The Dark Secrets Series (A series of five novels)
Genre: YA mystery, romance, the paranormal.
Published by Simon and Schuster.
Available in paperback, e-book, and bind-up editions (Dark Secrets 1 and Dark Secrets 2)
Translations: Danish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish.
Legacy of Lies
Don’t Tell
No Time to Die
The Deep End of Fear
The Back Door of Midnight
Legacy of Lies
When seventeen-year-old Megan is abruptly summoned by the grandmother who spurned her adopted grandchildren, she expects to dislike the cold-hearted woman. But she is not prepared for the frightening visions and eerie events that begin the moment she sets foot in the remote Scarborough House. Megan’s eighteen-year-old cousin, Matt, appears angered by her arrival. He refuses to share with someone who “isn’t family” the dark secrets that haunt their grandmother. Still, he watches Megan constantly, and she feels inexplicably drawn toward him. As Megan pieces together the story of a murderous love triangle, she begins to realize that even an outsider like her can’t escape the family ghosts.
Praise
Blends reality and the supernatural into an engaging suspense novel....
– SLJ
Chandler has a pleasingly gothic touch...keeps the pace moving, with plenty of suspense, foreboding, and eerie occurrences.
– The Bulletin (BCCB)
A storyline thick with intriguing characters. Readers will feel energized by Megan's feistiness...This is a great book to help teach elements of suspense and how to build a story through rising action and climax.
– Kliatt
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Don't Tell
Seven years after Lauren's mother drowned in Wisteria, Lauren returns to the small town where she spent summers with her beloved godmother, Aunt Jule. It’s not a happy homecoming. The large, riverfront home has fallen into disrepair. Aunt Jule behaves strangely, one moment sharply criticizing Lauren, the next, fussing over her at the expense of her own daughter, Holly. Jule's other daughter, Nora, acts spooked. "Don't tell,” she whispers, as questions about the death of Lauren's mother begin to resurface. Nick, a childhood friend to all three girls, acts as if he wants to be more than friends with Lauren, but turns on her when a series of events eerily mimics those that occurred just before Lauren’s mother died. Who can Lauren trust, when “accidents” make clear that someone isn’t willing to stop with the murder of Lauren’s mother?
Praise
This tantalizing story has all of the ingredients for taut, page-turning excitement: murder, money, mystery, intrigue, family secrets, physical attraction....Chandler does an excellent job exploring the feelings and emotions involved when Lauren returns to the site of her mother's death...a good addition to a library or a classroom reading section.
– Kliatt
* ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
* Edgar Award Finalist
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No Time to Die
“Jenny? Jenny, are you there? I don’t know what to do. I think I’d better leave Wisteria,” Liza tells her sister in her last phone message from drama camp, just hours before she is found dead. One year later, Jenny, still feeling the pull of an older sister who had always outshone her, anonymously enrolls in the same summer camp. There, in a college's darkened theater, in the shadows of the dorm room that Liza once occupied, and beneath the bridge where Liza's body was found, Jenny begins to share her sister's last days. It's a drama starring Brian the stage manager, who follows Jenny everywhere; dangerously attractive Mike, with whom Liza was in love; Paul, who is still obsessed with Liza; Keri, who was intensely jealous of her; the motherly, but suffocating Maggie; and Walker, the director, bristling with hostility and resentment against Jenny's and Liza's famous father. Before the drama ends, Jenny discovers terror that reaches beyond the glare of stage lights to a dark place where the plot is real—and deadly.
Praise
No Time to Die is riveting from the start and will give readers a good ride. The fact that the main character is female, athletic, and enterprising is a great boost.
– Kliatt
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The Deep End of Fear
Twelve years ago Kate’s family left the Westbrook estate on a stormy night, just after young Ashley Westbrook drowned in an icy pond. Now Kate, alone in the world, has returned to the estate to tutor another spoiled Westbrook child, Patrick. The seven-year-old claims he talks to Ashley by the pond. He does dangerous, deadly things, and insists that “Ashley dared me to”—as Ashley once dared her playmate Kate. Kate refuses to be intimidated by Patrick’s hostile family members and their bitter housekeeper. Only the warnings of Sam, the stranger she has fallen for, and the stunning discovery of the tragic connection between her and Sam give her pause, before she risks her life to save Patrick from the evil that is haunting him.
*ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
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The Back Door of Midnight
There is something Julie O’Neill should know, a secret her great uncle wants desperately to tell her. But by the time she arrives in the small town where she was born, Uncle Will is dead, his body found in a burning car. Is he a victim of local teens playing arson games? Or is his murder connected to the murder of her mother years before? Julie is seeking answers about her family’s past and her own future. Audrey Sanchez, a self-righteous woman who believes the psychic O’Neills are evil, has plenty to say. So does Aunt Iris, but these days she speaks more to ghosts than to Julie. Zack, the great-looking guy next door, is holding back something—not surprising since he’s close friends with the girl who is setting fires. But what disturbs and frightens Julie the most are the sleepless nights: the seed of a dream unfurling in her own mind. According to town gossip, all the O’Neill women are “psychic or psychotic.” Is Julie going crazy, or is she “seeing” a death that may turn out to be her own?
Praise
Chandler does a fantastic job of keeping readers on edge and creating a suspenseful mood and tone. This is an excellent stand-alone book that is sure to be popular.
– SLJ
This book is a classic teen mystery/romance that may appeal to teens who were enthralled with the Twilight series. It is fast-paced, humorous, and light, yet deals with some serious issues. Searching for your roots, dealing with dementia and mental illness, and finding independence are all touched upon in this third volume of the Dark Secrets series. The book is great for a short winter escape, or a long plane ride. It is a quick read with just enough suspense to keep you reading to solve the mystery.
– VOYA
*Junior Library Guild Selection
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