The Language of Secrets

By Dianne Dixon
 Doubleday, $24.95, 257 pages

Justin Fisher has struggled with his past for his entire life.  His memory is full of holes, and he’s never really wanted to know what was concealed in them until he and his wife moved to California, where he was born.  Now memories are starting to surface, and he’s about to discover his tragic history and all the unpleasant things he’s tried so hard to forget.  The secrets he discovers have caused irreparable harm to others, and they just might spell the end of everything he’s built of himself.

Dianne Dixon’s The Language of Secrets is an intriguing mystery that strings the reader along to the very end.  The narrative is told in bits and pieces, switching between Justin’s present, his past, and the lives of his parents.  The secrets that cocoon all of their lives are fascinating, so outlandish they just might be believable, and the story is told with great skill; Dixon has a wonderful way with words that will inspire readers to stay up long past their bedtimes.  This one is sure to be a hit with anyone who picks it up.

Reviewed by Holly Scudero