Daddy's Little Secret

By: Denise Wallace

Narrated by: Sara Morsey

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's Summary

Daddy's Little Secret: A Daughter's Quest to Solve Her Father's Brutal Murder is a poignant true crime story about a daughter who, upon her father's murder, learns of his alternative lifestyle. She had looked the other way about other secrets of his as well - deadly secrets that could help his killer escape the death penalty, should she come forward. An inside look at the complex and fascinating psyche of a father who shared an uncommon bond with his daughter.

She had spent years hiding deadly secrets about her enigmatic father, Wesley Wallace. Wes was a trusted security guard at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach. He was supposed to protect those who found themselves in his care. But a closer look into his brutal murder revealed a split personality - one that his daughter may have seen but tried to ignore. However, detectives assigned to the case persuaded her to assist them in the capture of her father's killer. The trail would lead from the glitz of Palm Beach to the murky streets of Dixie Highway and end in a courtroom where her father's secret life, and his dangerous penchant for sex slaves, would be revealed.

©2016 Denise Wallace (P)2016 WildBlue Press

Different Kind of True Crime

Any additional comments?

Though I'm a true crime junkie, I've never read one written by someone who was close to the victim (or the perpetrator). That perspective was unique to this book and something that made it a much more touching experience of listening to it. Unlike most true crime stories, this book included not only the story of the crime itself, but also the journey of the victim's daughter as she learns about her father's death and the alternative lifestyle that he hid from her. The crime itself is interesting, but the idea that a daughter could know so little about her father's real life and then have it revealed to her in the way that it was is.. heartbreaking. I would recommend this tale to anyone who enjoys true crime - 10/10.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Touching hearbreaking of a daughters quest & shock

Any additional comments?

My first love has always been true crime when I saw this on audio I had to have it. The author show the hard struggle of thinking she knew her father only to find out she didn’t know him as well as she thought. Her fight for justices as well as her fight for the truth along with her fairness for the events that happened and the man who killed him is easily shown in these pages. I really wanted to not like the killer but I found my heart softened a little for him. I also found I really liked her father even though he used addiction of others to get what he wanted he was still a very likable man. As with most murders there are truly no winners here only a sad lonely man who has found a way to get what he needs and wants through using young men and the young man who would do anything to get the money he needed. Let’s not forget the daughter who so dearly loved her father that he was truly her hero and in many ways will always be, finds shocking things she never dreamed of. The author will take you through her younger years, teen and her older years trying to understand a man who is driven by lust.

Some might think the killer deserved what he got or he should have gotten more or that the victim got what he had coming to him due to how he found young men and used their needs against them. What I found was a man still trapped in the 50’s and not knowing how to handle what people would think of him. Driven by his alternative lifestyle and finding away to get what he wants without paying for it or having a relationship where he might be judged. I also found a young man for whatever reason trapped in his addiction for drugs doing whatever he had to, to get them.

The narration of Ms. Morsey was very good her character voices were nice she put real emotion into the story. I did think some of her voices were close to others but you still knew who was talking and what they were feeling. I found no background noises or any places where the audio was higher or lower in volume than any other place in the audio. If breaks were taken you could not tell. The audio was clean, clear and crisp told in a way you could feel the pain, shock, uneasiness and sorrow of each character. Her male voices were as nice as her female ones giving you a nice listen. The narrator pulls you in waiting to see what happens next. I really had trouble putting this down I really wanted to understand the characters and what drove them. I felt the narrator was able to do this as well as she was able with the facts she was given.

I thought this was well written giving both side as it keeps you informed as the author gives you the full impact of each character. This was not bias but gives the story from all sides. All the facts are there written in a style that is clear and pretty clean. The murder scene is there but doesn’t go into a lot of detail but at the same time gives you all you need to know to paint the picture in your mind. There is no doubt the author was daddy’s little girl and she loved him dearly. The pain and confusion she had to go through not only to find his killer but to see the man he really was is shown and felt by the reader. Her father was very complex and I felt she wrote it from a stand point of trying to understand him, who he truly was and what he became but still able to show how much she loved him and would miss him along with her confusion of the events around her. I do not mean that in a bad way but in the way he used the addiction to get his pleasure when he most likely could have found young men who would have gladly have given him what he wanted. I would have liked to have known the man better and why he didn’t just find someone to have a relationship with but that will be forever locked in his mind. I felt the author filled in all the blanks as best she could since she could not talk with her father to understand what he was going through.

This was a touching heartbreaking read from all areas. It was a story I could not turn off I wanted to try to understand the man who was daddy’s little girl and the effect it had on the author. If you enjoy true crime this is well worth the listen. It will be an audio I will most likely listen to again.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Daddy's Little Secret

Daddy's Little Secret: A Daughter's Quest to Solve Her Father's Brutal Murder
: Denise Wallace

What an intriguing story. I can't imagine the feelings, finding out secrets of her father after she was grown. It's a very sad story for everyone involved.

The narration was well done. Sara Morsey brought the story alive.



"I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator."

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great Book

Great Book.. It kept me glued to the narration. So many unpected twists. Its a must read.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Death of a Father

What made the experience of listening to Daddy's Little Secret the most enjoyable?

The fact that this is a real story kept the story real in my head. There are parts that must have been hard to learn.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Real life story...

What does Sara Morsey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She did a good job in telling the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was sad at times when you realized what she went through while the trial took place. and what she learned about her father.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

good, but too much detail sometimes

I was voluntarily given this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher. I thought this book was really pretty good. I love true crime books so this was a good choice. My only real complaint is that I feel some portions of the book were entirely too detailed and took away from the main focus of the story. For example, during the trial part of the story......testimony from witnesses was way to detailed. Also during some of the initial investigation. I just think that maybe it wasn't necessary to have every word of the testimony included. Otherwise it was good. The narrator did a good job. Didn't bore me to tears so that is always a plus.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A different kind of true crime

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this book really caught my attention because the focus was not on the gore of the crime like many true crime books.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I enjoyed hearing the story from a daughter's point of view, as she gained knowledge of her father's lifestyle (for better or worse).

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The compassion showed towards her father's murderer seemed to really "fit" the ending.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was given by the author at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good Book for Commuting

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The thing I would change most about this book would be the narrator. She wasn't horrible, but her voice sounded just a little to shaky for me. I'm sure others wouldn't have a problem with it. Her enunciation and pronunciation, as well as inflection, was fine most of the time (although at times it seemed she was trying too hard), but for me, it was just the nature of her voice. That's hardly her fault, it's just this listener's true reaction. It's difficult to listen to an entire audiobook when the narrator's voice is borderline grating. And yes, I did listen to the sample first, but it didn't seem so bad then.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect of the story was the fact that the daughter had no clue about her father's secret double life, even though she had been a witness to much of it growing up. There was no "least interesting" aspect that stood out for me.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

There were times she seemed to be in slow-motion. It could have used quicker narration in some places.

Do you think Daddy's Little Secret needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. The story was resolved by the end of the book.

Any additional comments?

The writing was pretty good for someone who is not an author by profession, and who is trying to bring together a complex and lengthy case...let alone a deeply personal one. I have definitely read and heard worse. The number one thing I'd change would be the narrator. I liked the (what I found to be) surprise element of the court proceedings, which is something you wouldn't expect to happen. It moved me. I can recommend any book that moves me.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Reads like an exquisitely plotted mystery/suspense novel

This book is no small accomplishment. Starting with the crime scene of her mysteriously murdered father, Wallace takes us back to the beginning, when she had zero knowledge of her beloved father's alternative lifestyle. As she slowly learns the facts, so do we. Pieces of the puzzle are slowly put together, revealing more and more with still so much more to learn.
Learning the details of her father's alternative lifestyle is an unpleasant and distasteful experience for the reader -- but just imagine how much more awful it must have been for his own daughter! We share the journey with her.
The narrator's performance is flawless and easy to follow. The "plotting" is brilliant. This is a painfully honest book and an enriching, if painful, experience to read.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Excellent novel, five star rated!!!

This is an excellent true life novel about a murdered man who has a checkered past. It is about finding a killer and making sure that he is correctly punished for the crime that he did. I highly recommend this novel. I voluntarily received this review copy from the publisher author or narrator.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Astounding Story

I can't get over the bravery of the author in recounting this most personal, horrific, cataclysmic period in her life that turned everything she thought she knew upside down.
The narrator takes some getting used to but seems to improve as the book goes on. I almost switched off during first two chapters as it felt like I was being read to by a woman instructing her solicitor on her death bed, but got past that as the story is just so compelling.
This situation had no winners, and there is a real sad truth to be had: sometimes there is no clear defining line between who is victim or villain. Life is messy and complicated.
However, one clear distinction does emerge: Denise Wallace is supposed to be a writer.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful