YOUNG ADULT REVIEW: Dark Secrets 1 (Ominbus) - Elizabeth Chandler

BOOK BLURB:

Legacy of Lies When Megan arrives at her grandmother's house she immediately feels that there is something curiously familiar about the place. She's been there in her dreams, or rather her nightmares, but still cannot place what exactly it is that gives her the creeps. All Megan wants to do is get through the visit without any drama, but as the house starts to reveal its secrets and the past comes to light, Megan finds herself caught up in a twisted love triangle with potentially fatal consequences. Don't Tell Lauren knows that by returning to the town where her mother "accidentally" drowned seven years ago, she'll be reliving one of her most haunting memories. When she arrives, she is propelled into a series of mysterious events that mimic the days leading up to her mother's death. Could it be that her mother's drowning wasn't an accident after all? And as the past unravels around her Lauren begins to wonder whether she might be next...


REVIEW:

To be honest with you I hadn’t heard of Elizabeth Chandler’s Dark Secret series prior to having this title land and whilst, from the cover blurb, its not my normal type of pick up and read title I was at a loose end so thought, what the hell, I’ll give it a go.

What I got for my time was a paranormal tale that brought love, reincarnation, the living dead and mystery to a younger reader. Whilst this title is more for the teen market than anyone younger it is beautifully constructed with cracking characters that I really got to grips with although I found the female protagonists to be a little bit to wishy washy for today’s modern reader. Whilst this was a bit of a problem for me the authors writing style really did keep the story flowing as well as ensuring a cliffhanger of an ending for the second novel to pick up from the original. Both were a wonderful diversion, both entertaining and both also kept me wondering about the underlying arc after the last page was turned. Add to the mix that this is a compendium with others to follow and its got a real value for money aspect tied in. Great stuff.