Customer Reviews

Buried Secrets (Nick Heller)

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not kidding about my title: I was disappointed in this book even though it was one of the most riveting thrillers I've ever read, and certainly Joseph Finder's best book to date. The reason for my disappointment is that even though the plot was terrific, there were scores of terrific twists and action scenes, and the characters were fascinating and compelling, this book could not escape its one fatal flaw.

It ended.

I wasn't ready for this to end. I wanted it to keep going. I wanted to find out more about the main character, Nick Heller. This is the 2nd outing with Heller as the main character, and frankly it's not nearly enough. The back story on this guy seems like it could fill quite a few books more, and I want to find out all there is to know.

With short chapters, snappy dialogue, and a breakneck pace that is going to leave all other thrillers in the dust, this book is well worth reading.

There's a special joy that comes from watching a master at the top of his game. Kasparov sitting over a chessboard. Heifetz playing the violin. LeBron winning a champion--well, scratch that last one. But you can add to the list the pleasure of reading a thriller written by Joseph Finder. Finder's been at this game for a long time now and he knows what he's doing in a way that most authors simply can't match, a fact he demonstrates yet again with BURIED SECRETS.

BURIED SECRETS features the return of Nick Heller, the "private spy" introduced in the outstanding VANISHED. Heller is a former Black Ops agent who now plies his trade in the private sector, utilizing his extensive skills, smarts and contacts to work the shadowy world where corporate, military and intelligence interests meet.

As the story opens, a young woman is out partying with her friends in a hip Boston nightclub. She meets a guy -- the wrong guy, of course -- and goes home with him, mostly against her will. When she wakes from her drug-induced stupor, she finds herself the victim of a horrific kidnapping.

It turns out that the girl's father is one of Heller's oldest friends, a billionaire hedge fund manager who'll do anything to get his daughter back. Or will he? The more Heller investigates the case, the more secrets he uncovers, and the further away he keeps finding himself from the truth.

BURIED SECRETS is a perfect example of a white-knuckle thriller: suspenseful and exciting, with good action scenes, interesting characters and lots of smart technical details and inside info that take the reader behind the curtain to catch a glimpse of the shadows.

There are few writers working today who could pull off a book like this with such skill and panache -- and none who could do it while making it all look so effortless. BURIED SECRETS cements Finder's status as the master of the modern thriller.

Always-reliable Joseph Finder brings us the second entry in the series featuring Nick Heller, who was introduced in Vanished. Heller's a former Army "operator" with a background in secret high-level special ops.

Heller has returned to his home town of Boston and gone "private" after the events in the previous book, but he hasn't lost his edge or his contacts.

When a long-standing family friend hires Nick to find his kidnapped daughter, Nick has to use his old contacts, new friends, and all his training and toughness to unravel a tangled ball of subterfuge, blackmail, and international intrigue in order to try to rescue the innocent teenager who's in the hands of a psychotic killer intent on realizing his own twisted agenda.

Tightly plotted and fast-paced, the story's full of twists and turns, and kept this reader glued to the pages right up to the final exciting showdown. Heller's a terrific character; a man of honor with a sense of humor and the hard knuckles and gun skills to see things through to the end.

In many ways these books remind me of the Bob Lee Swagger novels by Stephen Hunter. If you like those, you're sure to like the Heller books, too.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Alexa Marcus and her best friend, Taylor Armstrong, both under legal drinking age, have secured IDs that have gotten them into the hottest nightclub in Boston. As they sit there enjoying their refreshments, Alexa catches the eye of Lorenzo, dark hair, brown eyes, days growth of beard, a "total babe" in Alexa's parlance. She and Taylor head to the restroom to freshen up, where Taylor lets Alexa know that she is going to leave her with Lorenzo, which is fine with Alexa. She does leave with Lorenzo, but she leaves extremely drunk.

Alexa wakes up with a severe case of claustrophobia. As she takes inventory of her surroundings, it dawns on her that she has a reason to feel this way - she appears to be in a casket. A disembodied voice informs her of her predicament; not only is she in a casket, she is buried under ten feet of earth. She will be released if her father, the very rich Marshall Marcus complies with some demands. Marshall, not one to use normal channels, contacts his old friend Nick Heller, to find his daughter. Nick accepts the job, however before he gets too far in his investigation, he discovers that Alexa's captors are ruthless and connected. He also discovers that some of the people with whom he comes into contact are not being totally truthful. Nick only has to discover the truth, dodge some very nasty, very lethal people, stay a step ahead of Federal agents, and rescue Alexa from her grave.

Joesph Finder's Buried Secrets is the second novel centering on Nick Heller, "private spy," ex-Army, smart with technology, no stranger to difficult field operations. Finder has created one of the best characters in fiction with Nick Heller. He is smart, tough, has a well defined ethical and moral center, and, because of his confidence, a bit brash. The latter seems to get him in trouble at the wrong times, but it is quite humorous. The other thing that Finder adds to Heller is realism; he is not "superman," he gets tired, he loses blood, he does not totally recover in the next page or the next chapter. Quite simply, he is human. It is a welcome trait, one that is missing in many of his fictional contemporaries. Adding to the enjoyment of the novel is the wonderful dialogue, which confirms that Finder actually listens to how real people talk to one another and is able to transfer that knowledge to the page.

Filled with interesting, well drawn, and some duplicitous characters, tight plotting, edge-of-your-seat action, and wonderful plot twists, Buried Secrets is a novel that will hold your interest until the last page is turned. It is a novel that will consume you with its excellent pacing. It is a book that will make you uncomfortable, as Finder describes what it is like for Alexa to be buried alive. It is, quite simply, another novel that will help you understand why Joseph Finder is an author that cannot be missed.

Disclosure:
Obtained from: Amazon Vine
Payment: Free

There are only a few authors whose books I will immediately move to the front of the reading order, and Joseph Finder is one of them. This time out, Nick Heller (from "Vanished") is back trying to track down a missing girl whose rich father may or may not know the real reason why she was abducted. Heller goes about things his own way to solve the case and do all he can to find the girl before she is killed.

The plot here is deep and as usual for Finder it is complex. The thing I truly appreciate about his character of Nick Heller is the fact that he allows Heller to make mistakes. Many authors fall so in love with their main hero characters that they eventually make them infallible and almost perfect. Heller is as human as a made-up guy can be. He makes mistakes in his decisions from time to time, and stumbles upon clues that help him in the case just out of dumb luck like anyone might in the real world. He negotiates with people like a regular guy, using contacts he has through his father's past (a shady one that still keeps his dad behind bars) or his mother's kindness. It is something that allows you to think that possibly Heller won't be able to work this one out in time rather than resting secure that the hero can not fail.

Finder does a great job of creating characters here as well, just as he has in past books. The story moves along at a quick pace, as the girl is abducted in the first chapters and then Heller races against time to find her before it's too late. If you're looking for a good Summer thriller, "Buried Secrets" has you covered.

Spoiler Free Review. Buried Secrets is the second in a series of books (the first is Vanished ) which are a hybrid thriller/mystery combination. While this is the second book, you do not need to read the first one. I had not, and did not feel that I was at any disadvantage.

I would call this the prototypical summer beach read (in a positive sense). The prose is light and easy to read, and the pages fly by quite enjoyably. But unlike the usual dreck which is foisted onto fans of the thriller genre, Joseph Finder has clearly gone above and beyond on the research for this book, loading the story with tons of authentic details which really enhance the quality of the narrative. The characters are strong and well defined, and the central villain is truly chilling. The pages detailing the antagonist's thoughts were genuinely disturbing, which was some impressive writing by the author.

The Pros: Great writing, details and plot. A genuine page-turner.

The Cons: Protagonist a bit overly connected with the world's best Rolodex (name your country- no problem, he knows someone at a very high level willing to help it at a moment's notice).

Overall: highly recommended for fans of good thrillers and mysteries. Finder is a very good, and only a few minor flaws kept it from 5 stars. I would have given it 4.5 stars if I could.

Joseph Finder knows how to write, and he's amazed us with his talents. So back in 2009, he gave us "Vanished," introducing us to Nick Heller, and giving us a new hero to root for. Ever since then I've really been chomping at the bit waiting to see what "Buried Secrets" had in store for us all. The wait was well worth it! I was not disappointed in the least with Finder's latest offering.

Nick is contacted by an old buddy, Marshall Marcus, a man with the money. His daughter has been taken, and what's worse, through the power of video on the internet, he discovers that she's been buried alive! Nick enters the picture to bring back Alexa alive. As Nick gets underway, he figures out a thing or two that just isn't that pleasant. He realizes that Alexa could die a death worse than a nightmare could dream up. And he also finds out that people are being played, and the game continues with ruthless abandon.

Diana Madigan also enters the picture as Nick's former lover and her FBI special agent credentials. Deception is being weaved, and certain criminals think they have eyes in the back of their heads. How twisted and bruised can this possibly get?

Finder took this and ran with it. In fact, I just found out that that he actually allowed himself to be locked in a coffin in order to do some research for this. That's just crazy! But that's also commitment that not a lot of authors show either, and to me that's merely a silent token of respect. I hope there is more in the life and adventures of Nick Heller. With Joseph Finder thinking outside the box, this series promises to get better and better! In saying that, it already is pretty awesome!

As part of the Amazon Vine review program, I had the chance this month to snag Joseph Finder's latest book Buried Secrets. In short, there was no way I was going to let the opportunity to read Finder's latest novel before the release date get away. I'm glad I didn't, either. Finder does an excellent job with the Nick Heller character, and the twists kept coming fast and furious right up to the end.

In Buried Secrets, Heller is hired by his old (and rich) friend Marshall Marcus to find his daughter Alexa. She didn't come home after supposedly going out to visit Taylor, her best friend, and the father is worried that something may have happened. A little pressure on Taylor uncovers that they were really at a trendy bar, and that a guy was hitting on Alexa. The last video image of Alexis has her leaving with the guy, looking like she's been drugged. As Heller continues to dig and follow the trail, he uncovers some nasty characters who have reason to want something from Marcus. He also finds that Marcus isn't being entirely open as to his own situation. When the ransom demand comes in, it does so in the most unsettling way... via a live computer video feed of Alexis repeating her captor's demands, apparently buried underground in some sort of coffin. Heller has to figure out who knows what, who is hiding what, and where Alexis is being kept, as it's a near certainty that killing Alexis means little to those who are making the demands.

I really enjoy reading Finder's stories. The Nick Heller character is fun, in that he's a step above a private eye, yet not a full-on spy. The back cover on the ARC labels him a "private spy", and that's a good description. He's got his own way of doing things, has a smart mouth and sharp wit, and the dialogue rings true. I also like that he's not a "Superman"-type character that has all the bases covered and never makes a misstep. His improv when he gets out of the shower to discover two guys bugging his computer is great... I'll never look at an electric razor the same way again. :)

If you've never had the pleasure of reading a Joseph Finder novel, feel free to jump right in with Buried Secrets. The writing and characters are reminiscent of Harlan Coben and Lee Child, and the only disappointment is when you get to the end and know you have to wait for a new Finder novel.

Disclosure:
Obtained From: Amazon Vine Review Program
Payment: Free

Nick Heller is a privately secured agent that is part special ops, part PI, part police officer. His job is to investigate places and things and people that others can't for covert reasons of their own. This time, a man named Marshall Marcus hires Heller to get back his daughter who was kidnapped after a night out on the town. Marcus has secrets that can't be disclosed to the authorities so Heller needs to figure out what those secrets are-so he can best find out who took Marcus' daughter, why and where she is.

The title Buried Secrets refers to the fact that Marcus' daughter Alexa is actually buried alive with a video feed of her being sent to the family where they can communicate with her when the kidnapper pleases. The books is straight forward and fast paced with short chapters that read like little bursts of energy. I have read every Finder novel and what I can say about him-is that he doesn't put out a bad book. I seriously think Finder thinks to himself, "If I have a first time reader, I want to hook them so they will come back," with every book he writes.

Make note, this is not a literary Masterpiece but what it is, is a thriller masterpiece. The scenes are very well drawn out so you feel like you are in the action. The story is just the right length and overall it provides for a fast-paced romp that fans of Finder or Thriller fans in general should not miss. Sometimes there is too much going on in a book and there is twist after twist just to try and make a book interesting. Not this one. Just the right amount of thrills to keep you on the edge. I do recommend bringing another book with you on that beach trip because what will you read after you finish this one so quickly?

Joseph Finder has created a likeable, interesting protagonist in Nick Heller who is working as a "private spy", a cleverly expanded divergence from the classic private eye.

The story centers around the abduction of the daughter of a friend, being held captive in an underground vault. Taking a personal interest, since Heller has known the teenage girl since she was a youngster, he dives into the investigation, leaving no stone unturned. And there are some heavy ones upended in the process.

In previous novels I have been drawn in by the characters, who seem to me like people I might know. And that makes them more dynamic and easy to relate to. And this novel is no exception.

But the main draw for me was the creation and gradual building of suspense.