Secrets of the Dead (Detective Robyn Carter) (Detective Robyn Carter Crime Thriller, #2)

by Carol Wyer

[zooloo1983]

This was a tough case for Robyn to get her head around. With a case at the beginning of the book leading her down the wrong garden path and then being hauled over the coals and told to back off from a murder Vic, things are not going too peachy for Robyn.

People dying in mysterious ways, all linked by an invoice, the invoice doesn’t say what it is for, just that it’s paid in full. The first two murders happen in quick succession you don’t get a chance to draw breath. Truly terrifying is someone who doesn’t even think twice of killing someone in their home, leaving a 4-year-old without a parent! Awful, just awful.

After these two deaths, things go a bit quiet and we watch Robyn trying to solve them, figuring out how they are linked and if they are linked to the first Vic she was backed off from. A few red herrings, which makes things more exciting as you think you are close to something only to find yourself taking two steps backs.

Robyn is under a lot of pressure this time to solve things from her boss. Threats of being taken off the case and the lack of sleep somehow helps to drive Robyn to find out who the Litchfield Leopard is!

The chapters from the murderer are cold, he is obsessed and very much stalkerish. He waits for the woman every day without fail, but he isn’t as discreet as he thinks he is, no stealth here!

I love the setting of Staffordshire, as I knew some of these places from when I lived in the area, so I could picture them as Carol has written them. Plus who doesn’t love the reference of Watford Gap, even though it has nothing to do with Watford.

Carol has created such a driven and loyal character with Robyn. She is slowly showing more of her colours, her world is slowing coming back into focus and with colour. I feel Robyn is on her way back to us, Davis will always be a part of her but she’s learning to live again and hopefully, Trisha will be around in the next few books as I feel she could be a true friend.

Always lovely to see Ross and Jeanette and did chuckle at their time in the spa! I finally feel I have got to grips with the team, Matt, Anna and Mitz, they are a solid team and I do love that they do question Robyn and her actions and not just go with it because she asks. I was completely stumped with this book, I didn’t even know where to begin with my suspects so I just didn’t bother and let Robyn do all the hard work with her team. Adding a countdown for the Leopard to work with was clever, the Leopard became sloppy and things tend to go wrong then. Not the cleverest soul, but the retribution is all they are after. A closure of sorts and the ending they so believe they are going to get, a small part of you felt a bit sorry for the Leopard.

A tough case for Robyn, but it would be a Robyn if she didn’t solve it. We didn’t have any dramatic storylines carrying over, so I can relax easy and take a breath. However, I fear that the cases are just going to get tougher and tougher.

Carol has won me over with Robyn, she has written stories that have kept me hooked from the get-go, a kickass lead who will not stop, and riveting storylines to keep you up all night, just so we can rest when Robyn does. Looking forward to my next adventure!