This book was a very enjoyable read. The writing held my attention and there were some surprises. After Ella's grandfather dies, Ella who was urged to find a box in his house learns of the secret he kept for years. It's a secret that turns Ella's life upside-down. Ella dives deep into the mystery determined to expose the dark family secret, hidden for decades.

Set in Italy, there's action and suspense that starts from the off and is maintained throughout at a high level leading to an unexpected ending. The multi-layered characters are excellently drawn. It was wonderful getting lost in the author's descriptions of the Italian culture.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was a free Netgalley download. Thank you Krissy Baccaro & Netgalley.

Oh my word…..

I downloaded this when #2 Ella Perri mysteries popped up. Since I thought I had to read the first part for this continuation, I downloaded #1: Buried Secrets.

Firstly, the cover is misleading, I downloaded this from Netgalley, assuming this was a crime mystery, but nothing could be further from the truth; for me this book falls into the category of feel-good beach reading - a category I rarely read.
I could have been pleasantly surprised, but the opposite is true...
I did finish it, although I often had the urge to put it aside:
There is no character development, writing style is simple, the novel is abundant with unnatural dialogues and storylines. At the end of the book, one crazy storyline after another emerged, with completely unbelievable actions voiced by flat, annoying characters.

The book is no crime mystery, basically it is just about a well-kept family secret that is coming out. Should have been shorter, with less drama, and showing, instead of telling.
Besides, the two protagonists are naive, unbelievable and probably the silliest girls in Italy, and I didn’t like the fluffy romantic bit in the end.

I am sorry, but just 2.5 stars for me.

The description of Buried Secrets grabbed my attention so I immediately dived into the book and I loved it so much I devoured it in one sitting. It had enough suspense to keep me hooked and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my ARC.

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.

Synopsis: Buried Secrets is a suspenseful mystery with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the shocking ending.

Ella embarks on a dangerous quest for the truth about her family. A World War II diary and the 21st century collide as she 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 dark secret leads to another. Will Ella expose the family's secrets, forever altering their lives, or become part of a lie that's been carefully hidden for decades?

Ella will do anything to protect her family.

What a thrilling ride this book was! Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book!

This was almost a DNF book for me. While I liked he premise - a girl uncovering secrets about her grandfather after his passing through hidden letters and a trip to Italy, I found the writing to be juvenile and the whole book to be predictable. Not once did I forget I was reading a book. I didn’t feel myself getting lost or immersed in the story. Because Of this I found I couldn’t connect with the characters. I don’t believe it mentioned how old Ella was, but I’m assuming in her twenties, however the writing style reminded me more of someone who was twelve.
A miss for me.

Buried Secrets is perfect for escaping the world for a while. Interesting characters that feel like they could be the neighbour down the street you occasionally say Hello to. The plot keeps you intrigued, even if the ending is easy enough to predict. It's an enjoyable read.

This book was listed as a thriller, but it had so much romance! If you read/love romance, you would like this. I avoid romance novels, so It wasn't for me. The writing was good and so were the characters, but the story was not my cup of tea.

Let's see.....I am not a romance fan so perhaps this wasn't the book for me. For a book billed as suspense, there was a lot of romance included! That detracted from my enjoyment of the overall story. It also colored how I viewed the story. But, first off, I really did enjoy the mystery part of the book and I loved the descriptions of Italy. I would have liked more focus on the whole mystery part of the book with added detail and maybe a bit more critique. I have questions like why were Ella's grandfather's letter hidden in several different places? Why weren't they all in the same place, together? And how does Ella have access to both sides of the correspondence? I have other questions too but to ask would be a spoiler. And again, back to the romance. With the story told in two timelines, I pretty much could have done without the flashbacks to the past. They were all romance. And Ella's quickly serious romance when she ventures to Italy truly made this feel like a romance book with some mystery thrown in. I would recommend this book for romance enthusiasts who want to add a little mystery into their reading!

3.5 stars

Ella Perri found it hard to go on after the tragic death of her partner Jack, but her family was there to provide support. Ella is especially close to her maternal grandparents, Poppy and Nonna, who fled Mussolini's Italy over 70 years ago and settled in upstate New York. Ella is now ready to get on with her life, and is applying for hospital residencies to complete her medical training.

Ella's plans are put on temporary hold when a dying Poppy asks her to find a box hidden in his cottage. Poppy emphasizes that the box is very valuable to him, and warns Ella to 'watch who you trust..' Upon Poppy's passing, Ella locates the box, which contains a very old diary, photos, and a gun. Ella also finds letters to a woman named Gianna, written in the late 1930s. Finally, Ella discovers a letter from Poppy to herself, along with money, requesting that she go to Italy to find out more about Gianna.

Ella tells her family about the hidden correspondence, and about her plan to go to Italy. Ella's mother Gabriella, Uncle Luca and Aunt Lena, and Nonna claim to know nothing about Gianna, and STRONGLY discourage Ella from making the trip. But Ella insists on going, and makes arrangements to visit the places mentioned in the letters. Ella's best friend Jamie, who was very solicitous after Jack's death, decides to go along for moral support.

As soon as Ella and Jamie arrive at their first destination in southern Italy, a beautiful resort in Calabria, they're approached by an attractive Italian couple named Marco and Sophia.The duo appear eager to ingratiate themselves with the Americans, and seem to show up wherever the girls go. Ella and Jamie have been warned about criminals, and are wary of the intrusive couple.

The Americans follow their planned itinerary, visiting sites described in the missives; seeking out people Poppy knew; looking for newspaper stories about pre-war Italy; etc. Along the way, the girls visit a monastery in Tropea; go on a culinary walking tour of Ravagnese; drive along the Costa Degli Dei; peruse the Corso Garibaldi shopping district; visit the romantic fishing village of Scilla; explore a beautiful vineyard; dine on sea snails and swordfish in a restaurant on the Amalfi coast; and more.

Ella and Jamie also meet a tall dark handsome man named Nico, who offers to assist with their search. Ella is attracted to the charming Italian, but memories of Jack make her hesitate to get involved.

Eventually, Ella and Jamie learn that Gianna is at the center of a mystery that's haunted Poppy all his life. This revelation leads to additional discoveries, and Ella realizes her family has been hiding secrets for decades...secrets that someone might kill to protect.

This is a compelling atmospheric thriller in an attractive exotic setting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Krissy Baccaro for a copy of the book.

“There’s a box in the cottage. I want you to find it. Only you! Watch who you trust.” This is what Poppy tells Abriella on his deathbed. This excellent book goes on from there.
I loved the suspense and travel to Italy, her much loved grandfather’s birthplace. I don’t want to give anything away because I want you to love this book as much as I have. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC for my honest review.

Buried Secrets by Krissy Baccaro. BooksGoSocial, 2021
Ella is a physician about to start a residency who makes the deathbed promise to her beloved grandfather to find and review some hidden documents, then visit his birthplace in Italy to clear his name, if needed. Still suffering grief and guilt over the loss of her partner, Jack, Ella is supported by her extended family, including her mother and sister, grandmother and granduncle and her best friend Jamie, a new lawyer just starting her career.

This story has a great plot supported by an intriguing, and - at least for me – very original sequence of events, particularly as Ella discovers her grandfather’s secrets. Settings, particularly descriptions of the Italian countryside made me want to travel there again.

I understand this book to be the first of a series and perhaps later works will fill in some of the gaps and in particular, develop characters more fully. I found pervasive inconsistent behaviour distracting and disappointing. Neither Ella nor Jamie rang true for me as newly (I’m assuming) graduated professionals; both struck me as too immature to have recently completed a rigorous, lengthy course of study. Between Jamie’s smirking and Ella’s suboptimal judgement, driving-related among other things, I was unable to warm to either of them. It is important to me to like at least some of the characters.

That said, I was immediately engaged in the story and finished it the same day.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Buried Secrets for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #BuriedSecrets #NetGalley

Overall this book was very enjoyable. The writing kept me hooked and interested. The characters are just like people you would meet on the street, the dynamics a little off, but overall, not someone you mind chatting with. The book moves very quickly. I was able to guess the ending for the most part, with only a some surprises. I had to re-read the last two chapters a few times because the first time through I thought I missed something, so if you are going to read this, pay a little more attention in those chapters.

After Ella's Poppy dies, and instructs her to find a box in his house, Ella learns of the secret her Poppy has kept for years. A secret that turns Ella's life upside-down. Her Poppy's last piece of advice, don't trust anyone. Ella dives deep into the mystery determined to expose the dark family secret, hidden for decades.

Most of the time this book was fairly fast paced, the solution a little too convenient, and quite a few mysteries still left unsolved. I would most likely recommend this book for someone who enjoys a good mystery. And I will be on the look out for the next book in this series.