A Masterclass in Small-Town Suspense and Familial Decay
Debra Webb’s Secrets You Can’t Keep is a richly layered and psychologically astute thriller that demonstrates the author's mastery of the genre. Set against the seemingly tranquil backdrop of Fayetteville, Tennessee, the novel weaves together a brutal mass murder with a suspicious domestic death, using both to dissect the dark underbelly of wealth, loyalty, and the corrosive nature of secrets. More than a simple police procedural, this is a profound exploration of how the past infects the present and how the most dangerous truths are often hidden within the family.

Deconstructing the Narrative: A Tale of Two Tragedies
The novel operates on a sophisticated dual-plot structure, a narrative choice that elevates it beyond a standard mystery.

The Wilton Massacre: The story opens with a scene of shocking brutality. Valeri Erwin, the personal assistant to a reclusive tech billionaire, discovers a gruesome tableau at a remote cabin: four bodies, including her employer, Thomas Wilton, and his new wife, Alicia. The scene is a chaotic mix of sex, drugs, and violence, immediately plunging the reader and the authorities into a high-stakes investigation. This plotline is the engine of the novel, a classic whodunit rich with potential suspects—from a scorned ex-lover to a quartet of loyal-but-slighted staff members, all of whom stand to inherit millions.

The Fall of Jackie Andrews: Running parallel to the main investigation is a quieter, but no less sinister, family drama. Vera Boyett, the novel’s sharp-witted protagonist and a criminal analyst consulting for the sheriff's department, is called to the home of her sister, Luna. Luna's formidable mother-in-law, Jackie Andrews, lies dead at the foot of the stairs. While initially appearing to be a tragic accident, inconsistencies at the scene and Luna’s unnervingly detached behavior plant seeds of doubt.

Webb’s genius lies in how these two plots mirror and inform one another. The Wilton case explores secrets born of immense wealth and corporate power, while the Andrews case delves into the intimate, suffocating secrets of a family unit. Both tragedies force the characters—and the reader—to question the nature of loyalty, the price of silence, and the violent potential lurking beneath civilized facades. The pacing is masterful; Webb skillfully alternates between the high-profile, evidence-driven Wilton investigation and the tense, psychologically-driven mystery of Jackie’s death, ensuring that suspense is maintained on multiple fronts.

Character Deep Dive: The Investigators, the Victims, and the Suspects
Webb populates her novel with deeply flawed, compelling, and realistic characters.

Vera Boyett: As the central protagonist, Vera is a formidable force. A former big-city cop who has returned to her small hometown, she brings a sharp, analytical mind to her work. Yet, she is haunted by her own family’s dark past, particularly the secrets surrounding her mother. This personal history gives her a unique, empathetic lens through which she views the crimes, allowing her to see the emotional undercurrents that others might miss. Her relationship with Sheriff Gray Benton is a highlight—a mature, supportive partnership built on mutual respect that provides a stable emotional core amidst the chaos.

The Wilton Household: The cast of suspects in the Wilton murder is a brilliant study in complex motivations.

Alicia Wilton: The young, beautiful second wife is the sole survivor, found comatose at the scene. Is she the final victim or the architect of the massacre? Her pregnancy and the discovery of a past lover, Seth Parson (also a victim), create a tangled web of possibilities.

The Staff (Valeri, Helen, Jose, and Renata): Each of the four main staff members is devoted to the late Thomas Wilton but harbors resentment towards his new wife. More importantly, each is named as a major beneficiary in his will, giving them a powerful motive. Webb excels at portraying their shifting alliances and the palpable fear that binds them together as the investigation closes in. Valeri Erwin, in particular, is a standout character—a manipulative, ambitious woman whose own secrets prove to be a crucial key to the entire mystery.

The Andrews Family: Luna, Vera's sister, is a portrait of a woman under immense psychological pressure. Her strange reaction to her mother-in-law's death—a lack of emotion coupled with inconsistent statements—makes her an unreliable narrator of her own story. The deceased Jackie Andrews looms large over the narrative, a woman whose controlling and cruel nature created deep fractures within her family, leading to a tragic, and perhaps inevitable, end.

Thematic Exploration: The Weight of What Goes Unsaid
The title, Secrets You Can’t Keep, is the central thesis of the novel. Webb meticulously explores this theme across every plotline:

Financial and Romantic Secrets: The Wilton case is driven by hidden affairs, fraudulent charities (Quantum Leap), and drastic, last-minute changes to a multi-million-dollar will. It’s a powerful commentary on how money and passion can create a lethal cocktail of greed and betrayal.

Familial Secrets: The Andrews plot is a more intimate exploration of this theme. It examines the quiet resentments, unspoken cruelties, and long-buried grievances that can fester within a family until they erupt in violence.

The Facade of Small-Town Life: Fayetteville is presented as a typical Southern town where everyone knows everyone else’s business—or so they think. Webb masterfully uses this setting to show how easy it is to maintain a public facade while hiding a dark private reality. The Wilton estate, a fortress of privacy, and the seemingly perfect Andrews home both become symbols of this duality.

Conclusion: A Superior Thriller
Secrets You Can’t Keep is a superior thriller that succeeds on every level. The plotting is intricate and intelligent, the characters are psychologically complex, and the atmosphere is thick with suspense. Debra Webb has crafted a novel that is both a gripping page-turner and a thoughtful examination of the dark side of human nature. It is a testament to her skill that she can balance two compelling mysteries, imbuing both with emotional weight and a relentless sense of dread. For readers who crave a thriller with both brains and heart, this novel is an absolute must-read.

I have been seeing this author everywhere for quite a while and I can now see why! I can’t believe it took me so long to give her a try, this book was GREAT. Definitely someone I will be adding to my regular list of authors

An excellent police procedural about two murder cases, with underlying themes about family, relationships and recovering from childhood trauma.. The book reminded me a bit of Karin Slaughter's Will Trent series but with a slower pace. The satisfying ending wrapped up both cases and tied a bow on the main character's personal relationship. Told from the perspectives of a criminal consultant and a Sheriff and set in a small town, this is Book 3 in a new series but can be read as a standalone.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. It kept my interest the entire time and I did not guess what had actually happened. I hadn’t read the first two books in the series and while it was fine, I feel like reading the first two books would have been helpful for the background info. My plan is to now go and read the first two books.

I will say it was also nice to read a book where the main female character is not completely helpless and was able to solve things on her own/wasn’t waiting for the man to figure everything out.

This one the third book in the series. I have to say each book gets better and better. This book had so many twists and turns,I definitely enjoyed it

A great addition to the series! I have enjoyed many of Debra Webb’s novels and Secrets You Can’t Keep is no exception. While I was not entirely shocked at the big reveal, I did enjoy the journey and was surprised along the way.

I found this plot has twists and turns keeping one on the edge of their chair.
It was well written from cover to cover..Bent and Vera uncovered disturbing secrets
In trying to solve the murders. A must read by this author, and I recommend it.
Thanks to Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer.

Wow such a brilliant page turner I am a fan of this author as this is not my first she writes so well and I love how she puts paper to pen, bringing the character to like the storyline together to give you that twist that keeps on twisting after every page



A cabin in the woods. Three dead, one in critical condition. Property owned by not just any Tennessee local, but one of the richest men in the country.

Vera Boyett isn’t quite sure what it means. But that’s why Sheriff Gray “Bent” Benton called her: to figure it out. Criminal analysis is what she does best. Even when the town is in panicked shambles, even when the case is more delicate than most…and even when it’s not the only case on her plate.

Vera’s family is caught in a deadly mess of its own. And while her pregnant sister seems an unlikely culprit, each new detail seems to point to her guilt. Desperate to protect her, Vera vows to find out what really happened.

As evidence emerges in both cases, Vera and Bent work to unravel a dangerous web of secrets to get to the truth. But their investigations reveal more than they ever expected…

Sheriff Benton or Bent as he is known to his friends and department profiler/lover Vera Boyette, is called to the scene of a crime in a Tennessee town at the cabin of billionaire Thomas Wilton and finds a brutal, triple homocide and nothing short of carnage that has left only has new wife surviving in a coma. Everyone surrounding the billionaire has motive, including his entire staff and his hated wife. Bent and Vera, who is entangled in some major family drama of her own, must unweave the web of lies in this twisty thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover. A must read for fans of crime novels and psychological thrillers. Thank you, Thomas & Mercer Publishing for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

5/5 ⭐️ ARC - NetGalley

Loved this so much ! I never thought I’d be that into a murder muster, but I am pleasantly surprised !

Bent, Vera, Alicia, Luna, such great characters - the dynamic between Bent and Vera was so entertaining and kept you wanting more, working together and having their cute little moments
Alicia - pulling through against all odds !

I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who did it the whole way through, which is amazing as I normally figure things out within a storyline pretty quick.

Would definitely read more by this author!

Secrets You Can't Keep by Debry Webb, published by Thomas & Mercer is the latest masterpiece from one of my very few fav authors. Book three in the Vera Boyett Series, the novel is a stand alone, but there are cross-overs to previous books in the series.
Vera just barely survived the last case and is recuperating in her hometown Fayetteville. But evil never sleeps and soon the profiler is called to help investigate the latest gruesome multi-murder case.
To make matters worse another dead body is found in the home of her pregnant sister. So make it five from the start. Phew.
Her trusted and beloved kind of sidekick and boyfriend, Sheriff Gray Benton leans on her, but gives a helping hand too. This couple is unstoppable, literally.
I sarted reading and soon I was unable to put the book down, I just Had to know what happens, who did what and Who did it. And I guessed wrong more than one time. Twisty, suspenseful, full of unexpected turns til the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this gem.

This book hooked me from the beginning! I wanted to know the whole story immediately. Vera is a criminal analysis while Bent is the sheriff. They are on a mission to solve not one but two separate murders investigations. There were so many twists and turns where I really wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Even some chapter cliffhangers had me on the edge of my seat. I loved Vera’s and Bent’s working relationship as well as watching them grow closer together as time went on. Out of both murder investigations I was really hooked on Vera’’s sisters mother in law’s case. I truly wasn’t sure how that one was going to play out. I felt Vera was a strong character and I loved how she was able to trust her instincts and want to protect her pregnant sister.

Now there were times where I felt some chapters got repetitive or even felt too detailed. I felt like I was going in circles trying to piece the story together where I got kinda confused on my theories and the characters theories. So it was hard for me to keep all the facts straight. Then once I finally got to the end it was wrapped up into the last 10%-15% of the book. I just wanted it dragged out a little more for a thriller. But I truly enjoyed this thriller and it kept me on my toes!

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an arc of this book!

Four bodies are found in a cabin. Upon first glance, it appears to be a party gone wrong. However, after discovering that one of the supposed victims might have survived, the picture gets messier.

In another part of town, family drama involving one of the Boyett sisters takes a twisted turn resulting in tragedy.

Caught in the middle of both is criminal analyst Vera Boyett. Can she help Sheriff Benton solve his triple homicide while also clearing her sister’s name?

I love a good crime thriller, and this one delivered on everything: conspiracies, red herrings, twists, and even a little romance.

Overall, a good read! This was my first introduction to the Vera Boyett series and I’ll be going back to read the others!

This talented au5or has written a page turner. Mysterious and suspenseful with red herrings to confuse the reader as to the outcome. Realistic characters keep the story moving quickly. Family and friends…love and romance…murder and mayhem…the recipe for a whodunit. Enjoy this book. Thanks Netgalley

A cabin in the woods. Three dead, one in critical condition. Property owned by not just any Tennessee local, but one of the richest men in the country. Vera Boyett isn’t quite sure what it means. But that’s why Sheriff Gray “Bent” Benton called her: to figure it out. Criminal analysis is what she does best. Even when the town is in panicked shambles, even when the case is more delicate than most…and even when it’s not the only case on her plate! Great read! This book had thrilling suspense , murder, mystery, intrigue, action, and a few shocking twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!