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The Last Secret

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McGarry Morris has written a number of provocative novels, this one dealing with the foolish mistakes of youth, an inappropriate love affair and a marriage laid bare by a husband's confessed infidelity. Nora Hammond, living in a small New England town with husband, Kendall, and two teenaged children, Chloe and Drew, has put the nightmarish events of her youth aside as a wife and mother. Working at the family-owned newspaper, Nora has found fulfillment, believing the past far behind her. Until her husband's rash confession, the only hint of trouble is the occasional bad dream of the fateful night Nora last saw Eddie Hawkins. Ken's baring of his soul reduces Nora's bliss to a pile of ashes, his affair undermining everything she has counted on in her relationship with Ken. Vacillating between rage and grief, Nora struggles with Ken's revelation, unable to get a grip on her emotions.

What is barely tolerable becomes unendurable with the return of the boyfriend who suddenly appears at Nora's home, office and social events. She doesn't know what Eddie wants from her, only that a shameful secret must not come out. As she begins the stages of grief over Ken's betrayal of their marriage, the reader is compelled to follow in the wake of this Nora's pain, her anguish at Ken's infidelity vying with her desire to confront the woman who has taken her place in his affections. Oblivious to everyone in her pain, Nora is further shocked to realize the long-term affair has long been the topic of interest for friends, coworkers and acquaintances. Even her son has carried the weight of Ken's infidelity long before Nora learns the truth. Perhaps Nora's reaction is appropriate, reasonable even; it is her inability to resist the lure of the wronged victim that becomes tedious, an endless rehashing of memories, the small signs she should have noticed, the shame of everyone knowing about the affair.

Nora's family is deeply dysfunctional, Ken unworthy of the anguish Nora suffers, their family façade exposed by a husband's infidelity and lame excuse for his actions, "It just happened". It is Nora's willful blindness that becomes irritating, as well as the jarring reappearance of Eddie Hawkins. Then there is Nora's confusing response to Eddie's veiled threats. Unfortunately, the introduction of this bizarre character from the past allows the author to avoid the difficult resolution of a family in crisis, allowing a more spectacular ending than the usual denouement of such a marriage. Most curious is the emotional evolution of the protagonist, Nora as firmly entrenched in the role of victim as when the novel begins: "I've lived my whole life trying to keep one step ahead of what I am." Luan Gaines/2009.

There are some books and authors that I'd like to have with me on a desert island. Mary McGarry Morris is one of those writers. I have always been drawn to her books, their dark and brooding nature with the sentience of doom and fatality omnipresent. I can almost smell the darkness when I read her novels, feel the desperation of the dissolute and the outsider. I have read all but two of her books and those two I'm saving for a very special time and place - - a desert island kind of moment. She's THAT good a writer.

The Last Secret is powerful and unflinching. It builds up slowly but the tension and angst keep coming. The characters are disgruntled, desperate, despairing, fragile, with huge currents roiling through their being as they try to keep their inner and outer storms at bay. Some characters are loathsome, despicable and pathetic. These are juxtaposed with others who try to stay strong, keep one foot in front of the other, and maintain independence at all costs. What Ms. Morris is so excellent at portraying is that while people try to fool themselves into believing that they have certain attributes better, worse, or more unique than others, most people are actually quite alike in that they harbor these components: the good, the bad and the evil.

When she was seventeen years old, Nora ran off with a troubled young man named Eddie Hawkins. During the week she was with him she drank a lot, got into situations that were outside her comfort range and behaved in ways that she thought were completely outside her moral compass. At one point Eddie asks her to come on to an older man and encourage him to follow her outside a bar so that Eddie can rob him. The older man follows her and something dreadful happens. Nora is never sure of the exact details but she has a recurrent nightmare that the man has his face bashed in by a tire iron and that she is the one who commits the crime. What she also remembers, is that after the 'incident' she is covered with blood and that she hitches a ride with a semi driver who manages to get her away from the scene of the crime and encourages her to call her mother. She calls her mother and returns home, bringing with her a lifetime of guilt and nightmares.

Skip forward twenty-five years. Nora is now happily married (so the thinks) to a man named Ken and she has two teen-aged children, Drew and Chloe. She has married into old money and works on the family-owned newspaper in New England. From the outside, everyone is happy and the family looks perfect but, as Nora believes, "Happiness so often trails a long shadow". She soon finds out that Ken has been having a 'relationship' for the past four years with one of her best friends. Nora's world is shattered. Her family is torn apart and in the process other, and often darker, secrets come to light. "Behind every truth lurks a darker truth. Behind the simplest reality, betrayal."

Nora is philanthropic and she is deeply involved with the volunteer board for Sojourn House, a home for battered women. Sojourn House has received national attention and Nora is being photographed by Newsweek magazine for her work there. Eddie Hawkins, sociopathic and narcissistic, sees Nora's picture in the magazine and recognizes her from their week together twenty-five years earlier. He travels across the country to Nora's hometown and sets himself up there in a cheap hotel. He contacts Nora who does not know what he wants but she has a stomach-turning, gut-wrenching uneasiness about seeing him. Her gut reaction is that he has sought her out to blackmail her for the role she had in what she thinks may have been a murder twenty-five years previously. She is a victim of perceived blackmail. Eddie Hawkins arrives just as her marriage and life are falling apart. Though fragile, angry and unsure on the inside, Nora comes across as independent, strong and almost cold on the outside. This is a common theme in Ms. Morris's books - - the outside harbors the seeds of the inside, and vice verse.

As Nora is dealing with one family secret and betrayal after another, the book proceeds to get darker and darker, with a deeply ingenious plot and wonderfully deep and crisp characterizations. I felt like I could reach out and touch the characters, they came so alive. Characterization is one of Ms. Morris's greatest gifts (and she has many). She examines the inner and outer worlds of her protagonists and leaves no stone left unturned. That, along with a breath holding plot, make this one of the best books I've read this year. I finished the book in two days, hardly coming up for air. My only disappointment was that I didn't want it to end. I wanted to continue to be a fly on the wall watching, and watching, and watching some more.

Mary McGarry Morris' latest book, while it achieves the stylistic grace and satisfying characterization of her earlier novels, fails to live up to her reputation as a writer's writer because she allows the storyline to veer off track into unnecessary details and subplots which merely burden the book without rendering further insight. As is her forte, she once again creates vivid characters whose actions are believable up to a point. One could argue that she "turns the screw" too many times so that the resulting quagmire is unnecessarily dense. However, the stunning "last secret" is credible in the same way her psychopathic protagonist in "Vanished" was. This is a dark book, but Morris' readers have come to expect that and presumably appreciate the glimpses into complicated mental disorders she depicts in her lost protagonists.

The book centers on affluent, socially prominent Nora Hammond, who is married to Ken, an old moneyed, respected community leader and owner of the local newspaper. When approached by Eddie Hawkins, a sleazy consort from her past who sees her in "Newsweek," helping out in a battered women's charity, Nora offers him money rather than have a dirty secret of her youth exposed. The reader believes this "secret" is the assault of a drunken man in a parking lot, an incident Nora cannot remember because she was drinking heavily at the time. However, she still revisits it in recurring, confusing, dreams. It is revealed later that the reason she ran away with Eddie, a lowlife acquaintance, and was involved in the parking lot assault was because she had falsely accused her mother's boyfriend, her teacher, of having molested her. Thus ended her mother's romantic relationship and the man's job and reputation.

It is apparent by then that Nora's image matters to her far more than her substance. Her woeful narration suggests that she is one who denies the truth, such as her husband's serial affairs; yet her purposeful attempts to hide her own actions signal that something in her account is amiss. Sure enough, as the elaborate tale unfolds, we understand that Nora is not interested in truth, but in burying it for others and even, alas, for herself. Her truths, so deeply submerged, are toxic enough that were she to comprehend them, she would not survive emotionally.

The reader fails to grasp the depth of her sickness because the narrative, from Nora's point of view, implies her victimhood. We are encouraged to believe all is the fault of the wily, vicious Eddie, who is a psychopath; but as the book wears on through the labyrinthine entanglements of Nora's deceptions, we realize that her husband Ken is not the only uncaring creep in the book, nor is the distant, seemingly impersonal Oliver the business-like, self-serving Stephen, the duplicitous Robyn, nor even the nasty Eddie, it is also Nora herself -- the reserved, appropriate but always self-absorbed Nora, whose instinct for self-preservation trumps all those around her, while in fact, she remains protected to the last. The narrative alternates in point of view between Nora's machinations and Eddie's, and only near the end do we realize how much alike the two are. Both are calculated. Both seek their own self-gratification at any cost. Both hold onto their fragile senses of self, so deeply concealed by their own self-deceptions and feelings of victimization that they cannot bear to see themselves for what they truly are.

Morris wants us to understand that "evil is contagious." It "thrives on denial." When the deranged Nora ends up a law student at the end of the novel, it is reminiscent of the teen murderess and kidnapper in Morris' first book, "Vanished." Similarly that character ends up on a national talk show, plying her false account to millions of unsuspecting viewers. For Morris, the observing social milieu is easily deceived, a result of its failure to see through the clever purveyors of deception: the teenage psychopath in "Vanished"; the con man, Omar Duvall, in "Songs in Ordinary Time," the predatory writer, Colin Mackey, in "A Dangerous Woman," and the weak, cruelly indifferent mother Irene Henry in "The Lost Mother." In "The Last Secret," it is Nora's denial and twisted psyche that wreak havoc on her surroundings.

In the final analysis, Nora has successfully worn "a mask of sanity" since her false charges resulted in the high school teacher being fired. That action deceived her own mother as well as the authorities, but more pernicious is the fact that she concealed her malevolent nature from herself, and even as she later blithely pursues a law degree, mercifully protected by the newspaper's suppression of her complicity in the violence at her house, she persists in her deceptions. Never what she pretended to be, she is the epitome of the psychopath as Harvey M. Cleckley, author of "The Mask of Sanity" and authority on psychopaths, described the condition in 1964. The true psychopath is of above average intelligence, has no delusions, shows little apparent nervousness , is untruthful and insincere, as we realize Nora is toward Kay, for instance. The psychopath has poor judgment and fails to learn from experience, is egocentric and lacks the capacity to love. He/she has little insight and can have "fantastic anti-social behavior when drinking." The psychopath's sex life is poorly integrated and he/she experiences failure in attempting to follow any life plan.

Throughout most of the book, engrossed by the complicated psychological revelations of Nora's family and associates, the reader falls prey to Nora's claim of being a victim. However, it eventually becomes apparent that she is an "unreliable narrator," that she has, in fact, lost touch with her children. Her son is an alcoholic, her daughter oblivious and unfocused, carrying on with a loser boyfriend. Her supposedly close friend, dying from cancer, is merely a blip on Nora's radar screen as she struggles to disguise her illicit past and current illegal and immoral actions, ostensibly intended to win back her husband. Later we realize that not only does she have a past laden with remorseless, terrible acts, but that she is presently in the process of an elaborate cover up even as she plays on the sympathy of all who surround her.

Says Nora, in her one partial glimpse into her lack of authenticity, "I've lived my whole life trying to keep from myself what I am." That acknowledgement might have been the beginning of a long journey to sanity had she sought help. Instead she is reassured by the priest, her advisor, when he comments, "We're all hiding something." So she persists in her diabolical manipulations until it is too late for her and her children to extricate themselves from the deception governing their lives. An alcoholic, her son Drew has already learned to deny his insights into the toxicity of their family life. Nora's denial of her true nature is such strong armor that she can admit without feeling remorse that Robyn, her husband's paramour, didn't deserve her fate of being crippled by Eddie. She observes of her former friend: "All she ever wanted was to love and be loved," perhaps a projection of Nora's own lost hopes before her personality solidified. Concealed by her words is the fact that Robyn could have been saved from her painful injuries if Nora had called the police rather than hesitating. Nora wanted Eddie dead so her secret would be preserved; she killed him, not because he assaulted Robyn, but because Drew could have come in at any moment and discovered the truth. Ken knows she is complicit in Robyn's injury, but sex addict and superficial person that he is, all he wants is to go on with his life sans Nora.

The book is a sordid saga of life on the edge, lived by unscrupulous, damaged, and dangerous people. Morris implies that the enemy is among us, and it is important for people to be vigilant in their daily lives. One assumes she wants us to value honesty in our personal relationships so that our children don't grow up to be misfits and murderers, the unacknowledged fate of those deprived of love and stable family ties. Yes, Mary McGarry Morris has a keen eye for evil, and the vision is frightening and informative as no one else today could wrought as cleverly. One has to go back to Dostoyevsky to see dark characters portrayed so well and true.

Finally, it is the "last" secret, depicted subtly enough that most Amazon reviewers missed it, that is most important to the novel's narrative thrust. When the reader acknowledges that it is Nora's inability to look within herself for the truths of her life that damns her beyond grace of any sort, it is terribly upsetting, to say the least. Nora's sorry, tawdry story will play out, and none in her circle will be the wiser. As the old bard would say, hers is a "tale, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Morris could have edited out many subplots and asides to have a leaner, more satisfying novel. However, her emphasis on the heavy weight of denial on the human psyche is as insightful as it gets. Any kind of denial is a shroud of one's own making, for sure. Yes, denial IS evil, and yes, it IS contagious.

Marjorie Meyerle
Colorado Writer
Author, Bread of Shame"Bread of Shame," a novel

I, too, found Nora to be a most unsympathetic character and, frankly, I got a bit tired of her whining. On the other hand, it is probably exceedingly difficult to create a main character who is so complex that she is, first, a victim, wronged by both her husband and her old boyfriend, Eddie, and second, a self-center and, at the end of the story, somewhat cruel personality at the same time. Clearly an imperfect human being - aren't we all? She really becomes more annoying as the story develops, though, and I found it totally unbelievable that she could be unaware of her husband's 4-year affair with her best friend, an affair everyone else knows about, but she doesn't even suspect. Really implausible. But the story is still quite compelling and I found Eddie to be an interesting and deliciously evil character who shows no signs of a conscience whatsoever. Couldn't wait to see what nasty thing he'd do next.

However, if you've not read Mary McGarry Morris yet, I strongly recommend you start with "A Dangerous Woman", her best book by far and one of my all time favorite novels. Anyone who can write a book that fabulous can be forgiven almost anything!

What a reading experience! Entertaining, mesmerizing, touching. I can't believe I read this book in one sitting. Absolutely couldn't put it down. This is the kind of book writers used to write - a strong story about believable and interesting people. Nora Hammond's humiliating and painful discovery of her very sociable husband's infidelity brings to mind the plight of another sharp woman - Elizabeth Edwards. Our book club members are going to be all over this one. Promises to be quite a discussion.

I couldn't put this down. The rich writing and Nora's view of the world captured me when the book opened on her 17-year-old self and never let go. If you like psychological suspense, I highly recommend it.

"The Last Secret" is the kind of book that stays in your thoughts long after you've finished. Nora Hammond's happy life suddenly turns upside down when her well to do husband Ken admits his long affair with Nora's best friend, Robin, who is pretty and actually very likable. Into the middle of this pain and confusion comes Eddie Hawkins, the only one who knows the shameful secret of Nora's teenage past.
Eddie Hawkins is a desperate, dangerous psychopath. And he sees Nora as his last chance, just another victim to be used. The book is an amazing combination of a gripping and chilling story that is so elegantly written. Once again Mary McGarry Morris takes the reader inside the head and hearts of all these characters so that you never forget them. Especially Nora Hammond who I really liked and admired. And her two teenagers, Chloe and Drew who seemed so very real. I finished the book also caring for Robin, the adultress and best friend. And, strangest of all even caring a little for scary Eddie Hawkins.

I've read all of Mary McGarry Morris' novels and was really looking forward to this new one, "The Last Secret". Sorry to say, I didn't care for this book at all. It dragged in a lot of places and I couldn't find any sympathy for Nora.
This book was not a page turner like M.Mc.M's previous books.

This book was a major disappointment. It's a pefect script for a bad soap opera. The main character, Nora, has what seems to be the perfect life and family in the perfect little town until a psychotic boyfriend from her youth turns up and we learn that, thanks to him, Nora has a messy past that she has been able to keep to herself until now. There starts drama. First Nora pays the guy off to get out of her life. Naturally, he doesn't leave. Next Nora discovers her husband has been having an affair for years with her best friend. Then, the psychotic boyfriend decides he too is in love with her best friend. Soon Nora is caught in the crossfire of these two men and one bad thing after another happens right up to the very end. Yuck! Save your money and your time on this one.

I heard Mary McGarry Morris interviewed on The Diane Rehm Show (4/7/09) and was eager to read "The Last Secret." I really wanted to like it, and I can see that the author is a talented writer, but ultimately I found this tale unrealistic and disappointing. (Based on the reviews here, though, I would give the author's work another try.) Every aspect of "The Last Secret" is exaggerated and overblown: Nora's supposedly "perfect" marriage is actually beyond messed up, her bad boyfriend who returns from the past is a deranged killer, etc. None of the characters are likable, leaving the reader with no one to identify with or cheer for.

I appreciated that Nora had ambivalent motivations behind all her actions, but even though she felt guilty for what had happened in the past with abusive Eddie, I had a hard time believing that she'd behave so incredibly recklessly, to the point of jeopardizing people's lives the way she did.

I did not expect "The Last Secret" to be so violent. Some readers will appreciate that the book went that far, but I didn't. One person's suspense is another person's queasiness. I read the book quickly to get to the end; unfortunately, my haste was as much to get it over with as it was for my own enjoyment!