Jean Angus pours the last of the lukewarm tea into her chipped cup, shivering as she looks outside into the dark night. Her eyes are drawn to a slow movement not far from her cosy farmhouse. She’s not expecting visitors. And as the back door opens with a bang, she doesn’t even have time to shout for help.On a dark winter night, the bodies of Malcolm and Jean Angus lie cold and still in a pool of … cold and still in a pool of blood in their kitchen. Detective Jessie Blake is called in to find out what happened to the reclusive pair.
Searching the couple’s property, Jessie learns about a vicious dispute with a nearby land owner, Rachel Ferguson, and when Jessie looks into Rachel further, she doesn’t expect what comes up. Rachel isn’t the person everyone thinks she is and a previous murder conviction just made her Jessie’s prime suspect.
The small Perthshire town begins to gossip about the double murder and Jessie’s own past comes back to haunt her, when her abusive ex-husband begins to interfere in her new life. As the town starts a witch hunt against Rachel, Jessie is under pressure to find out what really happened in the farmhouse that night. Because if it isn’t Rachel, then who is the murderer living among them, waiting to kill again?
If you like LJ Ross, Val McDermid and Helen H. Durrant, you’ll love this addictive new crime thriller from Kerry Watts. Her Secret Past will have you hooked from the start!
What readers are saying about Her Secret Past:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Just WOW! You know when a book grabs you by the first sentence and pulls you into the author’s world? That! I loved the twists and turns… A definite 5-star read.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Tense and chilling. I was drawn in from the first page. So well written and multi-layered. Unputdownable. I read late into the night.’ NetGalley reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This series just gets better and better… The story that unfolds is brilliant… It’s a must-read.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A definite 5 star read.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Great story that just kept going and going. I loved this book. It got me from the very beginning.’ NetGalley reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The opening has to be one of the openings of the year… It had me open-mouthed… A riveting and exciting read.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Excitement, drama, twists and turns and a blood thirsty and thrilling finale, all of which kept me hooked from page one.’ NetGalley reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another cracker of a series… This book really opens with a bang.’ B for Book Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Intriguing and gripping.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A real edge of your seat plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This novel is explosive and gripping, you’ll be addicted within the first few pages. Loved it!’ NetGalley reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was totally absorbed in this book from page 1! I couldn’t put it down! Tense and chilling! It kept me guessing right up to the end!’ NetGalley reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An interesting, chilling and intense book that kept me gripped from the first chapter. I couldn’t stop reading this until I got to the very end. There are great and unexpected twists and I was absolutely hooked on this page-turner! Extraordinarily written.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I really can’t praise this series enough… It whispers to you to keep reading just another chapter… go on, you know you want to!’ Zoo Loos Book Diary
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I thoroughly loved it!’ Goodreads reviewer
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This is a superbly fast-paced read by one of my favourite crime fiction authors. Pursuing the murderer of an elderly couple, DI Jessie Blake & sidekick Dylan encounter more than their fair share of surprises as the list of possible suspects grows. Beautifully described against the backdrop of quaint Scottish villages, every chapter seems to end on a cliff-hanger, making it impossible to stop turning the pages. Ending the tale with a satisfying twist is one of Kerry Watts’ signatures & this latest instalment certainly didn’t disappoint.
I particularly want to thank the Bookouture editions and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book which is the third book in the series: “Detective Jessie Black”.
When John, one evening of dark night, pours tea in her cup, hears a noise outside her house, not expecting anyone, she is surprised her door will open with such a shock that she will not have time to cry for help.
During a winter night, the bodies of Jean and Malcolm will be found bathed in their blood. Jessie Blake will investigate to find out what really happened. Once the property is searched, she will discover that the couple had an altercation with a local farmer. Having been convicted of murder, she is the ideal suspect. In the small town, the double murder is the talk of the town, as for Jessie, her past haunts her, her ex-husband has found her. Jessie will do everything to find out what happened that night. If it’s not Rachel, who is it?
A book read in one go, so much so that I have hung on to the story, so moving at certain passages, captivating, addictive, full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters. Can’t wait to read the first two books of the series.
There is a lot going on in this book, which unfortunately meant that some things didn’t get as much attention as they should have. The crime is interesting, and the investigation is well-done, but it is sometimes gets lost with everything else. That being said, there were some good twists, and I liked the characters. 3.5 stars. For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.
Favorite Quote:
Benito Capello had the knack of making her feel like a teenager again. It was his brooding Latin looks. The way his big brown eyes twinkled like he was sharing a naughty secret when he smiled.
My Review:
This tale was jam-packed with itchy twists, oddly peculiar and intriguing characters, compelling storylines, and a full slate of dark secrets and hidden agendas. The storylines seemed unlimited, as were my wild theories, and each was ingeniously complex and cleverly crafted -both mine and the authors 😉 My brain was on fire while attempting to work this one out ahead of the detectives. I have a new favorite author to add to my list.
I loved this book. I was shocked, that teenagers can be this cold and callous. Sure, I heard it in the news, but it shocks me just as well every time. In the end, I still wasn’t sure if Rachel was the master manipulator or a victim. Highly recommended!
#NetGalley #Her Secret Past #Bookoutoure
This is the third book in this series but can be read as a standalone. This book had a very twisted and shocking plot. Just when I thought I had everything figured out I was hit with yet another shocking surprise! I have not read the first two books in this series, but will definitely be reading them now.