Dead Secret by Noelle Holten
Enthralling from the first page to the last. Devoured in one sitting. Noelle Holten has become one of my must-read authors’ Angela Marsons, bestselling author of the Detective Kim Stone series
Psychopaths can take root in the unlikeliest soil…
DC Maggie Jamieson crosses paths once again with Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood when a domestic violence survivor stumbles into her new refuge, unable to speak, desperate for help.
Then another case hits Maggie’s desk. A young man has been murdered, and a curious constellation of black dots has been inked onto his cheek.
That’s when DCI Hastings goes missing and Maggie uncovers a shocking connection that turns the case on its head.
Every family may hide secrets, but not every family buries them…
About the author.
Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog. Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.
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Review.
Once again this is a belter of a book from Noelle. It's pacing is terrific as it ramps up the tension to the 9th degree, the development of the protagonist is on point and the story was bone-chillingly evil! What more do you need for a cosy wee read of a book?! How about some nods to the book blogger and writing communities! Also, how have we got to book four already?!
Maggie is called to a body that has been found in a local carpark and it looks like a mugging went wrong. Whilst viewing the crime scene she notices on his cheek a constellation of black dots which cause her gut instincts to rumble - might this be another complicated case? At the same time, it looks like DCI Hastings has gone missing along with his family. The pressure is on!
What I enjoyed about this outing was the development of Maggie’s character, which I think was helped by Kate being on the fringes of the story for once. It allowed Maggie to put herself out there and try new things. Her attitudes to her sexuality, her parent’s reaction to that and how both affect her life at present were addressed, which allowed the reader to see a more vulnerable side.
I particularly enjoyed the sections that dealt with the refuge and Lucy’s character. It was illuminating to see how Lucy was dealing still with the trauma from her abusive ex-husband. This is a serious topic and it is addressed by Noelle in such an empathic manner. Seeing the safety of a refuge, how it protects and enables a person to a heal. Hopefully, if just one person is encouraged by this book to use a refuge services then it has done what it is intended to do.
Another smashing book in this series. This is a must-read series for me now and getting to share that love with you guys is why I love blogging! Can’t wait for the next one.
