Conspiracy of Silence    by Martha Powers Order:  USA  Can Oceanview, 2008 (2008) Hardcover      Reviewed by Pat Elliott Like any good writer, Martha Powers drops her reader straight into conflict. Clare Prentice did not know she was adopted until she visited her doctor's office. There, the doctor lets it slip that the woman who raised her was not her biological mother. Shocked and confused Clare cancels her engagement and forthcoming wedding to follow the only clue she has to find who she really is. The clue: a class ring from Grand Rapids Senior High School. Using a cover story provided by her employer, Clare travels to Grand Rapids to interview a famous writer, Nathan Hanssen. Hanssen is a writer who shuns fame and wants nothing to do with a big city reporter out for a story. Secretly Clare finds her family name, only to discover her mother was murdered twenty years ago and her father confessed to the murder. Everywhere she turns, Clare is in contact with people who knew her parents. Even the famous Nathan Hanssen's father, Thatcher, was the sheriff at the time. She suspects and questions every one with whom she becomes acquainted. It becomes evident that someone wants the past to remain a secret and will go to any lengths to keep that secret. Each discovery leads to danger. The very people Clare trusts become the source of her fear. The truth is only revealed when Clare nearly loses her life accusing the person responsible. Powers writes a spellbinding story of love, betrayal, lies and murder. She tops it off with surprising endings and happy ever after love for Clare. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews