Title: Dead Secret / Author: Janice Frost / Publication year: 2015
Genre: thriller, mystery / Rating: 3 stars
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Summary (from GoodReads):
Amy Hill, a nineteen-year-old student, is strangled and her body dumped on open ground in the city. New police partners, D.I. Jim Neal and D.S. Ava Merry are called in to investigate this brutal crime. The last person to see Amy alive was Simon, the son of a family friend, but before he can be properly questioned he disappears.
Detectives Neal and Merry are led on a trail of shocking family secrets and crimes. Can this duo track down the murderer before anyone else dies? Stopping this tragic cycle of violence will put D.S. Merry’s life at risk in a thrilling and heart-stopping finale.
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Okay, let’s start with the good.
This book has an interesting and promising premise. A college student is murdered and the investigation falls into the hands of two police officers that are working together for only six months. They are still learning their way around each other and how to work together. D.I. Jim Neal, the Senior detective of the pairing, is interesting, if a bit idealized. He is handsome, brilliant at work and a dedicated single Dad. Oh, and young and successful. Despite that, and the mentions about his experience, he makes a bunch of rookie mistakes that made me feel like banging my head (or his) on the wall. He is likeable, though, and I think his struggles and behavior are the most close to reality.
There are some interesting characters and plot ideas that helped me finish the book. The pace was good and the author managed to not leave loose ends. It was well written and didn’t drag, which allowed me to give it 3 stars.
Now, the not so good.
Yeah, there were some good plot points in the book, but it wasn’t an exciting or satisfying read. It didn’t left me with the urge to read more about these partners (maybe if the author got Neal a new partner…) The solution to the case didn’t leave me satisfied. Yeah, it made sense, and yeah, there were some allusions to it in the book, but still.
My main issue was with the second detective, D.S. Ava Merry. She is drop dead gorgeous and attracts attention wherever she goes. She is supposed to be a smart and relatable character, but she got on my nerves. We are presented with bits of her backstory and we’re supposed to see a multi-layered character, but to me she ended being one dimensional. I kept waiting to see the other sides of her come into play but it never happened.
This one ended being longer than I originally planned. Oops?
This was not a bad read, despite it all, but it’s not memorable either. Others seem to have loved it, so I guess it was just not the book for me.