Abducted. Trapped. Hunted. Grace Benson must find a way out… or die trying.
After her harrowing escape from a kill order, Grace thought she’d return to a normal life, only to be abducted from her home.
Meanwhile, FBI investigations into the murders of a congressman and his staff uncover a shocking link to Grace's abduction, threatening international stability.
Desperate to survive, Grace allies with an unlikely partner—a child who knows the bunker's secrets—but as they navigate the treacherous tunnel system, a misplaced step echoes through the corridors, alerting a deranged captor who now closes in, gun in hand.
If you like Alex Cross, Gabriel Allon, you will like this unpredictable, fast-paced suspense thriller.
Abducted. Trapped. Hunted. Grace Benson must find a way out… or die trying.
After her harrowing escape from a kill order, Grace thought she’d return to a normal life, only to be abducted from her home.
Meanwhile, FBI investigations into the murders of a congressman and his staff uncover a shocking link to Grace's abduction, threatening international stability.
Desperate to survive, Grace allies with an unlikely partner—a child who knows the bunker's secrets—but as they navigate the treacherous tunnel system, a misplaced step echoes through the corridors, alerting a deranged captor who now closes in, gun in hand.
If you like Alex Cross, Gabriel Allon, you will like this unpredictable, fast-paced suspense thriller.
Wednesday morning
Connor
As usual, Connor Murray went downstairs to the restaurant to help his wife, Lorraine, set up for the day bright and early. Lorraine’s Kitchen didn’t open until 10:00 a.m., but they needed to do a lot of prep work first. He’d made sure Sean, their ten-year-old son, was up and ready for school before heading downstairs. His family, along with his in-laws, Max and Kate Warner, all lived in the quarters above the restaurant, a perk of being part of the Marino household. Of course, they weren’t related to the Marinos, but Max had been with the family for decades as the majordomo. Max’s father had also been the Marinos’ head butler.
“Morning, Connor.” Kate joined them in the kitchen. Max had likely gone over to the main house to start his day. Kate always helped out, either in the kitchen or out front.
“Morning, Kate.” Connor flashed her a smile as he began chopping vegetables while Lorraine bustled around, organizing the ingredients and ensuring everything was in its place.
“Here, Sean, your lunch.” Lorraine held out his lunch pack.
The boy grabbed it and dashed off with a quick “Thanks, Mom!”
His chest swelling, Connor watched his son walk out the door. Turning back to his task, he focused on the steady rhythm of chopping, the sound oddly soothing.
While prepping her kitchen, Lorraine asked, “What do you think of the new priest?”
“Fr. Jeremy? He’s young, but he seems nice.” Kate handed Connor a bowl of freshly washed tomatoes.
Fr. Jeremy seemed about Connor’s age, late thirties or early forties, but then Kate still called them kids. “Does that mean Fr. Phil is finally retiring? He’s talked about it for a while.”
“Seems like it.” Lorraine arranged the tomatoes on a platter. “Fr. Jeremy’s homily was good, though. Fresh perspective.”
Connor nodded, thinking about last Sunday Mass. “Yeah, he is good. Brings a different energy.”
He headed out to the dining room to set the tables. The morning light streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the neatly arranged room. This quiet time before the rush, the calm before the storm, was always a blessing.
“Hey, you guys open yet?” A voice hollered from outside the side door.
This happened once in a while. People didn’t want to go out front to check the opening hours. Connor headed to the side door and peered out. The person he saw brought him back to that fateful day.
Dad looked him in the eye through the mirror and mouthed, “Run!”
The man turned and looked into his eyes.
In an instant, his heart raced, his hands clammy. He managed to mutter, “We’re open at ten.”
She’s baaaack. Fresh off her last high octane suspense thriller, Tangled Secrets, S.F. Baumgartner keeps the action humming and hearts pounding in her newest thriller, Hidden Secrets. It’s the fourth book in Baumgartner’s Mirror Estates series.
After her harrowing escape from a kill order, Grace Benson thought she’d return to a normal life, only to be abducted from her home and held in a secret bunker. When a U.S. congressman is murdered, the FBI uncovers a link to Grace’s abduction that threatens international stability.
Desperate to survive, Grace allies with an unlikely partner—a precocious ten year-old who knows the bunker's secrets. But as Grace and Sean navigate the treacherous tunnel system at Mirror Estates, a misplaced step echoes through the corridors, alerting a deranged captor who now closes in, gun in hand.
Meanwhile, questions swirl like fog through an autumnal forest. Like, who is “Moneyman”? Does he and the Perez fam have any connection to Grace’s abduction? If so, what? And perhaps more importantly, why? And what’s up with Spain, Interpol, and MI6?
As crisp as a pile of autumn leaves ready for a bonfire, the writing propels a taut plot that hums with suspense as a high stakes game of cat-and-mouse unfolds. Indeed, Hidden Secrets is another adrenalin rush with more plot twists than San Francisco’s Lombard Street. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going it was: “Nope! U-Turn!”
Note that there’s a lot going on in this novel. The story moves along lickety-split. So you’d best be on your toes and pay attention. It includes credible dialogue and careful attention to details so story arcs make sense. Additionally, rich descriptions of building interiors, clothing, food, characters, the weather and such make readers feel like they’re right in the thick of things.
The action covers a wide variety of locales, settings, and sites. These include the Mirror Estates chapel, an FBI task force office, the Marino Hotel, and a fine art gallery. A door with strange codes, tunnels, a tattoo, and a “twofer.” There’s also a Mexican crime cartel headed by the powerful Perez family. Treasures. Lots more!
Sections in which the action involves a specific character are highlighted with the character’s name in bold. A Relationship Chart is included to help you keep track of characters and backgrounds. Also included are recaps for the prequel, Buried Secrets, as well as the other books in the series, Living Secrets, Forgotten Secrets, and Tangled Secrets, so you don’t get lost. Familiarity with prior books in the series is helpful but not required. You can read Hidden Secrets as a stand-alone.
Scene stealers: Cedric and Ronnie, Aussie sheep dogs extraordinaire.
Clocking in at over 350 pages (Kindle version), Hidden Secrets is a prodigious read. But it doesn’t feel like it. The plot is briskly paced, structurally sound, and features an eclectic blend of action and intrigue that’s gently faith-flavored. It glides seamlessly between chapters, events, and back-stories with aplomb. It would make a good movie. Oh yeah!
Tip (throwin’ this in for free): Don’t start Hidden Secrets late at night. If you do, it will have you turning pages into the wee hours! I couldn’t put it down!