Secrets Girls Keep (Michael Gresham #3) by John Ellsworth

Secrets Girls Keep (Michael Gresham #3) Reviews

• 
  Alicia Huxtable

  Great legal thriller
  
  To be honest, I usually don't read legal thrillers for the fact that some.if the jargon just doesn't sound right, but that is so not the case here. Everything in this book sounds so real life....and with the authors backgroumd, it should. So we'll written, he even had me fooled
• 
  Judy Churchill

  We all know there is evil in this world and this author brings us face to face with it. I have to admit to feeling more than a little queasy as I read this book. I need to quickly read another story to erase this one.
• 
  Slight

  While this book may be interesting to someone who has never been in a courtroom, or never read a mystery novel with a courtroom scene, I found the expert witness credentials to be filler, and there is a lot of filler in this book. Street travel narrative, small sidelines to other cases that were poorly developed, characters that were briefly introduced, problems miraculously solving themselves, just boring and unnecessary. Danny was a great attorney in previous, but she becomes a mother and her part is no longer important no matter the few lines where he says she is.
  
  The story was predictable, and everything after the trial was full of holes and just not believable. Now future books will show a child by a rape Gresham is going to raise? Throw in at the end some Catholicism and ED to make the pro-choice point? Did anyone know before this book that he has ED and by the way is a staunch Catholic? Uh, no.
• 
  Tulay

  Very strongly recommend this book.
  
  As always John Ellsworth gets you hooked with the first chapter. Read everything he wrote and will be reading everything he writes. This book is about high school girls gruesome murders, so far only one boy is arrested. Without any pay Michael and his wife takes on the case. This case puts them in danger. Last twist at the end will make you scream or hold your breath. But at the same time you might even pray. Enjoy every chapter slowly, you'll be rewarded at the end. I will nominate Michael Gresham and Thaddeus Murfee for the Subprime Court.
• 
  Louise Pledge

  I think I have bought every John Ellsworth book so far (except the ones he wrote with his wife) but, truth be told, I was somewhat disgusted with this one. It started out okay, but it wasn't long before the language and sex became untenable. I'm not even sure why I finished, except that about the time I was going to quit, the story became quite compelling. I was disappointed with the endings of both Michael Gresham books that I've read! While there are some great twists and surprises in the Michael Gresham series, they don't seem up to the same calibre as the Thaddeus Murfee ones. I do feel that Ellsworth is an excellent writer, however, with a good grip on the law.
• 
  Shelley Engel

  Enjoyable
  
  A very good story. I always like John Ellsworths writing. About 2/3 of the way through the book, I did figure out "who dunnit", but was interested in how the story would end. I was disappointed that Michaels brother was not mentioned. I think he plays a big part in developing Michael's character.........
• 
  Judith Baxter

  
  I have read and loved all the Thaddeus Murphy books by this writer and I wondered could this new protagonist, Michael Gresham stack up.
  
  Michael Gresham is a criminal lawyer working with his wife, Danny, his friend and confidant Marcel, who also acts as his researcher, and his secretary, Mrs Lingscheit making a tight little legal team.
  
  We meet Michael at the Grand Jury Room in Chicago, or rather outside it as lawyers cannot enter the Room.  Gresham is here on behalf of his client, a thrice-elected sheriff who is being accused of and charged with embezzling public funds. Then suddenly, the client loses it and takes a woman hostage, dragging her into the Jury Room where he proceeds to threaten all those already there.
  
  The hostage situation is overcome, negotiations completed, and the sheriff is taken off to jail.
  
  But this is only a very small part of the story.  Gresham receives a call for help from his priest.  The priest confesses that years ago he had a sexual relationship with one of the congregation, and a boy was born.  He has had no dealings with the boy but has now heard that the boy is arrested for murder and he calls upon Michael Gresham to help.
  
  In true John Ellsworth style, we are taken through a twisted and complicated plot to reach the surprise at the end.
  
  Oh, and by the way, there is a foolish would-be drug dealer who is represented by Gresham, who manages to get the case dismissed when the arrested cocaine is shown to be missing from the police evidence room.
  
  The trial scenes are evidence of an experienced criminal lawyer, all the characters are believable and on second reading, I enjoyed this fast paced book and will look for anther in the series.
• 
  Tere Fredericks

  This Takes A Of Skill
  
  For those who have never read one of my reviews before, I review as I read, making sure I leave no spoilers. Because of this, my reviews may be weird, until you read the book, but I hope afterwards, you can say, ooooh, that's what the frog meant!
  
  Well, this one will be fun. This one will take all ability Michael Gresham can conjure up. If he can.
  
  There have definitely been some major changes in Michael's life since we last saw him. Big changes.
  
  As far as this is going to take every bit of ability Michael has, part of the situation resolved itself without any input from Michael.
  
  There is another part that is not only taking all of Michael's lawyerly ability, but his personal abilities as well. In fact, everyone involved is pressed to the limit as well - including Marcel. Now that is not something that should happen, because Marcel is just not someone to be trifiled with, ex-Interpol and all that.
  
  As with the last two books, the ending is bittersweet. It has really very little to do with Michael's abilities as a lawyer, but with what and who he is as a man.
  
  I have absolutely never, ever read a courtroom story like this. Please read it. You will not be disappointed.
  
• 
  Ben

  Shocking turn of events
  
  Trial lawyer Michael Gresham is the man to have at you defense table if ever convicted of a crime you didn't commit. Young Jana hasn't had a fair shake at life since his Father couldn't have anything to do with him. Left to pretty much fend for himself and getting ever deeper in trouble his mother has no choice but to reach out to Jane's father . The Catholic priest steps up behind the scenes and does what he can. Jana will eventually need more than a behind the scenes absentee father to bail him out of the trouble that has been pinned on him. That is where Michael steps up and fights for the boys life after he has the murder offensive a young girl pinned on him though some circumstantial evidence.
  Can Michael save this young man or has the damage already been done?
  
• 
  Jool

  Another amazing book by author John Ellsworth. This is the 2d book in the Michael Gresham series, or #3 if you count the prequel which is Michael's family history and how he came to be a lawyer.
  I read this book, 'Secrets Girls Keep', in one sitting. I cannot describe the breathless page turning, the wondering who really murdered the victim, how this is going to play out in court, plus the mighty twists and turns that will throw the reader completely off the track many times over.
  John Ellsworth is an amazing author - I urge you to read this series. And then, like I plan to do, I will read all his other series as well as his individual novels. He is that good. He is that amazing as a weaver of intricate plots.
• 
  Dave

  I was OK with the storyline until the end. The twist was shocking, but what happened after the reveal was sickening and uncalled for.i enjoyed the first book, but there were numerous glaring typos (he erroneously put the last name of the main victim as the last name of the accused, about 80% in), and the timeline was sketchy. Said in the early chapters that his daughter was 18 months old, yet later in the book, referred back to the trial in Book1 as taking place last year. Michael didn’t really get serious with Fanny until after the trial had ended. No mention, either, of the traumatic injuries Michael suffered in book 1. I was looking forward to reading more, but maybe not, now.
• 
  Jeff Pyzyna

  Stop Reading
  
  Contrived. Poor grammar. Sub-plots begin and end at random, and for no good point. Shitty jokes, that seem to be written in to make up for the aforementioned ridiculous sub plots.
  
  Character development, main character is apparently a good lawyer, but somehow gets screwed by every 3rd client he represents, or his wife does, literally.
  
  I've read his first two, and I am saddened that I read that much.
  
  Do yourself a favor.
  
  Stay away from this TERRIBLE AUTHOR.
  
  
• 
  Mary

  Love this author, hooked right from the beginnning, usually don't read lawyer bks but j. Ellsworth makes them very interedting. Keeps you wondering through whole bk. Would recommend to my reader friends.
  
  Love this author, hooked from the beginning. Usually don't resd lawyer bks. But j. Ellsworth is an author i would continue to follow. Eould recommended this bk to all my friends. On to the next one.
• 
  Pat

  Good book but a major faux pas.
  
  I enjoy Ellsworth's books. I've already ordered book three in the series; however, I think the writer should be honest with the reader. In chapter four, he tells us that no one noticed the red muffler falling from the bleachers onto the ground below. At the end of the story, we find this is disinformation. In between, the reader struggles to solve the mystery. In order to avoid a spoiler, I will just say,"That's not fair."
• 
  Lorraine Rosen

  This book kept me up at night wanting more! I have to say it was the most surprise ending I've ever experienced in a book in a very long time, though I can't say I was happy with the ending. It was too brief, curt and left no idea what would happen to their marriage in the future, or Michael's deepest and truest feelings about it. It could have been elaborated on a little more.
  Overall I really enjoyed the book, and look forward to yet another great offering from John Esworth.
• 
  Nan Christine Borton-Smith

  Wow what a roller coaster ride.
  
  This is the 2nd John Ellsworth book I've read and as far as legal / ps,yeh suspense it ranks close to the top. This story pulls you in on a dark, disturbing rollercoaster ride ..so dark at times I almost stopped reading.. There is a saying " No good deed goes unpunished" and it is epitomized in this novel
• 
  Sandra Crawley

  No Negative Review Here!
  
  I was skeptical about reading this book because of so many negative reviews. I am so glad that I took the plunge anyway. I haven't been let down by a John Ellsworth book yet! There were some gruesome sections, but he is a prosecuting attorney and this is a work of fiction. I thought the end was intriguing. Maybe a prequel to a next mystery??