Customer Reviews

The Secrets Of Rosa Lee

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This one has a little bit of everything....Romance, mystery, and great characters....As much as I love Miss Thomas' historicals, Her contemporaries are just as engrossing and I almost feel like I know the townspeople by heart....I heard this author just won the national book award for Finding Mary Blaine, and have no doubt this book will be a strong contender as well...

The Secrets of Rosa Lee
by Jodi Thomas
Reviewer: Pamela Ackerson (author of Home of the Braves Trilogy)

I enjoy Jodi Thomas's books but this time I was disappointed. With each page I turned I felt as if I had read the book before, even though I know I hadn't. There were times during the story when I was confused and had to flip back and reread sections to see if I could understand what I missed. Sometimes, I couldn't find what I missed and it left me wanting. I'm not sure if it is Ms. Thomas's writing in this book or if her content editor wasn't on target. Normally, I find Ms. Thomas's books engaging and moving, this time--well, we all have our off days. I will still grab her books to read.

I was so upset as this was nothing like the Historical Romances that Jodi writes. Only read if you like comtempary writings. It lagged and did not hold my interest either. I could have just been having a bad day so this is my humble opinion.

As a diverse group of community members forms a committee to determine the fate of a lovely mansion, secrets begin to emerge that move an unseen person to make threats. If the house falls, then the secrets will be forever buried, and the mysterious person will be safe, or so they think. Potential secrets are not all that might be unearthed. Feelings are brought to light as relationships shift and find new meanings during the course of decision making. Aged sisters with a penchant for rose stealing, a rugged sheriff, a fiesty waitress, a preacher who does not meet the conventional image of a stuffy man of God, and others find their lives converging as the secrets of Rosa Lee come to light.

** Though there are bright moments to the book and strong characterizations, it has a rambling quality that makes it easy to fall off of the plot path. As much as I love appealing characters, more focus is needed on the plot to make them work. **

The residents of Clifton park, Texas form a group to determine what to do with the once proud Altman mansion that is showing its age and abandonment. The townsfolk are divided with one side insisting on selling the mausoleum to a group planning to tear it down in the name of progress. Another faction wants to return the home of the town's long dead founding father to its former glory and keep it up as memento of the past.

However, someone in the shadows wants to more than just influence the decision making process. This individual prefers the house be torn asunder so that their deadly secrets will remain interred and will blackmail committee members into tearing down the mansion. As the committee forms, storms, norms, and performs, they learn that the "old Altman place" is more than just a dilapidated extinct dinosaur with roses; however the extortionist pressures each member to adjourn in favor of annihilating the mansion to bury its history with the evidence that if it comes to light would destroy this culprit.

The committee turns the tale into an interesting look at progress vs. heritage as they go through the stages of group dynamics with the perpetrator causing trust issues between the members. Although the audience sees the differing personalities during the interactions, the intrigue caused by the wrongdoer feels unnecessary though exciting as the tale focuses on the group's struggles (think of Twelve Angry Men) and the house's past. Fans of modern day social issues and Management 101 students will appreciate this fine look at group interplay with a touch of intrigue caused by an assailant whose actions foment mistrust, the death of committees.

Harriet Klausner

I've never picked up a Jodi Thomas that I didn't enjoy.....Takes me outta my world ! Always lookin for the next one........

What got me interested in the book was that this was the first time I had seen my name as I spell it. The book is great. I am almost finished and have promised it to other people. It still seems kind of funny to see my name in print.