Shattered Lies - S. J. Francis, Author

Shattered Lies - Review by Martha A Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

"Miss Kate went up there.  I went to check on her..."  "What do you mean?  You let her up there?  Why?"  he asked.  "I didn't let her up there," Elsa said.  "And why not?  It's her house, too."  "I Told you no one is allowed up there.  No one."  "Relax, Sam. I'm sure Miss Katherine didn't mean Kate,"  Elsa said.

"Damn it, woman!  I told you when we first came here that Miss Katherine has rules..."  "Why did you let her go up there?" Sam asked.  I didn't allow her to do anything,"  Elsa said.  "You still haven't told me what the big deal is."  "It doesn't matter now."  He moved to leave but she caught his wrist.  "It matters to you and if it matters to you, it matters to me."....  Sam knew if Miss Katherine found out, there'd be hell to pay, but he couldn't physically make Kate leave.  That left him without any other options.

Kate lived on the family plantation that her namesake grandmother Katherine owned.  Kate was a veterinarian and took care of the animals as well as the farm itself.  Her grandmother had raised her after the death of her parents and even after college and the death of her own husband, she still called the old place her home.  She wanted to be no place else.  So why was the attic off limits to her?

Kate knew something wasn't right.  There were too many unanswered questions about her parents and the answer was in that attic.  So after slipping the keys from her grandmother's room she went on a search through the attic.  There hidden under some old boxes she found a small, blue journal that appeared to belong to her mother.  She took it back to her room, read it and then went in search of her grandmother for the truth.

When Kate started asking questions I had no idea what she was going to turn up.  I was truly surprised when I learned the answers to my own questions.  I never dreamed her family secrets would turn out to be what they were.  And I don't believe she had any idea as to the size of the can of worms she was about to open.

This book will make you stop and think.  It will make you really understand that people do make mistakes but blood is normally thicker than those mistakes.  And forgiveness is even thicker.  A beautiful story of love and hate.