Book Review: When Secrets Fall by R. Cavazos

“… seeing all this stuff about Dad makes me realize how little I really knew him. And it might be too late.”

R. Cavazos, When Secrets Fall

Review:

When I saw this book, I was so excited. A lot of my interests are very niche. I typically assume that if I want stories that explore certain subjects, I will have to write them myself, particularly if I want any kind of spirituality involved. When Secrets Fall has a large focus on Ancient Egypt, namely, found artifacts that speculate possible ‘otherworldly’ origins. 

Logan Williams has been estranged from his father for years. With a family of his own now, he feels it’s time to reach out, but he soon gets word of Thomas’ terminal illness. He survives long enough to meet his granddaughter and reconcile with Logan. After his passing, Logan’s mother enlists her son’s help to clean out their second home which had been kept a secret from him up until now. 

The house is filled with artifacts that Thomas collected during his career as an archeologist – another secret that had been kept from Logan. Though hurt and confused, his curiosity triumphs when he discovers his father’s journals in which he theorized a Biblical connection to Imhotep. Like father, like son, these artifacts become an obsession and Logan wants to venture to Egypt, hoping to bring his father’s work and theories to light. 

This mission is not without complications. The FBI gets involved and Logan must discern if the agent is friend or foe, however, this might become a relatively minor problem when he realizes that he is recreating his father’s patterns and putting work before his family. 

I do wish that the pacing had been slower. Everything happens so quickly (typically within a couple of pages) that nothing had time to sink in, leaving me to feel a disconnect between both the plot and the characters. I would have loved to have seen more time spent on character development, especially the relationship between Logan and his father. 

Above all, this story is about forgiveness, faith, and family. The talk of artifacts and the intrigue of theories certainly is the draw, but I wouldn’t say that’s where it shines given how far-fetched it is as a whole (both in theory as well as execution). Nevertheless, it’s the source of action that drives the heart. My favorite scenes were the talks between Logan and Grace. I did have fun with the rest, of course, as it is what drew me to the book in the first place. I would love to see a Christian/Sci-Fi book from this author! 

(When Secrets Fall appears to be the third book in a series, however, it reads as a standalone.) 

Thanks to Reedsy-Discovery for providing a free digital copy to read and review.

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Themes of faith and family.
• Intriguing mystery.

What I didn’t like:

• The pace was way too fast. Scenes/different events didn’t have time to sink in.
• No deep character development.

Afterthoughts:

This was a fun and uplifting read. I found the ancient artifact plotline super fascinating.

Where to buy the book: