Buried Lies [Hardcover]

Peter Rennebohm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

Gus Ivy was restless, so he thought he d test retirement by spending the winter with friends in Arizona. Endless rounds of golf convinced him that such an idle life probably was not for him. On a particularly restless day, Gus visits his barber and discovers an obscure Sagebrush western written by a favorite author. He s excited to add it to his collection, and negotiates a buy with Frank, the barber. Unfortunately, the sixty-year old Cavity Lake Gang has drawn the attention of a band of cutthroats who will stop at nothing to get their hands on Gus s copy. He doesn t know why the book is so valuable only that he is determined to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Together with a mysterious woman from Montana, Gus and his new friend, set off on a quest that will take them to the Navajo Indian Nation in Northeast Arizona, and beyond. It s a chilling race against a decades-old deadline and a bunch of ruthless killers a race to solve a fascinating puzzle embedded within the book, but the end game may prove too costly as multiple deaths and a kidnapping litter their trail.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Buried Lies is a one big scavenger hunt of a book. Crossing both territory and time, the story is built around a couple of engaging puzzles. One is literal, with plenty of intriguing clues. The other, quite simply, is the mystery of the human heart. Author Peter Rennebohm tackles both puzzles with great gusto. The result is a thrill ride of a read that you'd be a fool to miss. --William Kent Krueger

This is a great adventure story with captivating, memorable characters. Peter has created another entertaining, hard-to-put-down read. Well done! --Vince Flynn

In Buried Lies, Peter Rennebohm has constructed a good old-fashioned treasure hunt, with equally generous shares of excitement and heart. I liked it...a lot! --Thomas Perry

About the Author

Lifelong resident of Minnesota. Peter currently lives with wife Shari and golden retriever, Jack, on a ten-acre hobby farm west of Minneapolis. He and his wife have two daughters living nearby. Education/business background: Graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a BA degree in English Literature. Played college hockey and worked as a counselor at a home for emotionally disturbed children. His childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian was never realized. "I struggled to pass a requisite chemistry course. That was my first clue that I should find some other major." Once daughters Emily and Jennifer, were born Peter went to work as a manufacturer's representative. He continued to work as a rep for thirty-four years. He sold the business and retired Oct 1, 2002, and immediately began, "writing, reading, and studying anything and everything I could find about becoming an accomplished writer." His first effort was ambitious-- a novel that eventually was published as FRENCH CREEK in November, 2004. In between rewrites and revisions, he began writing short stories. "I was very fortunate to have a number published and to win numerous awards. This gave me confidence and credibility to continue." BE NOT AFRAID: BEN PEYTON'S STORY was published in 2004. "Ben's dad is one of my best friends. His son Ben, was paralyzed from an on-ice hockey injury in 1996 and the book chronicles his remarkable recovery. It is a story that needed to be told and is at once inspirational, spiritual, and courageous." BLUE SPRINGS was published in 2005 and has received many complimentary reviews. Hobbies/Interests: Peter has an abiding interest in nature and many of his stories reflect that interest. Along with maintaining a 135-tree apple orchard, Peter enjoys golf, bird carving, duck hunting, and writing. "Working with the trees satisfies a desire to be outside where I seem to be most comfortable and at peace." Long Minnesota winters are spent writing and coaching an all-girls hockey team. Favorite Authors: John Steinbeck, Jack London, Mark Twain, Stephen King, John Grisham, Harlen Coben, John Dunning, Carl Hiaasen, Lee Child, Jack Higgins, Michael Connelly. Writing style: Peter writes adventure novels loaded with tension and suspense. Not exactly hard-core thrillers, his books are stand-alone novels with descriptive outdoor settings. "I write the kind of books I enjoy reading: entertaining, full of surprise, with ordinary characters drawn from everyday life. There are no super-heroes or spies in my books--just regular folks who for one reason or another find themselves drawn into serious conflict." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.; First edition (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878392912
• ISBN-13: 978-0878392919
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,226,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clues for a buried treasure are hidden in a valuable book, September 28, 2008

By 

K. M. Hammond (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buried Lies (Hardcover)

Gus Ivy is retired and bored. He seems too young to be wasting away in Arizona just playing golf. When someone known to him is murdered he's suddenly dragged into a bizarre adventure centering around a unique book that has hidden clues that could lead to a fortune the likes of which he's never dreamed of. Throw in more murder and a mysterious girl and Gus shows us he's not afraid to get his hands dirty. Great characters and action packed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A mystery about a mystery buried in an old Western novel, September 23, 2008

By 

P. Mann (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buried Lies (Hardcover)

Gus Ivy is seeking nothing more than a haircut from an old barber, but when the barber mentions an obscure Western novel that he has, Gus the book collector is interested, especially since the book is by one of Gus's favorite authors. No sooner does Gus obtain the book than the barber is murdered. It turns out that the book was a gift to a select group of soldiers from a wealthy man much of whose wealth appears to have been hidden to avoid allowing the government to take more than what he considered a fair share. The book, it seems, may be a cryptic treasure map, leading to an unspecified treasure. Gus is soon joined by Cassidy, a deaf woman who claims to be the granddaughter of the late creator of the puzzle. With the barber's killers chasing--and frequently finding--him, Gus may have to rely on Cassidy and she on him, but the salient question is whether he can trust her. She is definitely keeping secrets. Enter another woman who tries to seduce Gus at a casino and seems to show up rather too frequently, and Gus is not alone as he pursues the treasure, whatever it might be.

The idea of a book that hides the clues to a treasure map seems a natural for the mystery genre, many of whose books naturally challenge the reader to join along with the protagonist to solve the mystery. Certainly, that element is a draw in this novel, but it is, alas, one without a payoff since "Buried Lies" does not contain enough of the actual puzzle (or much at all) to allow the reader a chance of solving it. Indeed, once the characters begin to solve the puzzle, the reader has, quite literally, no chance to play along. In addition, it seems that the puzzle, once parts of it start to unravel, reveals itself too quickly.

Puzzle aside, the novel is fun, especially trying to figure out the relationship between Gus and Cassidy. (And here, the reader does indeed have a chance to guess along with the characters.) And once the trip begins in earnest, it really takes off, covering nearly half the width of a continent. From an old man's barbershop to a casino to the house of a Navajo elder, Gus is on a wild ride, one that includes a large dose of woo-woo (supernatural elements) that the characters rely on to solve the mystery, lots and lots of danger, and a Dean Koontz-size portion of companion dogs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic read with hidden clues all along the way, December 2, 2008

By 

Laura Hinds "Book Addict" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buried Lies (Hardcover)

Gus Ivy decides to try his hand at retirement. He quickly tires of playing golf and is bored. He stops for a haircut finds that the barber has a first edition copy of a western novel written by one of his favorite authors. Unfortunately for Gus, there are other people after this book and they will stop at nothing to get it. Gus isn't sure why they want the book, but it makes him dig in his heels about keeping it safe and following clues to solve a mysterious puzzle written in the book.

The characters are interesting, the pace is fast, there are chills and thrills and I never for a moment wanted to put the book down. There was too much excitement to let it wait another day to finish reading it.

The author is very talented as a storyteller and the reader is drawn right into the story as if you were living it yourself.

Fascinating and exciting. This book is a guaranteed fantastic read.