This prequel was really unnecessary, as it was all explained in book one of the series. I say skip this one and go directly to the novels. ( )

This is the first book in a trilogy and my first ever novel by Debra Webb. It started out strong but I lost a little bit of interest towards the end. The main storyline is an arc through all three books but there were other things going on in this book that were wrapped up by the end. My biggest complaint would be that there wasn't enough suspense throughout the novel. There was a lot of character driven story, we go deep into Rowan's life and mind.

In the edition that I read, it included the prequel The Undertaker's Daughter. I didn't read it until after I was done reading the book and I really could have done without reading it at all. There wasn't much in the 100 page story that wasn't explained or rehashed in the novel itself.

All in all, this was a good beginning to the trilogy, I will continue on to book two. If you enjoy female centered novels with some mystery, suspense and drama, then you should give this a try. ( )

Rowan has a childhood friend on the hometown police force who wants to be sure she stays safe. Both have always held an attraction for the other, but neither will admit it, which caused me a bit of frustration as they constantly circled around one another. The question was: can the serial killer change all that and is the small-town police force enough to stop the killings? Rowan moved back to the family home in Tennessee and has taken over the funeral home that's been in her family for years. It's just her and her German Shepherd, Freud, all alone in the big old place with a basement and two upper stories. The more time Rowen spends back in her hometown, the more she finds herself questioning what really happened that fateful summer years ago when her sister died. Had her sister’s death really been an accident...and what pushed their mother to commit suicide? The dark lake that surrounds Rowan’s town seems to hold as many secrets as it gives up. Now Rowan is running out of time if she’s going to uncover the truth before more bones and bodies from the past turn up creating more cold cases for the police to add to the cases they already have. The serial killer is certainly lurking nearby and seems to always be one step ahead. Rowan has lost her entire family...her father, her mother, and her sister, leaving her alone to run the family funeral home. This is a book with a great "creep factor"...and one that you won't want to put down. It will become an imperative that you find out what is going to happen next. ( )

The Undertaker's Daughter
3 Stars

Rowan DuPont, a noted psychologist and police profiler, becomes aware that a killer is targeting young women who could be her twin if her own twin weren't already dead.

While this short prequel does a good job introducing the main character and her background, it is rather morbid, and this is from someone whose personal motto is "If it bleeds, it leads".

The darkness in the story stems not from the serial killer plot, but from the heroine's own personality, her troubled past, and the descriptions associated with her being the only surviving daughter of an undertaker. There is a great deal of focus on death and dying, burial preparation and funeral rites that takes some getting used to.

In terms of the plot, the killer is obvious from the start and the circumstances are very similar albeit not identical to Cynthia Eden's After the Dark.

Despite these issues, the character and events are sufficiently intriguing to continue with the series. ( )

The Secrets We Bury
4 Stars

Following the murder of her father, Rowan DuPont, a noted psychologist and police profiler, returns home to Winchester, Tennessee, to take over the family funeral home. While visiting the lake where her twin sister's body was found, Rowen discovers a set of human remains. The identity of the body raises troubling questions regarding Rowen's past and the deaths of her mother and her twin. Was her sister's drowning an accident? Did her mother really commit suicide? And how is this related to the serial killer stalking Rowan?

Series note: The story continues from where the prequel novella ends, and it is, therefore, necessary to read the novella first. Unfortunately, the publisher added the prequel at the end of book #1, which ultimately leads to missing details and even confusion for readers unaware of the initial short story.

The narrative is comprised of two apparently separate threads - the discovery of the bones at the lake and the death of a client at Rowan's funeral home. The twists and turns of the two storylines keep the reader guessing, and the climax and resolution are intense. Although one thread is resolved, the other remains open and will obviously continue into the next installment.

There is also some good character development both in terms of Rowan's attempts to come to terms with the deaths in her family and with regard to her relationship with her childhood friend and current police chief, Billy Brannigan. My only issue here is Rowan's tendency to play her cards close to the vest. She really needs to open up more and give her trust to someone. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

All in all, despite one or two poor word choices and a potential TSTL moment that thankfully does not materialize, this is a solid continuation of the story. ( )