Review by sahmoun2778 -- Deadly Secrets

[sahmoun2778]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Deadly Secrets" by Robert Boris Riskin.]

[rbc=]id818-125[/rbc]Wanderman is wonderful! I more likeable character would be hard to find. This reluctant detective is someone I think most people can relate too. He wants to be helpful but sometimes finds himself bumbling around and getting into messes. This is not one of those hard-boiled, kick-ass, I'm always right kind of detectives. This guy could be your next door neighbor or maybe even your best friend. He is certainly Morty Adler's best friend and helping Morty is what this story is all about.

Jake Wanderman and Morty have been friends forever. One evening, Morty invites Jake to attend an art exhibit with him because his wife is out of town. Jake thinks something is up and sure enough he’s in for a surprise. It turns out that the artist is Morty’s daughter that he had abandoned when she was an infant and never told Jake about. During the opening of the exhibit the gallery has arranged for the artist and a celebrity chef to do a cooking demonstration together. But when Sarajane, the artist, realizes who the chef is she collapses in a faint and refuses to even speak to the man. Later that night Sarajane and her companion Margo return to the gallery to check on the exhibit and find Tony, the chef, stabbed to death. Sarajane is now the prime suspect and Morty begs for Jake’s help in proving her innocence. But before he can even start the girls take off for London. Jake follows and finds himself involved in a twisted series of events that will challenge both his physical and mental skills.

Jake arrives in London to check on the girls as Morty has requested and to try to convince them to return to the Hamptons. When he meets with them he discovers that Sarajane has a history with Tony and that Tony had cocaine with him at the gallery when he was killed and Margo took the cocaine with her when they returned to London. On top of that someone is following them. Jake finds the guy, who is following them because he wants to retrieve the cocaine for his bosses, and makes a deal with him to return it the next day. But just as he is about to turn the package over the man is murdered while Jake looks on. Now what? He decides to destroy the cocaine and continue his investigation into Tony’s murder. His enquiries take him to Paris to interview friends of Tony’s when he was a student. This line of questioning reveals Tony’s past as an alleged rapist and his involvement with another student who committed suicide. Jake’s investigation takes him back to London and then the Hamptons where he arranges for the girls to return for police questioning without facing charges. The girls have been cleared as suspects in Tony’s murder but someone is still trying to kill Jake. But no matter how hard they try Jake will not give up until he finds the truth. His quest takes him to the heart of a drug ring and unlocks family secrets.

Throughout this story Jake is also contending with grief after the death of his beloved wife and the awakening of feelings toward another woman. I think it is the way the author incorporates his emotional struggles into the story that made Jake such a sympathetic and likable character. You get the sense that here is someone who is working for a cause but at the same time facing issues that you the reader might also face.

I found the storyline here to be very interesting. The author throws in several twists and turns that I didn’t see coming but they all felt like they belonged and worked well together as a whole. The story is told in the 1st person and I did find the writing style I little bit repetitive at times; several sentences in a row all starting with “I” but I think the clever plot line made up for that. I would recommend this book especially if you like mystery and intrigue but want a change from the tough cop type character. I’m giving this book a 3 out of 4 stars and hope you will enjoy the story as much as I did.

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Deadly Secrets
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[Rafaella Michailidou]

Thank you very much for your review! I don't know if you make a spoiler of the book or the book is so vast that this description is just the beginning of the story.