In Marja McGraw’s debut novel, A Well-Kept Family Secret, a decades-old secret and hidden gold draw spunky Private Investigator Sandi Webster into a tantalizing mystery.
Struggling to make a success of her P.I. business, which she runs with her partner and love interest, former police officer Pete Goldberg, Sandi embarks on a quest to clear the name of her great-great-great grandfather, Vincente Chavez, at the request of her mother, Livvie.
A Well-Kept Family Secret is fast-paced and charming. Ms. McGraw knows how to tell an engrossing story and create characters who stay with us long after their story is finished. Moreover, she makes the entire experience fun.
She brings both historic Los Angeles and present day Los Angeles to life for the reader, weaving in a wealth of background detail and giving us a strong sense of place. The dialogue sparkles, and humor shines in unexpected places, most notably in the scenes between Sandi and her mother Livvie, an endearing but exasperating lady who is suffering from the curse, AKA menopause.
Sandi Webster is a fresh new addition to the ranks of female private investigator. It’s the first in a planned series for Sandi, Pete, their family, and their friends. You won’t want to miss this book or any of the future installments. A Well-Kept Family Secret is actually a little treasure itself.
- Dorothy Bodoin, author of Darkness at Foxglove Corners
McGraw unleashes Sandi and Pete and a slightly wacky mother to solve a hundred year old murder. McGraw's conversational style makes it a one-sitting read. The book is filled with lively characters and scenes the reader will long remember.
– L. C. Hayden, author of WHY CASEY HAD TO DIE, an Agatha Finalist for Best Novel