Description
Would you kill to keep a secret?
That’s the question haunting three people whose lives become inescapably intertwined by the secrets that define them and ultimately threaten to tear them apart.
A disgraced professor, a disenchanted psychologist and a deceitful patient are about to learn more than they expected about each other and themselves. Will their relationships survive their secrets? Will they?
Everyone has secrets.
Some are just darker than others.
And some, well, they’re worth killing to keep.
“A Killer Secret,” the debut novel by Jeff Berney, is a character study in good and evil, and the large swath of gray area in between where most of us live. That is, unless our secrets kill us first.
Reader Reactions:
“Really enjoyed the book (in a twisted thriller kind of way). I was shocked multiple times and couldn’t sleep for a few nights after reading the end.”
– Apple Books reader
“Just when I thought I had it figured out…BOOM, I was wrong!”
– Amazon reader
“This book is definitely not for the faint of heart.”
– Instagram reviewer
“Everything seems to follow the normal pattern of a suspense/thriller novel, until it absolutely doesn’t!”
– Amazon reader
“I was riveted to the story.”
– Instagram reviewer
“So many twists and turns … absolutely did not see that ending coming!”
– Apple Books reader
“Wow. I literally could not put this book down. I was shocked by the ending, and I want to read again just to make sense of it all.”
– Amazon reader
“I was surprised of the ending and happy to see that there is room for a sequel possibly in the future. I highly recommend this book for an amazing thriller read that surprises the reader.”
– Instagram reviewer
“Compelling writing, a story and plot that keep you guessing, and a solid literary voice that was brilliantly executed.”
– Goodreads reviewer
“Really great book. Can’t recommend it enough. Keep in mind 1)you won’t be able to put it down 2) you will need a friend to talk to about it.”
– Amazon reader
Media Reviews:
“A Killer Secret entwines the lives and closely-held secrets of three disparate individuals: a professor, a jaded psychologist, and a lying patient, enveloping them in increasingly deadly encounters and murder. This approach offers the kinds of twists and turns designed to keep readers on edge and guessing throughout the story. The first thing to note about A Killer Secret is that absolutely nothing is predictable. Readers may anticipate a set direction, psyche, or story, only to find that they occupy left base, leaving them to wonder how they got there. (Only upon reflection is the progression is actually quite clear. It’s just that the clues aren’t overstated and obvious, as in so many murder stories, and thus the outcomes aren’t set in stone, which makes for satisfyingly unexpected plot developments.) Jeff Berney knows how to craft a suspense story that is as compelling as any Alfred Hitchcock could have shaped. As events in multiple lives move forward in a chess match-style of intrigue, readers will not only find the story replete with surprises, but should be advised that if it’s chosen for late night reading, dawn might arrive before the story’s completed.”
– Midwest Book Reviews
“An addictive, devour-in-one-sitting psychological thriller. Berney’s debut mixes a hefty dose of darkness with mystery and intrigue to create a deeply engrossing psychological suspense. Struggling to come to terms with her troubled relationship with her mentor and boyfriend, the very controlling, disgraced professor Adrian, Edie, a disinterested psychologist, is barely going through the motions of life. But when the enigmatic Timothy becomes her patient, things take a new turn. There are mini subplots with the characters’ backstories, But Berney handles all the intricate plot threads with aplomb. All three protagonists’ relentless inner turmoil form a major part of the plot theme, providing more opportunity for conflict in the story. There is a hint of darkness to the tale, but the novel’s reach doesn’t come at the expense of its psychological depth. Berney is effortless when it comes to exploring his characters’ inner turmoil while infusing themes of trauma, physical and psychological abuse, revenge, and violence into the tension-filled narrative. With its darkly intriguing, fully fleshed-out characters, taut pacing, and relentless suspense, the novel makes for a winner.”
– The Prairies Book Review
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