Dark Secrets 2 by Elizabeth Chandler

Series: Dark Secrets

 Author: Elizabeth Chandler
Page Count: 599
Published: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  3 Stars ★★★

This young adult bind-up contains books 3 and 4 of the Dark Secrets series. In "No Time to Die", we follow a girl attending a theater camp where her sister died. The mystery of her death remains unsolved, but a supernatural mystery - and a love triangle - complicate things further. In "The Deep End of Fear", Kate returns to the Westbrook Estate where her friend Ashley drowned many years before. Tutoring the young Patrick, she starts to fear the possibility of dangerous family dynamics, and even the paranormal. Will she suffer from another loss? Or will she be the one to die this time?


Both of these books are best described as enjoyable, but not particularly memorable.


The atmospheres in both stories were definitely creepy and tense, which was a major strength. Overall, the characters were interesting, likeable, and made me want to keep reading. However, the second story felt way too drawn out, and at times quite boring.


I appreciate the hint of romance in both stories, although the first story had a bit more romance than the second. I like that there was a paranormal or supernatural element to both mysteries, however it wasn't too intense or overpowering the "real life" mysteries that the characters faced. It was very balanced.


I think that the reveal of the first book's villain, and their motives, was a bit too unbelievable for me. I also found that there were some annoying cliches, such as the whole "villain explains evil plan to the hero" trope.


Overall, these books were interesting, but I'm not interested enough to keep them in my book collection. I recommend this for fans of Elizabeth Chandler's first two Dark Secrets books, and for those looking for a short mystery.


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Legacy of Lies & Don't Tell by Elizabeth Chandler

Series: Dark Secrets
Author: Elizabeth Chandler
Page Count: 431
Published: March 8th, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  3.5 Stars ★★★

In this bind-up, two suspenseful stories are told. In Legacy of Lies, Megan is being haunted while staying at her grandmother's house. She is adopted, and along with dealing with her grandmother's cold attitude towards her, she has to deal with Matt, her "almost-cousin"'s aloofness as well. The story of her late great aunt comes to light, with many mysteries surrounding her death. How did she really die? And how does her death connect to the present, to Megan and Matt? Megan may not live to find out the truth. 

In Don't Tell, Lauren has returned to Wisteria for the first time after her mother drowned there years ago. With her cousin Nora seemingly unhinged, and her cousin Holly and old friend Nick welcoming her with open arms, Lauren isn't sure if she's ready to face the dock where her mother died. Her aunt Jule doesn't have much empathy towards Lauren's remaining sadness, but more is at stake than Lauren's feelings. Nora claims to hear Lauren's mother asking for her child, and mysterious knots begin to appear, things tying up themselves. Is Lauren going to survive this trip? Or will she face the same fate that her mother did?

I gave Legacy of Lies four stars, and Don't Tell three, with this averaging out at 3.5 stars. As you can see, I enjoyed the first book a bit more than the second. 

Both stories had characters with very sinister pasts, pasts that threatened to affect their present lives. I liked this connection between the past and the present, this idea that the characters couldn't outrun the past. Both stories contained suspicious deaths, deaths that may or may not have turned out to really be murders....the mystery behind what happened to Megan's great aunt and Lauren's mother were the main issue behind both stories, the events that started it all.

Legacy of Lies took place in a creepy mansion-like home, with a grandmother that I hated and an interesting paranormal component. I have to say, I did not see the twist coming at all. I was very surprised by the ending and I think it wrapped up the story very nicely. Megan was a great narrator, and I enjoyed reading about the creepy events she was experiencing, through her own eyes.

Don't Tell also had a very interesting twist that I wasn't able to guess. There was also a possible paranormal component throughout the story: I often found myself debating whether it was paranormal or simply a living person mundanely messing with Lauren. I won't give away the truth, but I think the explanation was fitting for the story. I liked this story less because I think some of the explanations were a bit hazy....most were fine, but at times I was really confused as to why people were acting the way they were. On the one hand, it made me keep reading. Yet on the other, it made some events a bit unclear. However, the story was enjoyable overall.

I recommend this bind-up to people looking for short, creepy stories. If you're a fan of Elizabeth Chandler or you want to read books about secrets affecting peoples' lives, this is a great pick for you.

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Beautiful Covers of the Day!

The Kissed by an Angel series by Elizabeth Chandler has what I consider to be an example of perfect book covers. With a plain black background, the colourful flowers catch your eye and are quite intensified through their contrast to the background. Guaranteed to draw readers in, they are nothing less than absolutely gorgeous!

The blurb:

"An angelic romantic suspense trilogy in one volume!

"Kissed by an Angel": Ivy and Tristan have the love of a lifetime--until Tristan dies in a car accident. Now Tristan returns as an angel, but Ivy is unable to feel his presence.

"The Power of Love": Tristan has learned that the person responsible for the car crash is after Ivy. Can he cross the boundaries of life and death to warn Ivy that she is in trouble?

"Soulmates": Tristan must rescue Ivy, but if he does so his mission will be finished and he will have to leave his true love forever."

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