Every family is vulnerable, but Eve’s might be more fragile than most. Her son’s incredibly rare medical condition means any exposure to UV light could be fatal, forcing Eve to change the way her son lives, learns, and plays. Since Tyler’s only able to experience the outdoors after the sun goes down, Eve is forced to form close relationships with her neighbors, requesting that they use UV-free lightbulbs on porches and garages. Though most of the neighbors happily comply, some new additions to the cul-de-sac prefer to make things difficult. When a young girl disappears, suspicion among the neighbors flows freely, and the most unlikely suspect turns out to have all the answers. Buckley highlights the power of community in The Deepest Secret, the story of a mother’s desire to protect her child from the dangers of the outside world at any cost. Eve, her husband, and Tyler narrate the story in turn, weaving personal bias and suspicion into the overarching drama. Fans of Lisa Scottoline and Lisa Gardner will appreciate Buckley’s unique blend of poignant emotion and thrilling suspense. --Stephanie Turza
“Smart and thrilling . . . a taut family drama about a mother blindly obsessed with protecting her teen son from the UV light that could kill him.”
—People “A harrowing story.”
—New York Daily News “Daring . . . Buckley takes readers into the grayest area imaginable. . . . Though often heart-wrenching, the extensive emotional development Buckley packs into a world of everyday life overlaid by nightmare will leave readers wondering how far they might go for their loved ones, and the additional moral conundrums faced by each member of Eve’s family will provide hearty book club discussion fodder. As winding and treacherous as a slick road, this masterful thriller will leave readers clutching their chests.”
—Shelf Awareness “In Buckley’s superb third novel, ordinary human nature and extraordinary circumstances collide to powerful effect. The story offers the intricate suspense and surprise of a thriller, along with rich characterizations and nuanced writing. . . . [Its] suburban world is beautifully observed, its characters convincing, flawed, and sympathetic. Ultimately, Buckley delivers a gripping read and a memorable reflection on the conflicting imperatives of love.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“
The Deepest Secret is one of Carla Buckley’s finest accomplishments. Fans of Jodi Picoult will enjoy this compelling blend of ripped-from-the-headlines suspense and close-to-your-heart characters.”
—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Every family is vulnerable, and every parent knows it. Carla Buckley masterfully portrays an ordinary family trapped in a heart-wrenching crisis. A memorable novel about how far a parent will go for her child,
The Deepest Secret will make you count your blessings.”
—William Landay, New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob “Elegant, poignant, and utterly riveting,
The Deepest Secret is a suspenseful tale of love, forgiveness, and sacrifice that will leave you asking how far a mother really should go to protect her family and wondering about the cost of the secrets we all keep, even from ourselves.”
—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia “A mesmerizing page-turner for the era of Big Brother and constant surveillance: Who is guilty and who is innocent? Loved ones are not exempt from suspicion, as the devastating power of a mother’s love has unimaginable consequences. I was riveted until the very end.”
—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife “An electrifying and sensitive portrait of an ordinary family struggling with tragic circumstances,
The Deepest Secret is a rich human drama that pulls on larger themes of life and what it means to be a family, one torn apart by tangled desires, grief, lost dreams, and a crime that threatens to sink them all. Every page aches with searing emotions that build to a heart-healing conclusion.”
—Chevy Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of Always Watching “Carla Buckley captures the beauty and sorrow of a family about to change forever.
The Deepest Secret is about magic spun from pain, deep truth sprung from secrets, and, most of all, the extraordinary love that carries Tyler and his family all through the night. This is an unbearably wonderful novel.”
—Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of Little Night
“Carla Buckley brilliantly uses darkness to illuminate the truth about one family that could be any family. In the process she entertains and astounds the reader with a riveting page turner that is also a deeply moving examination of parenthood and the dangers that are always lurking in the shadows. You will hug your child harder after you finish
The Deepest Secret.”
—M. J. Rose, internationally bestselling author of The Book of Lost Fragrances “
The Deepest Secret gets under your skin—when you’re not reading it, you’re thinking about it. The first fifty pages already draw you in, but then Buckley sets a hook that makes it impossible not to race to the end to find out what happens.”
—#1 internationally bestselling author Linwood Barclay