New Book Alert: The Secrets They Left Behind by Lissa Marie Redmond; Intense Suspenseful Mystery About Going Undercover With PTSD

New Book Alert: The Secrets They Left Behind by Lissa Marie Redmond; Intense Suspenseful Mystery About Going Undercover With PTSD




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




PopSugar Reading Challenge: A book published in 2020




Spoilers: When police officers and spies go undercover, it's assumed that they will accept their new identities and do their jobs without any issues concerning their old lives. But what if they have issues? What if their previous lives are so haunted, that they can't help but carry that baggage with them on their new case when they are just supposed to act as one of the gang, so they can find leads to solve this mystery?




That is the situation faced by Shea O'Connor, the bright young rookie cop/protagonist in Lissa Marie Redmond's intense and suspenseful mystery and thriller, The Secrets They Left Behind.

Shea is still recovering from a previous case when she was left alone with female serial killer, Terry Roberts. Even though, Roberts was caught, Shea still suffers from nightmares and PTSD from the assault and is seriously considering a career change.


The FBI sees a silver (or blood red in this case) lining in Shea's situation and figures that she would be the perfect officer to go undercover. In Kelly's Falls, a rural Pennsylvania town, three college age girls have gone missing. Shea is assigned to take the cover of an orphaned college freshman and niece of the local police chief. She infiltrates the local college scene including the girls' three other gal pals and one of the missing girl's good-looking brother to find out the truth. Unfortunately, the memories of the Robert's case are still fresh in Shea's mind, leaving her vulnerable to accepting friendship and romance while living under her assumed identity.


Shea makes for an interesting protagonist because she is a flawed character. She is a good police officer, very observant and dedicated to helping others. However, she is not a Mary Sue. In fact her flaws are what make her more interesting. She is emotional and protective of her new friends and feels guilty about lying to them. She falls in love with Nick, one of the missing girl's brother, because her loneliness from the deception and her past trauma makes her vulnerable.


In fact her vulnerabilities are what makes her a good police officer, something her FBI handler notices right away. That's why he refers her for the job. Shea sees the determination in the girlfriends' faces when they make sure that they name drop their missing friends in front of reporters so the girls are not forgotten. She understands the anxiety when parents follow every lead and the despair when the leads don't result in the girls being found. She relates when Nick wants to share news with his sister, Olivia, but is saddened remembering that she's not there to share them with.

She understands because she has been there. Her abduction and torture opened her up to the dark side of human nature. She uses that knowledge to protect others from that dark side.


The suspense is built on the characters' actions. Shea's strongest leads are to look at the secrets the girls left behind. She discovers the hidden lives that the girls shared with friends, family, and other towns residents. She investigates drug rings, bullying mean girls, and former lovers to find out information. In one tense moment, she has to use all her resources to protect a new friend who is alone with a dangerous predator.


The Secrets They Left Behind is gripping thriller with a protagonist as troubled as her investigation. But the trouble gives her the insight to find a solution.