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Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite
Although the adage “history repeats itself” isn’t usually applied to fiction novels rooted even loosely in fact, it most definitely applies to the characters and plot of DF Kennedy’s The Whole Truth. This novel is the sequel to Kennedy’s previous book, The Truth, in which rich heiress Dahlia Frost published her memoir of abuse at the hands of her stepfather. In the course of promoting the said book, she was reunited with the love of her life, famous actor Roland Hughes, but because of well-intentioned lies on both sides, their path to lasting love was fraught with obstacles.
In The Whole Truth, DF Kennedy takes us more deeply into both their backgrounds, exploring why and how these lies, and now even more lies, could further damage their pending marriage. They are expecting a baby, but is that baby theirs? Dahlia’s mentally unstable former husband, Daniel, is out to convince Roland it isn’t. Making Daniel’s plan even easier to execute is the fact that Dahlia’s abusive stepfather winds up dead, and in Dahlia’s memoir, investigators find the most likely motive for his murder. Dahlia is arrested, much like her mother was many years prior and for similar reasons. Will Roland and Dahlia ever share the loving life they both deserve? Perhaps, but only if and when The Whole Truth is revealed.
DF Kennedy is excellent at crafting complicated plots, creating realistic characters to whom readers easily relate, while forever keeping us in mounting suspense. The Whole Truth is a clever blend of psychological thriller and touching romance. Kennedy is skilled at letting characters reveal themselves through dialogue and reflection, and never slows down the pace of the action through too much description. If you love novels that keep you guessing right until the closing sentences, you’ll enjoy Dahlia and Roland’s story which will be continued in the third book in this series: Nothing But the Truth. Perhaps in that one, we will finally discover the identity of the elusive “forevermrshughes” and the significance of the mysterious black dahlias, both of which have ominously appeared throughout the first two novels and portend an exciting conclusion to the series.
