Deadly Secrets

By: M. William Phelps

Narrated by: J. Charles

Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Behind a veil of tranquility....

In the lovely town of Pleasant Valley in upstate New York, the maple trees were ablaze with fall's blood-red color. The air was crisp. And a woman named Susan Fassett left her weekly choir practice at a church - when a killer emerged from the shadows and mercilessly gunned her down.

....was a realm of sexual depravity where murder was the last sin.

Stunned, the police immediately suspected Susan Fassett's husband and surrounded his home. They couldn't have been more wrong. Susan Fassett had been living a secret life, lost in a world of dominance, lesbian sex, betrayal - and a depraved plan for murder. After detectives untangled a web of secrets and corruption hidden in plain sight, the town of Pleasant Valley would be rocked again when a shocking trial exposed the whole sordid truth.

©2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc. (P)2009 M. William Phelps

Great Book!

A chilling account of a murder-for-threat plot, a master manipulator and the tragedy of both victims and criminals. One of the best!

Strange TRUE CRIME

A strange and unusual story, yet involving seemingly ordinary women who were caught up in deadly plans of a man ready to murder. The book covers the story very well. I found some of the detailed questioning perhaps overdone, but still worth reading!

True crime at its best

M. William Phelps never disappoints. I could visualize not only the crime itself but the people behind the crime as well. Can’t wait to download another one. If you like true crime, stories, this one is a must.

victim side rather than killer 2 thumbs up

This was done unbiased and gave a better job telling the victims side and how the murder affected the family ,friends and community. I am glad it was not all about the murderer or the mastermind behind it was just some wannabe mobster. Pathetic as he was . Great job

Treason and Betrayal Can Happen Anywhere

A man named Ed is married to a woman who is being sold for sex and managed as a contract killer without her husband having a clue. Another man in town has been sharing his wife unknowingly for four years. The mastermind of these betrayals is in legal woes for various other treasons and betrayals as a city employee. His criminal mind spans many lives setting numerous people up for losses and trauma. This is in upstate N.Y. in a peaceful middle-class town of churchgoers. As the tale unravels it is one bizarre episode of social intercourse after another. This is a very detailed documentation and reporting of this unusual incident from every angle. Hard to believe but a true story. Never underestimate the criminal mind. Even "petty criminals" can be deadly.

another gripping Phelps

Hard to believe that this is a true story!
Reads exactly like the description
another family ruined by sex and power,

Narration is Frustrating

I am writing this review prematurely, as I have not yet finished the entire audiobook, but I just had to weigh in on the narration. It's AWFUL! I constantly have my hand on the volume control, adjusting to where I can hear the narrator's mumbling, which then becomes too loud because he starts to speak and enunciate clearly. Another reviewer said that the narrator swallows his words at the ends of sentences - that is an accurate description. This is the second time I've listened to this narrator read a book; I'll never make that mistake again. It's a shame, because so far, this is a great "page turner"!

Good story, good narrator

I enjoyed the book. It amazes me, the things people feel they have the right to do to others. Mr Phelps has a wonderful way of including the victims and their families in his books.

True crime gem ...

M. William Phelps does it again with this true crime book. The narrator is good except when he swallows the last word of a sentence. Sometimes I've had to rewind but now enough to be truly annoyed. So, Phelps and Charles made a good team.

unsatisfactory ending but that's what happened.

Would you consider the audio edition of Deadly Secrets to be better than the print version?

never read print version

Who was your favorite character and why?

no fave as this was not that kind of story. it was a true crime story. i guess jason.

What about J. Charles’s performance did you like?

as always it was great!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

disappointment that the book ended the way it did. but it is a true story and true stories don't always end the way that pleases the reader.

Any additional comments?

this reminds me of another true story about a guy who was in charge of maintenance of the scenectiy shcool system AND the union for the workers of that dept. if this guy had the chance he would have been another killer. the story i heard was on npr this american life segment. it was amazing how similar these guys are!


here is a link. the segment is almost an hour long but worth listening to.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/419/petty-tyrant