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okevamae's review against another edition
3.0
I read this one for a book club and I'm not sure what to say about it. It was okay - and then it was getting good! - and then it kept going for too long, and the rambling on plus some seemingly pointless plot twists undermined the things I liked about it. Also, some parts were not believable, even within the world that the books created. Highlight of the book for me was Hazel's friend Butchie (IDK how you spell it, I listened to the audiobook.)
Spoiler
Specifically, the truth serum thing. I know it's mostly just a thing that exists in books and movies, but giving yourself truth serum seems like it would not work, as I don't think you'd be coherent enough to remember what questions you wanted to ask, but I feel like it would SUPER not work on someone when the memories you're trying to access were lost due to traumatic brain injury. If those memories are not accessible, truth serum shouldn't make any difference.12rhys23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
judithdcollins's review against another edition
5.0
A special thank you to Grand Central and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
TV host and bestselling author, Brad Meltzer (The Fifth Assassin) and Tod Goldberg (Gangsterland) launch a new exciting conspiracy/spy series THE HOUSE OF SECRETS—a modern day thriller mixed with history, for a nonstop fast-paced mystery suspense. Highly entertaining!
"The House of Secrets," the story of a fictional TV host secretly working for the U.S. government, and a daughter's search to find the truth.
As the novel opens it is LA, thirty years prior. Jack Nash decides it is time for his daughter, Hazel to be told “The Story.” He was told “The Story” at age six, and Hazel, is now the same. He feels it is the appropriate time. His son, Skip was five. The Story had not stuck. Jack wonders how old you have to be to retain an event for the rest of your life.
He begins The Story, slipping into The Voice. The same one his dad used, and the one Jack now uses on his TV show, (host of The House of Secrets), where every week he explores the world’s most famous conspiracies. Of course, Hazel is not allowed to watch. His wife thinks it will give her bad dreams.
The story begins a hundred and fifty years ago. The farmer finds a young man on the ground frozen to death. When the doctor arrives he takes him back to his office and performs an autopsy. Inside the chest, he finds a small object the size of a deck of cards. Encased in sealing wax. Inside he finds a miniature book. A Bible. Inside the Bible he sees four handwritten words: “Property of Benedict Arnold.”
The only thing is that there was no scar on his chest or his body, so how did it get there?
Of course Hazel does not know the name. He explains he was a complicated solider during the Revolutionary War. How did it get there? A mystery. A mystery to be solved. She receives three guesses per night. Magic? Impossible? Or Someone trying to fool you?
Fast forward 200 years from the original farmer story and you have the family of Jack Nash, the host of a TV Show "The House of Secrets". Jack and his son Skip travel the world trying to solve mysteries and uncovering secrets.
Jack has three rules.
1) There was a rub in every deal—a snag or drawback; always a catch. Once you understood that, there were no bad deals 2) Nothing goes missing. Everything is somewhere. 3) Honor the people who love you.
Years later, Jack’s wife, Claire has been gone for ten years. Brain cancer. He is ending his TV show, to enjoy his time left. Hazel had the same temper as Claire—and the same reckless attraction to destruction.
People weren’t happy unless they believed at least part of the world was some grand hoax. It’s what made Watergate so compelling. Everything everyone suspected was true. Government was corrupt, the world was being manipulated, nothing was on the level.
Jack knows most times mysteries did not have satisfying endings. Like the death of JFK. No one wanted to believe Oswald acted alone, because then that story was done.
The world was different now. He cannot be happy until he finds the book. The Bible. The last mystery.
Traveling through Utah, Jack suffers a heart attack. A car crash. Skip will be OK, Hazel injured. Eight days later in LA, Hazel wakes up from a coma. Jack is gone; however, Hazel cannot remember the details. She has severe brain injuries, leaving her without memories from the past.
An FBI shows up, asking questions about her dad and the corpse of a man found with the object in his chest. Did her father kill this man named Nixon? Hazel remembers The Bible. She recalls hearing the story. Mysteries need to be solved. A dead body and something hidden. Some details were clear and others lost. She thinks her dad told her. The last mystery.
Skip is confused, not knowing about the Bible. He often helped his dad chase leads, while investigating conspiracies.
Hazel begins trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Who killed this man and how in the heck did he get the book in his chest? She could not believe anything she was hearing. How could she have woken up from a coma to find herself in this life? She had tried to remember any hint of a secret life of her father. Was she a part of this too?
The FBI says her father made a personal visit to this guy the week before the accident. The guys loved Jack’s show. A secret obsession he hid from his family? The guy died and Jack died three days later. Poison was found. Meanwhile, we hear from a mysterious man known as the Bear travels to Dubai to kill a man named Kennedy, and the body of another man named Nixon is found in Canada.
In Canada a man in a revolutionary war style jacket has been found dead and inside his chest is a small Bible. In Dubai a man is found dead wearing a red revolutionary war jacket also with a Bible in his chest.
Why would a father train his six-year-old daughter. He wanted her to stay away from silly tricks, leave the family business behind. Give her a chance a freedom, not to be trapped.
Whoever killed Arthur Kennedy and Darren Nixon wanted her to know. Where they looking for the Bible, or something else? What were Jack, Kennedy, and Nixon looking for? Was Jack working for the government? What was behind his conspiracy show?
As Hazel, an anthropology professor tries to recover her memory and find out why she, has a lot of guns, and scars---she continues to try and solve the mystery of her father. Hazel is full of secrets! What is the truth? Who can be trusted? She has to solve the mystery in order to find herself.
A secret worth killing for. Every turn of events is really a conspiracy in disguise with a bit of truthiness. Truth often is stranger than fiction. George Washington and Benedict Arnold (Chapter 85 A Theory) Betrayal? or Not? Awesome research . . . .
What a wild ride! Hazel’s journey is intriguing, mysterious, and suspenseful. Edge of your seat --From twists, turns, no one does conspiracy better than Brad Meltzer.
Shocking modern conspiracy theories often turn out true after thorough investigation by our society. To many, conspiracy theories are just human nature. Not all people in this world are honest, hard-working and forthcoming about their intentions.
THE HOUSE OF SECRETS is an ideal gift choice for Father’s Day!
JDCMustReadBooks
TV host and bestselling author, Brad Meltzer (The Fifth Assassin) and Tod Goldberg (Gangsterland) launch a new exciting conspiracy/spy series THE HOUSE OF SECRETS—a modern day thriller mixed with history, for a nonstop fast-paced mystery suspense. Highly entertaining!
"The House of Secrets," the story of a fictional TV host secretly working for the U.S. government, and a daughter's search to find the truth.
As the novel opens it is LA, thirty years prior. Jack Nash decides it is time for his daughter, Hazel to be told “The Story.” He was told “The Story” at age six, and Hazel, is now the same. He feels it is the appropriate time. His son, Skip was five. The Story had not stuck. Jack wonders how old you have to be to retain an event for the rest of your life.
He begins The Story, slipping into The Voice. The same one his dad used, and the one Jack now uses on his TV show, (host of The House of Secrets), where every week he explores the world’s most famous conspiracies. Of course, Hazel is not allowed to watch. His wife thinks it will give her bad dreams.
The story begins a hundred and fifty years ago. The farmer finds a young man on the ground frozen to death. When the doctor arrives he takes him back to his office and performs an autopsy. Inside the chest, he finds a small object the size of a deck of cards. Encased in sealing wax. Inside he finds a miniature book. A Bible. Inside the Bible he sees four handwritten words: “Property of Benedict Arnold.”
The only thing is that there was no scar on his chest or his body, so how did it get there?
Of course Hazel does not know the name. He explains he was a complicated solider during the Revolutionary War. How did it get there? A mystery. A mystery to be solved. She receives three guesses per night. Magic? Impossible? Or Someone trying to fool you?
Fast forward 200 years from the original farmer story and you have the family of Jack Nash, the host of a TV Show "The House of Secrets". Jack and his son Skip travel the world trying to solve mysteries and uncovering secrets.
Jack has three rules.
1) There was a rub in every deal—a snag or drawback; always a catch. Once you understood that, there were no bad deals 2) Nothing goes missing. Everything is somewhere. 3) Honor the people who love you.
Years later, Jack’s wife, Claire has been gone for ten years. Brain cancer. He is ending his TV show, to enjoy his time left. Hazel had the same temper as Claire—and the same reckless attraction to destruction.
People weren’t happy unless they believed at least part of the world was some grand hoax. It’s what made Watergate so compelling. Everything everyone suspected was true. Government was corrupt, the world was being manipulated, nothing was on the level.
Jack knows most times mysteries did not have satisfying endings. Like the death of JFK. No one wanted to believe Oswald acted alone, because then that story was done.
The world was different now. He cannot be happy until he finds the book. The Bible. The last mystery.
Traveling through Utah, Jack suffers a heart attack. A car crash. Skip will be OK, Hazel injured. Eight days later in LA, Hazel wakes up from a coma. Jack is gone; however, Hazel cannot remember the details. She has severe brain injuries, leaving her without memories from the past.
An FBI shows up, asking questions about her dad and the corpse of a man found with the object in his chest. Did her father kill this man named Nixon? Hazel remembers The Bible. She recalls hearing the story. Mysteries need to be solved. A dead body and something hidden. Some details were clear and others lost. She thinks her dad told her. The last mystery.
Skip is confused, not knowing about the Bible. He often helped his dad chase leads, while investigating conspiracies.
Hazel begins trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Who killed this man and how in the heck did he get the book in his chest? She could not believe anything she was hearing. How could she have woken up from a coma to find herself in this life? She had tried to remember any hint of a secret life of her father. Was she a part of this too?
The FBI says her father made a personal visit to this guy the week before the accident. The guys loved Jack’s show. A secret obsession he hid from his family? The guy died and Jack died three days later. Poison was found. Meanwhile, we hear from a mysterious man known as the Bear travels to Dubai to kill a man named Kennedy, and the body of another man named Nixon is found in Canada.
In Canada a man in a revolutionary war style jacket has been found dead and inside his chest is a small Bible. In Dubai a man is found dead wearing a red revolutionary war jacket also with a Bible in his chest.
Why would a father train his six-year-old daughter. He wanted her to stay away from silly tricks, leave the family business behind. Give her a chance a freedom, not to be trapped.
Whoever killed Arthur Kennedy and Darren Nixon wanted her to know. Where they looking for the Bible, or something else? What were Jack, Kennedy, and Nixon looking for? Was Jack working for the government? What was behind his conspiracy show?
As Hazel, an anthropology professor tries to recover her memory and find out why she, has a lot of guns, and scars---she continues to try and solve the mystery of her father. Hazel is full of secrets! What is the truth? Who can be trusted? She has to solve the mystery in order to find herself.
A secret worth killing for. Every turn of events is really a conspiracy in disguise with a bit of truthiness. Truth often is stranger than fiction. George Washington and Benedict Arnold (Chapter 85 A Theory) Betrayal? or Not? Awesome research . . . .
What a wild ride! Hazel’s journey is intriguing, mysterious, and suspenseful. Edge of your seat --From twists, turns, no one does conspiracy better than Brad Meltzer.
Shocking modern conspiracy theories often turn out true after thorough investigation by our society. To many, conspiracy theories are just human nature. Not all people in this world are honest, hard-working and forthcoming about their intentions.
THE HOUSE OF SECRETS is an ideal gift choice for Father’s Day!
JDCMustReadBooks
literarylover37's review against another edition
2.0
Props for being a quick read, I just never got totally into it. Meh.
usfsigepjoe's review against another edition
4.0
A very quick listen while between jobs at work. I particularly enjoyed the return of another Meltzer character, but I won't spoil which one!
kdurham2's review against another edition
3.0
Hazel and Skip Nash have always lived in the shadow of their famous father. A father who spent a majority of their lives on television trying to crack the mysteries and conspiracies of the United States. In the first chapter of the book, their father dies and they spend the rest of the book finding out how it happened and learning more about their father than they ever knew.
This book was definitely one of those conspiracy theories were you have to read closely to make sure you don't miss anything. I love these books every so often because it really stretches my brain to catch all the details. I loved going down one road and it maybe dead ending or leading to another road or clue.
If you enjoyed the Dan Brown adventures then this one will fill that void.
This is my first Brad Meltzer book, where should I go next?
This book was definitely one of those conspiracy theories were you have to read closely to make sure you don't miss anything. I love these books every so often because it really stretches my brain to catch all the details. I loved going down one road and it maybe dead ending or leading to another road or clue.
If you enjoyed the Dan Brown adventures then this one will fill that void.
This is my first Brad Meltzer book, where should I go next?
cassandrarica's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced