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Buried Secrets (Nick Heller #2)

by Joseph Finder (Goodreads Author)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 1,827 ratings · 298 reviews

Joseph Finder introduced Nick Heller, a “private spy” who finds out things powerful people want to keep hidden, to widespread acclaim from the critics and wild enthusiasm from the readers, in the New York Times bestselling novel Vanished. Now, in Buried Secrets, Nick Heller returns, finding himself in the middle of a life-or-death situation that’s both high-profile and int...more

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published June 21st 2011 by St. Martin's Press (first published January 1st 2011)

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Best Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Novels Of 2011

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May 10, 2012 Daniel Audet rated it 4 of 5 stars

I started "Buried Secrets" by @JosephFinder the other day, this being my first book by him. The first thing that stuck me was the coolest dialogue, both internal and between the characters and the unique language of his author voice. Hip, not-run-of-the-mill bestseller structure at all. Take a look, peruse a few pages of this book at B&N or Target, and you'll see what I mean. The other things are Finder's slick execution of both the plot and how our hero Nick Heller navigates his way into a...more I started "Buried Secrets" by @JosephFinder the other day, this being my first book by him. The first thing that stuck me was the coolest dialogue, both internal and between the characters and the unique language of his author voice. Hip, not-run-of-the-mill bestseller structure at all. Take a look, peruse a few pages of this book at B&N or Target, and you'll see what I mean. The other things are Finder's slick execution of both the plot and how our hero Nick Heller navigates his way into and through a very complicated plot that involves the abduction of an unruly but beautiful teenage daughter of a shady, billionaire hedge-fund mogul. Also, how Heller very quickly finds out just how alone he is in his desperate mission to save this young girls life, when a 'live' stream feed of her appears on the internet, apparently dying in front of the whole world. Heller soon finds out he will get no help from the government, or anyone else. And, if that wasn't bad enough, he discovers that the girl's father has some very, very bad people highly upset with him for losing their investment money. A LOT of it. Finally, an old girlfriend, now with the FBI decides to help him at the risk of losing her job, and the game is most definitely on.
Finder sets a very sharp, hard edge right out of the gate in this very cool thriller. He keeps the enormous pressure on Heller building so well the reader can feel it, and, somehow, we gasp for air with the girl, Alexa Marcus, too. You'll see what I mean,(the scene where she realizes where she is, that she can barely move or breathe, and what will happen to her, is so remarkably real I felt claustrophobic reading it, and I'm not claustrophobic at all).
The plot twists roll out like pointed boulders one after the other but Heller, our hero keeps banging no matter what. Risking it all again and again beautifully set-up by Finder the tension builds until another major twist reveals the culprits and the intricate, vast conspiracy that this young girl was caught up in. Her Dad has a history, let's just say.
As a writer Joe Finder is a teacher, as a reader he's an entertainer. Fast paced thriller action with depth, back-story, sub-plots and character development told with great dialogue. Well defined and developed characters paint a picture of intrigue and terror with bright splashes of color.
I highly recommend this book.(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Evan Dickens rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved Buried Secrets, just as I have loved and devoured every Joseph Finder book since I discovered the absolutely brilliant Paranoia (my pick for best pop fiction work in the 2000s). This book is another high-octane thriller, with Finder's usual immaculate research into the worlds of technology, espionage, and high finance. It also represents Finder's continuing desire to modernize the dialogue and narration, with pop culture references galore.

In short, highly recommended, but I write to exp...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Mal Warwick rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Thriller That Explores the Intersection of High Finance and High Crime

Buried Secrets opens much like a standard-issue detective novel, with Nick Heller approached by an old friend to investigate the mysterious disappearance of an old friend’s daughter. Heller is not a PI, really, but, well . . . a sort of private spy who just happens to be a former Special Forces soldier with connections in the FBI and other, unnamed federal agencies.

Gradually, we learn that this is by no means a typical detec...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Gloria Feit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is a hard task to review such a well-written novel, peopled by interesting characters and with a well-drawn plot, yet have reservations because it seems to reverberate with clichés. There is Nick Heller, the second appearance by this former superspy turned Boston PI, who seems to be too good to be real. He knows everyone and seems to be smarter than them all; and some of the other characters seem like cardboard figures, especially some of the FBI personnel.

Yet the book is exciting, even rivet...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Malcolm rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a decent character piece. The plot line is much the same as many "hired expert" books, and the tension methods are also not completely uncommon either.

As I read this book, I found myself watching an author write a book about a character that the author knows very well, that we know to some depth, but not as much as I would have liked. I made the mistake of reading this second book in the "Nick Heller series" before reading the first. But I also noticed that there were many suppositions a...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Suspense Magazine rated it 4 of 5 stars

What secret could be so important it might cost a girl’s life? In Finder’s latest mystery, ex-intelligent operative Nick Heller seeks to answer this question. With a cast of expected characters (the rich man in dire straits with a closet full of skeletons, the terrified innocent teenager, the ruthless bad guy and an array of contacts, each with his or her own specialty) “Buried Secrets” takes you down a path strewn with corruption, lies and mortal danger. Along the way, layer by layer, you disco...more What secret could be so important it might cost a girl’s life? In Finder’s latest mystery, ex-intelligent operative Nick Heller seeks to answer this question. With a cast of expected characters (the rich man in dire straits with a closet full of skeletons, the terrified innocent teenager, the ruthless bad guy and an array of contacts, each with his or her own specialty) “Buried Secrets” takes you down a path strewn with corruption, lies and mortal danger. Along the way, layer by layer, you discover revelations for which some people will kill.
Nick Heller is hired by billionaire Marcus Marshall to rescue his kidnapped seventeen-year-old daughter. Right away, Heller knows he isn’t being told the entire truth. Marshall, a friend of Heller’s family, has gotten into some bad dealings with some very nasty individuals and somebody wants a piece of highly important information apparently only Marshall can provide. With the assistance of computer gurus and a “sort of” ex-girlfriend working for the local branch of the FBI, Heller slowly tracks both the location of the girl and the individuals behind the kidnapping. The mystery deepens when Heller uncovers secrets nobody should have and a sociopath starts playing by his own rules.
This starts as your average kidnapping mystery and if it continued along the same vein with a few common surprises thrown in, I was going to be disappointed. Heller is not your typical detective. He’s also not the know-it-all. He’s had special-forces training, but possesses very little computer savvy. A little witty, dedicated and determined, he can think logically, but most of his knowledge is obtained from his many contacts. I hoped the story would rise up to the level warranting the intensity shown by the kidnappers. I hoped the story would give reasons for the tempering of the serious situations with bits of dry humor. If you’re a fan of Finder’s previous work, you’ll hope this one holds up to your standards. It does.

Reviewed by Stephen L. Brayton, author of “Beta” for Suspense Magazine
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Oct 11, 2011 Gloria Feit rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Sep 06, 2011 gert rated it 4 of 5 stars

(same review for both books in the series, copied and pasted. because i'm lazy).

i read mostly romance, but am finding myself completely bored with most. so i sought out my other favourite books - suspense-ish. i came upon the nick heller series by accident, and am seriously resenting there being only TWO books! so damn good!

here's what you need to know:

- similar to jack reacher, but better. nick heller has a great sense of humour and is far more self-aware then dear jack.
- way smart - the story...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Miles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

When private investigator Nick Heller returns home to Boston to set up his own agency, he soon gets an urgent case closer to home than expected.

Alexandra Marcus - teenage daughter of hedge fund titan and Heller family friend Marshall Marcus - has been kidnapped. But it's no ordinary kidnapping - she has been abducted by professionals, buried alive in an underground casket, a video camera streaming her desperate pleas live over the internet. With a limited supply of food and water, time is quickl...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Les Edgerton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Just when you think thriller writer Joseph Finder can’t possibly top himself… he does just that. His latest masterpiece—and, like every single one of his novels, it is just that—a masterpiece—Buried Secrets doesn’t have a single wasted word and there’s not a single page that can be read leisurely. Finder is simply the best at creating and maintaining tension. I read it on my Kindle and discovered I hated their feature of posting at the bottom the percentage of the novel read to date. At ten...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

At first look, BURIED SECRETS is the sort of book I generally don’t read. There are people with too much money, the children of people with too much money who are held captive because of it, the FBI, some very, very bad people whose cruelty makes the Mafia seem childish, government skulduggery, the FBI, and it is the second in a series and I like to read series from the beginning.

In its favor is the setting, Boston, my hometown, and it was a Goodreads giveaway. These two pros outweighed the six...more

At first look, BURIED SECRETS is the sort of book I generally don’t read. There are people with too much money, the children of people with too much money who are held captive because of it, the FBI, some very, very bad people whose cruelty makes the Mafia seem childish, government skulduggery, the FBI, and it is the second in a series and I like to read series from the beginning.

In its favor is the setting, Boston, my hometown, and it was a Goodreads giveaway. These two pros outweighed the six cons (I only counted the FBI once). Happily, it turns out that everything about BURIED SECRETS is really, really good.

Nick Heller has set himself up in business as a private spy. Nick had been the real thing in secret organizations in Washington, DC and in the military and now offers his services to rich people who need information that even they can’t access. Nick doesn’t expect that one of his first jobs is going to be something very close to home. Marshall Marcus is a billionaire financier who was a close friend of Nick’s father’s until Victor Heller ends up in prison for doing the same kind of thing Bernie Madoff did. Marshall calls Nick in a panic. Someone has kidnapped Alexa, his seventeen year-old daughter and is holding her for ransom. Problem for Alexa and her father is that he has also managed to lose billions of dollars that didn’t belong to him and he has made some very nasty enemies. Nick knows that Marshall isn’t telling him the truth but when streaming video of Alexa is sent to Marshall’s computer, Nick has no choice but to do what he can to rescue the girl.

Almost everything about this book is right. Nick Heller is not superman. He has skills most people do not have but he doesn’t have superpowers. His relationship with his assistant, Dorothy, rings true. She has skills that complement his and Dorothy is not young and not in his bed. The dialog sounds right, not silly; there are acronyms and computer-speak but it isn’t irritating. Nick connects with a former girlfriend who works with the FBI but their mutual attempts to deal reasonably with their former relationship is grown-up.

Finder knows Boston. One scene that locals will understand is a meeting between Heller and Senator Armstrong, the junior senator from Massachusetts, who lives on Louisberg Square, the ritziest address in the old money section of Boston, Beacon Hill. Finder didn’t need to use much imagination for the scene; he just needed to substitute senior senator for junior senator and he is describing a morning in the life of John Kerry. Joseph Finder is as good as the late William Tappley and Robert Parker in bringing the city to life.

The only thing I did not like is the graphic violence that comes in toward the end of the book. I hope that the weapon used is the product of the author’s imagination. I read BURIED SECRETS in a day. I will read VANISHED in order to meet Nick Heller at the beginning of the series and then I will likely move on to the other books Finder has written.

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May 19, 2011 Cathy Reynolds rated it 3 of 5 stars

I won this book form the Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway program.
Let me start by saying that I'm a Libraian. Although I read alot, this is the first time that I have read anything by this author. I do order books by Joseph Finder for the library and my patrons that read his books.
I thought this would be a perfect way to finally read something by this author and to let the library patrons know about a really good book.
Sadly, this is not the case. When I read a mystery, I want all the ups and downs,...more

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May 09, 2011 Augusto Pinaud rated it 5 of 5 stars

Burried Secrets is the second novel in the Nick Heller series. I have read Paranoia and Vanished (the first book on the Nick Heller Series) before, and this book show once more that Joseph Finder has a unique ability to turn things, and keep you invested in the story.
This book, like the others I have read, grab you, make you want to finish the story, you know there is something that will turn, you just don't know. It's like be on Disney's Space Mountain, you know it will turn, but you don't kno...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Giovanni Gelati rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have been having a hard time trying to figure out how to start this post. I enjoyed the novel on so many different levels and for so many different reasons I think I would become boring rather quickly by listing them all. I am also amped over this novel because I get to talk to Joseph Finder June 14th@11amEST on my blogtalk radio show The G-ZONE. Questions for the man, yeah I have a few. The marketing campaign has been fun, innovative and different and the novel was highly enjoyable. Here are...more

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May 12, 2011 Jeff Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having read 3 of Joseph Finder's books before I was prepared for a taught and well written novel. I was not expecting just how good this book was.

His novels I had read before involved corporate life and corporate espionage and this book is the second book with the "private spy" Nick Heller. I had not read "Vanished" the first book introducing him, but was able to read this novel without needing the backstory from the 1st novel.

In this book a family friend contacts him after his daughter has gone...more

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May 11, 2013 Matt Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads

Ideas and details. That's where Finder always impresses me.

His characters are smart. The kind of smart that makes you a little jealous you didn't think of that. They have innovative ideas. That's a author who does thorough research without beating the reader over the head with it. Same thing here in Buried Secrets.

I always enjoy how books often take the opposite arc of movie series. Generally, sequels are worse. The more movies, the worse they get. Books, not always, but often do go the other...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

This is part of the NIck Heller Series. Nick Heller is a private investigator. He is contacted by Marshall Marcus who is one of the wealthiest men in Boston. His daughter, Alexa Marcus, has gone missing after she went out to a club with her friend the night before. Marshall wants Nick to find Alexa as he fears she's been abducted. The abductors send Marshall a link to a video of Alexa. She has been buried underground with a limited supply of air. It is up to Nick to uncover the clues and find Al...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I couldn't decide whether to give this book two stars or three, so I am going to be generous here because I found the climax near the ending to be thrilling. Even though I knew how it was going to be resolved, I was on the edge of my seat, hoping that Nick Heller survived his confrontation with the villain. I like Nick, so it is difficult not to like this series. I only wished the author's writing were a little better. He has a tendency to insert a quip or simile, then feels the need to explain...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gr-recommendations, audio

i think Goodreads recommended this one and good they did. i listened to this audiobook to and from work and found myself parking and not leaving the car until the chapter was over. it was that good. The narrator did awesome and consistency in character voices and the accents were great!

As usual, i wasnt aware this was one of those returning character novels. Publishers dont care to make that stuff known upfront. But i didnt feel like i missed anything. This one read as a stand alone and once it...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Spencer Koch rated it 5 of 5 stars

A colleague first introduced me to Nick Heller shortly after the release of Vanished. I think it was one of the first books I purchased on the kindle. I’ve actually read it twice, and my wife has read it as well. Shortly after getting into the book scene on twitter, I found out that Joseph Finder is actually pretty active on twitter. Shortly after following him, I found out about Buried Secrets.

This novel follows Nick Heller after he has moved to Boston (Finder’s home town) to start up his own s...more A colleague first introduced me to Nick Heller shortly after the release of Vanished. I think it was one of the first books I purchased on the kindle. I’ve actually read it twice, and my wife has read it as well. Shortly after getting into the book scene on twitter, I found out that Joseph Finder is actually pretty active on twitter. Shortly after following him, I found out about Buried Secrets.

This novel follows Nick Heller after he has moved to Boston (Finder’s home town) to start up his own security agency. Business is a little slow, as Nick is pretty selective about his clients. It turns out that the daughter of a family friend has been kidnapped and is being held hostage. Unfortunately, the girl’s family isn’t telling Nick everything he knows about his daughter. Fortunately, for the reader, we get to meet Nick’s professional colleagues as he tracks down the girls.

As you know, I am anti-spoiler, but it has been pretty well publicized that the girl is being held hostage in a coffin buried underground. Apparently Joseph Finder actually was locked into a coffin to see what it felt like. The research experience worked, because his initial description of being locked in the coffin is seriously anxiety inducing. Other than that, Joseph Finder has a pretty interesting choice of weapon for the villain, the WASP knife, a knife that injects air forcefully into the victim after they have been stabbed. It makes for a few gruesome scenes.

One of the strongest points of this novel is the pacing. This book just never stops! I actually read the book in one day, while essentially locked in a room with no windows (it’s a work thing that I have to do about once a month). Especially freaky was when the power went out for five minutes and I was stuck in the dark, not really knowing where the door was! I also know the ladies are pretty big fans of Nick Heller in general, and there is a love story/subplot in the novel that will keep most people satisfied.

I am classifying this as a MUST READ for the summer. If you haven’t read VANISHED by Joseph Finder, I would recommend reading it first, although I would not consider it a requisite.(less)

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Jul 30, 2011 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense-thriller-mystery

Joseph Finder is absolutely one of the best thriller writers.In his 2nd novel " Buried Secrets", you will find yourself racing from chapter to chapter to find out what happens next.This novel is Amazing!

Nick Heller is called to the home of billionaire financier Marshall Marcus, an old friend of the family who had employed Nick's mom, when his 17 year old daughter Alexa doesn't come home one night. Suspecting that she has been kidnapped for ransom, Nick sets his private investigation in motion us...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, mystery-suspense

I received this ARC through First Reads. I hadn't previously read any Joseph Finder books, but I will now. This book captured my attention from page 1. It started off with a rebellious teenager out clubbing, and checking out the wrong guy. He slips something in her drink, and she ends up kidnapped and buried alive- hence the title. It's clear that her rich daddy has some skeletons in his closet, and questionable whether he's willing to give them up to save his daughter. I don't like when crime/m...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Sean the Bookonaut rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Buried Secrets is Joseph Finder’s second Nick Heller novel. The first, Vanished was an international best seller.

Like another top flight thriller writer, Barry Eisler, Finder has a past that informs his writing, giving it an air of authenticity. Joe, a graduate of Yale with a Major in Russian Studies was recruited by the CIA.

While his own life story sounds interesting Buried Secrets is what I’m here to talk about.

The Story

Nick Heller is a modern private eye or is that spy. He’s no ordinary gums...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fast paced thriller from Joseph Finder. An international thriller , which is his specialty. Nick Heller is asked by his friend billionaire, Marshall Marcus to rescue his daughter, Alexa. Nick will never turn down a favor asked by a friend. As details come out, Nick realizes that there are secrets that Marcus hasn't come clean about......the main one being that all his money is gone and that several parties are seeking a government file named ' Mercury ' ! Nick knows he is going to have to ask...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

Joseph FInder never ceases to amaze me with his tales of espionage and his detailed character development. BURIED SCRETS was no exception and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves sitting on the edge of their chair.

Nick Heller is a great character and mixes wonderful wit with a true taste of adventure. He delves into the depths of the issues and then leaves the reader wondering what he'll do next. The kidnapping of the daughter of a family friend brings Heller and his crew into the act...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Jenni rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have heard great things about the first Nick Heller book, Vanished, so when I got the chance to review Buried Secrets I jumped at it. I was a little unsure of whether not having read Vanished would put me at a disadvantage for enjoying Buried Secrets, but it certainly didn’t seem to. Whilst I’m sure there may have been little references that I missed but I never felt confused or as if I’d missed anything.

The plot is pretty gripping, we’re introduced to Alexa first and get to know her a little...more I have heard great things about the first Nick Heller book, Vanished, so when I got the chance to review Buried Secrets I jumped at it. I was a little unsure of whether not having read Vanished would put me at a disadvantage for enjoying Buried Secrets, but it certainly didn’t seem to. Whilst I’m sure there may have been little references that I missed but I never felt confused or as if I’d missed anything.

The plot is pretty gripping, we’re introduced to Alexa first and get to know her a little before she is kidnapped and buried alive. Her story is narrated in the third person, and I think this works well – reading the descriptions of both what is happening to her and what her kidnapper is doing lends itself to the narration. I found some of the passages describing her situation challenging to read, it really felt tense and claustrophobic.

Nick is introduced after Alexa is kidnapped, we get to see him dealing with a client before he gets the call about her case. I liked this, it meant I got a feel for him before he was thrown into the kidnapping case. In contrast to Alexa’s story the Nick thread is narrated in the first person. I sometimes find shifts in storytelling like this a bit clunky and awkward, but Finder pulls it off brilliantly. I think again that it works well for the type of narrative, I liked being able to follow Nick’s thoughts as he progressed through the case.

The plot is pretty involved, Nick has to uncover layer upon layer of lies and cover ups. I think Finder just about gets away with some of the more extreme plot points, though a couple did make me shake my head a little. It certainly felt like Nick had some convenient contacts and inside knowledge. That said, the reveal at the end of who was behind everything did work for me.

The need at times to suspend belief didn’t affect my enjoyment of this book at all, once I’d started reading it I found it very hard to put down and finished it in two sittings. I loved the occasional mentions of comic books, I always enjoy geeky references in the books I read. I’m certainly going to be going back and reading Vanished, and I’m sure I’ll probably give some of Joseph Finder’s other books a go too. (less)

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Oct 03, 2011 Bill Garrison rated it 3 of 5 stars

BURIED SECRETS, by Joseph Finder, is the second novel featuring ex-special forces private eye Nick Heller. This is a good novel, but not as great as some of the reviews claim, and I recommend it to Finder fans and those looking for a good thriller full of twists and turns.

Heller is summoned by an old family friend, Marshall Marcus, to find his missing 17-year old daughter. Alexa was last seen leaving the club with another man. Heller quickly discovers Alexa was drugged before she was taken. Soon...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 3 of 5 stars

This fast-paced thriller is set around Boston. Alexa Marcus, daughter of a billionaire, appears to have been kidnapped. Instead of the police, her father turns to a family friend, Nick Heller, who does detective work.
The father is sent a link to a live stream of Alexa pleading for her life. She gives clues that lead them to believe she has been buried alive.
Nick is ex-army Special Forces, and has many skills at his command. He also has contacts and friends in many places, including an ex-girlfr...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Peggy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received an Advance Reader's Copy from St Martin's Press.

I have to say right off the bat that I really liked this book. I liked it so much that I have already tagged 2 more of Finders books for purchase.

I ripped through Buried Secrets in a couple days, Joseph Finder is a great writer and the story really moved right along.

Although the initial premise of the book is a bit on the thin side, once you get started the writing and characters carry you along right to the end. There were some unexpec...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaway-wins

This is my first Joseph Finder book and it won't be my last.

I was particularly interested in the way the author switches between Nick Heller's point of view (POV) in the first person and the omniscient POV. I'd recently been reading Lawrence Block's comments on how to do this well and Joseph Finder does it well. He uses Nick's POV to keep certain things from the reader, things only Nick knows that contribute to the twists and turns the story takes. He uses the omniscient POV to show the reader w...more This is my first Joseph Finder book and it won't be my last.

I was particularly interested in the way the author switches between Nick Heller's point of view (POV) in the first person and the omniscient POV. I'd recently been reading Lawrence Block's comments on how to do this well and Joseph Finder does it well. He uses Nick's POV to keep certain things from the reader, things only Nick knows that contribute to the twists and turns the story takes. He uses the omniscient POV to show the reader what we need to know (without giving anything away).

I found I liked Nick Heller. Frankly, I get tired of main (usually male) characters in these types of thrillers whose abilities and breadth of knowledge border on superhero or superhuman status. I found Heller refreshing because not only does he not leap tall buildings in a single bound, he knows he can't.

If you're addicted to the mile-a-minute thriller that moves at a nonstop pace and leaves you breathless from start to finish, you'll likely be disappointed with this one. I was thoroughly hooked through the first third of the book because it's an interesting story and the characters are interesting. By the time I reached the middle, I was a little more anxious to see how it ended. I couldn't put it down by the time I got to the last third of the book and steadfastly ignored everything around me until I finished - at which point I was a little breathless.

This book pretty much has everything. There's a problem to solve and the clock is ticking. If it doesn't get solved, an innocent child will die. There's a little romance. For my book, you can't go wrong with Russian bad guys, and international financial shenanigans. Toss in a few government agencies with acronyms like CIA and FBI, plus a couple old army pals who know how to GTD and what's not to like? (Where would thriller fiction be without ex-military characters?)

Again, I'm going to have to be careful about not spoiling the story, but I will say that by the time you reach the last third of the book, you realize that Nick is going to have to work some magic because none of the many people who owe him favors or with whom he is willing to exchange favors are going to be able to help him bring this to a successful conclusion. By this time, you know who the bad guy is - and that even the people who think they control him actually can't. In fact, at this point, almost everything is out on the table for the reader and only two real mysteries remain: (1) can Nick rescue the girl in time and (2) what the hell is really going on?

This book is just under 400 pages, so I felt the author could have developed the undercurrent of the story a little more. I'm still a little confused about the financial shenanigans in the story. I think if Finder had gone into more depth and given the reader a better understanding of the motive, it would have enhanced the story, but it's not necessary to my reading enjoyment. When I read, I like a good plot and characters I can connect with, and this book delivers those. The bad guy is very, very bad and the good guy is just good enough. :) I would like to see Finder develop his secondary characters a little more, as well, and hopefully he'll do that as this series progresses.

I haven't read the first Nick Heller story, but I probably will - and look forward to more from this author. I'd especially like to see more development of the kind of quirky characters that populate Nick Heller's universe.(less)

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About Joseph Finder

Joseph Finder’s plan was to become a spy. Or maybe a professor of Russian history. Instead he became a bestselling thriller writer, and winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel for KILLER INSTINCT (2006) and winner of the Barry and Gumshoe Awards for Best Thriller for COMPANY MAN (2005).

Born in Chicago, Joe spent his early childhood living around the world, including Afgh...more Joseph Finder’s plan was to become a spy. Or maybe a professor of Russian history. Instead he became a bestselling thriller writer, and winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel for KILLER INSTINCT (2006) and winner of the Barry and Gumshoe Awards for Best Thriller for COMPANY MAN (2005).

Born in Chicago, Joe spent his early childhood living around the world, including Afghanistan and the Philippines. In fact, Joe’s first language — even before English — was Farsi, which he spoke as a child in Kabul. Finally, after a stint in Bellingham, WA, his family finally settled outside of Albany, NY.

After taking a high school seminar on the literature and history of Russia, Joe was hooked. He went on to major in Russian studies at Yale, where he also sang with the school's legendary a cappella group, the Whiffenpoofs (and likes to boast that he sang next to Ella Fitzgerald, an honorary Whiffenpoof). Joe graduated summa cum laude from Yale College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, then completed a master’s degree at the Harvard Russian Research Center, and later taught on the Harvard faculty. He was recruited to the Central Intelligence Agency but eventually decided he preferred writing fiction.

His first book, published in 1983 when Joe was only 24, was RED CARPET: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE KREMLIN AND AMERICA'S MOST POWERFUL BUSINESSMEN, the first book to reveal that the controversial multi-millionaire Dr. Armand Hammer, the CEO of Occidental Petroleum, had worked for Soviet intelligence in the 1920s and 1930s. (This book is no longer in print.)

But RED CARPET was only part of the story that Joe wanted to tell. So he wrote his first novel – the only way he could legally tell the whole Armand Hammer saga. Published in 1991, THE MOSCOW CLUB described events whose factual truth would only be revealed many years later. THE MOSCOW CLUB was named by Publishers Weekly as one of the ten best spy thrillers of all time and was published in thirty foreign countries.

What followed were three more critically-acclaimed thrillers – EXTRAORDINARY POWERS, THE ZERO HOUR (sold to Twentieth-Century Fox for a record sum) and HIGH CRIMES, which became a 2002 Fox film starring Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman. Joe was invited on the movie set and even cast for a nonspeaking role as a JAG prosecutor.

Published in 2004, PARANOIA represented a major turning point in Joe’s career, landing on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, among others. It was his first book to use the ruthless drive, corruption and conspiracy of the corporate world as riveting plotline. PARANOIA was called “fun...movie-ready...[with] twists aplenty...” by Entertainment Weekly. A major motion picture based on PARANOIA is in production now and tentatively scheduled for release in October 2013.

Joe’s next three novels – COMPANY MAN, KILLER INSTINCT and POWER PLAY – were all bestsellers in which things were decidedly not business as usual. He was quickly hailed as “the CEO of suspense.”

Joe’s latest novel VANISHED, published August 2009 by St. Martin's Press and an immediate bestseller, introduced his new continuing character, "private spy" Nick Heller. Trained in the Special Forces, Nick is a high-powered intelligence investigator – exposing secrets that powerful people would rather keep hidden. He's a guy you don't want to mess with. He's also the man you call when you need a problem fixed. The second novel in the series, BURIED SECRETS, will be published June 21, 2011.

In addition to his fiction, Joe does occasional work for Hollywood, is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and Council on Foreign Relations, and has written on espionage and international affairs for a number of publications, including TheDailyBeast.com, Forbes, The New (less)

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“As the saying goes not every conspiracy is a theory.” — 6 people liked it

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Buried Secrets (Nick Heller #2)

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