The Secret at St. Sans [Paperback]

Terri Kay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2004

Blackmail and black widows can be hazardous to your health, as the characters in the second book in the murder mystery series, A Promise of Revenge, find out the hard way. In The Secret at St. Sans, mysterious women in the clinic after hours and other irregularities make Dr. Brian Tanner a prime target for blackmail by his disgruntled son-in-law, Dr. Tom Swanson.

But Brian is a target for other people too. When the Mitchell brothers, Steve, Alfred and Benjamin, uncover that Brian murdered their brother, Javier, more than two decades ago, rage and determination lead the brothers to seek seek revenge.

Anxious to silence Tom, Brian follows him to the vacation resort where Steve Mitchell is the interim manager. When Tom dies mysteriously, most clues lead to Brian. Was Tom

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

The target audience for The Secret at St. Sans includes anyone who enjoys reading murder mysteries, especially books in a series. The Secret at St. Sans is the second book in the A Promise of Revenge series. The first book, A Promise of Revenge (The Death of Javier), was published in 2003. At the end of each book, readers get a sample from the next book. Other books are planned.

The target audience includes persons who enjoy reading novels with subplots dealing with medical and legal issues. Further, fans of crime dramas and soap operas will enjoy this series because of the interaction between multiple characters and the unexpected twists. Parents and educators may like this book for family or group use because the book contains no sexually explicit scenes nor profanity nor graphic violence. Further, this book is suitable for a wide range of readers.

That being said, I strongly believe that children should be allowed to be children and would not recommend this book to persons under seventh grade. Ideally, this book could be used for frank discussions about the consequences of acting in certain ways. In some situations, this book may be useful in talking about social issues like violence and abuse, ethics in the workplace and in other aspects of life, and about relationships.

I welcome your comments by e-mail ([e-mail]) or by mail (PO Box 2861, Elkhart, IN 46515). --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

Mysterious women in the clinic after hours and other irregularities make Dr. Brian Tanner a prime target for blackmail by his disgruntled son-in-law, Dr. Tom Swanson.

But Brian is a target for other people too. When the Mitchell brothers, Steve, Alfred and Benjamin, believe that Brian murdered their brother, Javier, more than two decades ago, rage and determination lead the brothers to seek revenge.

Anxious to silence Tom, Brian follows him to the vacation resort where Steve is the interim manager. When Tom dies mysteriously, most clues lead to Brian. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris, Corp. (October 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1413447899
• ISBN-13: 978-1413447897
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,309,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A disturbing and enjoyable mystery, June 4, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret at St. Sans (Paperback)

Originally a lawyer, Terri Kay (which is a pen name) presently lives on a farm in Indiana. She worked closely in the health care industry for many years, particularly in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Secret of St. Sans is the second in a series that begins with A Promise of Revenge. All books trace corruption in the health care industry and the impact it has on one of the families who are victims of unscrupulous business and interpersonal medical ethics of one particular doctor.

Dr. Brian Tanner and his son-in-law, Dr. Tom Swanson are two peas in a pod. Both are greedy doctors intent upon enriching themselves far beyond what a normally lucrative medical practice would yield. They also hate each other, and when Dr. Tom spends a year poring over the records in the clinic, his lack of finesse ultimately costs him his life. Meanwhile, another family whose son, Javier, died mysteriously is putting the pieces together to incriminate Dr. Brian Tanner. Dr. Tanner is busy extricating himself from Alma, a bookkeeper who knows his secrets and wants to entrap him into a marriage:

"'To make our story a little bit more believable, I think you and I should start spending more time together, especially in public or around the clinic.' Alma mused thoughtfully. 'I mean, if you've told the police that you were with me, other people should be able to back that up, don't you think?'"

Terri Kay writes an utterly believable murder mystery based on a small town doctor who is a tyrant and has no scruples. The people who think they are his match get tromped underfoot, and Kay creates characters who drive the riveting plot with sheer malice, manipulation, and mayhem. THE SECRET AT ST. SANS is a disturbing and enjoyable mystery that beckons to the reader and ends with the promise of more in the next installment.

Kay crafts a seductive tale with no sexually explicit scenes, which makes it a safe book for people of all ages. Her story is worth reading, and she will no doubt gather a growing audience with each installment. She uses her knowledge of the medical and legal fields to create a dire warning about medical malpractice that provides an education for consumers of health care.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer