A thought-provoking sequel that dives deep into the way our histories shape us.
Soulmates are said to have an extraordinarily deep connection, but nothing can compare with the kinship shared by twins. Gavin DiMasi was born a twin and he might have found his soulmate in his wife, Katie, but when his brother dies, every relationship in his life ends up on shaky ground. For Gavin, his twin’s suicide is only the most recent trauma in a hefty tally of emotional damages he’s racked up over the years. And now he’ll have to reopen every old wound and confront all the skeletons that have been piling up and hiding out in the DiMasi family closet. What is meant to be a quick trip back to his family home to settle the estate turns into all-out warfare on his mind. Besides burgeoning insecurities and a crumbling psyche, Gavin contends with old mob grudges and some new ramifications of his Complex PTSD. However, this isn’t Gavin’s story alone. His tenacious wife and beautiful daughter love and care for Gavin as his mental health is quickly shifting from a quiet family challenge to a clear and present danger. Plus, Katie has her own emotionally difficult past to sort through. Terrible decisions must be made and Katie will need to tap into reserves of hidden strength and a version of herself that has been obscured by years of heavy obligation.
A shocking continuation of the events of the DiMasi family saga, What Lies Buried is a thought-provoking sequel that dives deep into the way our histories shape us. C-PTSD is handled with an acute awareness while never losing the brutal realities of the disorder. There is no candy-coating the difficulties for sufferers, including their loved ones, and this dramatic novel feels authentic to that truth. Interestingly, Gavin and Katie don’t steal the lion’s share of the limelight. Particularly with twin brother Devon’s beyond-the-grave taunts, deceased family members factor heavily into the plot and are given vivid new life. An assortment of solid secondary characters, such as an insightful new friend that teases out Katie’s creative streak and an old FBI friend with a sensible head, help balance out the sudden emotional swings. Gavin is locked in a brutal struggle with his past experiences, one where fight or flight is only the beginning of his devastating psychological manifestations. As his cloistered memories and new revelations are examined, the result for readers is a painful, frustrating, heartrending, and unflinching look at the challenges faced when dealing with such a complicated disorder. A story of sordid family secrets told without reservation, What Lies Buried is about taking the hardest steps forward to confront the scars of our past.
