Town Secrets is the first book in the Forest of Secrets series and the first book of the original trilogy (Town Secrets, A Family Affair, Charlie's Story). This story is about Elias and his family settling in a town that proves to have more secrets than truths. It was written by Puddlewish as a private project.
Summary
Young Elias Hanover has moved to a new town with his younger half-brother, Jonah Hanover, and his younger half-sister, Harlow.
Heβs not terribly close with both, as heβd been at university since he was 18.
The three of them find it hard to settle down, with Elias hiring a babysitter named Amy to watch the kids after enrolling both his siblings in the local school.
He then starts working as a medical examiner for the town and starts to notice a pattern of disturbing disappearances and murders.
Elias struggles between his private research, work and looking after his siblings.
While working one day he runs into a young woman named Maxine Garcia, who is the security guard at the morgue. Maxine, who requests Elias to call her Max, is intrigued by Eliasβs research and offers to help him. He is grateful.
He later tries calling Amy that night when she doesnβt turn up for her shift and then comes to the realization that she might have gone missing like many of the other people in the town. He ends up deciding to hire another babysitter named Jimmy to take care of his siblings.
While doing research with Max later that night he uncovers a disturbing truth about the town... that there had been a cult of sorts living in the forest for years and that people who went into the woods tended not to come out alive. Max is visibly upset by this, and Elias comforts her.
While working the next day he gets a phone call from the school, and they inform him that Harlow was missing from her classes all day.
Elias then gets Jonah out of school, demanding to know what happened to Harlow. Jonah is confused and upset, saying that he hadnβt seen Harlow since they caught the bus that morning.
He then realizes that Harlow was probably abducted by the cult due to him getting close to the truth about what was going on.
After making sure Jonah was cared for by Jimmy, he goes off into the forest to try and rescue Harlow. Max ends up following him, with the two agreeing it was better to go together.
The two then talk, with Max admitting her feelings for Elias. Elias is taken aback at first, due to him not usually developing crushes, but then settles on a platonic relationship with Max.
The two end up locating Harlow in the building the cult was using as their headquarters using the ventilation system.
While trying to escape Elias was shot in the leg and Max patches him up and, although Elias begs her to leave him and escape with Harlow, the three of them continue until they reach the end of the ventilation system.
Coming out of the vent, the three find themselves surrounded by members of the cult, with their leader, Gillian, mocking them for their attempt at escaping.
She then reveals that Maxine used to be part of the cult but escaped.
Elias still chooses to stand by her, being surprised when a member of the cult, and young male named Zen Martin, defies Gillian and joins the group as a sign of defiance against her.
Gillian then threatens to shoot them all starting with Zen, but Max sacrifices herself by jumping in front of Zen and protecting him. Due to this, Zen fights the members of the cult until Elias and Harlow carry Maxβs unconscious body out before following them.
Max is then admitted to the hospital, with Elias then finding out that Jonah was almost captured by a member of the cult when he returns home to find Jimmy, the babysitter, dead with Jonah sitting next to his body and crying.
The book ends with two people from the town, twins named Alda and Aziel, join Elias as a sign of support and they form the first group.
Major Characters
Elias Hanover: Main character. He works in the town and is the one to uncover the town secret.
Jonah Hanover: Elias's half-brother. The two aren't terribly close but Elias shows his love for his brother at the end of the book.
Harlow Hanover: Elias's half-sister. Elias and her barely know each other, with Harlow being extremely young when Elias left for university.
Maxine Garcia: Elias's platonic partner. She works as a security guard for the morgue and is shot saving Zen at the end of the book.
Gillian: The cult leader. She tries to kill off Elias, Max, Harlow and later Zen after they get in her way but only succeeds in shooting Max.
Zen Martin: Former cult member. He defies Gillian and leaves the cult to join Elias, Max and Harlow and is almost shot by Gillian by Max protects him. He joins Elias and becomes close to Alda and Aziel when they join the group,
Minor Characters
Aziel Thomas: Town member. Appears at the end of the book and joins Elias
Alda Thomas: Town member. Appears at the end of the book and joins Elias
Other Titles
Succeeded by: A Family Affair
List of all titles in Forest of Secrets Series:
- Town Secrets
- A Family Affair
- Charlie's Story
- Unnamed Story
- Old Feuds
- Michael's Journey
List of all novellas in Forest of Secrets Series:
- All in a Day's Work
- Final Battles
- Secrets and Weddings
- Bittersweet Goodbye's
- New Horizons
Character reappearances:
- Evil Within