Midnight Secrets

Wildfire Series, Book 1

By: Ella Grace

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

On a hot southern night, with a storm on the horizon, a family is shattered. Three beautiful daughters - Savannah, Samantha, and Sabrina Wilde - go on with their lives, each significantly changed, as they bear the memory of the murder-suicide that killed their parents. For years, they have stayed away from Midnight, Alabama. Until Midnight calls them home.

Savannah is the first one back when a grueling case in Nashville leads the young prosecutor to seek shelter in the quiet of the once grand Wilde mansion. But when she finds letters casting doubt on her family's dark, shameful past, she realizes that peace in Midnight is a shallow façade and sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface. Zach Tanner, once the town's bad boy, is now the new police chief and still has a wild hold over her. Zach can feel it, too, but he hurt Savannah once. As teenagers, they broke every rule together. Now it's his job to keep her safe, even though he isn't sure who her enemies are - or which ones might be his own.

©2013 Christy Reece (P)2013 Tantor

A wonderful story

Wow. Great story, great flow, great narration and just an awesome beginning to a new series.

This story was riveting. It starts off with a tragedy, and then we are left with triplet girls being raised by their grandfather.

Savannah Wilde "Savvy" is one of the triplets who lost their parents on fateful day in Midnight, Alabama. She internalized her pain by withdrawing socially. She became the girl who could hide in a crowd. She made a connection with local bad boy Zachary Tanner "Zach" and the two loners found in each other that completion that allowed them to be themselves.

Zach messed up and their relationship came to a screeching halt, but 10 years later, Savvy and Zach were given another chance. Would they take it, or would the issue that separated them 10 years ago remain a barrier?

The mystery was not a predictable one. I was really surprised with the revelation. Zach and Savvy were a good couple. They suffered from the whole "non-communication" thing, but once they reconnected, they were older and wiser this time.

Great read and I look forward to book 2

Excellent

Very good for first book in series. Lot's of different ways to go for other mysteries. Prologue
is really important to the rest of the story and mystery. I am looking forward to the next book.
Hopefully it will be as entertaining as this one was. I feel it was well worth the credit I spent.

Move it along

The romance story started getting on my nerves. It was too much angst. Move it along or move on!

WHAT A GREAT SURPRISE !!!

If you could sum up Midnight Secrets in three words, what would they be?

DRAMATIC, ROMANTIC, SUSPENSEFUL

Who was your favorite character and why?

Had two, of course, Zach & Savannah. Mainly because the story was about them and Ms. Grace did a tremendous job of character-building at the beginning of the book.

Have you listened to any of Marguerite Gavin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. She does a really good job with her voices. I know I can't go wrong when she narrates a book I am looking at purchasing.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Not sure.

Any additional comments?

This was my first book, but not my last, by this author. Not only did the pairing of narrator and author/story impress me but the "who done it" also did. I usually can figure out, with much dismay, who did the crime, but the way this story was written it led me to many of the characters in book. I love it when nothing is given away until the climax of the story. I love it when a book makes me pay attention and contemplate. The book contained almost all of the elements I appreciate and look forward to in a good listen: really good performer, suspenseful, romantic, dramatic, intriguing, plot with lots of twists and turns. I think the book could have contained a little more explicit sex scenes, but the sweetness and realness of the romance made up for it.

Small town girl returns to a mystery

The mystery of this story involves an old crime - the murder/suicide of the parents of 3 sisters, Savannah, Samantha, and Sabrina. The girls, who were raised by their grandfather, leave their small Alabama town when they become adults. After their grandfather eventually dies, one sister returns to sell the old family home and discovers letters that raise questions she must pursue.

The romance of this story begins when the sister runs into her first love, a local bad boy, who left for the military and is now the new police chief. There is more to their history together than either of them is aware, which is slowly revealed throughout the book.

Neither the mystery nor the romance thread are particularly unique or interesting, but the two woven together kept me interested. The majority of character development takes place in the first section of the book with a short trip to the sister and her bad boy's past high school lives - it's the best written section. Overall, the author is of average talent and I have certainly listened to worse. The reader did a slightly better than average job - more of a 3 and a half star than a 4 star.

Fantastic

I really enjoyed this book. It was emotional for me. All of us have baggage, history and pain. I wish real life could come full.circle and all the wishes and dreams did come true. I am looking forward to the next book. BRAVO!!!!