Hallie Owen, a Detroit advocacy journalist, yearns to make a difference with her writing, just on a bigger scale than her column affords her. She gets her chance when she is enticed by Cleo Mitchell, of the famed Winston Mitchell family of Texas, by the prospect of writing the family's history. The deal? Hallie has to help Cleo expose the secrets of a man accused of rape and murder, which will hopefully lead to his conviction. Never mind that that man is being defended by Cleo's father.

Mitch, as Attorney Winston Mitchell, Jr. is called, has a tempestuous relationship with his only daughter, one that causes him to keep his distance from her and her projects. But he is immediately drawn to Hallie, and she to him. Hallie must find a way to honor her pledge to help Cleo, deal with Mitch, and hopefully fulfill her desire—and the desire of "Pops", the senior Winston Mitchell—to write the family saga that could make her career.

HOUSE OF SECRETS was a puzzling read for me. Slow to get started, I didn't feel pulled into the story until about a quarter of the way through. I also was slightly disappointed by the ending. The final obstacle to "happily ever after" just seemed to turn around too quickly and felt a bit unbelievable to me.

Overall, however, I found Ms. Walker to be a good storyteller and can honestly say I enjoyed this novel. The meat of the story is fast-paced and has enough unexpected plot twists to more than entrance an eager reader. The plot is creative and imaginative, and the characters are intriguing. HOUSE OF SECRETS is a commendable debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Walker.