House of Secrets: A Shandra Covington Mystery

I really enjoyed this book. Though the writer is LDS, it's simply a good, clean, mystery that will appeal to a broad audience. The characters draw you in, the plot is original, and it is certainly not predictable. If you think you have the ending pegged a couple chapters in, be certain that you are wrong. Make sure you leave yourself a good chunk of time to read as it's very hard to put down.

Yesterday I started listening to this book, abridged on cd. WOW. I listened to all 4 cds - about 5 hours worth in one day. I found myself sitting in the dark, in my kitchen, listening at 11pm because I couldn't go to bed until I knew if Shandra would be safe. The back of the book reads: "Shandra Covington simply assumed her grandmothers' house was sold after her grandmother hastily moved in with Shandra and her mother two decades ago. Yet, here it was, deeded to Shandra in her grandmother's will. Shandra, single, aggressive, and an accomplished journalist, has tender memories of the time spent as a young girl in the old house on the hill, and her curiosity and sentimentality lead her to a final visit to the forgotten home. What she discovers shocks Shandra to her very core. Not only is the house still filled with her grandmother's old belongings, but there is also a body, long since dead, and covered with the same thick layer of dust as the rest of the items in the house. Returning with the sheriff and his handsome deputy, Clay, they find the body missing. In its place is another body--this one dead less than 12 hours. And all evidence points to Shandra. Desperate to clear her name and uncover the truth behind these troubling mysteries, Shandra puts her journalistic training to use. Between the reluctant townspeople, ominous warnings, and physical threats, Shandra learns the truth, little by little--knowing full well that someone is determined to keep old secrets buried, even it means burying Shandra as well . . . " This is an excellent book - Jeffrey Savage really knows how to write! I found myself lost in the story and quite caught up in it. There are lots of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. Jeffrey Savage - if you are reading this - get back to work! We need more of your books! (grin) Honestly, I was surprised by how much I liked it. And if you end up finding it on CD the reader is excellent as well. There is no bad language in this book, no one does anything more than briefly kiss, and there are no grisly death descriptions. Your family could read/listen to this one and enjoy it with you. There is reference to a young girl being hurt by a family member, it uses the word pedophile, and it mentions that a young girl & her mother are battered by a relative. These were all done in a very non-graphic way, but I want the reader to know that they are there. (If the kids are listening with you sometimes being prepared to have an answer about something helps.) This book has strong female characters and an enjoyable main character. Give Shandra Covington and her House of Secrets a try - I really think you'll like it!