"House of Secrets" Book Review

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
House of Secrets
Bethany House (October 1, 2011)
by
Tracie Peterson



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 85 novels.

She received her first book contract in November, 1992 and saw A Place To Belong published in February 1993 with Barbour Publishings' Heartsong Presents. She wrote exclusively with Heartsong for the next two years, receiving their readership's vote for Favorite Author of the Year for three years in a row.

In December, 1995 she signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers to co-write a series with author Judith Pella. Tracie now writes exclusively for Bethany House Publishers.

She teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research.

Tracie was awarded the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for 2007 Inspirational Fiction and her books have won numerous awards for favorite books in a variety of contests.

Making her home in Montana, this Kansas native enjoys spending time with family--especially her three grandchildren--Rainy, Fox and Max. She's active in her church as the Director of Women's Ministries, coordinates a yearly writer's retreat for published authors, and travels, as time permits, to research her books.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When her father orchestrates a surprise trip to the summer house of her childhood, Bailee Cooper is unprepared for what follows. What is intended to be a happy reunion for Bailee and her sisters, Geena and Piper, quickly becomes shrouded by memories from the past.

Together again, the three sisters sift through their recollections of fifteen years ago...of an ill mother, and of their father making a desperate choice. They vowed, as children, to be silent--but one sister believes the truth must now be revealed. Yet can they trust their memories?

Mark Delahunt arrives in the wake of this emotional turmoil. Determined to win Bailee's affection, Mark becomes the strong fortress for her in this time of confusion, and what was once a tentative promise begins to take root and grow. Caught between the past and an uncertain future, can Bailee let God guide her to heal the past and ultimately to embrace love?

If you would like to read the first chapter of House of Secrets, go HERE.

MY REVIEW:

Tracie Peterson is known for her historical fiction, but I was curious to see what a contemporary fiction from her would be like. Well, let's just say that when it comes to women's fiction she doesn't hold back. We jump right into a family dealing with long held secrets that are about to come out. Bailee, Geena and Piper are heading back to the summer home they haven't been to in 15 years, since their mother died. They saw the events leading up to her death and have kept quiet all these years that they know their dad is the one who killed her. They have decided that it is time to find out why. They don't realize that it is just the beginning of all the secrets their family has been hiding. Abandonment issues, mental disorders, paranoia and so much more are uncovered and Bailee starts to understand why she won't commit to a relationship and why she feels so protective of her younger sisters. This is a pretty heavy book coming from Tracie Peterson but she is really good at women's fiction - not afraid to pull any punches or deal with the hard issues. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here.