Title: Buried Secrets: Unraveling a Desert Murder

Author: Bluebell Mert

Genre:  Thriller

 

Buried Secrets is a gripping continuation of the Texas Murder series. This book follows Molly, Colleen, and Randy as they navigate their progressing family dynamics, as well as providing a fresh and riveting abduction case to continue intriguing readers.

This book could be read as a standalone for those who haven’t read the first installment, which does make this book accessible to more readers. However, it is beneficial to read the first installment to have a deeper understanding of the characters and their connections to each other.

Molly has great character development within Buried Secrets, where she grows into a mature and knowledgeable teenager, a strong friend, and an admirable daughter. Although not all characters will feel relatable, readers with teenage daughters will find they can relate to the relationship between Colleen and Molly quite well. From living with a stubborn teenager to having to be strong-willed when making decisions that said teenager may not be too happy with, the dialogue between mother and daughter comes across as both funny and authentic, adding warmth to the overall tone.

Similar to the first installment, there continues to be a small element of romance placed throughout with Colleen and Randy, allowing these two characters to feel more authentic to readers. Also, this allows readers to continue following their relationship progress from the first book, developing a connection between the reader and characters while adding a relatable side to the suspense-driven plot.

Buried Secrets contains a gripping plot line where readers may find they become invested in the story quickly and easily. The story contained isn’t drawn out or prolonged, allowing readers to get thrown into the crux of the story quickly and to maintain their engagement throughout.

Although Buried Secrets is an addictive short book, it could benefit from being longer and more in-depth in places. Doing so could create a deeper connection for readers within the case itself. Due to being quite short, some scenes can come across as too brief and not as impactful as they could have been on the reader if they were longer and went into more detail, specifically, in the case of Alice and what she endures.

A strong element to Buried Secrets is the setting. Readers may find that the setting is well described, especially from the point of view of both Alice and Sally. From the dog cage to the van, and seeing Buster’s mum, readers can visualize what the author is describing, allowing them to be drawn into the scenes and feel the emotions, tension, and fear that the characters are experiencing.

The chapters within the book flow well from one scene to the next and don’t feel overloaded with information to confuse the reader. The ending of this book is well written, providing answers to questions from the first installment of the series, and it rounded off the second story with satisfying closure.

Buried Secrets is a captivating and suspenseful second book of the Texas Murder series, which fans of the first book will enjoy. The book is packed with authentic characters, vivid settings, and a plot that grips from page one.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.