200-word review of The Secret Admirer (Detective Natalie Ward #6) by Carol Wyer
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.64 with 118 ratings (as of 4/2/2020)
‘I tried to talk to you today but you snubbed me and walked away. It wasn’t wise to give me the brush-off, Gemma. I can be a truly good friend but I also make the perfect enemy.’
Sasha’s eighteen-year-old daughter Gemma was all she had in the world. Sasha fell pregnant with Gemma when she was still at school, and the two are as close as sisters. So when Gemma’s burned and broken body is found, Sasha’s world ends. What kind of person would want her beautiful daughter dead?
Leading the case is Detective Natalie Ward, scarred by her own recent tragedy. When she finds a note in Gemma’s diary from ‘a secret admirer’, she moves quickly, determined to unmask them. But interviews with Gemma’s devastated ex-boyfriend, and her charismatic teacher, who has been seen embracing his student far away from the classroom, don’t give Natalie the answers she’d hoped for…
And then the case takes a devastating, personal twist. CCTV footage reveals Natalie’s estranged husband David followed Gemma home every evening the week before she died.
Natalie is forced to put personal feelings aside and follow procedure, even though she can’t believe David could be guilty. But when Gemma’s housemate is found murdered, Natalie thinks the killer could still be at large. Is she right to trust her instincts about David and can she discover the truth before another precious life is taken?…Synopsis from Goodreads
200 Word Review
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
The Secret Admirer is the 6th book in Carol Wyer’s Detective Natalie Ward series. I enjoyed books 1 – 4 and was surprised to learn I had missed the 5th, The Blossom Twins. I read it before beginning this and I am so glad I did.
Detective Natalie Ward is immediately thrust into a case after she returns to work. A student is found dead from an acid attack. As Ward has learned, everyone has secrets. Now, she has to uncover the secrets surrounding Gemma and her murder.
All of the books in the series focus on a crime and the police team’s interactions with each other and with their home life. This book continues the storyline well. Ward’s family, the team and their families continue to be a large presence in the story.
Often, I will say you could start the series with the current book but you would not understand the characters as well. This is true here but Wyer brings the characters to life in such a way it feels she is writing about real people. I strongly encourage you to read the whole series and start at the beginning. You will be in for a great read.
This review was published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 4/2/20. When available, the review will be published on Scribd.com and, using Overdrive, will be rated in 9 libraries.
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Police Procedurals
Print Length: 413 pages
ISBN: 1838882545
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: April 2, 2020
Purchase at Amazon *** Barnes and Noble
One Comment
carolwyer
Apologies for being a bit late in getting here to thank you for this super review of The Secret Admirer. I got way behind on social media (because I am the world’s worst typist!) . Thank you very much reading the book and sharing your review. How do you manage to do it in 200 words? I am in awe. I might be able to write a book but reviews always seem beyond me and I end up using too many adjectives and not saying anything useful. You, on the other hand, are succinct and your review is insightful. On top of that, it has put a smile on my face so thank you very much indeed.
Im now going to read your review of The Rabbit Hunter because I read that book last week and would love to know what you thought of it.
Thank you.