WHERE SECRETS STAY
BY: CHERANN WRIGHT

3.5 Stars Rounded Up!

This is best going in blind and enjoying the roller coaster ride of intrigue that will have you turning the pages. I know for me from the very beginning I was drawn into this suspense driven plot. The Main Female Character named, Kevan Renee was well developed. It is well written, but there are a lot of scenes that go back and forward in time with different characters. This won't be for everyone since there are a lot of trigger warnings to consider. There is a strong atmospheric element that adds to the story taking outside of Savannah, Georgia. I can remember driving through that State when I was only nine or ten years old and remember succinctly how the Spanish Moss dripped from the tunnels of overgrown trees.

Kevan is an art professor who teaches at the local college and this is mainly her story along with her memories of how her Gammie (paternal grandmother), often intervened against her son, Clyde who abused his children terribly, causing one of Kevan's brother's to die. Her father named, Clyde would often force the children to drink an over abundance of Cod Liver oil, a punishment he picked up while serving in the military. So there's one of the trigger warnings an increasing amount of child abuse dished out regularly from her father to Kevan and her three brothers. I don't understand how their mother never intervened on her children's behalf it was always her grandmother to put a stop to it.

When Kevan receives a phone call from her brother telling her that her grandmother has just died Kevan is forced to return to her unhappy childhood home to make sure her grandmother receives a proper burial.

Nathan Hill is haunted by his decades old disappearance of his younger sister named Gracie which was never solved. As he searches the area when she was about eight or nine years old and her backpack was found he finds himself tracing through the woods that were searched finding an old abandoned property. He discovers two Barbie dolls in one of the old kitchen cabinets with his sister's initials and those of an unknown playmate of Gracie's. He brings them to the Sheriff to look into if the initials belong to a girl Gracie's age at her school or one in the surrounding area.

This is certainly a mystery somewhat, but the story has it's roots in facts and it would have been nice to be able to separate the true origins in an Author's Note, which this does not do. It has a lot going on in the Spirit world which I didn't completely buy into. Kevan can see spirits but I won't say whose for the fact of spoilers.

The other trigger warnings are rape and murder of children. This was definitely a Southern Gothic tale that is compulsively readable. It got too convoluted even though I understood what I read. It has a lot going on with Kevan being an unreliable narrator. If I haven't already mentioned this is heavily rooted in spirits and ghosts. I think that the trigger warnings are handled in a sensitive manner making them not long and drawn out, but do take care of considering them if you decide to read this. It was very suspense driven making me really get involved from beginning to end holding me captive to the pages. I am the type of sensitive reader that these trigger warnings aren't triggers for me, but they could affect those whose lives have been touched in some way by them.

There is certainly a lot of cruelty that takes place within these pages by the same father & son, but it also celebrates the power of the unbreakable bonds of female friendships. This for me what I liked and enjoyed seeing included throughout the narrative in more ways than one. For me this was read as in part a ghost story that in that particular way was successful. Not sure if that was the author's intention. I cautiously recommend. A solid debut that was compelling if you can get past some deliberate cruelty passed down from father to son, no matter how much love the mother meted out to her son. I would like to read more from this author in the future. 3.5 Stars from me.

December 1, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, CherAnn Wright and to Sleuthing Sloth Press for generously proving me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#WhereSecretsStay #CherAnnWright #SleuthingSlothPress #NetGalley

This was such a skillful piece of work. I really got caught up in the characters stories and how they'd eventually come together.
The twists aren't predicted. But they don't feature just for shock or "twist" content. They feel real and in the perfect places to keep the momentum.both stead and unsteady.
It had so much depth and you felt you could picture what was happening. The need to know the ending had me reading well into the night.
It has a few heavy subjects woven through it so that a slight warning to perhaps see if that is going to be OK for all readers. But equally it's not too much or overdone.

The twists in this book genuinely surprised me! I didn’t really guess any of them. I thought they were all rather creative and I was a pretty big fan. There were a handful of heavy topics in this one, so I would recommend checking TWs ahead of time.

Kevan and Nathan’s stories both weaved together so well. The story had incredible depth and the characters felt real.

This book is sooo good! I usually don't like books with a paranormal slant but this one is the exception. The author portrays the friendships of the characters so realistically and brings the two parts together brilliantly. This is not your average thriller or mystery that can be figured out half way through. This is written beautifully and with so much substance. I can't wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes this genre. You won't be disappointed.
Thanks to the author, publisher,and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this awesome book.

This book kept me guessing all the way to the end! I loved how everything came together slowly and kept me interested. This is not usually the type of book I would say I love, but I really did!! I added her backlist to my tbr because this was so well thought out and put together. I don’t want to say a lot about the plot because it is best to go in blind but needless to say, this is a 5 star winner!

5⭐️'s for me on this one. It had great build up and mystery and had you guessing how the two point of views would eventually link up together. There was a few parts in the book where I said out loud "whoa" because I use didn't see that coming. How the story was told kept me engaged from the start. The relationship between friends was precious and gave you all the feels.

4.25 stars! I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! The writing was lyrical and the paranormal elements added just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to read more by this author!

I have a lot of thoughts about this one. I can't share them or I could spoil the plot. I absolutely loved it! I was hooked and stayed up all night reading. I was pretty sad about Tommy.
Thank you for choosing me to read and review this book. Everyone should read it.

This was a great book! I was hooked from the beginning. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the twists!

This was such a good book! I’m always up for a good thriller and this did not disappoint. I am looking forward to reading more by this author!

This book broke my heart many times, I was literally sobbing by the end. There was so much going on that I was trying so hard to figure out which direction this book was going to end. Granted I put a few things together, but the end had me absolutely speechless. I didn’t know what direction this book was going to head at any point and I was constantly left with the need to know. I couldn’t put this book down, and when I had to it’s all I could think about until I could get back to it. This was such a phenomenal story line, with even better writing.

The story was a good but a twisted one. Plenty of solid characters, especially strong willed women. However it could get confusing with the constant change of place and period. One had to have your wits about you when reading this book.

Plenty of secrets in this story. Everyone had one. In some cases so buried away that they were all but forgotten till a trigger happened, which brought back memories, mainly horrific. The psychic character of some of the women was very plausible in the context of this story and added another dimension.

Despite the going back and forth between childhood and the present day situation the story held one’s interest throughout.

This was an incredible story that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire way through. Despite the dark and disturbing events that take place, it was written so well and I really felt for the characters and wanted to stick with them until the end. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

What a wow book!! This one kept me guessing and took me by surprise! If you like a good thriller that will keep you on your toes this is most definitely worth reading! I thought maybe I had it figured out and then came another twist. You really get into the characters of this book. It did take me a few chapters to actually get hooked but once I did it did not disappoint.

Where Secrets Stay is an amazing story and very well written by a new author to me. There were plenty of twists and turns, most of which I didn’t see coming. The constant changing of POV and time periods was difficult to follow at times, but once I got further into the story it was difficult to put down. The seeing and talking to spirits is mostly believable, in a few instances perhaps slightly far fetched. But I am being picky. All in all this was a very enjoyable read and a page turner.

I love the tag line on the Goodreads thread - “Do secrets die with us?” I was awarded a free copy of this book from NetGalley, but ultimately decided to read it because of TikTok.

The story was slow at unraveling itself and there were a few great plot twists that caught me by surprise. There were components of the story that tugged on the heart strings, making this an overall great read.

This is one of those books you sit and read cover to cover. Thank you to CherAnn for her genius writing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this book prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ for this excellent book from this happy reader.

CherAnn Wright’s “Where Secrets Stay” is a masterful blend of psychological thriller and paranormal mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The story centers around Kevan Renee, an artist who stumbles upon a long-buried secret on an abandoned estate. As she delves deeper into the mystery, her own past traumas resurface, intertwining with the dark history of the estate.

Wright’s narrative is haunting and captivating, drawing readers into a world where the past and present collide. The pacing is expertly managed, with each chapter revealing just enough to keep the suspense high without giving away too much. The twists and turns are well-crafted, ensuring that readers are constantly guessing and re-evaluating their theories.

One of the standout aspects of this novel is its character development. Kevan is a complex and relatable protagonist, whose journey of self-discovery and healing is as compelling as the mystery she seeks to unravel. The supporting characters are equally well-developed, each adding depth and intrigue to the story.

The setting plays a crucial role in the novel, with the eerie, abandoned estate serving as a character in its own right. Wright’s descriptive writing brings the estate to life, creating a chilling atmosphere that enhances the overall sense of dread and anticipation.

“Where Secrets Stay” explores themes of memory, trauma, and the impact of the past on the present. Wright handles these themes with sensitivity and insight, adding a layer of emotional depth to the thriller.

“Where Secrets Stay” is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and mysteries with a paranormal twist. CherAnn Wright has crafted a compelling and thought-provoking novel that will linger in readers’ minds.

This book is a testament to her skill as a storyteller and her ability to weave complex, engaging narratives.

While this started as good read I did not finish.

It has abusive situations including animal abuse,so for me this was not for me.

What I did read was well developed and was written well but I found it triggering and the animal abuse if a definite no no

An intriguing tale of hidden truths and complex relationships. Wright’s engaging narrative unravels mysteries while delving into the emotional depths of her characters.

I genuinely enjoyed this story. This was my first book by CherAnn Wright and I will hopefully be reading more. This was one that was constantly suspenseful with an ending I didn’t predict. That is something I look for in my thriller reads. It was very well written and thought provoking, which I found to be interesting since it was a fictional book.

Thank you Netgalley & CherAnn Wright for the chance to read this book.