Deadly Little Secrets: A Novel Rooted in History

Spring 1985, Corona Cove, Ca: When a medical crisis descends on the community hospital, high school nurse Loretta Castrini enlists her band of nurses hot-wired to the hospital’s information highway to deliver the 411 regarding the comings and goings of main characters driving this story about ambition, greed and extremist politics that impacted the treatment of AIDS in the early years of the pandemic.

Deadly Little Secrets (partial) Cast of Characters

Julia Brooks, MD: “Darling, if you dare use this AIDS thing to launch your campaign, I will sorely regret the celebratory romp we enjoyed so much….and you wouldn’t want me to regret that? Would you, Shnookums?”

Loretta Castrini, RN, Narrator: ‘….Since preschool, Julia’s daughter Sarah and Steve Wilcox’s only son Mark have been best friends. Imagine loathing the father and loving the son. That’s how I feel about Steve and if Mark weren’t his father’s spitting image, right down to the double dimple in his chin, I’d swear they weren’t blood related….’

ER Supervisor, Peggy Slaughtery, RN. Peggy spotted me running through the E.R. doors. Her finger pointed up. “4 South, Suite D” she yelled.

I sprinted past her to the elevators. “Bad, Peg?” I turned the corner and glanced back in time to see her make the sign of the cross. Jesus Christ!

O.R. Supervisor Captain (Ret) Georgia Sweetwater, RN: “Have you heard about her Grace?” Years earlier, I’d made the mistake of telling Georgia that when we were kids, Julia worshipped the Princess of Monaco. “Her Grace suits her,” she’d said. The name stuck. Though several nurses picked up on it, only Georgia calls Julia ‘Her Grace’ to her face.