The Secret Diary of Helen Blackstone: Secrets of Redemption, #1

By Michele PW (Pariza Wacek)

The Secret Diary of Helen Blackstone is a prequel psychological thriller novella in the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series by USA Today bestselling author Michele PW (Pariza Wacek). Ideal for fans who love twisty mystery and suspense stories with a touch of supernatural.

Is it madness? Or something even worse ...

In 1929, Helen Blackstone is forced to do the unthinkable—return to her childhood home.

A place full of secrets and lies … where her mother had gone mad.

Helen had hoped she had left those dark days behind her, but when her brother is threatened, she uncovers a shocking truth that changes everything …

"A fantastic chilling novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. This authors detail is to be applauded! I read
this in a sitting and couldn't put it down." Jackie

"Short, suspense/mystery that can be read in one sitting. Recommend for anyone who wants a good, quick mystery." Melissa

"Suspenseful little story that is really well written. I enjoyed this book. The author pulls you in and keeps you wondering how things will work out all in diary form." Janice

• Language: English
• Publisher: Love-Based Publishing
• Release date: Feb 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9781945363184

Michele PW (Pariza Wacek)

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery stories, to be exact. They're clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com. Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie. When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Book preview

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The Secret Diary of

Helen Blackstone

A Secrets of Redemption Novella

Books by Michele Pariza Wacek

MPWnovels.com/books

Secrets of Redemption series:

It Began With a Lie (Book 1)

This Happened to Jessica (Book 2)

The Evil That Was Done (Book 3)

The Summoning (Book 4)

The Reckoning (Book 5)

The Girl Who Wasn’t There (Book 6)

The Room at the Top of the Stairs (Book 7)

The Search (Book 8)

The Secret Diary of Helen Blackstone (free novella)

Charlie Kingsley Mystery series:

A Grave Error (free prequel novella)

The Murder Before Christmas (Book 1)

Ice Cold Murder (Book 2)

Murder Next Door (Book 3)

Murder Among Friends (Book 4)

The Murder of Sleepy Hollow (Book 5)

Red Hot Murder (Book 6)

A Wedding to Murder For (novella)

Loch Ness Murder (novella)

Stand-a-lone books:

Today I’ll See Her (novella)

The Taking

The Third Nanny

Mirror Image

The Stolen Twin

The Secret Diary of

Helen Blackstone

A Secrets of Redemption Novella

by Michele Pariza Wacek

The Secret Diary of Helen Blackstone Copyright © 2018

by Michele Pariza Wacek.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any manner or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording, retrieval system, without prior written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in a review. For more information, contact Michele Pariza Wacek,

PO Box 10430 Prescott, AZ 86304.

[e-mail].

ISBN 978-1-945363-81-8

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For my family, for always believing in me.

May 15, 1929... On the train

A brand-new diary for a brand-new start.

That’s what Mrs. Johnston said to me, standing on the train platform as she pressed this little leather-bound blank journal into my hand. A gift. For your years of loyalty and service.

I didn’t have the heart to tell her the thought of a diary made my stomach turn.

Mother had a diary. When I was a child, she would spend hours scribbling in it.

Hours and hours.

Until the day she went mad.

No, no, no. I’m not going to think about that now. Especially since with every clack of the train’s wheels, I crept that much closer to the place it all happened.

To Hell itself.

That’s enough.

I would never get through the summer if I allowed myself to entertain such fanciful thoughts.

Besides, didn’t I want to see my little brother again? And Father? It’s been almost five years since I’ve been back.

Of course, I wanted to see them.

Time heals all wounds, after all. Just look at me, writing in this diary right now.

I almost threw it out after I boarded the train, but something (good manners, most likely), stayed my hand. I stuffed it deep into my bag, vowing to get rid of it one way or another (perhaps give it as a gift?), and turned my attention to my book.

But, the closer we got to Redemption, the more my thoughts kept straying back to the diary. I could feel my fingers start to itch, suddenly desperate to fill its blank pages with thoughts and feelings.

Maybe it will help me sort out how I feel about returning to Redemption. Right now, it’s such a jumbled mess in my head. I don’t think it would be smart or prudent to see Father feeling like this.

Maybe this diary isn’t such a bad thing after all.

Oh, the train is slowing down. My stop is coming up. I better get my things together. I’ll write again later.

May 15, 1929 … In the carriage

Oh, diary. Seeing my father again was worse than I imagined. This whole trip is worse than I imagined, and I’ve only just arrived.

My father was waiting for me on the platform when I got off the train. At first, I didn’t even recognize him. He had lost weight and his suit (at one time fine, now tattered and worn), hung on him. His face was pale and gaunt, and I could smell the whisky on his breath.

Helen, he said, his voice not exactly greeting. You’re early. It sounded like an accusation. He glanced down at his gold, tarnished pocket watch. Your brother should be here shortly. We’ll wait for him.

I nodded, not trusting my voice to speak.

As a child, my father had been an imposing figure, strong and handsome. The man who stood in front of me looked like a broken shell—a sad imitation of what my father once was. I didn’t want to see him like that. I wanted nothing to do with the stranger in front of me. Every part of me wanted to flee—to get back on the train and never come back to Redemption ever again.

Instead, I swallowed hard and forced my thoughts to my little brother. He would be almost a man now. It was hard to picture that; In my head, I still saw the solemn little boy with the big brown eyes that followed me everywhere I went. After Mother had gone mad, I had more or less raised him. Father spent his days working and his nights locked in his study. If it