Carol Wyer: Secrets of the Dead

‘A heart-pounding, toe-curling, one-sitting serial killer thriller that will hook you from the first page till the last. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter’.

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Three murders. Three innocent victims. What secrets did they share with their killer?
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?

A heart-pounding, toe-curling, one-sitting serial killer thriller that will hook you from the first page till the last. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter.

My Review

4.7 out of 5 stars.

This is book 2 in the Robyn Carter series, the first being Little Girl Lost.

Robyn is still struggling to find a way forward after losing Davies, a situation not helped by the difficult relationship she has with her colleague.

In this book Robyn develops a deep sympathy for a friend of Miles, who is found dead in a sauna, putting her at loggerheads with Shearer right at the very beginning.  When seemingly unrelated deaths start occurring at the Hotel where Miles died Robyn struggles to find the link.  Every step forward results in a dead end and  she is given a limited amount of time to solve the cases before she is pulled off.

The story is is a real maze of wrong turns and false leads as the reader is left wondering if Robyn has bitten off more than she can chew this time.  It also has some personal issues interwoven throughout to bring a realistic touch.

Other characters played a bigger part in this book in particular Anna and Mitz who are part of Robyns team both develop through the book into complex compassionate characters who are very loyal to Robyn.  As in the first book Robyn is inclined to go off on a  tangent following her gut instinct, which usually proves to be right and having a team who will have her back is a very important part of who she is.  I love the characters in the books and look forward to following them on more journeys.

An excellent book which leaves the reader gagging for more.

Thank you to Netgalley  and Bookoutre who provided me with a free copy of this book