Let This Be Our Secret, Deric Henderson
Let This Be Our Secret, Deric Henderson
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
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Let This Be Our Secret
The Shocking True Story of a Killer Dentist, His Mistress, How They Murdered Their Spouses - and How They Almost Got Away with It

Author: Deric Henderson

Narrator: Gary Furlong

Unabridged: 9 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/01/2021


Synopsis

Let This Be Our Secret is a remarkable true crime story set on Ireland's north coast where the bodies of a couple were found in a car filled with carbon monoxide fumes—the apparent victims of a suicide pact.

But eighteen years later, wealthy dentist Colin Howell confessed to police that it was he and his then lover, Hazel Buchanan, who murdered their respective partners. All four belonged to Coleraine Baptist Church. Howell later re-married an American divorcee while Buchanan, a mother of two, eventually began a new life with a senior policeman who was once a staff officer to the former RUC Chief Constable Hugh Annesley. Howell went on to run hugely successful dental implant surgeries in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim and Bangor, Co. Down, but despite his strong Baptist beliefs, he lived a secret life of lust, deceit, and greed. It was to prove to be his undoing when his life unraveled spectacularly at Christmas 2008 with heavy overseas investment losses linked to a project to find Japanese gold hidden in the Philippines. And he has admitted other affairs and sexual advances to his dental patients. Hazel Buchanan, Howell's ex-lover, also re-married. She emerged as a high-maintenance and glamorous keep-fit fanatic who according to friends always had a haunted look, fearing that sooner or later an investigating police officer would one day tap her on the shoulder. Out of Northern Ireland's dark and troubled history has emerged a crime like no other.

About Deric Henderson

Deric Henderson is the author of Let This Be Our Secrets.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Laura on October 17, 2018

When reading this novel I often thought to myself, “this is an incredible story”. Unfortunately for Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell, its 100% true. This happened about 50miles from where I live. It dominated the news headlines for quite some time, and why wouldn’t it?............ Respected Dentist C......more

Goodreads review by Terry on June 05, 2016

I bought this book after watching the TV series The Secret, starring James Nesbitt, as I imagine many have done. For those who know nothing about it, it's the true story of Colin Howell, dentist and supposedly devout Baptist, who, together with his lover, Hazel Buchanan, hatched a plan to murder the......more

Goodreads review by Colin on June 24, 2021

True crime story set in Northern Ireland where an apparent suicide pact turned out to be a double murder. Eighteen years after the incident, dentist Colin Howell confessed to police, telling them he and his former lover, Hazel Buchanan, murdered their respective spouses. Although superbly narrated by......more

Goodreads review by Sean on April 28, 2015

Although at times repetitive, this is a fascinating look at the intense hypocrisy and suffocating nature of Northern Irish churches - some of which I've had experience with thanks to relatives when I've returned to Belfast. Also fascinating because of my (very slight) connection - this was my cousin'......more

Goodreads review by Beth on October 21, 2016

I'd never heard of the TV series before I read this book; after reading it, I am definitely going to watch the series. Although this book took me longer to read than many that I have this year, it certainly was an endearing read, and I'd urge anyone who enjoys true murder stories to read it.......more