Customer Reviews

Legacy of Secrets

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first Elizabeth Adler book i read was The Rich Shall Inherit. And I've been hooked on her eversince. I have read all her books. I must say i prefer her thicker saga type rather than teh later short,modern ones. anyway, Legacy of Secret is a brilliant read.But i just can't stand Lily Molyneux.Somehow or other, she brings out my bitter side.I felt like she's an utterly spoilt, selfish cow and she deserves all teh rotten luck.Yet, she kept gettign rescued. I mean, four men were in love with her. C'mon. Even towards the end, when she was all alone, she managed to get Ciel to forgive her and let her die at home. There is no justice in this world :)But read the book anyway. the tale is fascinating.

This story holds you captive by remaining mysterious but giving you enough clues to keep you intrigued. I couldn't put it down. The main character Lily Molyneux charms you, and at the same time enrages you. She is the sole cause of all the numerous problems throughout the story. I would reccomend this book to anyone. I enjoyed it, and I'm sure that you will too.

You won't meet a more delightfully original narrator than Maudie, the eighty-something Irishwoman who weaves an enthralling tale that had me turning the pages as fast as I could. Her story centers on her aunt, Lily Molyneux, a beautiful woman of 19th century Ireland who drove men to madness. Because of a brutal rape, Lily becomes pregnant. Afraid that her wealthy father will make her marry her attacker since he comes from a "good" family, she names the lowly stableboy on the estate as the father of her child seeing that as a way to stay single. As with every decision in her life, Lily acts before she thinks and lives to regret her impulsive actions. Not only is she thrown out of her home, but the stableboy and his brother must also flee for their lives. Thus begins a multi-layered tale that takes the reader from the slums of Boston to the mansions of Beacon Hill and the magnificent skyscrapers of Wall Street. Three men will spend their lives hoping to marry Lily, each amasssing fame and fortune while dreaming of the day Lily will be his wife. A fourth man will marry her and a fifth will give his life for her sins. Two children will call her mother and their lives will be tormented by her actions.

This is a riveting tale of the Irish elite in their homeland and the Irish peasants struggling in America. It is a tale of passion, revenge, and a modern day murder that must lay bare the secrets of three generations before it can be solved.

Brilliantly plotted with memorable characters and unforgettable events, this is a must read for fans of family sagas.

I can not say enough about this book - it is a story within a story and I could not put it down. If you like family sagas with a touch of mystery, then this book is for you.

Elizabeth Adler's "Legacy of Secrets" tries hard to be a good thriller and novel about buried secrets, but it doesn;t quite work, mainly because Lily is Adler's second-worst heroine(The worst as far as I know is Genie Reese of "Property of a Lady"). Lily grows up as a spoiled brat that had a close friendship with the O'Keefe boys, who work for Lily's father. Then Lily falls in love with a cad, and the cad rapes her and frightens her into silence. Lily becomes pregnant and blames Finn O'Keefe. The Finn and his brother have to flee to America, and Lily is thrown-away to a distant reletive. The rest of the novel consists of a descendent of Lily's trying to solve all the mysteries of the past, including the child that Lily rejected; and of how the O'Keefes and Lily both became powerful and wealthy. The real villain isn't a surprise, and he is typically flat. Almost as good as "Rich Shall Inherit".

A REAL PAGE TURNER! This book was so great that I just could'nt put it down! I read it straight for 2 days without stopping!
I feel that lily was stupid, she complicated things that could have been simpler. She was raped by this guy and it was no fault of hers and she should have told the truth, but what her fault was that she blamed it on Finn.She was supposed to be his friend, and she betrayed him. This broke his heart and also forced him to leave Ireland.
I also think that lily was rather selfish and a coward, for she was never ready to face the conscequences of her own actions and would rather have someone else take the blame. She had been doing this all her life and kept doing it till the end of her days. She only thought about herself and never about anyone else, be it Ciel, Dan, Ned, Mr.Adams, Finn or her son Liam. Also what she did to her other son was wrong and I blame her for what he became. Lily lived in a world of lies, that in the end caught up with her.
What makes me really angry is that she always used people who were supposed to be her friends, for her own personal gains. She only saw what she wanted to see and thus never realised her own mistakes.
P.S. : DOES'NT FINN SEEM TO BE SUPER CUTE!?!

I have enjoyed reading this book a few times. It is my first by Adler but I'll be sure to check out some of her other works. I would also love to see this made into a movie, although sadly it may have to be shortened to do so. I highly recommend this book!

This is the fourth book I read by Elizabeth Adler and I think all her books are great. This book is one of the best book I've read - it has suspense, drama, romance, humor, and many many more. The plot was very well thought out and organized. I recommend this book to everyone.

This was a great read and I enjoyed it very much. I was a little confused at how the ending would be. I really thought that Lily's son "the boy" was behind the plot. It seemed that everything she touch or was involved with she ended up hurting or they were hurt in some kind of way. They all had there bitter and sweet memories of her and over all I believe she really meant no harm but it just never turned out that way. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that this is a very deserved read and purchase it and keep it for your library. I highly recommend it.

This is the sixth Adler book that I have read and I was thrilled to the end by the suspense and lifestyles narrated by Maudie. I guessed before hand who the killer would be but it was still a great read. I would also like to see this made into a movie. Great period scenes and costumes would make this a box office hit.