ARC REVIEW: Secrets Of The Dead – by Carol Wyer @carolewyer @bookouture

Title: Secrets Of The Dead
(DI Robyn Carter #2)
Author: Carol Wyer
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: May 30th 2017
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: May 21st 2017
Pages: 314

“If she was asking for his help it could only mean she was doing something she shouldn’t. He liked that about her; she was ballsy, daring and usually right.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I really enjoyed reading the first book of this series, Little Girl Lost, earlier this year and I have been keeping an eye out for the sequel ever since. I admit it wasn’t love at first sight, but I’ve grown to like Robyn Parker and the way she isn’t afraid to step on a few toes to get things done. In Secrets Of The Dead her detective skills are tested again with another difficult case. It’s another serial killer thriller and I think I enjoyed it even better than the first; this book definitely doesn’t suffer from the so-called ‘weak-sequel-syndrome’. Secrets Of The Dead starts out strong and stays that way until the very end. The writing style is enjoyable, the pace is fast and the many many plot twists will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. I actually thought I had it all figured out a few times during the story, but it ended up being a false alarm every single time. The sign of a well executed plot twist if you ask me! The serial killer is an interesting one and I particularly liked the fact that you are able to take a peak inside his head in the chapters that are told from his POV. They added to the whole suspense of the story without slowing down the pace and only increased my curiosity about the identity of the killer. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot to avoid spoilers, but if you are looking for a well written psychological thriller packed with misleading plot twists and an intriguing case, Secrets Of The Dead is calling your name. Another note: it can also be read as a stand-alone.

Detective Robyn Carter and her team are to investigate the death of a young mother who is found drowned in her own bathtub. When they find a receipt saying ‘all debts paid’, Robyn knows she has another complicated case on her hand… Because it has all the signs of being another serial killer. When a second victim with a similar receipt is found, her suspicions are confirmed, and now she will have to race against the clock to find the killer before he strikes again. Robyn doesn’t seem to have much time, as the bodies are starting to pile up quickly… Will she be able to solve the puzzle on time? Because no obvious links are being found between the two victims, and the pressure is building up fast.

Those who follow my blog probably know I’m a big fan of the mystery/thriller genre, and this sequel is without doubt another winner. From the enjoyable writing style, fast pace and misleading plot twists to the fact that Secrets Of The Dead has a serial killer; this book just ticked all the right boxes for me. I love it when a psychological thriller is actually able to surprise me! Because I was definitely in the dark about the ‘who’ until the moment it was all revealed.

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