Synopsis
Two children in a police waiting room, two distressed mothers, a memory only half remembered …
When Jenny Simpson returns to the seaside town of Borteen, her childhood home, it’s for a less than happy reason. But it’s also a chance for her to start again.
A new job leads to her working for Carver Rodgers, a man who lives alone in a house that looks like it comes from the pages of a fairy tale – until you see the disaster zone inside …
As Jenny gets to know Carver she begins to unravel the sadness that has led to his chaotic existence. Gradually they realise they have something in common that is impossible to ignore – and it all links back to a meeting at a police station many years before.
Could the truth lie just beneath their feet?
Borteen Secrets series. Other books in series: The Girl on the Beach and Christmas at Borteen Bay. All novels based in Morton’s fictional village of Borteen Bay. They can be read as standalones.
Morton S. Gray
Morton S. Gray lives with her husband, sons and Lily, the tiny dog, in Worcestershire, U.K.
She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen, the plot of which closely resembled an Errol Flynn film.
Life got in the way of writing for many years, until she won a short story competition and the spark for writing was well and truly reignited. She carries a notebook everywhere as inspiration strikes in the most unlikely places.
She studied creative writing with the Open College of the Arts and joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme in 2012.
Previous ‘incarnations’ were in committee services, staff development and training. Morton has a Business Studies degree and is a fully qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She has diplomas in Tuina Acupressure Massage and Energy Field Therapy.
She enjoys history, loves tracing family trees and discovering new crafts. Having a hunger for learning is a bonus for the research required for her books.
The Girl on the Beach was her debut novel with Choc Lit and winner of the 2016 Search for a Star competition.
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Widower Carver’s life is a mess since he wife died so his Brother in Law hires Jenny to clean his home which is in the middle of the woods. Jenny herself has recently lost her Mum who she had been looking after and is trying to decide what to do with her life.
There is definite chemistry between Jenny and Carver but there is also a mystery to solve relating to their past which is slowly revealed throughout the book.
I found the main characters very likeable and I loved the way that you could feel Carver’s feelings of bereavement and loss in the writing.
Although I partly guessed the mystery it didn’t stop my enjoyment of this book and I would definitely recommend it and will certainly be reading more of Morton’s books.
Thanks to Choc-Lit for providing me with a review copy of this book in return for an honest review which is completely my own opinion.
A super book, thank you Morton. Beautifully crafted characters I totally engaged with and who I cared about. I loved The Girl on the beach and Harry Dixon, but loved the Truth lies buried and Carver even more. The gripping plot with many twists and turns along the way kept me reading and turning pages to the end. Why were Jenny and Carver both in the same police station at the same time twenty five years ago? Anyone who could answer that is now dead, so it is left for the two to combine forces and unravel their history. I couldn’t put it down, I loved it.
I haven’t read the first one of the Borteen secrets and I didn’t need to, but I will do now!
This is an intriguing story about Carver and Jenny, both have their own terribly sad baggage who are brought together when Jenny agrees to clean his house and then realise they have a shared mysterious history. As they open up to one another, its debatable whether they can help each other through their loss and pain, with points when you want to bang their heads together and get on with it which is always a good sign as i felt for the characters. There is also a lot of suspense in the storyline which slowly unravels itself to an ending I totally didnt see coming ! A book with everything, my first read of this author but one I will look out for in the future.
My first novel by this author, and I can’t wait for her next now! Carver and Jenny, the two lead characters are both fascinating strong people. Carver is trying to get over a traumatic loss in his life. As they work together can they both heal, or will the hidden mysteries in this picturesque seaside town destroy them?
This is a heart wrenching story right from the start. Your heart will bleed for Carver and his loss. When Jenny comes into his life things turn around for them both. You will feel their sorrow and joy through the whole book before it reaches its unexpected conclusion. The ideas and love shown by all on sides, linked with the desertion and sorrow of the loss of their loved ones will keep you turning the pages to the very end.
After Jenny leaves London and returns to her home town, she takes on the massive task of sorting out the chaos in a house belonging to a man who’s retreated into grief and solitude. A friendship slowly develops between them, Jenny and Carver discover staggering similarities in their early lives and become determined to unravel the secrets that have mystified them both for twenty years. The Truth Lies Buried has intrigue, romance and mystery, with plenty of twists and turns and an unexpected ending.
I started this book intending to read a couple of chapters. I finished it exactly three hours later – so this might give a clue as to how I liked it.
The protagonists are Jenny and Carver – sharing a common happening, that their fathers both disappeared without trace 25 years ago. Carver is wounded (physically and mentally) – his beloved wife died 3 years or so ago and he blames himself (quite rightly in my opinion!) Jenny is at a crossroads in her life, after caring for her mother till she died. The story has quite a few twists and turns – keeping the reader interested as the plot unfolds.
Anyway, I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a nice little romantic mystery with a happy ending.
I have read the first part of this series as well. So I was very curieus to read the next one. I was very pleasantly surprised. I liked this book even better than the first one. Although there was a lot of romance, there was also a lot of sadness, but always with a hint of suspense in the background. I adore this combination. It kept me wanting to read on and on and on until the end. It was very hard to put it away. I simply loved it and I am already looking forward to the next part. Bring it on! 🙂