Book Review: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. It's a keeper!

I have several Kate Morton books on my shelf and I have yet to read them. I am fascinated by the covers. They look so delicious and promise entry into another world--one that is historical and lush--I couldn't resist buying them. I had the opportunity to receive an e-galley of The Secret Keepers, so that became my first Kate Morton novel to be read.

Check out the description...

During a party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the road and sees her mother speak to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy.
Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress, living in London. She returns to the family farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday and finds herself overwhelmed by questions she has not thought about for decades. From pre-WWII England through the Blitz, to the fifties and beyond, discover the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined. 

Now, I'm a big fan of description--especially of lush surroundings. Let me tell you, Kate Morton is an avid describer to say the least. In the beginning of the book, I felt a bit overwhelmed with the detail--and that's saying a lot for me. I was becoming a bit worried that maybe her storytelling was not for me (what was to become of those three other books of hers on my shelf?!?). Not to worry! The story starts slowly, but I beg you to hang in there. You won't be disappointed. This story has so many marvelous twists and turns. I thought I knew where the tale was headed, but Morton totally pulled the rug out from under me! As the story progressed, I was flying through the pages trying to figure out what was going on and if I was right. This woman is a master storyteller. I was really amazed at her plotting and the intricacy of the story. Kate Morton is a real literary talent.

I wish I could tell you more, but the beauty of the story is in the discovery, in it's unfolding. I fairly yelped near the end when a major secret was unleashed. I had to read a section a couple of times to make sure I was understanding it correctly because I couldn't believe what I was reading. The author totally turned the story on it's head--awesome!

The Secret Keepers was released October 16, 2012 by Atria Books.

I can't wait to get to her other stories on my shelf!

Happy New Year, ya'll!