Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Trail of Secrets
    Trail of Secrets
    Trail of Secrets
    Ebook601 pages15 hours

    Trail of Secrets

    By Eileen Goudge

    3.5/5

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    From the New York Times–bestselling author of Garden of Lies comes this haunting novel of mothers and daughters confronting their family’s dark past

    Ellie Nightingale moved to New York in the early 1970s, a scared country girl with a newborn, no money, and no one to run to but her sister, a prostitute with a couch to spare. Ellie worked as hard as she could, determined to make a good life for her child, but one day the baby disappeared—kidnapped and handed over to a wealthy Connecticut couple.
     
    Skyler Sutton has grown up with riding lessons, fine clothes, and no idea that the people who raised her aren’t her real parents. But when an accidental pregnancy forces her into the same desperate circumstances her own mother was in when she gave birth to her, Skyler is finally brought face-to-face with her past.
     
    As three women linked together by fate move toward a shocking discovery, Eileen Goudge’s enthralling novel of romance and suspense “will keep all who love a secret riveted” (Publishers Weekly).
     
    This ebook features an illustrated biography of Eileen Goudge including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.
     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Media
    Release dateNov 29, 2011
    ISBN9781453223246
    Author

    Eileen Goudge

    Eileen Goudge (b. 1950) is one of the nation’s most successful authors of women’s fiction. She began as a young adult writer, helping to launch the phenomenally successful Sweet Valley High series, and in 1986 she published her first adult novel, the New York Times bestseller Garden of Lies. She has since published twelve more novels, including the three-book saga of Carson Springs, and Thorns of Truth, a sequel to Gardens of Lies. She lives and works in New York City.

    Read more from Eileen Goudge

    Related to Trail of Secrets

    Related ebooks

    Family Life For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Summer Reading Guide

      Jan 2, 2022

      Summer Reading Guide
      6 min read

    • Article

      My first year WITHOUT MY MOM

      Mar 16, 2020

      My first year WITHOUT MY MOM
      3 min read

    • Article

      Too late FOR LOVE?

      Jun 8, 2022

      Too late FOR LOVE?
      8 min read

    • Article

      Finding Peace—and Briefly, Freedom—at My Grandfather’s Funeral

      Oct 11, 2019

      “Saying goodbye with the people who loved him—and me—I remember that I am not the tomb that imprisons me.”

      6 min read

    • Article

      Dawn's Choice

      Oct 2, 2020

      SHE couldn’t understand it – her husband is usually such a laid-back guy but after reading her latest novel, he was slamming things around the kitchen. Eventually Jodi Picoult couldn’t take it anymore. “What’s the matter with you?” she bellowed. Jodi

      4 min read

    • Article

      Friend Or Foe?

      Aug 24, 2023

      Sitting on the grass beside my girlfriend Grace, I spotted a familiar face approaching from across the park. ‘Can I join you?’ Chelsea, then 17, smiled, plonking herself down. It was March 2018 and I’d been with Grace, then 16, for six months. I was

      4 min read

    • Article

      Virgin River Season 1

      Sep 25, 2020

      Virgin River Season 1
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Date

      Jan 7, 2021

      The Date
      5 min read

    • Article

      Balancing Act: In 'Mrs. Everything,' Jennifer Weiner Explores Her Mom's Sexuality, Evolving Gender Roles And Donald Trump's America. Is It A Beach Read? Maybe!

      Jun 17, 2019

      Jennifer Weiner, New York Times bestselling author of 16 juicy, layered, courageous books, always knew she wanted to write a novel that followed her characters from birth to death. She knew she wanted that book to be loosely based on her own life and

      4 min read

    • Article

      The BRACELET

      Jun 16, 2021

      The BRACELET
      6 min read

    • Article

      Guests

      Jun 15, 2019

      The month after our mother died, our father began bringing women home. It felt like a behind-her-back kind of operation. “I’m going to have a guest over tonight,” is what he would say. David and I stayed out in the living room, turned up cartoons, bu

      11 min read

    • Article

      In His hands

      Oct 28, 2021

      In His hands
      2 min read

    • Article

      Centered

      May 27, 2022

      I was on an assignment in Santa Monica, California, for GUIDEPOSTS circa 1995 when I discovered that the hotel gym touted in the Mobil Travel Guide (pre-Google, mind you) did not live up to its promise—just a broken treadmill and a recumbent bike wit

      1 min read

    • Article

      Elise Juska on Finally Learning the True Story of Her Namesake

      Jun 12, 2019

      The novelist on her grandfather's very unusual relationship arrangement—a 52-year engagement—and how it led, in a roundabout way, to her own name. The post Elise Juska on Finally Learning the True Story of Her Namesake appeared first on The Millions.

      8 min read

    • Article

      Summer Beach Reads

      Jan 10, 2021

      Summer Beach Reads
      7 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Feb 17, 2023

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Last Lady of California

      Apr 6, 2021

      The Last Lady of California
      16 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Trail of Secrets

    3.5/5

    30 ratings3 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Trail of Secrets by Eileen Goudge is 2011 Open Road Integrated Media publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.This is one of those books originally published in the mid- 1990's and reissued in digital format, so that is something you want to keep in mind before starting this one. Ellie, a young single mother suffers a parent's worst nightmare. Her infant daughter is kidnapped and Ellie must go forward with her life never knowing what happened to her child. A world away, Kate and Will are raising their beautiful adopted daughter, Skyler and living the good life. A freak horse riding accident brings them in contact with a young doctor named Ellie. A brief connection occurs between Kate and Ellie, one that will haunt Kate for years to come. As time passes, Ellie struggles to conceive a child, has issues with her marriage, and seeks alternative solutions to her childlessness which includes adoption. An unbelievable turn of events puts Kate, Will, and Skyler in direct contact with Ellie in a heart wrenching scenario that will leave you gasping for air. While this book is very typical of the style of women's fiction written during this time period, and it is obvious in many ways, it is also a book that can still withstand that age factor and maintain it's incredible power over the reader. This would make a very good book club read since I can imagine the storyline would evoke some really strong emotions in some people. The book starts off in the 1970's and goes up to through the 90's. Attitudes in those days of out of wedlock pregnancy were vastly different. Ellie chose to raise her child alone, which was a very brave decision on her part. Also, for someone like Kate, not being able to have children was an even larger frustration than it would be today. Adoption was pretty much her only choice. A couple who can not have children is given the gift of a precious daughter, while another woman loses her only child, and that child grows up struggling with the unknowns regarding her parentage, and is lead to believe she was abandoned by her mother, and as a young adult must deal with a situation in her own life that mirrors that of her mother and and adoptive parents. The plausibility factor was stretched to the max in some places, but it made for some pretty crazy twist in the story. The odds of this actually taking place are infinitesimal and created some melodrama that almost got a little out of hand. I don't know if it would work in a more modern day contemporary novel, which is why it is important to remember heavier drama was common in this time period in women's fiction. If you overlook some of that, the book still packs an emotional punch. The complexities of marriage, relationships between parent and child are examined and the effect the choices made so many years ago can come back to haunt you. Did Kate do the right thing by keeping Skyler in the dark about her heritage? As a mother, Kate worried about how this information would effect her daughter, but she was also worried about losing her, which was the reason she kept quiet I think. I sympathized with Kate, but also felt angry with her. I could understand Skylar's attitudes at times, and at others I was truly mystified. She was a confused young woman in many ways and while I wanted to like her, at times she just left me feeling frustrated. The one person I felt the most compassion for was Ellie and while she may not have had the happy ever after she had envisioned, she does get much needed closure and a chance to be a mother, just not in a way she would ever have dreamed. In the end, despite all the drama and secrets, and lies, the families begin to put forth an effort to right wrongs and strive for forgiveness. Things will never be the same, but a tentative step in the right direction left me with a good feeling. It will take work, commitment, and lots of patience and forgiveness for these characters to make it things work, but I have faith they will. 3.5 rounded to 4
    • 4/5
      I really don't know how to review this book without giving up some of the "secrets", so beware spoilers ahead! Ellie Nightingale, is now a respected psychologist, but life hasn't always been good. At 18, Ellie gave birth to a little girl and was ostracized from her family. She ended up in New York with her older sister, Nadine who also was ostracized by their family. Ellie worked to care for her child and make ends meet, but it wasn't enough, in the end. Through circumstances surrounding her sister, her sweet little girl is kidnapped. The police search, but never find the little girl. Will and Kate Sutton adopt a beautiful little girl, they name Skylar, after an accident that leaves Kate unable to carry a child. When Skylar turns 22, she finds herself pregnant with a baby that she is unsure she can properly care for. In her search for doing what she feel is right for her child she finds, Ellie Nightingale. Eliie has always wanted a child and has also never stopped loving or looking for the daughter kidnapped from her many years ago. As things in life usually do, things come full circle, when Ellie adopts Skylar's child only to find out that Skylar is the child taken from her long ago.
    • 2/5
      Trail of Secrets by Eileen Goudge should be renamed "Trail of Lies". The book was alright for some fun light reading, but the fun quickly grew old and became tiring as the pages flew by. Thankfully it was a quick read and the oppressive web of lies were quickly read through. I would recommend this book only to a select few, if any.

    Book preview

    Trail of Secrets - Eileen Goudge

    1 ebook_preview_excerpt.html}ێGDb ؝V JDv r} UJv^K9E,P2nnv?4?1vqh??#>7#[azj~x1N?~wo_W߼?jjj5յ\~j8ON1,kcku9]? >|in_ۗ\:M:t:OCWI_TL[rූ?^Tt#6hۅ5P0醳^k&}:G?_o&{^W_NCoer]f3AgXx‚'z}%r[k ӂ5r5U3W\OzsNc[[oLe.-7UnpiXٍ8bv\fn8E[Oz^*ϋ|397tMh;,C5W{ {l[bc1d F1q4G}s-e ޾0-Gzouhm^[ʖO$](0ikf0;!=vgwkR<{ ~(V<ڜ| P-M뷏//|.6;e&ww `\MP{JUU `gs\Ug'C6&+˸\γs1k[vŮ%iζVEo}墭c{>hWW/lgk>il}lm/1 Ξ$T "qiMMG܎lR}76·Нb< Z={4qCyvT~/7j8Mtb'hYOf,x2pnl`# <,~`?282xN^e'0 URhjOh<_tG;'PQ[d\bIL-hgSBytPiuljRƒ[Bh(TY(;6jpwdEM:<dab/nΩ)u>٥KA(!\ RiZNj^78DlpڬdGbIN^P¥;Lv| *\i;z e6f蓡~ ;T7;uǛۺ v}ҨK3k%+%\>q?)H-`<yy=)LhOK]±i$(8f{.}zX9u+H`hN-z [lh>5sc|NGa"5) k6GشXWmgqln?l8\EC \3r" Cf%niwշC}ll&9i%!vm's.(}o],b@L lv> vڱ w1d u?|e y5 X t|VeSԍ@8Eڑ9lAJn4"N r5]Muďv/ddtj\ғwsmNpfa(r:0?Boh'j"_WԜ%|xۻ0GLU!'Ya-Hk)m}١v _W8`ڴC&_`9 In t=MP ſiL]r}um bB x؍3ÿ9/nϦyx)xC:,n'Ua m{2:)-0] k"y@l%~Na3OBez,B;C"I+w`8:v- =BDSHuqL&=8F;SB) TY}b b Ԩ 9دA@ڏ"Ep;øAB!fqS|I9, ]8۲c>JX2m+v~؞!&>D}GxRXwn+#t~Sˊ▜kZ NAtkUch#v^N>\un෰Pt0 edxh3$)[Sh,`F  !#eδ#b-$Û\m0Uycw3UwV V|?= #ڹ!o-Mo`NѬAʕ*GE3|MO(WFogM+#w7_wQ[ج~]&ڢ#io5u@ZyՏc7eڠz1ҌS.@*}Ha(FQ~Аr}p8S˵VҾS\Ligؖj3# }Fc`4ߟJ6`j~/Ϙʺ$~$iv ,nHG!09RG-gS Q3_T݈k3)ƒ4 ,6"?rfPN f@~.Ltկr@ʐD)I{uяVa/`Vcp +Y\d2ވC gKd0sEAʵܵ9 Cnh Dx$ic3Pt;Neأ9poSaDFOYU?)q+I`/}q؞Έ}hܠ2[&MѪ/Awa!|" >,U; !XY;-4ayx{th4bL,c歭]Uٞd|5 OSr<PPʇ8W kq->ƚi!a<^dZ9۫(Jd'߇ک !}Sa2*о`Eg϶ c%E 38pC ~)AJ]5eٌ@Nu27rE5e~#[GN+}$t(aWlbKK1=1o\9cFW Kq,)Ӡ]("!sZjA"{|KDBD@tO` a4_rn9zZ#\ ڡ )"Qj,ӥy"Y B9TWZV'ăk4.W,}H$ƃ.ݩG@#*N=_H+xʦ$M]Ĵu8Jܨ)SO #ܑ%|lDm u\REA-uFBʶ US$14cfKZfs^Na|o<$tC= rMg%f(E)? _a Y>6lh`=E)W u^`fi3H>v=O_s鵬%-ij}4FicWejۉO_)Kȼռ_1arWOqצ,^pמdĻ3?܅{O&Jy|f$e EDr]=>/Wk)B ļX谔!5 `u 8M<* pz<0(P+M$63UMnBsnf As iu7/+,9A Ӽ.8,LM1 WḤ!I3Q%%CuIz{0dMmD?؏7@10~ܧaqh.!^a~ vٝW c7%'!z<ϟAv!o{~8$ӬܚT["?QɈ)G֕׎%jC~UxI@NApp!YrRA/G_Vꮁ?  Bd=8CEfǏ%:L  qm$٨_9$}?۴R6 h/`!n |o@"$TBG]퐏ý}4ĸ>ّpHZBpUo.g.Ts%MrvSō9 acp[rqʼ~ɺ b 4J#I#lnظ"cOx+i{\ y9{cܮQ[(o, qUu[o8?LdF"33J(D|nF?W!k ݏ$]Hl{~.,G#~Cw$_5Ǫ#ϯ)þͤd,iz6$@fcAvzJC&Vk87ĶlWB<\ӏZ#;T,Z3ӱ9Aa*yV\ӑkQ 'CʗU[r ayɉ~lӻ7G Qfd6@j X]vh C W:2 tގ 8R^Q]Z]i\aE*yd`P/GWb!9< 9* vr=v[Ku2ł9W$.=}gldi#]ȅl\p>7K3d5jn>٧]S~zo!fɓ Fyf: !LQ7]:]9/-L@m~qh#mm`~7bd!n*{>m^h_Q nw|^ }.c@4H~(yzBmv{3P$V!1$<\0^.0y0.% jk?_Tzc{ń2"[_`E. 9trby~z gAͫج9w͞iQœ=$#恛 Qf8GdԿ[s00T3zg8!ǵ̖װG*-8ƿ d^A l ;SuN4Mů9*cKRkK{K#JoCrk6:=Bz:H$/s\yK߭Re }wt@\ߋ̵MtLw: s }n# O 1P+Kf&ǽj=9́zRC2} M WU|nu)_u^`&W@n愈F&z'o|bZqrecb9Y>ݡyETA&.Q ~}uR0]p ^=fX' IE) :@2tMr2AB gA%@q!ML½ܺDaW7#*RhEs4820<ۂ^x]*$X훺ح껁 EOONracDN>/-7ܢ0=#T]d6YLCY at&9˼XxK)x%g{Kea2(sG{Ѯ I&}H҅ANļd\X3$ W*Sah;uQ,jIgͷL#id *13czI1ߪSK2[VX2L'۴4[ШAzEd{rӎ>29Ϭq3g xG!gāxY\.Dt[ fDXm"|*в` fM*[ΐyCJM\Ӥde/Nl(2b*"OTE 쀣" )ͧ!SIԖ7xiߠIoVIQqΏs4r^tz(;Rg-R2d h0oԈNJ?x;9(qkoj.J\=Xq=JX@KɽH}aR eb-vP`qfܭt 1ۉ!:1 cn~^'[ޙ'`6Ek=`|@JV* hwN+qRپ6J/3- l$NdQGy{,tZEǁ)` 1L_ڸ2L^3ߊ.(X$y|HޑXu3joR 94G1B›>+)a/^ ʘO mQE?[)\W[bw~ƉmyQCYp-t%z~zpPV%@b JS?\"KL~V!%|j 1E o%ޣzg[baAR+ U|D;w9H>[ԁI,d6o4alkT%]5=F`hYN'owdRhgπ=Ʈ&Ͷ곇V%'֘hqfҒJC:l#SW" Y h=y.:yPݙa+ڦN;X FEN ų9xJ\Iz(cQSnV;Kf$TFK.;G OM$JϬ.*`g7t!P[+C,L;8MqJP NMl%,9tg"ZAPpʾeJ)BbݶXL>Dw;^<=3$> Jtr]֕Fxʑ&,ph't-^>Q}Z, _U~J Pcq@0M~VxLE6 0BhߑJ= ?kށjH4k/P~*)r rcl{ڍɥ)ei T % 5* ȊJ. qJ}hKSaf@4}jvL(q>:v3M`2\m!FR&DrK+)(6ۥx֩ ,~,m31"V;QgNz 1z23S&dyD0Eq (bBϧh跻2j`'xr艩5ESYMz l[ S9M}xm?ȸ"8*L)D4s$FtLųx;TbGg>p!Q 5)T6e՜ULi&wm4%w"}m[!VOCN.:5)7H! C'8MmHˎg--7Stm͝ {aL]V g䝗%"Vxa3 $OoY=漡!f c=Fh RTz񭍌WIM)Yf撥bW|6~/.6]\k$8E7  /JmKM5ʽ"K2|y*簁"/ LQ~ljRC%D+ʒao#Ύ 2RONY  v+RQǤq(5(j0o%+Vc<<">vs\w^2e =PGd H?0YV ސ nc2pa[NĈH}Mذp1@irA~@kb!#x±VL ncqsB%!8^vvܡe acnr&nb`*ȩL€L P9 G>1aaUZ[3tyQ#x :۾~vG.I6J}<f9ǹxj,H7&T)(Qiki!"ަCjC4Zv]viVxw{'o3 :_d W "JO.)i /=BVL58fC>"޺X?vB?#,}x2XRƼ!w'>3Y Em@uƨua}ɮǁи񅽌ɴ7vі*I~*Mgk 눦IJ;Lscp\gFlgP{qA7[YW\Ƿy(JgEit U OEStVB] -%/:lnqK+Z>'A6b@`>֪5ƚs"I!7OL·Q0۞#r Poes 7)ͻ'^LV~~Ni`J*!GjrVIyR4)& ͂C,x4Է#,2_Ԯ^*+;_#{(o&f }JuCx4Dw[\E@c| wsH`n<ؿ:׾Y4}JRIbNWS1b<)zѭ(dh8h:=\3]腵}\-fV:nj =IPl& O1F3ona*踍8+ۿ .c0hj465W Q_B7~n "599&}*_'e%ke~H3nNU ܟ bVs1<ι0"!&h[l^H〵^9P_1 {Pן>TZ}˿.;]& L6) '?Ğ Ŝ2)D" J~s&;{Z +;UӰ_ wA # l6}NHߜ}@Uϕ*dk )4{-ˑ߬!5 'O.ނ*E 5j[U&h3ta^$] d Y尝j/"QE8h8K萆s™C؝g85>tJ%=O=r\ݵ臾}.f79R!Cܜh2\gG<L:Р :9&хOB9F.j8xph-xgjn#^ih%35zxKQ{P᪎e`)6)c{fL7ز)~&f9:pI2VܔVo8Li_xvpD\K6`xay "|ff/pСU:.WpyJ!^ !ŵKӅDd =4_KQ6x֬ԘI  C2plɼ/nC~p-|;G =J}'Bdɯ%pqMm0=2}q r)Ftk=oL=ufZNdZ2$ūmku,9;ELxC$;A`)O ^趌?e%Gfh:{NWvs$pMÇuiy3KS+>]@4C&wӊ)e|N\c\$1@8;x~l)$|W͉YMJE՟WV3u*nA0}TY5B`%/@LОj6b FR;=Uꘓ]΅ٽKج""OMU+`7wdUN4ᩙG(@@Ucvoc>(n">XV{WLiTh(:5<$SbţHR*E|3ԋA/8\`%!U9KdG6&W ydzjn=8ﮚ|"6b/"S7gn#z,-?X19u%ȳwHpUa&X[s3D :)k:E/Fk_[f+}c)%k:` mOn0'q|@NïwE;[Xcrڕ[l/IM4gSFƾ+8Dz"v~KZ)ޓ!q̡\ܭ _:jopW=4Gl &>67IU=" pgaFEh=`79gsm?e۰INW\E^`۔E֛_ y!&yi}={{ېdR>tC&,S6wz>5}L0E" GDޛpk 1Ss"^cnŽYA^%Hd3mdTj&݅TGL< 3Tc*f!NA%68NTlE6υ| S41 dr}$ӈ/n=8祰\}Y( &!Fٔ+\K06st=7)'K)g `Q͐QsF m.d' |=KՑ #ҡX)u簩 ]nՏh[t!a6sߪfy|gG.d0k<%iZr_CE]{: hL jSf+Zj\t_ (=>Qy$ɐЙ[{d8D%BvZ>.!'ݠ ]KqAg4JgcC ~4!*#J>Zoy dr>GX1F0tDppSj|q1+8NjTf*uSΌKMsP|ʇV>9P]쎡yrNK{b?{.*o3]ҙPhKzTY3l$Cvs7eWs1jx-k7Fsm疷]3DtaS-joorCp <{Sc#ެ0S__c`(խb%gax:hlFO+z'* ivcD蟩ȧbA=0}JeOmv_9k|Q}pi(qMwv^NqWѥl0xÌD^,~iׇnƧiLAUC0r1r8pFHCxDeBuaB㳈(vfeK`Dw|cF_ ×q oMa 8P},QB/ȃlC<^e^8 C!1K>ONcf 7T>9_wS!6t*1&/ Vx"jvvRi+4UoXbSr{H]Գ,QvfIG)uECbzQ+R-%+j>輴 ]dŃ:%@ԔW A9a$0[OpLFA76̢\G cnR[bò 19gwЩ2<JNb QȧORjl$ƒfD_I!DzIlO#ͻnZş Ajgd>AKMEϙmRU>sSB0O)Vie[C箌( G$`Ji9٩o~G/ A+~J *72hz.R@C,i$V !Çg*4֣Kw;ijARAX=-c깤UWfE09ʓ$G$5uR0zI!R*/*  qJ #5+VR[݃&9Nk5irv~W>fWqD(uy;sE~⦾plD(5wP6r5'g&&dQ*S2ੇ1PT;t -*WLXd}xj<*ooG5DFͻ䆥b?0 A*bc]i d}b|v9s"܉^Cy:mpac}ء<+Y+( |'`uO҅VsB4AY#c.=Ŀ%g8aK룩?i-kxH[-3aI[QL'|A"$'T[ U zgC3')X%d=B`7tj( Z6mZ4ɛxLlC m qٱ*s sYZ(aP6ByLz28fˑNfO \ T oxFn7(ʹ2\osq w"͞$rWJ.9"gz`;M`07kWJۙ=rxS|?W]+!Ӕ&MTNAܨ_ž+C1y[rÎp{غ>i#\9~M4w,⭦d7@*70ʖxIx]6fv.5%j}YvO܎slrQɑ͇bEaGs и]P=k}U*+QɄQW{}E(Sr st}6;Kd/)C1s%9{;Q-DJKJ1ms8T;NJ]ì85ײOO(33rd:-w]xr9A[T>@j)/RJE(sMǩ.@{1EℕPcE- LP#PӠ4 ~1{m9?ꇖWE<ߜ%}鯹T$vL!zxWyo ƛpmp4A _t$
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1