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Their Last Secret
“[A] lifetime of secrets and lies come back to haunt in this layered, engrossing thriller. . . . A riveting, moving read.” —Lisa Unger, New York Times–bestselling author of The Stranger InsideSome mistakes can never be forgotten—or forgiven.Janie Klassyn was only fourteen years old when she made the blood pact with her friends. She could never imagine she was setting in motion the horrifying crime that would tear her peaceful prairie town apart.Twenty years later in California, school counselor Emma Grant struggles to keep her past buried. But when she finds a note on her car threatening to reveal her secret, it becomes harder to keep up the deception. Even her teenage stepdaughter suspects that Emma is hiding something. Now, with her celebrated true-crime author husband digging into a decades-old murder case for his next book, and a suspicious accident involving someone who’s been following her, the perfect life Emma’s built is crumbling, forcing her to take desperate steps to save it . . . “Rick Mofina’s books are edge-of-your seat thrilling. Page turners that don’t let up.” —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times–bestselling author
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2020
284 people are currently reading
931 people want to read
About the author
Rick Mofina
69 books1,348 followersRick Mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row in Montana and Texas, flown over L.A. with the LAPD and patrolled with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He's also reported from the Caribbean, Africa and Kuwait's border with Iraq. His true-crime freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, The Telegraph (London, U.K.), Reader’s Digest, Penthouse, Marie Claire and The South China Morning Post, (Hong Kong). He has written more than 20 crime fiction thrillers that have been published in nearly 30 countries.
His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Louise Penny, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Lisa Unger, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser and Kay Hooper.
The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers and The Private Eye Writers of America have listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him, “One of the best thriller writers in the business.”
Series:
* Tom Reed and Walt Sydowski
* Jason Wade
* Jack Gannon
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (2003): Blood of Others
His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Louise Penny, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Lisa Unger, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser and Kay Hooper.
The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers and The Private Eye Writers of America have listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him, “One of the best thriller writers in the business.”
Series:
* Tom Reed and Walt Sydowski
* Jason Wade
* Jack Gannon
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Novel (2003): Blood of Others
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
August 21, 2020
3.75*
Can secrets of the past remain buried forever?
Emma has created a new life for herself. She’s married with a teenage step daughter. And everything is looking rosy as her life is coming together. Oops...hit the brakes! Emma just discovered a note under her windshield reminding her of the 20th anniversary of a murderous rampage that nearly wiped out an entire family in a small Canadian town.
This book plays out in two timelines. Twenty years ago during the time of the killings, and present day as Emma is dreading the past may have finally caught up to her.
I’ve read books by Rick Mofina for years and always look forward to his new releases every year. His writing instantly draws you in and you feel the tension growing as the mystery unfolds.
Even though I may have wanted something a bit deeper and darker, I’m confident mystery fans will truly enjoy this latest stand-alone.
Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins MIRA Publishing for an ARC to read and review.
Can secrets of the past remain buried forever?
Emma has created a new life for herself. She’s married with a teenage step daughter. And everything is looking rosy as her life is coming together. Oops...hit the brakes! Emma just discovered a note under her windshield reminding her of the 20th anniversary of a murderous rampage that nearly wiped out an entire family in a small Canadian town.
This book plays out in two timelines. Twenty years ago during the time of the killings, and present day as Emma is dreading the past may have finally caught up to her.
I’ve read books by Rick Mofina for years and always look forward to his new releases every year. His writing instantly draws you in and you feel the tension growing as the mystery unfolds.
Even though I may have wanted something a bit deeper and darker, I’m confident mystery fans will truly enjoy this latest stand-alone.
Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins MIRA Publishing for an ARC to read and review.
July 2, 2024
“No one knows the truth about me, that I—“
A small Canadian town, teenage friends from the “wrong side of the tracks”, an escapade gone wrong—-oh, the unbelievable horror!!
TW: descriptive violence
Another fascinating tale from author Rick Mofina.
A small Canadian town, teenage friends from the “wrong side of the tracks”, an escapade gone wrong—-oh, the unbelievable horror!!
TW: descriptive violence
Another fascinating tale from author Rick Mofina.
October 13, 2020
Their Last Secret by Rick Mofina is the story of three disadvantaged teenaged girls from the small town of Eternity, Manitoba, whose unhealthy friendship leads them to commit a horrible and heinous crime. Twenty years later, the girls have served their time and have scattered, with new identities, to separate destinations. Emma Grant has turned up in California and has turned her life around. She is happily married to a true-crime author, is the stepmother of a teenage girl, and is working as a high school counsellor. Life is good until an anonymous note appears on her car’s windshield. Then her husband takes on a new book assignment and unknowingly begins to investigate the Manitoba crime committed twenty years ago. Living in fear of her past being found out, Emma’s charmed life is about to implode and she is helpless to prevent it. As usual, a Rick Mofina thriller does not disappoint. The pace is relentless and the characters fascinating. The story feels like it was pulled from the headlines and what if it was? Highly recommend. Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2024
Very good
June 29, 2024
A horrifying psychological thriller that rivals Truman Capote’s true-crime masterpiece IN COLD BLOOD!
Three young teenage girl friends, sworn to eternal secrecy under a blood pact, commit a brutal mass murder and enter what most Canadians think of as a very flawed young offender justice system.
Rick Mofina, now definitely on my list of favourite thriller authors (with special kudos to his being a fellow Canadian), has crafted a high-speed thriller that took me into the proverbial wee hours and refused to allow me to set it down. Grisly mass murder, social work, suicide, dysfunctional families, wealth vs poverty, young offenders, legal and police procedures, jurisdictional issues, forensics and technology, psychology, revenge … THEIR LAST SECRET has it all. An extraordinarily easy 5-star recommendation and a solid addition to my Top Ten 2024 Favourites list.
Paul Weiss
Three young teenage girl friends, sworn to eternal secrecy under a blood pact, commit a brutal mass murder and enter what most Canadians think of as a very flawed young offender justice system.
Rick Mofina, now definitely on my list of favourite thriller authors (with special kudos to his being a fellow Canadian), has crafted a high-speed thriller that took me into the proverbial wee hours and refused to allow me to set it down. Grisly mass murder, social work, suicide, dysfunctional families, wealth vs poverty, young offenders, legal and police procedures, jurisdictional issues, forensics and technology, psychology, revenge … THEIR LAST SECRET has it all. An extraordinarily easy 5-star recommendation and a solid addition to my Top Ten 2024 Favourites list.
Paul Weiss
August 9, 2020
Another winner by Rick Mofina!
The story focuses on the grisly murders of a family of four, twenty years ago, committed by three 14 yr old girls. All three are sent to prison to serve out their sentence. Upon their release their names have been changed and their court records have been sealed.
Will their pasts come back to haunt them?
What really happened that tragic night twenty years ago?
Some mistakes can never be forgotten - or forgiven.
In typical Mofina style he gives us a unique, suspenseful, and fast-paced thriller that I highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Trade Publishing/MIRA for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
The story focuses on the grisly murders of a family of four, twenty years ago, committed by three 14 yr old girls. All three are sent to prison to serve out their sentence. Upon their release their names have been changed and their court records have been sealed.
Will their pasts come back to haunt them?
What really happened that tragic night twenty years ago?
Some mistakes can never be forgotten - or forgiven.
In typical Mofina style he gives us a unique, suspenseful, and fast-paced thriller that I highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Trade Publishing/MIRA for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
January 11, 2021
*THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN A MINI-SPOLIER*
The book alternates between a fictional town Eternity in Manitoba, Canada in the year 2000 and present day California.
Three 14-year old girls in Eternity form a blood pact to keep each other’s secrets no matter what. They name themselves ‘The Skull Sisters’.
When they commit a horrendous crime their pact is tested to the limit. Will each one keep the pact?
Present day finds Emma Grant, a school counselor married to an acclaimed true crime author searching for his next big story.
There are too many convenient coincidences to make the story feel real and many of the twists and turns feel contrived: such as Emma, given her past, marries a well-known true crime author. (??)
The author, Ben Grant, searching for his next big story is faced with legal ramifications with each and every story he is presented with except the very one he should not tackle.
In spite of the shortcomings I kept turning pages to get to the end which turned out to be somewhat predictable and a bit of a letdown.
The book alternates between a fictional town Eternity in Manitoba, Canada in the year 2000 and present day California.
Three 14-year old girls in Eternity form a blood pact to keep each other’s secrets no matter what. They name themselves ‘The Skull Sisters’.
When they commit a horrendous crime their pact is tested to the limit. Will each one keep the pact?
Present day finds Emma Grant, a school counselor married to an acclaimed true crime author searching for his next big story.
There are too many convenient coincidences to make the story feel real and many of the twists and turns feel contrived: such as Emma, given her past, marries a well-known true crime author. (??)
The author, Ben Grant, searching for his next big story is faced with legal ramifications with each and every story he is presented with except the very one he should not tackle.
In spite of the shortcomings I kept turning pages to get to the end which turned out to be somewhat predictable and a bit of a letdown.
July 29, 2023
3.5 stars
First half was riveting. Second half not quite as good. Overall a suspenseful thriller but turned predictable as it neared the end.
First half was riveting. Second half not quite as good. Overall a suspenseful thriller but turned predictable as it neared the end.
January 22, 2026
•My Scored Rating Total: 4.5/5•
• crime thriller • murder mystery • psychological tension • character driven • hidden pasts • secret identities • past & present timelines • multiple POVs
If you like mystery thrillers with emotionally engaging, well-developed characters, this author is worth trying. They're a bit longer than I typically prefer in thrillers, but the payoff is always worth it. This particular story had a lot of names to keep track of, with the many aliases some characters used, which made it difficult to follow, but I persevered in the end.
🎙️Jennifer Jill Araya did a decent job of voicing several characters.
• crime thriller • murder mystery • psychological tension • character driven • hidden pasts • secret identities • past & present timelines • multiple POVs
If you like mystery thrillers with emotionally engaging, well-developed characters, this author is worth trying. They're a bit longer than I typically prefer in thrillers, but the payoff is always worth it. This particular story had a lot of names to keep track of, with the many aliases some characters used, which made it difficult to follow, but I persevered in the end.
🎙️Jennifer Jill Araya did a decent job of voicing several characters.
July 28, 2020
"Soon it will be 20 years. Your day of reckoning is coming."
This is a terrific suspense/psychological thriller about a horrific crime twenty years ago in which an entire family was slaughtered.
The story stretches from Canada to southern California and points in between. The story centers on one family - a mother, father and stepdaughter. As the story progresses, more and more is revealed about the past crime and about present characters.
This was a suspense filled, very twisty story and I enjoyed every bit of it. I would have rated it 4 1/2 stars if I could have. This is just one of many of author Rick Mofina's books I've read and I have found them all (if memory serves me correctly) to be unique, twisty, suspenseful, fast moving thrillers.
I received this book from MIRA Books through Net Galley and Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
This is a terrific suspense/psychological thriller about a horrific crime twenty years ago in which an entire family was slaughtered.
The story stretches from Canada to southern California and points in between. The story centers on one family - a mother, father and stepdaughter. As the story progresses, more and more is revealed about the past crime and about present characters.
This was a suspense filled, very twisty story and I enjoyed every bit of it. I would have rated it 4 1/2 stars if I could have. This is just one of many of author Rick Mofina's books I've read and I have found them all (if memory serves me correctly) to be unique, twisty, suspenseful, fast moving thrillers.
I received this book from MIRA Books through Net Galley and Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
July 19, 2020
Janie, Nikki and Marie (the "Skull Sisters") were fourteen and living in Eternity, a small town in Manitoba. Janie regularly babysat for the Tullocks and, though they were wealthy, they always shortchanged her when it came to paying her. One night while the Tullocks were out of town, the girls decided to break into their house and steal some money so Janie could have what was owed to her. The family came home unexpectedly and by the end of the night, the family of four were brutally murdered. It didn't take the police long to realize that Janie, Nikki and Marie did it and they were sentenced to prison. When they were released to start a new life, their names were changed and their records buried since they had been minors.
Twenty years later, we meet Emma who is a school counselor in California. She is married to Ben, a successful crime writer, and stepmother to Kayla. Suddenly there are notes left on her windshield and she suspects she is being followed and she'll do anything to keep her secret past hidden.
I've read a few books by this author and liked this one ... until I got to the end. I didn't like the ending and thought it should have gone a different way. I liked the writing style and it is written in third personal perspective with the focus on wherever the action is. It jumps back and forth in time, which is noted at the beginning of the chapters so you know where and when it is.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2020/07...
Twenty years later, we meet Emma who is a school counselor in California. She is married to Ben, a successful crime writer, and stepmother to Kayla. Suddenly there are notes left on her windshield and she suspects she is being followed and she'll do anything to keep her secret past hidden.
I've read a few books by this author and liked this one ... until I got to the end. I didn't like the ending and thought it should have gone a different way. I liked the writing style and it is written in third personal perspective with the focus on wherever the action is. It jumps back and forth in time, which is noted at the beginning of the chapters so you know where and when it is.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2020/07...
June 20, 2020
Their Last Secret by Rick Mofina was a brilliant read. I didn't want this book to end. I also did not want the book to end the way it did, but life is not always wrapped up in a neat bow.
Their Last Secret kept me hooked from beginning to end and had a hard time putting it down. The characters were believable and interesting. They felt real, and their actions and reasonings were credible. I liked Kayla and her determination to find out what was going on and the conflict within herself about trusting Emma. I also liked Kayla's dog, Tug, a sweet boy!
The plot had so many twists and turns that made the story exciting, but the author did the twists in a way that was easy to follow. I loved the way the story had me guessing and trying to figure out what would come next and who was involved and why. The author's writing style flowed well and was descriptive and engaging. The story moved at a fast pace, and Rick Mofina crafted a heart-pounding and, at times, heart-stopping book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a solid thriller, believable characters, and a book that keeps you on your toes while you try to figure out the mystery.
#TheirLastSecret #NetGalley
Their Last Secret kept me hooked from beginning to end and had a hard time putting it down. The characters were believable and interesting. They felt real, and their actions and reasonings were credible. I liked Kayla and her determination to find out what was going on and the conflict within herself about trusting Emma. I also liked Kayla's dog, Tug, a sweet boy!
The plot had so many twists and turns that made the story exciting, but the author did the twists in a way that was easy to follow. I loved the way the story had me guessing and trying to figure out what would come next and who was involved and why. The author's writing style flowed well and was descriptive and engaging. The story moved at a fast pace, and Rick Mofina crafted a heart-pounding and, at times, heart-stopping book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a solid thriller, believable characters, and a book that keeps you on your toes while you try to figure out the mystery.
#TheirLastSecret #NetGalley
August 29, 2020
A blood pact, a horrific crime, and a lifetime of secret and lies come back to haunt in this layered, engrossing thriller. THEIR LAST SECRET is Rick Mofina at his edge-of-your-seat, can't-stop-turning-the-pages best as he dives deep into questions of truth, justice, and ultimately redemption. A riveting, moving read.
June 17, 2020
5 stars plus!!!
I could not put the latest Rick Mofina book down!!
Three girls around the age 14 in the small town of Eternity Manitoba make a sacred pack together and become the Skull sisters .
Then they are involved in a horrific crime. Its beyond words!
So many lives are forever changed.
Now its 20 years later and Emma is out to protect her secret, we know that wont go so well! Yet I found myself cheering Emma on.
That is all I am saying. I don't want to give anything away ; its so tempting to do so!
The pages fly by so quickly you just have to get the end.
This is my favourite Rick Mofina book to date: until the next one !!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin Trade Publishing, (US and Canada) , Mira books for a read I got lost in !!
I could not put the latest Rick Mofina book down!!
Three girls around the age 14 in the small town of Eternity Manitoba make a sacred pack together and become the Skull sisters .
Then they are involved in a horrific crime. Its beyond words!
So many lives are forever changed.
Now its 20 years later and Emma is out to protect her secret, we know that wont go so well! Yet I found myself cheering Emma on.
That is all I am saying. I don't want to give anything away ; its so tempting to do so!
The pages fly by so quickly you just have to get the end.
This is my favourite Rick Mofina book to date: until the next one !!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin Trade Publishing, (US and Canada) , Mira books for a read I got lost in !!
Read
June 17, 2020This was a suspenseful read but one that just didn’t keep my attention. I’m not sure why...I just found it hard to follow and not extremely intriguing nor interesting.
So the plot is about three 14 year old girls that become blood sisters and call themselves the Skull Sisters. Things get out of hand one night and they commit a horrendous crime. The story then picks up 20 years later.
I would like to reread Their Last Secret at a later time and see if I was just having a off day when reading this book.
So the plot is about three 14 year old girls that become blood sisters and call themselves the Skull Sisters. Things get out of hand one night and they commit a horrendous crime. The story then picks up 20 years later.
I would like to reread Their Last Secret at a later time and see if I was just having a off day when reading this book.
July 18, 2020
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Their Last Secret by Rick Mofina that I read and reviewed.
I really don’t know what to say about this book. The end disappointed me so much I am at a loss for words. I really enjoyed the book until the end.
I am giving this book four out of five stars.
I really don’t know what to say about this book. The end disappointed me so much I am at a loss for words. I really enjoyed the book until the end.
I am giving this book four out of five stars.
May 26, 2021
I have read all of Rick Mofina's books and so glad he has come out with 2 new books... Just finished Their Last Secret and amazed the change of is writing... Absolutely ***** Excellent and surprised ending.. A GREAT READ, Loved it....
March 20, 2022
This was an interesting thriller about 3 girls who murdered a family when they were younger. One now finds herself being threatened about her past. I liked the fast pace of the book, but I did think that it ended a bit suddenly and there were certain parts that were a bit difficult to believe.
October 5, 2020
Fairly predictable and not much of a twist at the end.
July 21, 2024
OMG I haven't read a book THIS exciting in a long time, wow! A fellow bookworm recommended this one to me a couple years back and I just came across it at a used bookstore so bought it and immediately struggled to put it down. It's my first book by this Canadian author and since I enjoyed it so much I'm left wondering if he'll become a new fav author of mine, or if the bar was set too high with this one and the rest will be let downs.
I will say that the characters could have been flushed out a bit more and so I can see why some would dock a star for that. But overall it was a wild ride that I found gripping so feel it absolutely deserves 5 stars. Now to decide which of his books to try next...!
I will say that the characters could have been flushed out a bit more and so I can see why some would dock a star for that. But overall it was a wild ride that I found gripping so feel it absolutely deserves 5 stars. Now to decide which of his books to try next...!
May 30, 2022
Another fast-paced thriller by Mofina. The book was suspenseful and I enjoyed it overall. I predicted part of the ending but part was unexpected. At first I didn't like it, but thinking back, it's a fitting ending for the characters. (Can't say more without spoiling things.)
September 1, 2024
It seems I am on a roll. Another five star read. First book by this author, but you can be sure I’m checking out all the rest of his books. This held my attention throughout the entire book.
June 28, 2025
I'm surprised to say that I have to rate this book 2.5 🌟. It didn't pull me in. There was no real mystery. And it didn't really thrill me. I liked that it was told in the past and present perspectives, though! It was a decent enough story but nothing unique or special to me. I was able to finish it, though, so that's something, I guess.
February 21, 2025
Good premise and promise of intrigue from this book but I just can’t with the writing. 🤷🏻♀️
Some examples and this is just the very beginning~
Ben, a true crime writer and widower with a teenage daughter, met Emma at a reading for one of his books and when she told him “your writing touches a part of me,” he did not see ANY red flags whatsoever, but instead fell for how much his TRUE CRIME books moved her, fell for her beautiful soul and Married her.
Okay, a gullible character, that’s probably integral to the plot so I kept reading… 🙄
Then we get to a scene where Ben’s daughter skipped school and he finds her and she is immediately apologetic and repentant, hugs him and then pours her heart out to him right then and there about everything that’s been bothering her. Sigh. She’s a TEENAGE Girl; It’s not that easy, I think to myself; So back to the reviews I go and then I see the name Harlequin amongst the reviews and think, okay, so this is the harlequin romance version of dramatic fiction, take a deep breath and continue to read.
I can’t even make it to page 78 when I read, as narrated from Ben’s point of view (about Emma) how he “loved her for her spirit”…, “she reached him”… she “brought him back to life”, “they bonded on another level”…. although “her eyes were tinged with sadness…” and I just can’t. This was all literally all thrown out at once at the reader all within a couple of short paragraphs. Sigh.
But I saw where this is going, a heinous murder (massacre actually) of a family with young kids occurred when “Emma” was a teenager, she was involved, and now her true crime writer husband
will innocently decide to write about it and she will let him without revealing her true identity while meanwhile being hunted down and harassed by some yet to be determined character from her past. In the meantime, by not telling, Emma is endangering and putting at risk her soulmate Ben and her new perfect family. Oh, the choices. The bad choices.
I totally skimmed through more drivel to get to the end and good grief, what a colossal waste of time it would have been continuing to read. Here’s some SPOILERS if you’re like me when a book never gets going for you but you want to see what happened:
Emma in present day is Jane from the flashback chapters of 2000 and she and her two besties, the Skull Sisters (yes 🙄), broke into the home of the well to do family Jane babysat for when they were supposed to be away as revenge to get Jane’s babysitting money they shorted her on.
The family returns early due to the little boy being sick (he and his little sister are very young and portrayed as sweet kids which makes what happens next truly horrible), and surprise the three 14 year old girls who’ve broken in. Two of the girls grab knives and jump on and attack the dad while the little children run screaming upstairs to escape. The dad is stabbed to death by the two while Jane tries fruitlessly to stop it, while the mom screams at the three girls that they are trash and how dare they be in her house. (Much is made in this book about how these girls are from “the wrong side of the tracks” and that later serves as motive for these two 30 years later to come back and hunt down “Emma” as she has made it good with her sweet true crime writer of a husband, his sweet daughter and their beautiful house and accoutrements). Of course mom gets murdered violently while Jane again tries to physically stop it. The two girls then go upstairs and mercilessly and violently kill the little children and write a message in their victims’ blood on the wall so police will think it’s a serial killer.
BC these are Jane’s “Skull Sisters” and they took a blood vow to keep each others’ secrets plus Jane feels at fault (she really is at fault as they’re in the house bc of her and with her help 🤷🏻♀️), she does not let her lawyer tell the truth and present that she tried to stop this as a defense and takes equal responsibility as the other two and all three are convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 20 years. (Which is very very low ).
Plus, when the girls are released from jail years later, they are given false names and identities “to protect them” as they were so young at the time they decided to massacre an entire family. Yeah right, the Department of Corrections or the prosecutors want to protect them 🙄 and this really happens all the time in real life. Not.
Oh, the victim family does have a surviving member, an older sister who was institutionalized at the time with “mental issues” and she is also hunting down Emma and the girls to exact her revenge.
All of these girls end up dead at the end of the book, including Emma/ Jane, most of them hit by a car driven by one of the others as they imprison Ben’s (so sweet) teenage daughter and Emma saves her and fights for her family whilst Ben races to the scene in another car to save his daughter.
Bad Skull Sister friend tells Ben on her dying breath that Emma was the mastermind behind the original murders just because she hates Emma/Jane so much out of jealousy. (BC girls like them from the wrong side of the tracks don’t get to make it good, that’s why). Now poor true crime writer Ben doesn’t know who to believe as his wife Emma/ Jane is dead, too.
BUT to the rescue comes Sweet teenager and she maturely reminds Dad Ben that Emma was good to them and was such a kind person who changed and should not be blamed for bringing all this chaos and bloodshed into their lives.
Of course she does. 🙄
Some examples and this is just the very beginning~
Ben, a true crime writer and widower with a teenage daughter, met Emma at a reading for one of his books and when she told him “your writing touches a part of me,” he did not see ANY red flags whatsoever, but instead fell for how much his TRUE CRIME books moved her, fell for her beautiful soul and Married her.
Okay, a gullible character, that’s probably integral to the plot so I kept reading… 🙄
Then we get to a scene where Ben’s daughter skipped school and he finds her and she is immediately apologetic and repentant, hugs him and then pours her heart out to him right then and there about everything that’s been bothering her. Sigh. She’s a TEENAGE Girl; It’s not that easy, I think to myself; So back to the reviews I go and then I see the name Harlequin amongst the reviews and think, okay, so this is the harlequin romance version of dramatic fiction, take a deep breath and continue to read.
I can’t even make it to page 78 when I read, as narrated from Ben’s point of view (about Emma) how he “loved her for her spirit”…, “she reached him”… she “brought him back to life”, “they bonded on another level”…. although “her eyes were tinged with sadness…” and I just can’t. This was all literally all thrown out at once at the reader all within a couple of short paragraphs. Sigh.
But I saw where this is going, a heinous murder (massacre actually) of a family with young kids occurred when “Emma” was a teenager, she was involved, and now her true crime writer husband
will innocently decide to write about it and she will let him without revealing her true identity while meanwhile being hunted down and harassed by some yet to be determined character from her past. In the meantime, by not telling, Emma is endangering and putting at risk her soulmate Ben and her new perfect family. Oh, the choices. The bad choices.
I totally skimmed through more drivel to get to the end and good grief, what a colossal waste of time it would have been continuing to read. Here’s some SPOILERS if you’re like me when a book never gets going for you but you want to see what happened:
Emma in present day is Jane from the flashback chapters of 2000 and she and her two besties, the Skull Sisters (yes 🙄), broke into the home of the well to do family Jane babysat for when they were supposed to be away as revenge to get Jane’s babysitting money they shorted her on.
The family returns early due to the little boy being sick (he and his little sister are very young and portrayed as sweet kids which makes what happens next truly horrible), and surprise the three 14 year old girls who’ve broken in. Two of the girls grab knives and jump on and attack the dad while the little children run screaming upstairs to escape. The dad is stabbed to death by the two while Jane tries fruitlessly to stop it, while the mom screams at the three girls that they are trash and how dare they be in her house. (Much is made in this book about how these girls are from “the wrong side of the tracks” and that later serves as motive for these two 30 years later to come back and hunt down “Emma” as she has made it good with her sweet true crime writer of a husband, his sweet daughter and their beautiful house and accoutrements). Of course mom gets murdered violently while Jane again tries to physically stop it. The two girls then go upstairs and mercilessly and violently kill the little children and write a message in their victims’ blood on the wall so police will think it’s a serial killer.
BC these are Jane’s “Skull Sisters” and they took a blood vow to keep each others’ secrets plus Jane feels at fault (she really is at fault as they’re in the house bc of her and with her help 🤷🏻♀️), she does not let her lawyer tell the truth and present that she tried to stop this as a defense and takes equal responsibility as the other two and all three are convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 20 years. (Which is very very low ).
Plus, when the girls are released from jail years later, they are given false names and identities “to protect them” as they were so young at the time they decided to massacre an entire family. Yeah right, the Department of Corrections or the prosecutors want to protect them 🙄 and this really happens all the time in real life. Not.
Oh, the victim family does have a surviving member, an older sister who was institutionalized at the time with “mental issues” and she is also hunting down Emma and the girls to exact her revenge.
All of these girls end up dead at the end of the book, including Emma/ Jane, most of them hit by a car driven by one of the others as they imprison Ben’s (so sweet) teenage daughter and Emma saves her and fights for her family whilst Ben races to the scene in another car to save his daughter.
Bad Skull Sister friend tells Ben on her dying breath that Emma was the mastermind behind the original murders just because she hates Emma/Jane so much out of jealousy. (BC girls like them from the wrong side of the tracks don’t get to make it good, that’s why). Now poor true crime writer Ben doesn’t know who to believe as his wife Emma/ Jane is dead, too.
BUT to the rescue comes Sweet teenager and she maturely reminds Dad Ben that Emma was good to them and was such a kind person who changed and should not be blamed for bringing all this chaos and bloodshed into their lives.
Of course she does. 🙄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2021
This book is a stand-alone book by Canadian author Rick Mofina and is the kind of read that draws the reader in more intensely with each page that turns. Chapters are short, and the story moves between the present and about twenty years earlier. Ben Grant is a well known author of true crime stories though it has been too long since his last book came out. His wife was killed in an automobile accident leaving him and his teenage daughter to grieve. Although he has remarried Emma, a counsellor at a local high school, pressure is on him to write a new book and life at home isn't as smooth as it could be as his daughter thinks Emma is hiding something.
His daughter is right. Mofina does a really good job of putting all the different pieces in place to move between past and present as Ben tracks down a new "old" story to cover only to find the trail leads back to his own home.
The story made me sad as it clearly portrayed how difficult it is to be born and raised on the "wrong side of the tracks" and how that can lead to despair and criminal actions. I believe there is a lot of truth in the idea that many who are better off look down on those who through no fault of their own have less. Emma, Ben's wife, in her role as a school counsellor does her best to improve the lives of the pupils in her care even saving one from suicide.
Three 14 year old girls were involved in a heinous crime. They were tried and found guilty and they served their time and were released. Was justice served? Did the real story of the crime get told at trial? Read the book for the answers to these questions.
His daughter is right. Mofina does a really good job of putting all the different pieces in place to move between past and present as Ben tracks down a new "old" story to cover only to find the trail leads back to his own home.
The story made me sad as it clearly portrayed how difficult it is to be born and raised on the "wrong side of the tracks" and how that can lead to despair and criminal actions. I believe there is a lot of truth in the idea that many who are better off look down on those who through no fault of their own have less. Emma, Ben's wife, in her role as a school counsellor does her best to improve the lives of the pupils in her care even saving one from suicide.
Three 14 year old girls were involved in a heinous crime. They were tried and found guilty and they served their time and were released. Was justice served? Did the real story of the crime get told at trial? Read the book for the answers to these questions.
August 6, 2025
This book was just WOW
I've started to really love Rick Mofina, I have read 2 of his books now and they're so well written with perplexing plots, he really is becoming one of my favourite thriller authors.
This book is about 3 fourteen year old girls who made a blood pact together, to always have each others backs and to keep each others secrets. One night the 3 girls would break into the Tullocks family home while they were out of town through a window one of the girls left unlocked the night she babysat for them, the one girl was felt she was owed more money than she was receiving for babysitting for the family so the plan was to break in through that unlocked window and steal what ever they could find, unbeknownst to them the family arrived home early while they were in the process of stealing, the next morning the bodies of the 4 family members were found murdered.
All three girls were arrested, tried and sentenced to 6 years in prison. When they got released they all changed their names and started new lives and because they were 14 at the time of the murders their names and finger prints were left out of the news and all their files were sealed and they were able to walk away without the world knowing who they truly were.
This book was something that could really happen and was realistic (which i love in books) Rick writes so effectively and truly knows how to write a book. He keeps you engaged and on the edge of your seat.
I've started to really love Rick Mofina, I have read 2 of his books now and they're so well written with perplexing plots, he really is becoming one of my favourite thriller authors.
This book is about 3 fourteen year old girls who made a blood pact together, to always have each others backs and to keep each others secrets. One night the 3 girls would break into the Tullocks family home while they were out of town through a window one of the girls left unlocked the night she babysat for them, the one girl was felt she was owed more money than she was receiving for babysitting for the family so the plan was to break in through that unlocked window and steal what ever they could find, unbeknownst to them the family arrived home early while they were in the process of stealing, the next morning the bodies of the 4 family members were found murdered.
All three girls were arrested, tried and sentenced to 6 years in prison. When they got released they all changed their names and started new lives and because they were 14 at the time of the murders their names and finger prints were left out of the news and all their files were sealed and they were able to walk away without the world knowing who they truly were.
This book was something that could really happen and was realistic (which i love in books) Rick writes so effectively and truly knows how to write a book. He keeps you engaged and on the edge of your seat.
October 21, 2020
So- Like I have said many times before, I’m not going to be mad at a book just because it is “predictable”
As long as I enjoy the experience of the story, it’s ok. Like, the descriptive writing, the setting, the character development, the relationships, the dialogue- how the story makes me feel.
I mean, we all knew how Titanic was going to end and we still enjoyed watching it, right?
Do I want to be stunned or shocked or tricked and misdirected by a book? Well Yes. But, it’s not realistic to expect it from every book. There are only so many plotlines in the world. They can’t all blow your mind.
Now, I will say it is highly unlikely for me to give a book 5 stars unless there are some of those shock factors in there. But I can still like and enjoy the story.
.
That being said, there weren’t any surprises in this book for me. You could pretty much see what was coming, but I still liked it.
________________________________________
It’s about three teenage girls from the poor part of a small town that make a blood oath with each other. That pact ultimately leads to a horrific crime.
.
20 years later, one of those girls is now living a great life and has kept her past hidden. She is married to a true crime author, who happens to come across the story of that old crime.
She is in a race to prevent the collision of past and present, to protect the life she loves.
As long as I enjoy the experience of the story, it’s ok. Like, the descriptive writing, the setting, the character development, the relationships, the dialogue- how the story makes me feel.
I mean, we all knew how Titanic was going to end and we still enjoyed watching it, right?
Do I want to be stunned or shocked or tricked and misdirected by a book? Well Yes. But, it’s not realistic to expect it from every book. There are only so many plotlines in the world. They can’t all blow your mind.
Now, I will say it is highly unlikely for me to give a book 5 stars unless there are some of those shock factors in there. But I can still like and enjoy the story.
.
That being said, there weren’t any surprises in this book for me. You could pretty much see what was coming, but I still liked it.
________________________________________
It’s about three teenage girls from the poor part of a small town that make a blood oath with each other. That pact ultimately leads to a horrific crime.
.
20 years later, one of those girls is now living a great life and has kept her past hidden. She is married to a true crime author, who happens to come across the story of that old crime.
She is in a race to prevent the collision of past and present, to protect the life she loves.
October 7, 2025
3.5 STARS
Three fourteen year old girls commit a brutal murder of a family. Twenty years later, having fulfilled their sentences they are free women with new names to protect their juvenile records.
One is living as Emma she’s a stepmother, married to a true crime writer. You get where this is going.
I enjoyed the audiobook of THEIR LAST SECRET, despite its predictability and convoluted ending.
Three fourteen year old girls commit a brutal murder of a family. Twenty years later, having fulfilled their sentences they are free women with new names to protect their juvenile records.
One is living as Emma she’s a stepmother, married to a true crime writer. You get where this is going.
I enjoyed the audiobook of THEIR LAST SECRET, despite its predictability and convoluted ending.
September 28, 2020
Can a person change completely from doing a horrible evil deed to becoming a good person? Is that evil dormant or is there hope for someone who has committed the worst of crimes. Is there hope of redemption for anyone who has done such a despicable thing?
One night changed the lives of Nikki, Marie and Janie. What was supposed to be just a quest for owed cash turned into a night that went horribly wrong and changed the lives of the three girls and the whole town of Eternity, Manitoba. That one night will haunt everyone whose life was affected by what happened on that terrible night.
Now it is 20 years later. The girls served their time and as they were young offenders under the law, their records were sealed and they were free to start a whole new life with a different name.
The main character Emma has moved on in her life. Recently married to a true crime writer and gaining a teenage stepdaughter Kayla,she has a job she loves as a school counsellor. But she can’t shut off all the terrible memories of that night. She can’t erase what she was involved in all those years ago.
And now, Kayla suspects something is off with her new stepmom and her husband Ben is confused by her behaviour. Certain that someone has been following her and leaving menacing notes, Emma is feeling the walls closing in on her.
Emma seems like such a kind likeable character that we want to Iike but we are still aware of the awful thing she had done. How can she just go on with her life? Someone doesn’t like her and is tormenting her. Will she go to any extreme to keep her secret hidden?
This was the first book that I have read by Rick Mofina and it definitely won’t be the last. It’s thrilling and fast paced. I read most of it in a day, not wanting to put it down.
One night changed the lives of Nikki, Marie and Janie. What was supposed to be just a quest for owed cash turned into a night that went horribly wrong and changed the lives of the three girls and the whole town of Eternity, Manitoba. That one night will haunt everyone whose life was affected by what happened on that terrible night.
Now it is 20 years later. The girls served their time and as they were young offenders under the law, their records were sealed and they were free to start a whole new life with a different name.
The main character Emma has moved on in her life. Recently married to a true crime writer and gaining a teenage stepdaughter Kayla,she has a job she loves as a school counsellor. But she can’t shut off all the terrible memories of that night. She can’t erase what she was involved in all those years ago.
And now, Kayla suspects something is off with her new stepmom and her husband Ben is confused by her behaviour. Certain that someone has been following her and leaving menacing notes, Emma is feeling the walls closing in on her.
Emma seems like such a kind likeable character that we want to Iike but we are still aware of the awful thing she had done. How can she just go on with her life? Someone doesn’t like her and is tormenting her. Will she go to any extreme to keep her secret hidden?
This was the first book that I have read by Rick Mofina and it definitely won’t be the last. It’s thrilling and fast paced. I read most of it in a day, not wanting to put it down.
September 23, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up
I’ve really enjoyed all of Rick Mofina’s books that I’ve read so far. This one wasn’t my favorite out of the bunch, but it still was a good suspense. I think the rating, for me, is due to the confusing storylines. I’m sure it was done for the purpose of suspense, but it was confusing to me for most of the book.
I’ve really enjoyed all of Rick Mofina’s books that I’ve read so far. This one wasn’t my favorite out of the bunch, but it still was a good suspense. I think the rating, for me, is due to the confusing storylines. I’m sure it was done for the purpose of suspense, but it was confusing to me for most of the book.
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