These are reviews that have been posted to various websites or given directly to us by readers of "The Secret Ever Keeps." I promise there is not a single relative in the group. The people who ARE here are respected authors, readers, and lovers of the printed word, and I thank each and every one for being so kind. 

WONDERFUL! 

by Garth Stein, Seattle, Wa

Captivating and utterly engaging, The Secret Ever Keeps is a rollicking ride on the choppy waters of Lake Ontario . Like the ancient mariner, Jake Eastland is compelled to tell the story of his misdeeds – a story that includes romance, smuggling, and murder.

Tirrell writes with authority and confidence: he is truly in command of this ship. Wonderful!

Garth Stein NY Times Bestselling author of, The Art of Racing in the Rain soon to become a major motion picture starring Patrick Dempsey. 

 

 

Brilliant Underwater Scenes...Tremendous Suspense

by Meg Westley - Ontario, Canada - November 2007

In The Secret Ever Keeps, Art Tirrell weaves a rich story of bitter family rivalry, Depression Era wheeling and dealing, and thrilling underwater treasure hunt. Set on the southern shore of Lake Ontario , the novel shifts effortlessly between the present and the 1930s. Jake Eastland, a hard-nosed billionaire nearing the end of his life, attempts to make amends for his unscrupulous dealings in the past by reaching out to his sole living relative, a young woman who is unaware she even has a living grandfather. As they get to know each other, their disparate pasts arise to haunt them.

Tirrell's depiction of their slow-growing relationship is delicate and moving, but it is the suspenseful plot that keeps one flipping the pages. Tirrell quite simply writes the best underwater scenes I have ever read. He takes the reader down into the depths, and no matter how unfamiliar one is with this eerie, potentially deadly setting, one feels one knows exactly what it would be like to dive into the bowels of a sunken ship, to get one's line snagged or air cut off, to be caught and whipped away by a sudden current. Suffice it to say, you'll be breathless, until the secrets and ancient treasures are revealed.
The Secret Ever Keeps is a terrific debut novel for Tirrell. I know he has another in the works and can't wait till it hits the shelves.

Meg Westley is the author of "Goddess Fire."  

 

"Fun...tender...and a plot that keeps the reader turning the page." 

by David Markham, Brockport, NY 

This is a fun read. I met Art at the Brockport Arts Festival in Brockport , NY in August, 2007 where he was signing his first book outside of the Liftbridge Book Shop. He is a very polite and charming man and I bought his book and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Secret Ever Keeps is a family story and a bit of a thriller which takes place on the east end of Lake Ontario in the Oswego , NY area. It is a story which covers three generations and deals with boot-legging alcohol from Canada to New York during prohibition as Grandpa Jake tells his maritime stories to his beautiful granddaughter Laurel who is in her 20s. There are a few romantic sub plots woven in along with scuba diving for buried treasure and some cops and robbers both in the past and in the present.

This could be called a "beach book," but that may do it a bit of a disservice because it is a fun read, but tender with characters that are believable and a plot that keeps the reader turning the page.

I recommend the book and I am glad I met Art - otherwise I may have never bought and read his book.

 

A Micheneresque Saga with Heart

by Lynn Hoffman, Philadelphia

There are layers in the plot too. It zigzags back and forth betweer the present and Prohibition-era America and in and out of three generations of two entangled families. This is an especially appealing summer read and perfect for the beach where you can hear the waves as you read it.
If you are a fan of Michneresque sagas that span decades and are willing to read one that burrows a little bit deeper, The Secret Ever Keeps is for you.

Lynn Hoffman is the author of The New Short Course in Wine, and the wonderful 2007 novel Bang BANG

 

 

GREAT STORY!   

by Cheryl Tardif, Vancouver, BC

Art Tirrell's The Secret Ever Keeps is a modern Cinderella story - with a rum-running, sunken-treasure twist.

On the shores of Lake Ontario , Laurel Kingsford discovers that there is more to her family's past. There is a secret that has lain buried, one that is yearning to be revealed.
While searching for a treasure buried far beneath the sea, she uncovers a conspiracy, a passionate new love, a jealous and formidable rival, more family than she wants, and riches beyond her dreams. But of course, something--or someone--wants to spoil her plans at happiness and they will go to any length to take her breath away--permanently.                                                                                         
The Secret Ever Keeps is a tantalizing read. Fast-paced, sexy, and sensationally plotted, it will keep you guessing and cheering on the heroine until the explosive and satisfying ending.                                          
I have given this novel 5 stars because it deserves them. The story is awesome and it is believable and well-researched. Great work!                                                 

Cheryl Tardif is the author of Whale Song.

 

 

  CHICK LIT MEETS ADVENTURE TALE 

  by Joan Adler MD

 I bought a copy of this book because my significant other grew up on the
shores of Lake Ontario. It sounded like the sort of adventure yarn he
loves to read. I picked it up four days ago when he was away and couldn't put
it down.

 This is the first book he and I have agreed about since Kafka On the Shore.

 

 

FANTASTIC BOOK 

by Kenneth D. Palmer

 I sail out of Rochester, NY, and found The Secret Ever Keeps by Art Tirrell to live up to its promise. This easy to read adventure is a fast-paced novel that is hard to put down.

I related to the areas on Lake Ontario as described in the book. At one point even Rochester was mentioned. Most of the action takes place at the port of Oswego. I can picture it now in my mind. Art knows his way around the lake.

I recommend this book for anybody that has sailed Lake Ontario. You won't be sorry.

note: Ken Palmer is the webmaster of, Lake Ontario Sailing, a great source of news and information from around the lake.

 

 YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE

By Andy Tilley – NW

England Art has written a beautifully paced book that effortlessly leads the reader through the dubious dealings of Jake, the aging head of the Eastland family. Secret is both intriguing and complex but Art's composition never leaves the reader out of touch. Ultimately we are reminded that no matter where we are, our past is never far behind and it is always best to turn to face it.

Andy Tilley is the author of Recycling Jimmy 

 

WORKED ME LIKE MAGIC

By Irvana Hruba

  

An exhilarating experience from the word go, The Secret Ever Keeps is part adventure and part romance. Whatever its genre, this novel worked me like magic. Very luscious. Loved it, well worth the five stars.

Ivana Hruba is the author of A Decent Ransom

 

 

UNIQUE CHARACTERS IN A UNIQUE SETTING 

By Dave Donelson

This romantic adventure has it all: shady characters, star-crossed lovers, and a well-described, interesting setting. Unlike the stereotypes that inhabit most novels these days, the protagonist, Jake Eastland, is a fascinating character.                                      
What really sets this story apart, though, is the author's use of his knowledge of Lake Ontario to put it someplace besides New York, L.A., or Hong Kong. He obviously knows the water and it’s mysteries and draws on them to make the story come alive.
Add a cross-generational relationship with his granddaughter, and some treasure hunters, and you have a unique, fun read.

 

Dave Donelson is the author of the rivetting novel Heart of Diamonds.

 

GRABBED ME AND NEVER LET GO

 

 

Haley S. Watts

 A friend told me about this one, but Art Tirrell's The Secret Ever Keeps still surprised me. Keeping things simple, it's too darn good to be a first novel. There is a sureness to the writing, and even though the complex plot shifts between the modern and Prohibition eras, there's never a false note. The supporting characters are wonderful, particularly Char, Sheik, and Estelle. All this is delivered in a way that never allows the narrative tension to lapse for an instant. Before, I'd never heard of him. Now, if you ask me, Art Tirrell is the best new writer of adventure fiction to come along in years.

 

ADVENTURE WITH DEPTH

by Dave Lochner, NauticalReads.com

Mid February 2007, while surfing the net for new fiction, I came across Art Tirrell's website. For the cost of time only, Tirrell provides the first chapter of The Secret Ever Keeps for all to read. Laurel Kingsford has had a really bad day, was my first thought. The next, what's Tirrell's email address?                            
Promptly and cordially, the author replied that I would have to wait until April 1 --contracts, royalties, and all that you understand. I did. This week I finally read Laurel 's story. Her days got worse.                                                                     
At the center of the Secret is Jake Eastland, a former bootlegger, and his search for treasures of the present and past. Set on the shores and waters of Lake Ontario , Eastland enlists Kingsford in a search for bootlegged whiskey lost in the depths of Lake Ontario . That's just part of the story. Unbeknownst to Laurel , Eastland is her estranged grandfather. Therein lies the real story, as Eastland gradually reveals to the reader his history and why he brought Laurel into it. Along the way heroes, villains, and adventure visit Eastland and Laurel on the stormy waters of Lake Ontario                                                                                                                                                    
Tirrell writes in a crisp engaging style. An insightful and entertaining tale, The Secret Ever Keeps is that rare story -- with depth equal to its adventure. A great read for the summer or any other season.
I'm glad I found Art's site last winter; it was worth the wait.

 

The Secret is Out

October 2007

by Red Evans

Old age and the infirmities that come with it make one look back over one's life and wish for a way to atone for sins that seem never to leave us. We find ourselves remembering the wrongs we did and even consider tracking someone down to say I'm sorry. Old age brings with it cataracts, declining sight and aural affliction but it also brings with it a view of our past that is clear and becomes even clearer when we know not to buy green bananas.
Art Tirrell blends these elements into a fascinating story of forgiveness and redemption between two separate generations. Jake Eastland was a notorious rum running bootlegger during prohibition. It took a hard, ruthless man to make it in those turbulent days and Jake exemplified such a man. He did things that now, as he crosses off his remaining days, he wishes to atone for.
Tirrell sets the story in the waters of Lake Ontario where Laurel Kingsford is hunting for the whiskey Jake lost a half-century earlier completely unaware that the careless whiskey handler was her own grandfather. And, then they find an 18th century wreck and things get dicey.
It's an exciting story but its real charm is the way Jake comes to terms with his own life and the forces that drove him. He forgives himself which for most of us is very difficult.
Tirrell draws crisply defined characters and makes them live in our imagination. The secret is out - The Secret Ever Keeps is a secret no longer.                                        

Red Evans is the author of the 2007 novel, On Ice.

 

***

 

 

Mysteries unfurl with grace

October 2007

by Karen Harrington, Dallas, Tx

The Secret Ever Keeps opens with a great start, the opening lifting off the page and not mired with a huge amount of exposition. This technique pays off in Tirrell's very readable, though flashback-filled, story of family wounds and secrets and adventure.

Through the alternating views of a grandfather and granddaughter, the reader is immersed in the history of rum runners during the age of prohibition, with family dynamics and loyalties playing out across generations.

If you enjoyed the unraveling mystery of Chris Bohjalian's The Double Bind, you will also love this story.

Note: Karen Harrington is the author of the forthcoming novel Janeology, spring 2008.

 

***

 

 

...HEART THUMPING...

by Todd Sentell, Atlanta 

The Secret Ever Keeps is that novel, so rich in its writing and characters, that you sink into it easily. Sink into your favorite reading chair, too, and enter what great writers are supposed to do ... take you to new worlds and times and people. Art Tirrell knows his way around Lake Ontario ... literately and as one of its competitive sailors ... and I found myself at one point in the book looking at a map so I could see just where this new watery world was. I was watching mobsters and whisky runners fly across Lake Ontario and I witnessed the pull and mystery of deep seated family relationships. And water. What is it about water ... deep water ... that makes a story and character's lives so much more fascinating? So much more dangerous? And then at the end I found my heart thumping at a deep decision our heroine Laurel was about to make. I couldn't believe it. But that's what happens when you enter such a mysterious place. Your heart thumps as secrets are finally revealed and dealt with in ways you cannot imagine. Art Tirrell has written a masterpiece.

Todd Sentell is the author of the hilarious golf parody Toonamint of Champions.

 

***