The Family Secret (The O'Connells #9) by Lorhainne Eckhart
"Lorhainne Eckhart is one of my go to authors when I want a guaranteed good book. So many twists and turns, but also so much love and such a strong sense of family." (Lora W., Reviewer)
"New York Times & USA Today bestseller Lorhainne Eckhart writes Raw Relatable Real Romance is best known for writing big family romances series, where "Morals and family are running themes. Danger, romance, and a drive to do what is right will see you glued to the page." As one fan calls her, she is the "Queen of the family saga." (aherman) writing "the ups and downs of what goes on within a family but also with some suspense, angst and of course a bit of romance thrown in for good measure." Follow Lorhainne on Bookbub to receive alerts on New Releases and Sales and join her mailing list at LorhainneEckhart.com for her Monday Blog, books news, giveaways and FREE reads. With over 120 books, audiobooks, and multiple series published and available at all retailers now translated into six languages. She is a multiple recipient of the Readers' Favorite Award for Suspense and Romance, and lives in the Pacific Northwest on an island, is the mother of three, her oldest has autism and she is an advocate for never giving up on your dreams."
"Lorhainne Eckhart has this uncanny way of just hitting the spot every time with her books." (Caroline L., Reviewer)
The O'Connells: The O'Connells of Livingston, Montana are not your typical family. A riveting collection of stories surrounding the ups and downs of what goes on within a family but also with some suspense, angst and of course a bit of romance thrown in for good measure "I thought I loved the Friessens, but I absolutely adore the O'Connell's. Each and every book has totally different genres of stories but the one thing in common is how she is able to wrap it around the family which is the heart of each story." (C. Logue)
The Friessens: An emotional big family romance series, the Friessen family siblings find their relationships tested, lay their hearts on the line, and discover lasting love! "Lorhainne Eckhart is one of my go to authors when I want a guaranteed good book. So many twists and turns, but also so much love and such a strong sense of family." (Lora W., Reviewer)
The Parker Sisters: The Parker Sisters are a close-knit family, and like any other family they have their ups and downs. "Eckhart has crafted another intense family drama...The character development is outstanding, and the emotional investment is high..." (Aherman, Reviewer)
The McCabe Brothers: Join the five McCabe siblings on their journeys to the dark and dangerous side of love! An intense, exhilarating collection of romantic thrillers you won't want to miss. -- "Eckhart has a new series that is definitely worth the read. The queen of the family saga started this series with a spin-off of her wildly successful Friessen series." From a Readers' Favorite award--winning author and "queen of the family saga" (Aherman) ~Amazon
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"Just what is the mystery behind Raymond O'Connells disappearance?
NY Times & USA Today bestselling author Lorhainne Eckhart brings you The Family Secret, an O’Connell family novel, when a body is discovered at the edge of town, rumors, circumstantial evidence and a chance for revenge lead to one family members’s arrest, and an all out effort to take several other O’Connells down as well."
“Wow what drama, what tension, what suspense.” Susan Jordens
“This was a very explosive and heart wrenching story. A body is found and the DA is out for blood. As long as it's O'Connell blood, he doesn't much care whose.” KEC200
"Raymond O’Connell was the love of Iris’s life—from the day she met him, to the day a year later when she married him, to the tragic night before she never saw him again.
Some would say they had the perfect all-American life. Now, eighteen years later, questions arise about the night her husband disappeared, leaving a bloody knife and a letter addressed to her, in which he said goodbye and told her not to look for him, with not even a second thought for her and their six children.
The scandal when Raymond left rocked the community, fueling widespread rumors, from him running away with his mistress to him being dead. But through it all, Iris kept her head down, keeping the secret of what really happened. Although her children often wondered, and her eldest thought he was protecting her from something heinous when she asked him to get rid of the knife, what they didn’t know was that their father wasn’t who they thought he was. Making sure his secret didn’t come out was the only way to keep her family together.
Now, Iris can no longer keep her life with Raymond O’Connell buried, because her adult children are asking questions. The only thing she can think to do to protect herself and them is to enlist the help of a lawyer, her daughter’s husband, fearing that once the truth starts to surface, it could change everything about their lives.
The secret of their father, which Iris has hidden for so long now, has the potential to destroy everything the O’Connells have built for themselves, and once the truth of who Raymond O’Connell really was comes out, it will put a target on all of them, and their lives in peaceful Livingston, Montana, will never be the same." ~Amazon
1: didn't like it
2: it was okay
3. liked it
4. really liked it
5. it was amazing
Being Book #9 in the series, I was a little lost at the beginning to all these characters. However, as the story progresses, I began to get a handle on the brothers and sisters. I still promote reading this series from the beginning though, and I've definitely gone on to download all eight previous books to read because this is an excellent story full of action, unexpected twists, and charming characters.
Mother Iris has a bad feeling that something's gonna happen, and she's not wrong. Barely a day after she goes to her daughter Karen's husband, Jack, and confesses to him what happened the night her husband disappeared, a dead body is found in the woods. All evidence points to Iris O'Connell, and her whole family is pulled into this family crisis as each fight, in his or her own way, to keep their mother out of prison.
Raymond O'Connell is coming back from the grave one way or another, and the convoluted story comes out in bits and pieces as Iris reveals what happened the night her husband vanished. Her son-in-law, Jack, fights to prove the evidence circumstantial. Marcus, her son, is the Sheriff, and he's working hard to clear his mother's name, keeping his brother, Owen, out of the spotlight, and trying to regain his job. Each character part pulls you into the intrigue, secrets, and desire to figure it out.
The end holds its own twist as a witness comes forward to help spare Iris O'Connell and her family from anymore of the ordeal, and we finally hear the whole story of what happened that night.
I read this book in about two days. It was such a quick read because of how inventive the story was, how fast-paced the plot trod along, and how the unforeseen and unknown kept popping up. I definitely couldn't put this book down, and I highly recommend it as a fabulous new read you can get lost within.
The dead never stay buried for long -- secrets or bodies, and the O'Connells are about to discover both.
The O'Connells are a tight-knit family. Six children have grown up with their mother ever since the night their father disappeared, and their loyalty knows no bounds. Yet, it seems those bonds are about to be tested to the limits. What comes next will be a nightmare none of them expected.
Being Book #9 in the series, I was a little lost at the beginning to all these characters. However, as the story progresses, I began to get a handle on the brothers and sisters. I still promote reading this series from the beginning though, and I've definitely gone on to download all eight previous books to read because this is an excellent story full of action, unexpected twists, and charming characters.
Mother Iris has a bad feeling that something's gonna happen, and she's not wrong. Barely a day after she goes to her daughter Karen's husband, Jack, and confesses to him what happened the night her husband disappeared, a dead body is found in the woods. All evidence points to Iris O'Connell, and her whole family is pulled into this family crisis as each fight, in his or her own way, to keep their mother out of prison.
Raymond O'Connell is coming back from the grave one way or another, and the convoluted story comes out in bits and pieces as Iris reveals what happened the night her husband vanished. Her son-in-law, Jack, fights to prove the evidence circumstantial. Marcus, her son, is the Sheriff, and he's working hard to clear his mother's name, keeping his brother, Owen, out of the spotlight, and trying to regain his job. Each character part pulls you into the intrigue, secrets, and desire to figure it out.
The end holds its own twist as a witness comes forward to help spare Iris O'Connell and her family from anymore of the ordeal, and we finally hear the whole story of what happened that night.
I read this book in about two days. It was such a quick read because of how inventive the story was, how fast-paced the plot trod along, and how the unforeseen and unknown kept popping up. I definitely couldn't put this book down, and I highly recommend it as a fabulous new read you can get lost within.
A mixture of point-of-views, red-herrings, foreshadowing, and a dead body with the proverbial "bloody knife" stirs up a decade old mystery. Fans of crime, legal thrillers, and psychological suspense will fall in love with the O'Connells and the skeletons they have hidden in the closet.
Thanks to Author Lorhainne Eckhart and Reedsy Discovery for the Advanced Reader copy to read and review.
This book has a solid writing style, exciting content, memorable characters, and an exhilarating plot which lands it at a 4/5 for me.
Thank you for joining me, and as always, Happy Reading!! :)
~Rebecca Reddell
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