlier crime are suspects again. This was a twisty and pulse-pounding thriller told from a variety of viewpoints.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was great I really enjoyed it. The characters in this series just keeps getting better and better.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received this book on CD for free at a conference, but it is available for check-out at my local library, as well. I have never read any of Tami Hoag's work before, but I think I will again in the future. This is a great mystery set in the early 1980's. Marissa Fordham, a local free-spirited artist and single mother, has been brutally murdered. Although the town of Oak Knoll is recovering from the previous year's string of serial murders, this murder appears not to be connected in any way. Yet, there's no lack of suspects running around. Everyone loved Marissa, but clearly, someone wanted her dead.This was the first audiobook I've listened to that had the reader doing various 'voices' for the different characters. It got a little tiring, for me, as some of the voices sounded a little hokey--but when there's only one person doing ten or twelve voices, it's going to be challenging, I'm sure. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and was pleasantly surprised by the ending!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It begins in the fall of 1986, with a gruesome discovery. The body of the young artist Marissa Fordham is found, mutilated almost beyond recognition in her Oak Knoll home. The body of her four-year-old daughter, Haley, is nestled against her shoulder with barely a heartbeat. Haley survives, and with emotions still running high from the recent murders and attacks by the See-No-Evil killer, Oak Knoll begins a hunt for a murderer once again. Sheriff's Detective Tony Mendez, along with his mentor and former FBI profiler, Vince Leone, lead the investigation as Leone's wife, Anne, takes care of the traumatized Haley, who is both a victim and the only witness to her mother's murder.

    Fast-paced, filled with action, a troubled witness, and a strong law enforcement team. Readers appreciate the return to Oak Knoll with a twisting whodunit filled with misdirection.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very good. The kind of book that makes you want to take a peek ahead to see what is going to happen.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    was a really good book
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    this book will keep you on your toes until the very twisted ending .
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Read the second in this series. One again it was enjoyable. I'll wait to see if the newest one follows too many similar plot lines.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rather enjoying this new series from Hoag. Best she’s done in years.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This novel follows Deeper than the Dead—a novel which I have not read—and is set in 1986. After the detectives of this idyllic California town—well with the exception of a string of murders from a serial killer just a year earlier—discover the mutilated body of artist Marissa Fordham, they must dig deep into the woman’s background to find her killer, a search that involves some odd, deeply held secrets, which eventually led to her murder. Retired FBI profiler Vince Leone and detective Tony Mendez are tasked with uncovering these secrets and rattling enough people so that they give up information that they aren’t so willing to part with, a common theme in this novel. Basically every suspect/person who knew Marissa was not willing to give any meaningful information until they absolutely had to, which got a bit repetitive after a while.There was good suspense and drama in this novel. There was a good mystery component, and for the most part, the characters were well done. The novel had some good twists and turns and was very readable throughout. I did have some issues with the novel. First, there were some side plots that weren’t remotely interesting, such as the one following the son of the serial killer in the previous novel and Gina’s ordeal as she was trapped in a well and tried to get out. Also, I was supposed to believe that this legendary FBI profiler and hotshot detective were in stunned disbelief when the killer is revealed, yet I came to that conclusion about thirty chapters earlier. If they were so smart, shouldn’t they have figured this out much sooner? Anyway, this was a solid but unspectacular novel.Carl Alves – author of Conjesero
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Already in the midst of the See-No-Evil killer trial, the sleepy town of Oak Knoll is shocked when Marissa Fordham is brutally murdered. Detective Tony Mendez is perplexed by the slaying. The only witness to the crime, the victim's young daughter, implicates her own father. To assist him in the investigation, Tony calls on child advocate Anne Leone, who also happens to be the star witness in the See-No-Evil case.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I mostly enjoyed listening to this book. The mystery was pretty good, though I was pretty sure who did it about half-way through. I think what I didn't like the most was all the time spent on the feelings of the main characters for each other. It's a murder mystery, not a love story! Well anyway, that is what I was listening to it for. Also a surprising number of people naively make the worst choices possible. It's amazing how often that happens.There is a brutal murder of a local artist and an unsuccessful attempt on her 4 year old daughter who witnessed it. Everyone is shocked and no one can think of any reason for the heinous act. The more the police dig into the lives of those involved the more secrets come out and motives start to abound. When the artists friend disappears the stakes are raised.Decent book, good book to listen to on a commute to help pass the time and the miles.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Marissa Fordham had a past full of secrets, a present full of lies. Everyone knew of her, but no one knew her. When Marissa is found brutally murdered, with her young daughter, Haley, resting her head on her mother's bloody breast, she sends the idyllic California town of Oak Knoll into a tailspin. Already on edge with the upcoming trial of the See- No-Evil killer, residents are shocked by reports of the crime scene, which might not have been discovered for days had it not been for a chilling 911 call: a small child's voice saying, "My daddy hurt my mommy."My Thoughts:This is the second book in the ‘Oak Knoll’ series. I felt that I didn’t quite enjoy this book as much as I did the first one. My reason being is that the book hadn’t got the spark the first one did which is the passion between the hero and heroine.When I pick up a book by Tami Hoag, alongside with Karen Rose, Sandra Brown and Erica Spindler I know what I am going to get, a mystery with a romance. The hero and heroine will play cat and mouse with each other then finally there will be few sex scences. With this book being second in a series the hero and heroine are now married and there is no romance. The story was ok, just an average crime read, but I missed the romance. I did gues who the killer was towards the very end so that was a positive that I was kept guessing. Tami Hoag will always be an author I would seek out many times but enjoy the books more when there is a romance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Set in the 80s this is a complicated involved story about a murdered woman, her daughter who is injured alongside her and the investigation into that murder. The story also explores some of the issues around being born a psychopath and what creates psychopathy in some people. It's also about secrets and lies.I liked it, an interesting story that kept me reading but at the same time some of the myriad of characters started to blur a little in my head. I'm going to go back and read the first book in the sequence (though this one did contain spoilers for that one) and see if it makes it better for me. I may have missed a lot of the character setups from the first book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    OK, calling this book a fun read, or an entertaining one doesn't quite send the right message. It's a compelling mystery, with some great characters. It's also quite disturbing, deliberately so.Secrets to the Grave looks at several aspects of violence, starting with an extremely brutal murder of a young mother, and the attempted murder of her 4 year old child. Several other characters are brutally attacked, some characters are living with the results of previous violence-- some recent, some from childhood long past.I started to list all the characters I liked, but decided not to bother. The book is full of generally likable but interesting people. If Vince and Anne walk a little too close to the too good to be true line, they have enough personality and struggles to keep them worth reading about.The children are a large part of what makes the book interesting and disturbing. Disturbing, due to what 4 year old Haley has been through; disturbing, due to what 12 year old Dennis has done, and even more, what he'd like to do. Again, each is an intriguing character on their own (well, as much so as a realistic 4 year old can be), and they way they work into the events of the story builds on that.The supporting cast of police officers and suspects and other people of interest were varied in situation and personality. I admit to having some trouble keeping track of the names of some of the characters-- I think this is my weakness, and it is one that came back to bite me toward the end of the book. Until then, I could keep the characters straight by context, but a few references at the end left me with the sinking feeling that I wasn't quite sure who was being referred to. I'd recommend paying closer attention that I did to this aspect.Another detail of this story that interested me was the choice of setting it in the 1980s. I occasionally wondered if the only reason for this decision was to avoid computers and cell phones. Mostly, it didn't matter, but occasionally it seemed like the author was winking at the readers, about things we know or take for granted, but which weren't yet part of the lives of these characters. In addition, there were a couple of points where I was pulled out of my reading, wondering if this or that detail was authentic to the time period. Probably they were but it still disrupted my reading to think about it.If you like a violent but thoughtful mystery with well thought out characters, check out this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As usual with Tami Hoag's books this is a gripping thriller. It does refer occasionally to one of her earlier books but if you haven't read it, it doesn't really matter. The characters are old friends and you wonder just how much one of the feamle characters can cope with. It also has some warm and fuzzy times to contrast with the other parts of the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Tami Hoag takes us back to Oak Knoll, which is still reeling from the "See-No-Evil" serial killings and capture of the dentist responsible. Vince & Anne Leone as well as Det. Mendez are now involved in the murder of another resident and the attempted murder of her young 4 year old daughter Haley. You never know what lies beneath the beautiful exterior of a idealistic community and it's residents. And money or position in the community does not make the person or necessarily keep them from descending into madness or murder! The development & introduction of new characters and suspects in this book make it an entertaining and intriguing read.Anne & Vince Leone, Haley, Det. Mendez, Sara & Wendy Morgan these are some characters that developed further in this novel and in doing so, I am really looking forward to what happens next in Oak Knoll or wherever they go!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Continuing where Deeper Than the Dead ended, Secrets to the Grave sweeps you along from the first page to the very last page of the book. The "who done it?" in this book keeps you guessing until the very end.Anne is now married to Vince Leone, a profiler, and is still trying to cope with the nightmares she suffers through after Peter Crane's attempt on her life in the last book. Anne is now awaiting Crane's trial in the hope that it will help bring closure and peace to her life.Vince becomes involved in a case where a young female artist is found savagely murdered with her young four-year old daughter, Haley, left for dead by her side. Haley is taken to the hospital and Anne, who can readily identify with the fear Haley is experiencing, is called in to work with the traumatized little girl, and to hopefully find out the identity of the killer.Numerous sub-plots develop as the hunt to find the killer ensues.Note: Because this is the type of book you won't be able to set down after you begin, be sure you have an afternoon set aside for reading.Recommended read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The book will keep you guessing until the absolute surprising ending! Another 'can't put it down" book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fast paced follow up to Deeper Than the Dead. I thought the foreshadowing was a little more obvious in this book, but it was still a enjoyable read. I hope that Anne and Vince show up again!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    “Secrets To The Grave” takes place in 1986 not quite a year chronologically after “Deeper Than The Dead” where the trial of dentist Peter Crane is still in it’s infancy. The very brutal, very personal murder of Marissa Fordham a local artist happens in a community already rocked by the recent beastly See-No-Evil serial killer case. The killer did leave something though, he left Marissa’s 4yr old daughter Haley hanging on to life. Vince Leone and Tony Mendez (Deeper Than The Dead) start looking for suspects while Vince’s wife ex-school teacher Anne Navarre steps up to be Haley Fordham’s champion and advocate by offering to foster her.Get ready for one wild ride with this second in Ms. Hoag’s new series where she gives us an up close and personal account of what evil looks like without revealing the identity of the culprit and keeping her audience guessing until the end. She does it with one heck of a spell binding story that will keep your interest so much you’ll find it hard to put the novel down. She’ll do it with narrative that draws your emotions from deep right up to the surface where they threaten to boil over and with straight talking dialogue that yells cop speak with authority and authenticity. She’ll also do it with a cast of characters that those of you familiar with the first novel will come back and reacquaint themselves to you and some of which are new, and all of those characters will play they’re role to a tee, make their importance in the story felt and do it while making a lasting impression on the reader, they will also run the gamut from the mundane to the very bizarre. Her two main protagonists the Leones are quite a pair and even though a May/October romance seem to fit together well and compliment each other. Tony Mendez, her other protagonists is a cop’s cop, who takes diversity with a grain of salt and police work with a bull in a china store attitude. This isn’t a romance but there is the on going love story of Vince and Anne and it seems that in this episode Tony has his eye on a prize as well. And the love scenes are more implied than described.This novel will appeal to all genre lovers from mystery to thriller from romance to crime drama and will do it while the reader suffers heart palpitations, nail biting and edge of his/her seat excitement. If you love a great murder mystery and love the tight knitted community of a series get in on the ground floor of this one. Make a New Year’s Resolution you can commit to read “Secrets To The Grave”. It does very well on it’s own without the added bonus of being the second in a series, but my suggestion would be to learn all the whys and wherefores of the characters and the story line and read “Deeper Than The Dead” also.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book picks up about a year after Deeper than the Dead. While getting ready to go to trail of the See No Evil Killer the town and the police find themselves once again knee deep in murder. This time a woman has been found butcher with her 4 year old daughter laying on her barely alive. Who would do something like this? Vince, Anne and Mendez are back along with the rest of the police force. And then there are the new suspects. Like the first book, this one keeps you turning page after page trying to figure out who did it. And like the first book I found myself picking out someone only to change my mind and pick someone else as the killer. Tami Hoag keeps you guessing til the end. The people are still likable and I can't wait for the third installment to come out. My advice though is that you need to read these books in order.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    On the heels of finishing Deeper Than the Dead, I dived into the sequel, Secrets to the Grave. For those who aren't sticklers about reading series books in order, I would recommend you do so in this case. While Secrets to the Grave could be read as a stand alone (the author does a good job filling in the back story), there are significant characters and storylines that carry over.Secrets to the Grave opens with a grisly murder scene. A four year old girl is found barely alive next to her dead mother. Set a year after the first book in the micro-series, the physical and emotional wounds from the serial killings are still raw but on their way to healing. Then to have a respected up-and-coming artist brutally murdered and an attempt made on her young daughter's life, the small college community finds itself upside down again in grief. The nature of the crime points to a very personal kind of attack--someone who knew the victim. The local sheriff and his investigators don't hesitate to call in former FBI profiler Vince Leone to help. Anne's gift with children is put to its ultimate test when she reaches out to four year oldHaley, the only witness and survivor to the horrific crime. Anne must not only try and help Haley, but she must battle the wealthy godmother who wants custody of Haley. As a result, she is forced to sacrifice some of the time she was spending with a very disturbed 12 year old, who, save for her, the world has given up on. This brings about its own consequences.Tami Hoag has created a setting and characters that remind me of a cozy mystery--a small town with sometimes eccentric but always interesting characters--but make no mistake. These books are not cozies. They are at times dark and violent.Like with the first book in the series, there is a lot going on in Secrets to the Grave. The lives of the characters and their histories are tightly woven into the plot and subplots. I especially like the team aspect of the novel--that it isn't one person solving the crime, but rather a group of people, working together. The author also shows varying aspects of violent crime, including the emotional impact it has on a community as well as the individuals.I did like the first book slightly more than this second book. There were certain markers that were more obvious in Secrets to the Grave that led me to figure out who did what sooner. Even so, I enjoyed the novel and spending more time with the characters. There is more I would like to say about this second book, about its characters, but I don't want to give away too much or else I'll spoil the first book. Besides, I think you should find out for yourselves!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow! Another masterpiece by Tami Hoag! Secrets to the Grave, picks up a year after where Deeper Than The Dead left off. Once again, Hoag's readers are instantly transported to Oak Knoll, California where another murder has once again occurred. Tami Hoag brings us another roller coaster suspense novel. Secrets to the Grave is written in a wonderfully detailed style that brings the readers up to date on the murders happening in Oak Know, leaving the story perfect as a stand alone title, or a perfect continuation to Deep Than The Dead. Hoag brings back characters we met in book 1, along with some new characters that really grip the readers' souls. Secrets to the Grave is just as intense with the crime of murder as Deeper Than The Dead was, if not more so. Hoag's ability to create these stories so life like is absolutely powerful. I felt as if I, myself, was trying to escape the "bad daddy" killer. And when I wasn't felling the out-of-breath fear of running from a killer, I was feeling the deep, spine-tingling thrill of trying to figure out the cliff hangers and who-dun-its of this awesome novel. Yet another novel that deserves 5 stars. If you're an edge-of-your seat, always looking over your shoulder, white knuckle, gasping breath suspense lover, then look no further than Tami Hoag's work. She has a brilliant, masterful skill for writing heart stopping, blood pumping, murderous suspense that will leave you DYING for more! I can't wait until her next release!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Don't ever move to Oak Knoll. These people are the unluckiest group of people ever. This series needs to learn to expand its base and find more victims and suspects. Seems rather unfair that poor Anne Leone (nee Navaree) has been brutally attacked by 3 separate psychopaths in the last 2 books. And hasn't Sara Morgan been put through the wringer enough times already, not to mention her poor daughter Wendy? And not that he needs any pity but the hard-on that Mendez has for Steve Morgan - it was more comical than anything else. He must be guilty of something, right? The story was interesting. The ending wasn't too shocking. But I found it distracting how centralized all the victimization and potential victims were. I'm not sure I can go on to Book #3. I don't know that I, or Anne, can take anymore.