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"Powerful legal romantic thriller"
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted January 15, 2003

In Connecticut, defense attorney John O'Rourke struggles with his moral dilemma of defending some of society's worse monsters to insure they have a fair trail and the requirements of a single dad raising two youngsters by himself. The townsfolk treat John like a pariah especially with his current case, Read more...

"Intense legal suspense - sometimes harsh, sometimes gentle."
Reviewed by Morgan Chilson
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted February 13, 2003

John O'Rourke believes in the legal system and that even the most hardened criminals have a right to defense. But his lifestyle as a defense attorney is spilling over into his family life, as his town rises up against him for defending a serial killer. A brick through his window Read more...

Summary

One of America's most mesmerizing storytellers, Luanne Rice enthralls readers with her moving tales of ordinary people in crisis--and how they are transformed by the enduring power of love and family. Now the author of Safe Harbor, True Blue, and other New York Times bestsellers presents the gripping story of a man fighting for his family, a woman searching for her sister--and the promise of a new life where both least expected it... The Secret Hour Beneath his careful and controlled demeanor, attorney John O'Rourke is a man whose life is in turmoil. Since the death of his wife, he has been juggling the rigors of a controversial capital murder case and the demands of raising two children. Eleven-year-old Maggie's crooked bangs and rumpled clothes eloquently reproach John's earnest but haphazard attempts at mothering. Teddy, John's stalwart fourteen-year-old, has quietly assumed responsibilities far too weighty for his young shoulders, as he longs for the way things used to be and tries to ignore the hostility that has swirled around his family since his father took on the defense of a killer whose crimes have rocked Connecticut. A brick through the window one autumn morning signals a dangerous new level of hatred. But a quieter event also takes place that day. A woman arrives on the O'Rourke doorstep to find a household on the brink of chaos but brimming with love--and, she hopes, answers. Kate Harris is searching for the key to her own mystery. Six months ago her younger sister fled far from their beloved home following a devastating confrontation. After mailing a single postcard from the New England shore, Willa Harris vanished. With only a postmark to go on, Kate takes a leave of absence from her job as a marine biologist to come to the seaside Willa adored--and discovers the one man who may be able to help her. Compelling and evocative, at once suspenseful, heartbreaking, and triumphant, The Secret Hour is an unforgettable novel that explores the power of sisterly love, the gift of second chances--and the way magic can sometimes be the most real thing in the whole world.