Sick as our Secrets

Sick as our Secrets is the second book in The Utopian Testament series by Jim Christopher and it takes off two years after the Season of Waiting. Readers encounter an impressive cast of characters —Hawk lives a secret life, together with a mystical healer, the young Emersion, and Emerson’s mother and her boyfriend; Irene Allard, who has never left Texas after suffering the death of her father and her brother’s sudden disappearance, sets out in the quest for answers regarding the disappearance, ending up as a tenant to Finch, a recluse with the body covered with burns. The Farm in Texas might seem idyllic and the best place to hide for Hawk and his companions, even if it involves cultivating marijuana, but there is more hidden in the farm than meets the eye, and everything is shaken when a worker’s sister arrives with a stranger. When secrets are laid bare, Hawk is forced to choose between his freedom and the safety of those he loves deeply.

This is a suspenseful tale that is as deeply moving as it is filled with mystery. The setting is stunningly imagined and it is a world brimming with mystery — one would say the Farm is a character in its own rights. It has disturbing effects on the characters and they have a strange connection to it. While it allows Hawk to hide from his past, it also keeps dread and dark secrets. Jim Christopher is a great storyteller who has a remarkable gift for plot and he infuses the writing with suspense, creating moments of premonition in which readers can sense something dark and wonder when it will take root in the characters. Fans will be on the edge of their seats. The smartly structured plot is filled with surprising twists, the characters are sophisticated and relatable, and the conflict is deftly written. Readers who enjoy characters with solid and rich inner worlds will root for Christopher’s characters. Sick as our Secrets is a winner for fans of suspense and mystery.