Buried Secrets

By: Joseph Finder

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

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 best-selling 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 intensely personal.

Nick has returned to his old home town of Boston to set up his own shop. There he’s urgently summoned by an old family friend. Hedge-fund titan Marshall Marcus desperately needs Nick’s help. His teenaged daughter, Alexa, has just been kidnapped. Her abduction was clearly a sophisticated professional job, done with extraordinary precision. Alexa, whom Nick has known since she was young, is now buried alive, held prisoner in an underground crypt, a camera trained on her, her suffering streaming live over the Internet. She’s been left with a limited supply of food and water and, if her father doesn’t meet the demands of her shadowy kidnappers, she’ll die.

And as Nick begins to probe, he discovers that all is not quite right with Marshall Marcus’s business. He’s being investigated by the FBI, he has a lot of shady investors, his fund is in danger and now he has a lot of powerful enemies who may have the motivation to go after Marcus’s daughter. But to find out who’s holding Alexa Marcus hostage, Nick has to find out why. Once he does, he uncovers an astonishing conspiracy that reaches far beyond anything he could have imagined. And if he’s going to find Alexa in time, he will have to flush out and confront some of his deadliest opponents ever.

©2011 Joseph Finder (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Not Finder's best

I love Joseph Finder's novels that deal with the corporate world, so I didn't enjoy this as much as I have with some of his other novels. I guess crazed terrorists trying to torture for enjoyment really isn't my cup of tea. I'd pass on this.

Not Finder's best book

I've enjoyed all of the other Finder books I've listened to as audiobooks, but did not like this book. Nick Heller describes himself as having an innate talent to read people and tell if they are lying, then proceeds to misread every other character in the book. That would be ok, if this were a joke spy novel, but it's not. Heller is not likable, yet everyone is willing to do anything for him. Based on his secret black ops past, he has contacts that can do anything he needs with a simple phone call, which is convenient but not plausible. It's simply not a well thought out or plotted book. I'd rate it lower if I didn't respect Finder's talent, at least with other books of his.

Mostly not believable!

Most of the story line is completely unbelievable. Yes, it's fiction but come on. Someone is going to bury someone 10 feet under ground and keep them alive??? Holter Graham is just about as hard to listen to as Scott Brick...that sarcasm in the voice thing that is hard to explain but completely annoying. I'm halfway through it now so I'll suffer through to the end.

Slow and predictable

Would you ever listen to anything by Joseph Finder again?

possibly--but I'd read the reviews carefully. This moved too slowly.

Any additional comments?

Book contains scenes of a person buried alive--if you are claustrophobic or averse to this type of plot, avoid the book. Also, the author seems to think that young teenage women are not technology savvy--a ridiculous assumption in this day and age! He even has one of the characters voice that opinion!

Excellent listing with genuine suspense.

The first chapter or sooooooo --- was a bit hard to grab me as a listener --- there after it was a GREAT listen with an ending that keeps trapped as a listener!!

Will keep you glued to your earphones!

Joesph Finder always produces unique and good novels. But this one is especially thrilling...the narration is also excellent.

Not the best

Frustrating and unnecessarily complicated at times, however my main complaint is with the narrator. His interpretation of some of the characters was very annoying. Please future narrators, do not end a sentence with an inflection unless it is an actual question! The teenage boy's voice was especially bad; never have I heard any young boy sound like that in real life.
Overall the story kept me interested, but it's a 3-star at best.

not as good as previous book in the series

This book was just not as gripping as Vanished was. It seemed to lack x something, but it was not bad, just not as good as expected.

Nick Heller Returns

Buried Secrets is the second book in the Nick Heller series. It's an improvement upon the first book, and a solid thriller.

Nick Heller helps a friend who's daughter gets kidnapped. There's some pretty good tense moments in the story. If you're claustrophobic, this book will definitely induce some panic in you. There's some good characters, and some pretty dumb ones that make you think "You made it to adulthood?" I thought the villains were pretty good and scary as a villain. Having Mr. Heller as a superhero who kids trust and has friends EVERYWHERE!!!! makes it a bit less thrilling then having him as a guy who relies on a core group, and not people used as plot coupons.

Holter Graham did a much better job in this book then in the first one. Heller's nephew was much less annoying, which made all the difference and he was in much less of the book.

I would still like to see more of Mr. Heller, but I would like to see him less of a superhero.

Somethings should remain buried

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I had to keep backing up because I kept falling asleep. I purchased this book to listen to while recovering from illness. I have enjoyed all other books I've read or listened to by Joseph Finder and expected the same quality. Little let down.

Would you recommend Buried Secrets to your friends? Why or why not?

If someone really wanted to read it, I wouldn't tell them not too. I would tell them not to expect the quality of previous books though. The dialogue was, at times, ridiculous. Very repetitive and sounded like a story from a Jr. High student.

What about Holter Graham’s performance did you like?

He has a nice smooth narration, adds the right energy to characters. Well performed. I like that he changes his tone for female characters but does NOT use the silly high pitched voice that many men try.

Could you see Buried Secrets being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

This is one that would be a lifetime movie. Rather not see it in movie form. Buried alive is a theme used in many books. I'm sure there is a better one out there if we need another movie.

Any additional comments?

I will continue to read and listen to Joseph Finder. I hope this book was just an off time for him. I have enjoyed many hours listening to previous novels by him and expect higher quality from books in the future.