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There are currently 35 member reviews
for The Secret Keeper
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Sue (Brookfield WI)
Interesting read about Sierra Loeone
I didn't care for the beginning,a little to violent for me.Once I got past that, it was a fast moving read. I enjoyed learning about Sierra Leone. I think this would be a great book club selection, there would be many topics for discussion.
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Rosemary (San Antonio TX)
The Secret Keeper
Even though this novel can sometimes be confusing bouncing back and forth between a four year time frame, it is full of information about a country we often only receive snippets about in our national news. For the most part, the story moves at a brisk pace but does seem to bog down in areas. As a first time novel, I found the book an interesting and enjoyable read.
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Geralynn (Hobart IN)
Exciting Story
I enjoyed this book. It caught my interest from the beginning and didn't let go. I could tell the author, who is also a journalist, was very knowledgeable about the location and people. I recommend this book to those who enjoy a fast paced thriller or story of intrigue.
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Brenda (Sebring FL)
A New View on An Old Subject
Having read several accounts on the RUF, all harrowing, I appreciated the new slant given by Paul Harris. The subject is so disturbing, and when told from a person on the "sidelines" rather than personal involvement, the story takes on a whole new scary, sad, and sometimes exhilarating depiction on an event that we can't really understand.
Why would a reporter even venture into any war-torn area, let alone one whose soldiers are baby-faced? How can anyone grasp family and community fears and challenges and still remain "unbiased" especially after losing the one person he loves to the so-called effort? When the truth of his lover's death is finally unraveled, the choices left are not easy or morally straightforward.
I read this book in a few days and its message still haunts me. It would be a shame to miss out on a new view on this most recent, and possibly still ongoing, event.
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Cheryl (Naples FL)
Book club material
This book was a very enjoyable read on several levels. I knew nothing about Sierra Leone prior to "living" it through the book's characters. There was action, intrigue and a remarkable ending. Although the writing isn't as polished as an experienced author’s, I will definitely read Paul Harris’ next book. A book club would have many topics for discussion: relationships, morality, life under tyrannical rule, treatment of children in other societies, etc.
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Gerald (Pompton Lakes NJ)
A well-crafted fast moving first novel
This is a well-crafted fast moving first novel dealing with an African country between 2000 and 2004. Although it is fiction I have no doubt that everything in the book could have, and probably did happen. The main characters are appealing and the villains are appropriately cold-blooded. There are enough twists and turns to satisfy any adventure genre reader. I did find some continuity problems in the switching from 2000 to 2004 in every other chapter. I'll never think of "long-sleeved or short-sleeved" in the same way again.
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Bonnie (Mukwonago, WI)
Next Step: Screenplay
The matter-of-fact journalistic style of Paul Harris catches your interest from the start of his first novel, The Secret Keeper. Possibly better suited as the pre-write for a movie screenplay, readers will be inclined to visualize interactions among the characters throughout the book. While not the lesson on Sierra Leone you may have expected, a good story nonetheless.
