SECRETS TO THE GRAVE by Tami Hoag
When proficient author Tami Hoag wrote her last novel DEEPER THAN THE DEAD she set it in California in 1986. This was before DNA testing had become common and before all manner of information was available through Internet services. This allowed the story to take place on the cusp of all the breakthroughs in crime solving that were about to start. The place, time and characters proved to be so popular that Hoag has included all of that in her new novel SECRETS TO THE GRAVE.
In this story school teacher Anne Navarre and FBI profiler Vince Leone are now married. Anne has given up her teaching position to become a Child Advocate and to work on a degree in child psychology. She is also slated to be the star witness in the “See-No-Evil” trial that is forthcoming. The “See No Evil” crimes were the main plot device in the earlier book.
SECRETS starts off with another brutal murder. Artist Marissa Fordham is stabbed and mutilated in front of her four year old daughter Haley. Haley is left for dead lying on her dead mother’s body. Tony Menendez draws the case and soon has an abundance of suspects. Before collapsing Haley had dialed 911 and reported that “daddy hurt my mommy.” The problem is no one knows who Haley’s father is.
Anne is immediately drawn to Haley, and both she and Vince are dedicated to protecting her. Meanwhile a key witness disappears and so a second murder possibility has arisen. Plus Anne is counseling Dennis Farman, a third grader who tried to kill another child in the previous book. Dennis’ bizarre behavior causes complications in this second book.
All of this plot detail sounds complicated, but it isn’t. Hoag writes with such assuredness and manages the details in such a clever way that the story is always direct and never confusing. For those who read the previous book the characters are well known and this is just a reconnection with them.
This novel has it all from a brutal murder and subsequent investigation, to a study of a child with severe psychological problems, to a sweet romance between Vince and Anne. From the police investigation to the saving of a child, compassion is the underlying theme throughout the book.
If you like tense mysteries then you will definitely want to read this book. If you like tender love stories then you will definitely want to read this book. If you like books set in a time when technology didn't do most of the crime solving then you will want to read this book. And there are many, many more reasons you will want to read this book, the paramount one being it is just good reading entertainment.
If this book is as successful as it should be I think we can look forward to more stories about Vince and Anne set in 1986. I certainly hope so.
SECRETS TO THE GRAVE is published by Dutton. It contains 464 pages and sells for $26.95.