What do you think?
Rate this book
Forbidden
A Novella on Which Too Little, Too late is Based
Maria was the secret no one in the family talked about, her existence a constant reminder of his dead father’s shameful deviance. Yet ironically, from the first moment his mother set eyes on Maria, she wanted the child for her very own – and was willing to go to any lengths to make that happen. And for the next nine years, Leo Bauer was able to successfully push Maria’s existence to the back of his mind until unexpected circumstances finally forced a meeting between him and the girl. Despite Leo’s resolve to remain detached, he found himself drawn to Maria’s innocence and was smitten by her delicate blonde beauty. He knew she was off limits to him and yet, he couldn’t resist. And so began their forbidden affair...until disaster struck, forcing his family to cut Maria loose. The day Maria walked out of his life was the day Leo ceased to exist.
Years have now passed and Maria abruptly reappears at Leo’s door, almost unrecognizable in her ragged clothing as she spouts a litany of barely coherent gibberish. Despite his initial shock, Leo tries to coax her into his house but Maria runs away in fright. In her flight, she drops a worn photograph and when Leo sees it, he realizes that Maria coming back poses a threat to all of them. He must make a choice…follow his heart or eliminate the threat to the family he despises. Either way, he must find Maria first...
In this sweeping murder mystery, past mistakes are pitted against bittersweet revenge and family secrets as old as Hollywood and Hitler threaten to destroy one family tainted by a poisonous legacy none of them can ever hope to escape.
Maria was the secret no one in the family talked about, her existence a constant reminder of his dead father’s shameful deviance. Yet ironically, from the first moment his mother set eyes on Maria, she wanted the child for her very own – and was willing to go to any lengths to make that happen. And for the next nine years, Leo Bauer was able to successfully push Maria’s existence to the back of his mind until unexpected circumstances finally forced a meeting between him and the girl. Despite Leo’s resolve to remain detached, he found himself drawn to Maria’s innocence and was smitten by her delicate blonde beauty. He knew she was off limits to him and yet, he couldn’t resist. And so began their forbidden affair...until disaster struck, forcing his family to cut Maria loose. The day Maria walked out of his life was the day Leo ceased to exist.
Years have now passed and Maria abruptly reappears at Leo’s door, almost unrecognizable in her ragged clothing as she spouts a litany of barely coherent gibberish. Despite his initial shock, Leo tries to coax her into his house but Maria runs away in fright. In her flight, she drops a worn photograph and when Leo sees it, he realizes that Maria coming back poses a threat to all of them. He must make a choice…follow his heart or eliminate the threat to the family he despises. Either way, he must find Maria first...
In this sweeping murder mystery, past mistakes are pitted against bittersweet revenge and family secrets as old as Hollywood and Hitler threaten to destroy one family tainted by a poisonous legacy none of them can ever hope to escape.
- GenresMystery
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2013
5 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Marta Tandori
11 books70 followersMarta Tandori had always been an avid reader but it wasn’t until she began studying acting in her early twenties at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York that she realized acting wasn’t really her passion – writing fiction was. Thanks to an overly zealous addiction in her youth to all things Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden, Marta fell in love with mysteries and it’s hardly a surprise that she chose to write in the same genre! Marta’s books feature strong female protagonists who have closets full of nasty skeletons and the odd murder or two to complicate their already complex lives. She’s the author of the Kate Stanton Hollywood Mystery Series as well as several other standalone mysteries. To learn more about Marta, please visit her website at http://martatandori.com or her Facebook Author Page at www.facebook.com/MartaTandoriAuthor or connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MartaTandori (@MartaTandori).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 22, 2015
3.5★s
Leo Bauer was his father’s son – the voice of his dead father was constantly in his head, and when Maria unexpectedly appeared on Leo’s doorstep after years of not knowing her whereabouts, he knew he had to entice her into his house. But she was frightened; raggedly dressed, unable to be understood – when she rushed away in her terror, Leo knew he’d lost her again. He also knew he had to find her – Maria was a threat to him, to his brother and his mother – he had no choice but to discover where she was hiding and eliminate her…
Kate Stanton had much in her past she wanted to forget, but the shock of learning someone from that past was insidiously making their way into her life once again almost caused her to collapse. When a necklace was found under circumstances that were bizarre, and her friend Liz discovered connections no one could fathom, Kate knew she needed answers. The shocking secrets were rising to the surface and there would be no happy ending for anyone…
Forbidden by Marta Tandoori is a short, dark psychological thriller leading up to Too Little, Too Late. Depravity surrounds one of the (horrible) characters – at one stage the violence was too graphic (if I hadn’t been near the end, I would have been unable to finish) Chilling and filled with poison, Forbidden is a gripping story of revenge and hate, murder and long held secrets. Recommended to mystery/thriller lovers.
Leo Bauer was his father’s son – the voice of his dead father was constantly in his head, and when Maria unexpectedly appeared on Leo’s doorstep after years of not knowing her whereabouts, he knew he had to entice her into his house. But she was frightened; raggedly dressed, unable to be understood – when she rushed away in her terror, Leo knew he’d lost her again. He also knew he had to find her – Maria was a threat to him, to his brother and his mother – he had no choice but to discover where she was hiding and eliminate her…
Kate Stanton had much in her past she wanted to forget, but the shock of learning someone from that past was insidiously making their way into her life once again almost caused her to collapse. When a necklace was found under circumstances that were bizarre, and her friend Liz discovered connections no one could fathom, Kate knew she needed answers. The shocking secrets were rising to the surface and there would be no happy ending for anyone…
Forbidden by Marta Tandoori is a short, dark psychological thriller leading up to Too Little, Too Late. Depravity surrounds one of the (horrible) characters – at one stage the violence was too graphic (if I hadn’t been near the end, I would have been unable to finish) Chilling and filled with poison, Forbidden is a gripping story of revenge and hate, murder and long held secrets. Recommended to mystery/thriller lovers.
June 5, 2014
*WARING: THIS NOVELLA SHOULD BE READ BY ADULTS ONLY.*
I have never read anything by this author. I heard about this book, after reading a blurb on Goodreads. After doing a little research on the Kate Stanton Mystery series, I found that many readers were having problems/questions regarding characters and stories. I decided to read this first. I'm glad I did. It will put events/situations into perspective, thus making more sense in the following stories.
This is a very intense story, not for the faint hearted people, thus my warning above. The pace is very adaptable throughout the story. The creative imagery, by this author was outstanding. The story captivated my emotions and feelings. I found myself loathing, disgusted and saddened by the actions of others, but was relieved and justified that some consequences were paid in full.
The characters were very believable. Some were strong, though repulsive due to their actions. Others pulled their weight in storyline which made it more believable. It contains many facets: murder, incest, rape, betrayal and suspense.
The title of book is right on the money. The cover is adequate and has an eye catching feature.
This story is a brief, detailed introduction into the life of Karl Bauer and family members. Due to his actions, his family partake willingly and unwillingly into events and consequences, just for the sake of money and power. But everybody knows: Payback is a b*tch.
I would recommend this book to those readers who aren't faint hearted. This is a very compelling read. This should be read first before any Kate Stanton Mystery books to have a more clear understanding. Happy Reading!!!!! Cheers!!!!
I have never read anything by this author. I heard about this book, after reading a blurb on Goodreads. After doing a little research on the Kate Stanton Mystery series, I found that many readers were having problems/questions regarding characters and stories. I decided to read this first. I'm glad I did. It will put events/situations into perspective, thus making more sense in the following stories.
This is a very intense story, not for the faint hearted people, thus my warning above. The pace is very adaptable throughout the story. The creative imagery, by this author was outstanding. The story captivated my emotions and feelings. I found myself loathing, disgusted and saddened by the actions of others, but was relieved and justified that some consequences were paid in full.
The characters were very believable. Some were strong, though repulsive due to their actions. Others pulled their weight in storyline which made it more believable. It contains many facets: murder, incest, rape, betrayal and suspense.
The title of book is right on the money. The cover is adequate and has an eye catching feature.
This story is a brief, detailed introduction into the life of Karl Bauer and family members. Due to his actions, his family partake willingly and unwillingly into events and consequences, just for the sake of money and power. But everybody knows: Payback is a b*tch.
I would recommend this book to those readers who aren't faint hearted. This is a very compelling read. This should be read first before any Kate Stanton Mystery books to have a more clear understanding. Happy Reading!!!!! Cheers!!!!
September 22, 2021
A short story later developed into a full length novel. The story of a rich family riddled with cruel and evil men, and the damage they caused to a long line of females. Well written.
May 26, 2017
I was really not expecting such a graphic story, but I couldn't stop reading it either. I started reading the 4th book and decided I better start at the beginning. I'm still just shocked. I can't believe what an awful incestuous family Kate Stanton came from. She is the only survivor left from the war in Germany, as her father ditched her family and left for America. Her father was a Nazi Monster and could care less about anyone but himself. He became a big Hollywood producer and married Sigourney Weaver Johnson Bauer. She already had a son from a previous marriage, Irving Johnson. Karl Bauer Kate's dad and Sigourney's husband was sexually perverted and he passed his sins down to Kate's stepbrother Leo Bauer. One night Kate came disguised as a waitress to confront her father about what happened to her mother and sister Lilly. Leo had followed Karl and Irving into the library and hid. Unfortunately he witnessed his father and step-brother having sexual relations, and then when Kate came they raped her as well. Kate became pregnant with Sonja. The family started to worry about people finding the skeletons in their closets and tried to keep Kate quiet. Sigi, Leo's Mom, decided She loved Sonja even though she was autistic and in the mental hospital. She schemed and turned Sonja into Maria Weaver. Kate thought Sonja died in an explosion. Years later Maria is living on the streets and shows up at Leo's house. He then gets upset and tries to find her. In the chase all the skeletons come out and all of the family are truly reveled for who they really are. Do the sins of the father get passed down? I don't know..I really think that the children were left to struggle and suffer on their own, and the parents abused them instead of keeping them safe. All in the spirit of one true perfect race....
Read
July 14, 2014Not sure I got it. Confused with plot.
November 30, 2014
It was an interesting read. A lot of information in a short book. Definitely not a book for someone who likes their book to be all butterflies and rainbows!
Read
May 12, 2015I am binge reading Marta Tandori's books, so I will write a review when I finish the next one.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews