House of Secrets [Mass Market Paperback]

Lowell Cauffiel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 1999

"House of Secrets" is a story of tragedy and dark horrors. With terrifying detail, Cauffiel takes readers into a shocking world of abuse, incest, and family murder--a world ruled by psychopath Lee Sexton whose ability to manipulate his children produced one of the most sensational cases in true crime history. 16 pages of photos.

--This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Eddie Lee Sexton is evil incarnate. Like Charles Manson, he exercised a cult-like mind control over others who did his dirty work. But unlike Manson, both Sexton's victims and his subjects were his very own flesh and blood." As strong as they are, these words from an assistant district attorney barely hint at the depravity hidden for years within the Sexton family. Strange notions about "Futuretrons" and hand markings that convey absolute power, revelations of incest and physical abuse, bodies buried in the camping area of a Florida state park-- House of Secrets has so many layers of weirdness that it will amaze even seasoned readers of true crime. Lowell Cauffiel has a talent for combining quotations from interviews and unembellished facts into prose that reads like a novel. Two people are dead, and the children who suffered the cruel fate of being born into the Sexton family may never completely heal from their injuries--but at least their story has been told. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 429 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books (November 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786018275
• ISBN-13: 978-0786018277
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars house of sickness, March 11, 2000

By 

Tonya (Roanoke, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House of Secrets (Mass Market Paperback)

I read house of secrets about a year ago and this book really opened my eyes as to what kind of sick and demented people exist out there. I feel very sorry for the family and the pain they had to endure from Ed Sexton and his sick ways. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in finding out more about what True Crime is all about. I gave this book 5 stars because I think Lowell Cauffiel really did a wonderful job in including all aspects of the family, the crimes that were committed, and the background of Ed Sexton and "his" family. Like another review I read this book really changed the way I look at abuse and the effects that has on the families that endured it.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who could have ever imagined!, August 8, 2000

By 

"shell-bell" (Cypress, Tx USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House of Secrets (Mass Market Paperback)

My sister recommeded this book to me and my sister-in-law was reading it at the time that I was starting the book and she said that she couldn't finish the book because of everything that Sexton did to his family and she couldn't go on to the end, but once I started I couldn't put it down. This by far is one of the best true crime books that I have read. As far as the pictures are concerned I do agree with the reader that said they could have done without seeing the picture of the infant that was murdered. I do feel sorry for the Sexton children because they were raised to believe the life they were living was normal thus is why they never questioned their lives and the things that were happening to them. Now they are entering into a life that is nothing compared to what they lived while living with their parents and I am sure that it is a huge culture shock for them, but at the same time a wonderful change. Great book if you can finish it I recommend it to anyone that is trying to understand and get a concept of what is actually out in the world happening to others and their families, it is not just strangers that get victimized.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why didn't the "system" stop the abuse of this family?, April 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: House of Secrets (Hardcover)

As I was reading this well-written book, I kept asking myself, with all the police officers, social workers, neighbors and relatives who were involved at different levels in this family's lives, how did Eddie Sexton get away with all these unspeakable acts? To think that in this day and age, someone in our very own neighborhoods could be doing what he did is very scary and very sad. I've read many true crime books but none has had the impact that this one did. I think it is because many talk about what strangers do to strangers. This is a father and mother, who are supposed to protect and love their children above all else. I truly believe that Edddie Sexton epitomizes the word "dysfunction". My heart goes out to ALL of his children because they were living the world he had created for them. None had a clue as to normal. Mr. Cauffiel did a superb job investigating and reporting this tragic true horror story.