Morgan Jewell requests access to a murder scene outside of her jurisdiction. She's sure this is a missing link to find her best friend's killer. Fay Ramsey was killed years ago when she and Morgan were about to move into college dorms together. Fay's face was smashed in by an unknown object and the killer was never found. The case has gone cold.
Morgan is still obsessed with finding that killer. She won't stop until she does.
Another body of high school girl murdered twenty years ago, is uncovered and Morgan is sure the crimes are connected to her past. She becomes obsessed with finding Fay's killer. And every step closer brings another memory of their time together. Morgan had been diagnosed with perpetration induced trauma after Fay's death. And she remembers finding her best friend's mangled body near Jackson Creek.
Caryn has been interviewed by Detective Jewell. The detective asked questions about her past. Caryn only tells the detective what she wants her to believe. That she hasn't seen her brother in years. When she decides to face her estranged brother, she warns him they know what he did. And Ekhard threatens to kill her. He tells her she is crazy just like their mother.
All clues have led to the invisible Ekhard Klein. Morgan interviews Caryn and Ekhard's dying mother, Anna Clare, who reveals that Ekhard has changed his name to Nathanial Johnson. A 911 call takes Morgan to Nathanial Johnson's home and she finds the weapons-hammers-used to smash the hands and faces of his victims. Ekhard has fled. But now, DNA evidence finally connects Caryn to the body of the high school girl. And when Morgan goes to arrest her, she finds the murdered body of her brother Ekhard instead.
Morgan remembers how in love she was with Fay. As young women entering college, Morgan hadn't realized these feelings were so strong. As she dials her boyfriend's number someone hits Morgan over the head and everything goes black.
Caryn attacked Morgan. She reveals she killed Ekhard's high school girlfriend. She also killed his lover, Hallie Marks. And now, Caryn has to kill Morgan because she knows too much. Caryn smashes Morgan's hand with the hammer. As she is about to deliver the killing blow, police storm into the house and shoot her.
Months later, Morgan is moving out of the house she rented. She is ready to move on and remembers Fay again. This time, she remembers the heavy rock in her hand.
Industry Reviews
"Beautifully put together. Look out . . . there's a new female detective (and talented author) in town." - Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Storm
"Best Kept Secrets will have readers breathlessly turning pages until the final twists and turns." -Rosalind Noonan, New York Times bestselling author of The Sisters
"I'm a sucker for pulse-pounding police procedurals, and Best Kept Secrets swept me off my feet and tied me to the chair!" - Laurie Buchanan, Author of the Sean McPherson thrillers
Phillips uses effective devices to create her page turner: Readers are purposely kept off guard in this whodunit by the constantly changing POVs, compelling descriptions of characters, settings, and murders by blunt force, and effective use of authentic police procedures as Morgan, now an investigator on a personal mission, seeks the killer with a vengeance. You will be hanging on to the very end to find out the most important secret of all." - San Diego Reader
"Best Kept Secrets by Tracey S. Phillips is not for the faint of heart. As past and present converge and Morgan closes in on the killer, unexpected twists will keep readers breathless as the case rushes to the shocking climax." - Author Sharon Michalove
"Best Kept Secrets is a masterfully layered, emotionally charged thriller that hooks you with a heart-wrenching premise and keeps you turning pages with its simmering tension and dark twists. What begins as a poignant look at the deep bond between two teenage girls quickly spirals into a gritty, deeply personal murder investigation with devastating stakes." - Ileana Munoz Renfroe, Author
"You might think you have it figured out but you won't until you get to the end! I loved the book and am eager for this author to publish another!" -Reviewer
"Wow! Fantastic story!" - Reviewer
