Secrets of the Dead by Carol Wyer #bookreview

 

 

 

About Secrets of the Dead

 

Colourful, plastic boats were scattered in puddles on the floor. In the bathtub lay Linda Upton, fully-clothed, lips a shade of blue, and bloodshot eyes wide open.

When a young mother is found drowned in the bath, clutching a receipt saying ‘all debts paid’, Detective Robyn Carter knows it’s just the beginning of a harrowing case. She recognises the signs of a serial killer, and when a second victim with a receipt is found, her worst fears are confirmed.

With the local press whipping the public into a frenzy, Robyn is under pressure to solve the crime yesterday. But her team can’t find a link between the two bodies, and the cracks are starting to show.

Just when her leads have dried up, Robyn discovers an unsettling clue she thinks could unlock the case. But as she chases across the plush carpets and manicured lawns of the wealthy elite, honing in on the killer’s shocking motive, one of her own is put in terrible danger.

Can Robyn stop the most twisted killer of her career before it’s too late?

 

My review of Secrets of the Dead

Secrets of the Dead is the second installment in the Detective Robyn Carter series. I read the first novel, Little Girl Lost, late last year and really enjoyed it. I was therefore really looking forward to reading Secrets of the Dead and this novel didn't disappoint. This is an engaging, psychological crime thriller with many interesting characters and one twisted killer.

The story begins when the manager of a hotel spa is found dead in the sauna room. His body is burned beyond all recognition and his cause of death is believed to be that of a heart attack and an unfortunate accident. The case is closed, but when Robyn meets a woman who knew the deceased man, and who believes that his death was no accident, then Robyn also begins to have doubts and starts her own mini investigation. What follows is a series of gruesome murders, all with 'debts paid' notes left at the scene. But, what connects the murders and who is responsible?

Robyn is a woman with a tragic past, a woman who lost her partner and unborn baby and who lives with this buried pain and guilt. Her past is what shapes her into the strong and determined woman that we see on the page. She is fiercely independent and will fight for justice and what she believes is the 'right thing' mo matter what the consequences. It is Robyn who fuels these novels. I found myself drawn to her, wondering what she was thinking and what her next move would be. It is so refreshing to read about a strong woman, in a professional role, who is also vulnerable. Robyn answers to no one but herself, and I love her for it.

I must also mention Robyn's cousin Ross, the private detective, as he is also one of my other favourite characters. In a way, he is the complete opposite of Robyn. He is happily married, wears his heart on his sleeve and is happy to play the bumbling fool to get a job done. I don't know why but he does remind me a little of Lieutenant Columbo. I really do have a soft spot for Ross, and without his help, and his wife's, Robyn would have a more difficult time in solving the case.

The plot for Secrets of the Dead is a complicated one, but one that is also easy to follow. We read differing viewpoints,  as well as those from the unknown murderer, that help to shape the plot and give meaning to what is happening and why. There are a lot of murders in this book, all poignant, but one in particular I found unsettling. This is where the young mother is found dead in her bathtub, surrounded by plastic boats. I had to take a little time out after reading that scene, before I could carry on.

The question I kept asking myself was why this person was doing what they did? The answer truly surprised me in its plausibility and I realised I had completely misunderstood the motive. I really was shocked by the ending, but in a good way. This is what makes the novel truly remarkable, nothing is as simple as it seems.

Secrets of the Dead is a gripping, imaginative and compelling read for those who love psychological crime thrillers. I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to reading the next case that Robyn Carter will solve.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the Advanced Reader Copy 

Secrets of the Dead is published by Bookouture on May 30 and is available to order from Amazon here. 

About the author

Carol E. Wyer is an award-winning author whose humorous books take a light-hearted look at getting older and encourage others to age disgracefully. More recently she has chosen to write for the "dark side" and embarked on a series of thrillers, starting with the gripping best-seller, Little Girl Lost.
Her book Grumpy Old Menopause won The People's Book Prize Award for non-fiction 2015.
Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing 'Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly' featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and writes regularly for The Huffington Post.
Carol is a signed author with Bookouture and Delancey Press.

To learn more about Carol, go to www.carolewyer.co.uk or follow Carol on Twitter: @carolewyer. Carol blogs at www.facing50withhumour.com and www.grumpyoldmenopause.com






 

Let the Dead Speak by Jane Casey

About Let the Dead Speak

In the chilling new crime novel from award-winning author Jane Casey, Detective Maeve Kerrigan and the murder squad must navigate a web of lies to discover the truth…

A murder without a body
Eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns to her West London home one day to find the house covered in blood and Kate, her mother, gone. There may not be a body, but everything else points to murder.

A girl too scared to talk
Maeve Kerrigan is young, ambitious and determined to prove she’s up to her new role as detective sergeant. She suspects Chloe is holding something back, but best friend Bethany Norris won’t let Maeve get close. What exactly is Bethany protecting Chloe from?
A detective with everything to prove
As the team dig deeper into the residents of Valerian Road, no one is above suspicion. All Maeve needs is one person to talk, but that’s not going to happen. Because even in a case of murder, some secrets are too terrible to share…

My review of Let the Dead Speak

This is the first Jane Casey book that I have ever read, so I am new to the world of Detective Maeve Kerrigan. I absolutely loved this book, and so shall be rooting out the previous books in the series to read during the summer.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the interesting premise that a murder had taken place, but that there was no body at the crime scene. I wanted to find out how the police solved this puzzle.

So, eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns home early from having been away, visiting her father, to find the home that she shares with her mother, Kate, covered in blood., and her mother missing, presumed dead. It is from this point onwards that we follow the police in their investigation to find out exactly what happened.

The plot is completely believable and I found out the events that took place, during the many twists and turns, at the same time as the police. I liked this aspect. In that  there was a logical progression to the events that took place, which were slowly revealed, layer by layer, to me, the reader.

What really made this book stand out for me though was the two leading characters of Maeve and DI Josh Derwent. There on page chemistry simmered and I wondered why on earth they weren't together. However, as this is the first book that I have read in the series, I knew nothing of their past relationship,  although we are told that they have never been involved in a romantic relationship. To me, it was fairly obvious that they belong together, and I have my fingers and toes crossed that this will happen in future novels.

This is a thoroughly entertaining read! It is fairly dark in nature, with serious issues being discussed regarding the sexuality of women, the sexualisation of women by men and issues of consent. But what was we do have is an incredibly strong female lead in the form of Maeve, whom you can't help but love and admire. Here is a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve and who would do anything to protect the innocent. She is hugely likeable and someone whom I admire.

 

Let the Dead Speak is a dark, griping and enjoyable detective story that is full of twists. This fabulous plot is further enhanced by completely relatable characters and a cast of male suspects, none of whom I liked, and that was the way it should be. I literally had no idea of who had done what or why, and I was left guessing until the very end. I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to reading the next in the series.

 

Let the Dead Speak, published on March 9 by Harper Collins, is available to buy from Amazon here.

About the author

"All my criminal elements have some basis in reality, no matter how awful they may be. Nothing is completely farfetched." Jane Casey

Crime is a family affair for Jane Casey. Married to a criminal barrister, she has a unique insight into the brutal underbelly of urban life, from the smell of a police cell to the darkest motives of a serial killer.

This gritty realism has made her books international bestsellers and critical successes; while Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan has quickly become one of the most popular characters in crime fiction.

Winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award for The Stranger You Know, Jane has been shortlisted four times for the Irish Crime Novel of the Year Award and longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award.

Don't Look Behind You by Mel Sherratt

About Don't Look Behind You

The small city of Stockleigh is in shock as three women are brutally attacked within days of each other. Are they random acts of violence or is there a link between the victims? For Detective Eden Berrisford, it’s her most chilling case yet.

The investigation leads Eden to cross paths with Carla, a woman trying to rebuild her life after her marriage to a cruel and abusive man ended in unimaginable tragedy. Her husband Ryan was imprisoned for his crimes but, now he’s out and coming for her.

As Eden starts to close in on the attacker, she also puts herself in grave danger. Can she stop him before he strikes again? And can Carla, terrified for her life, save herself - before the past wreaks a terrible revenge?

An absolutely gripping and chilling police procedural which will hook fans of Angela Marsons and Rachel Abbott.

My review of Don't Look Behind You

Don't Look Behind You is the second book in the Detective Eden Berrisford series. I had read, and loved, the first book, The Girls Next Door, so was very much looking forward to reading this book. Well, I wasn't disappointed and thought that it was even more gripping than the first, with an even darker element to its core.

 

This book focusses upon the subject of domestic violence, so is not an easy, nor lighthearted read. It tackles the gritty reality of abuse and of how women feel trapped and of how they find it difficult to firstly escape, and to then build a new life for themselves. Ms Sherratt writes with both empathy and knowledge upon this subject, and the women are treated with dignity and respect.

 

So, the book focusses upon the sexual attacks of three women, in the same local area. The attacks become increasingly brutal in nature and Eden is certain that she is looking for the same attacker. The descriptions of the attacks are not graphic in nature, but the author writes in such a way that we understand what has happened. Greater importance is placed upon the time following the attack and how the attack impacts upon the woman. These passages were carefully and sensitively written.

 

As well as the burial attacks on lone women that are taking place, we are also introduced to several women who either live and/or work in the women's refuge. Although the book deals with domestic abuse, and the victimisation of women, the women in this book are not portrayed as victims, but rather survivors, who are tough and determined to carry on with their lives. We meet Carla, who is a counsellor at the refuge, and who has managed to build a new life for herself after her ex husband was imprisoned for violence. But has she managed to truly escape him? Will she be forever looking over her shoulder? This is the real question that we ask while reading her harrowing accounts of her past life.

 

Don't Look Behind You  is a story that is predominantly about the abuse and victimisation of women. But, the author helps to shed life on the taboo of domestic violence and to start a conversation. As I have already mentioned, these women are portrayed as strong and resourceful women, not victims, never victims, as they will not allow their abuser to dictate how they should live their lives, they are stronger than their abuser.

 

This novel is obviously a dark and difficult read. Eden herself has her own lie challenges with regards to her estranged husband, and these aspects of her life are interspersed within the story. However, although it is dark, it is an important book. To represent characters who come to life on the page, and who tell their own unique stories of their abuse, is a huge achievement. I had to know what would happen to them and who the brutal attacker was, and I was kept in the dark unit the very end.

 

Don't Look Behind You is an emotive roller coaster of a read, and one which I highly recommend.

 

Don't Look Behind You is published by Bookouture on Jan 31 and is available to buy from Amazon here.

 

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.