Mystery, adventure, romance, family....this book has so much to offer.

I was drawn in from the start. When I first started the book, I thought I knew where it was going. I was so wrong. Then I thought I had the mystery figured out. Wrong again! This book took me on a journey with multiple surprises.

It was different, which gives it bonus points. The romance was a realistic slow burn. I was totally absorbed in the story, and the world that was built.

Tallie has been brought up in a most peculiar way, with the result that by age 22, she holds two masters' degrees, has lived in almost as many different places (and countries) as she is years old, has excellent shooting, tracking and other similar skills, and is utterly socially inept and isolated, having had little contact with anyone but her mother Julia - and that very limited and cold. When Julia dies suddenly, leaving dangerous secrets behind, Tallie is left with a choice: to disappear and take on a new identity as she has done so many times before, or to visit a town called Cutler's Ridge in search of answers, whatever might await her. On her arrival, the secrets do not prove easy to unearth, and a plane crash not only adds to her questions, but introduces Jackson, a young reporter in desperate need of redemption and chasing an important story connected with the plane - and maybe, it seems, with Tallie. Will they each find the answers to the secrets they are investigating? And is it really true that some secrets are best left as secrets?

Wow! I took a little while to get into this, probably largely due to the nature of the story, where so much is hidden - but once I got into Tallie's story, I found it very hard to put down (though also at times impossible not to put down for a minute to think about what's going on). The writing is good, and the suspense/mystery are managed well, with information being revealed gradually but comprehensively. I really felt for almost all of the characters as they and the story unfolded/developed, but particularly (naturally) Tallie and Jackson. Tragic and yet redemptive, the book is definitely not a light read, but is clean and satisfying. Of course, though I call it satisfying, I'd still really love to see more of what Tallie makes of her life after this - a sequel? All in all, highly recommended - but read it when you have plenty of spare time, or you may find you don't get things done!

Note that I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my considered opinion of the book.

I discovered this author earlier this year and have read one book after another because I like her so much! She has a great writing style and good character development. The other books were romance but this one only had a little romance developing at the end.

I didn't give this book 5 stars because it was a little slow for me in the beginning. I also found a few things a bit too much--both of the main characters had physiological reactions like "hair on his arm stood on end" or hands or legs were "shaking" or "hackles rising" or "trembling" etc. too much. Normally readers don't need that to be spelled out too bluntly. Maybe she wanted the have readers feel that way so she suggests the characters feel it? Most seasoned journalists or individuals (that grew up without a lot of emotional connection) have a way of repressing emotional reactions like these, so it seemed contrived.

Additionally, I also thought the story would have been better if it had develop over months, rather than days (real relationships do take time to form and would have made it more believable) and the author seems to compress time in most of her books, not sure why.

To sum up: this book is a mystery with lots of interesting twists and turns. I highly recommend it!

"Tallie Brown's life has never made sense. Raised in isolation by her mother, Julia, Tallie was dragged suddenly and without explanation from one third-world outpost to another until life normalized seven years ago when Julia took a position on a mountaintop in the Pacific northwest. But when Julia unexpectedly dies, Tallie uncovers clues suggesting that Julia had a secret life.

Journalistic phenom Jackson James is still recovering from the devastating mistake that flatlined his promising career. Now he's paying the price, working as the editor of a syrupy community rag in a posh D.C. suburb. But when the very man who destroyed him drops a tantalizing lead about a potential D.C. scandal, the reporter sees his chance for redemption and sets off to chase the story.

Jackson's investigation leads him to Cutler's Ridge, a dying Virginia coal town, and directly into the path of the mysterious and beautiful Tallie. As these two mistrustful loners follow their leads, their stories begin to intertwine until they reach an alarming conclusion something terrible happened in Cutler's Ridge. As they doggedly pursue the story, the town's cold reception spirals into threats and danger, proving that there are those who will stop at nothing to keep the past hidden forever because secrets never die."

Oh, the "something terrible happened in Cutler's Ridge" is the hook of this book!

WOW, I could not put this book down! The author has such a way with words that I felt myself right there in the thick of things. Feelings of anxiousness, compassion, enlightenment, frustration, heartbreak with tears, irritation, relief, and suspense were all felt while reading this book. I highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for providing the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Secrets Never Die by author Laurie Lewis is a great thrill of a novel! Releases in July 2019 and not to be missed!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

WOW! This is a very well written book. It is full of twists and turns and keeps you turning pages to see what happens next. It has suspense, drama and action; it will keep reading way past bedtime. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Covenant Communications via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

All I can say about this book is just Wow! What an awesome book! Absolutely one of the best suspense books I have read. The book follows Tallie Brown from a mountain top in the state of Washington to a town in the East. When her Mother dies unexpectedly she leaves Tallie a letter telling her that she can make a new life for herself or go to Cutler’s Ridge and dig up the past. There she meets Jackson, a newspaper reporter who is in search of a story that will redeem his mistakes. Tallie is on a search to find out who her Father is. Together they team up to find the secrets of the past. There are so many twists and turns in this puzzle that it will keep you guessing throughout the book. It grabbed me on the first page and didn’t let go. This is the first book in a very long time that has kept me up late to finish reading it. I highly recommend this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest review.