Dead Secret

Dead Secret is Noelle Holton’s fourth book in the DC Maggie Jamieson series. I recommend reading the three books before this one.

A young man has been found murdered behind an office building, and DC Maggie Jamieson is one of the first ones at the scene. At the same time, DCI Hastings, Maggie’s boss, has been discovered missing, along with his teenage daughter and his wife. While Maggie and her team begin the process of notifying the young man’s family and looking for suspects, she also begins to investigate the disappearance of the Hastingses.

Lucy Sherwood, probation officer, is creating a safe house for victims of domestic violence. Having been a victim, she is sensitive to those who need a safe and temporary home. Though her safehouse is not ready yet, she receives a knock on the door. A young girl covered in blood and bruises needs a temporary place to land. She will not provide any details about where she came from or what she is frightened of. As Lucy moves forward with having the girl stay at her home, she realizes that her new tenant may not be who she says she is.

As the bodies start piling up, DCI Maggie begins to see that these three very different situations may all be connected. Having previously lost her partner, Maggie is having a tough time adjusting to her new partner, Kat. Furthermore, she is also dealing with Julie Noble, an intruding reporter and a potential love interest for Maggie. With all of these things happening at one time, she is overwhelmed.

Despite having not read the first three books, this book kept me on my toes from beginning to end. The wonderful thing about Dead Secret is that very few people will be able to see the twist coming at the end! I will definitely be reading the previous three books in the series, Dead Inside, Dead Wrong, and Dead Perfect. I really enjoyed the character of Maggie, seeing how she figured things out, and also her relationships with her team and family. Her feelings and confusion regarding a relationship with Julie Noble are both relatable and interesting. Dead Secret is a solid read for those who love mystery mingled with some suspense and humorous moments.