This is the first in a three part series. I am very glad that I started with book one. This one has a lot of build for the story. We are learning the characters. and their backstories and kind of setting up the whole thing. There were parts where I felt like I was getting too much information, but I think it will all come full circle. Added bonus, it takes place where i was born (but haven't lived there in a lifetime!). It's still fun to hear the cities in and around the area shouted out!

Psychiatrist Rowan Dupont had grown up with death. Her family ran the funeral home, her twin sister drowned when they were twelve, her mother committed suicide, and her father was recently murdered. On top of that, her mentor of twenty years turned out to be a serial killer. She retreated to her hometown of Winchester, Tennessee to run the family funeral home, but she still can't dodge the specter of death. Looking into the fateful summer her sister drowned, she's starting to wonder if it was an accident after all.

This is the first book of the Undertaker's Daughter series. Even so, there is so much back story that it still feels like I was missing an earlier book in the series. There is so much that the characters know that the reader doesn't, and it only heightens the sense of secrecy. The fact that buried bones were found in chapter one is mirrored throughout the novel with buried secrets and ordinary people hiding extraordinary things. Rowan is continually under stress and sure that she's losing it; Julian contacting her and the authorities doubting her doesn't help. She's put through one stressful situation after another, and it gets to the point that she can't even trust her own memories of her sister's death.

Rowan has essentially given up her psychiatry practice and the forensic work she used to do and has changed to being an undertaker full time. She's clinging to her ideals regarding her family, especially her father, and a lot of those ideals are put into doubt. She's not sure whether it was a ploy to undermine her or not, so the reader can't tell, either. There are far too many questions left unanswered at the close of the novel, even if the concern about her family's funeral home is settled.

By now, most of you that read my reviews know that I’m a romantic suspense junkie. And you know that I’m always on the hunt for new-to-me authors that might become my next automatic 1-click author. I had never read a book by Debra Webb, but I will most certainly be reading more of her work from now on!

This book is the beginning of Ms. Webb’s The Undertaker’s Daughter series. (side note: all of hese books can be read as standalone titles, but my opinion is that you’re going to miss too much of the backstory if you don’t start from book one). And with the crazy twists and turns this story took, it’s worth your while to start with The Undertaker’s Daughter (for some reason not a part of this series) and go from there.

NICUnurse’s Rating: This story did NOT end like I thought it would. Based on clues from the previous book in the series, I was so confused (in a good way!!) that I honestly had no clue where the clues were going to lead the characters next. So needless to say, this book kept me up entirely too late because I just had to know how or even IF the author was going to wrap it all up! The overall plot and character development were very well written. However, there were times where I felt that some things had been brought up before, so those parts made me feel like I was reading the same things over and over again. Hopefully, that was addressed in later edits. Regardless, if you are looking for a book that is true suspense and one that will keep you on the edge of your seat and up way too late at night (and maybe checking that your doors are securely locked at 3 am!), this is definitely the book for you. And that is true for the entire series. Just go ahead and do yourself a favor and buy the whole darn thing!

I give The Secrets We Bury, as well as the entire series of The Undertaker’s Daughter 4.5 out of 5 stars!

So...I don't normally suggest people avoid books, as we all read them differently, but for this one I am definitely not recommending.

First and foremost, you start at what I'd consider the middle of the book. Then around 75% (give or take) you are thrown into the beginning of the book. Yes, you read that right. The book reads middle, semi end, and then the beginning. I wish I had read reviews before starting it. I guess the "novella" was added to this book, placed out of order. Who the hell writes or publishes like that?! Talk about major confusion.

Second, there is an OVER ABUNDANCE of repetition. It left me feeling as though this book was never going to end.

Third, Ro has to be the dumbest smart person. Ever. And believe me when I say we are reminded constantly of how smart she is. I didn't see it but hey, the author told me she was so it must be true. We seemed to have lacked the show in our little show and tell presentation.

Fourth, it was quite predictable. It won't take you long to figure out a few of the "twists," especially if you read lots from this genre.

Fifth, the only character I connected with was Frued. I only cared if the dog was going to make it through the whole book alive. Spoiler alert, he does.

I gave it 1 star, instead of 0, for two reasons. The dog and I was a little shocked towards the end. I'll admit I didn't see that coming.

This isn't a cliffy per se. It does solve part of the mystery, but at the same time leaves you with more questions. I'm going to attempt to read book 2. Pretty sure I'll end up skimming. I just want to know how it all ends and if my suspicions were correct.

The Secrets We Bury by Debra Webb has a lot of potential as a series opener. What initially caught my eye was the series title The Undertaker's Daughter and the fact that this is a suspenseful mystery. Plus, there's the part where the lead character grew up and now lives in the family funeral home. For some reason I had Prodigal Son, which is one of my favorite new shows, in the back of my mind while I was reading this. It's not quite like that in the ways it counts (at least for me) but the lead character was a profiler and there's a serial killer plot in this novel as well. While there's a lot to like here, it wasn't quite what I was looking for. I wasn't all that interested in any of the cast members and it wasn't nearly the page turner I was expecting. Overall, it's not a bad read in the least but just somewhat underwhelming in terms of what I was looking for.

For some odd reason this book starts with a huge chunk of the story missing, that chunk, according to other reviews I read can be found in a Novella. Who publishes a novella before the book and then starts the book without it? That completely threw me off since I haven't read it. After that start the book was hard to get into. The writing is fine but the premise was a bit over the top and the book was a bit predictable.