Member Reviews
Hollie Turner is back with a new case.
This is book five in the series and as with the other four books that I have read in the series it was well deserving of its five stars.
The author writes with emotion, clarity, depth and thought and has a way of drawing you into the drama..
An engaging read which dealt with some challenging themes Karma is all I'll say.
Do you ever wonder why police officers choose that line of work? For Detective Hollie Turner - a lot of her reasoning was due to the disappearance of her best friend 25 years prior, which remained a cold case.
When a retired police superintendent is brutally murdered and placed on a ride at the Hull Fair, this brings back memories for Hollie, as that's the last place her bestie had been seen. Upon further investigation, it seems there are so many coincidences that lead back to the children's home where her friend grew up. I certainly didn't have this storyline worked out, and was quite enjoyable to follow the story!
Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Paul J. Teague for the eARC.
Hollie finds herself entwined with a murder case which links to her friend Moira, who went missing years previously, but how? A difficult one for Hollie to face as memories of Moira come to the fore, abused at a childrens home and missing. Well written with action throughout. I like the way Hollie interacts with her team and how well they work together. Highly recommended.
Her Final Secret takes us on a gripping and emotional journey alongside Detective Hollie Turner, who is forced to confront the dark shadows of her past when a new murder case reopens old wounds. Set against the backdrop of Hull Fair, the story begins with the murder of a retired police superintendent, pulling Hollie into a case that seems disturbingly familiar.
Twenty-five years ago, Hollie's university friend Moira disappeared without a trace from the same fairground, and now, as buried secrets start to resurface, Hollie finds herself revisiting the trauma of that night. As she delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a potential link to historical abuse allegations at a local children's home and the suspicious death of a former care worker. The stakes are high as Hollie races against time, determined to untangle a web of lies, cover-ups, and betrayals that stretch back decades.
The book masterfully shifts between 1999 and the present, slowly revealing the events that shaped Hollie’s life and career. As a character, Hollie is complex and compelling—a force to be reckoned with, both in her pursuit of justice and her battle with personal demons. The way the author explores her past adds depth to the story, making it not only a tense police procedural but also an emotionally charged mystery.
Her Final Secret is a heart-wrenching and suspenseful thriller that will keep you turning the pages. The blend of past and present timelines is flawlessly handled, drawing the reader into an unforgettable narrative that exposes the chilling truth of what happened to Moira all those years ago. It's a gripping read—full of twists, deeply personal stakes, and a resolution that will leave you breathless. Truly, it's that good.
Read more at The Secret Bookreview.
Lots of surprises!!! Twists and turns in every chapter. Characters, plot, story, all of it was captivating! Fantastic!
A police procedural, Her Final Secret (2024) by Paul J. Teague is the fifth book in the Detective Sergeant Hollie Turner series. The death of a former policeman in an amusement park ride is personal for Hollie, as her university friend disappeared from the same annual local fair twenty-five years earlier. As the team investigate, Holly struggles with flashbacks and the dark secrets of long-ago crimes that are somehow connected to the present day. This was a standalone read with no previous knowledge of the prior books and was nonetheless an enjoyable police procedural with a three stars rating. With thanks to Storm Publishing for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.
I really enjoy this ever improving series with DI Hollie Turner as the main character. This was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster as we discover more of Hollie's background and past events come back to haunt her. The characterisation is very believable and the plot is very well crafted with scenes from 1999 and the present day expertly woven. I was glued to the book from the beginning right until the end. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
The past collides with DI Hollie Turner when she is called to a murder of retired police superintendent.
Twenty-five years ago while in college, Hollie’s best friend disappeared at the Hull Fair. The same place where she is investigating the new murder.
A suspenseful thriller that ties the present day to that terrible day so long ago. As others involved from that day so long ago are found dead, Hollie is hopeful that she will finally learn what happened to her friend and why. Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an early copy. This review is my honest opinion.
The fifth in the series, Hollie is now fairly settled in her role as DI in Hull. This book is written over 2 timeperiods, the present and also in the 90s when Hollie and her friend Moira were at university together. Moira disappears during the autumn Hull fair, now after all these years, the body of a man is found in a fairground ride. Is there a connection with Moira's disappearance ? The investigation intends to find out. There are trigger warnings for this book, mostly concerning (sexual) child abuse . Hollie is driven by the need to find out what happened to her friend who had confided in her just before she went missing. This book is, understandably, mostly about the investigation but also about Hollie's life as a young student, rather than in the present day. There are a couple of twists in the plot and it is mostly a slow burn rather than action packed. It did keep my interest and I liked finding out more about Hollie's background.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC
Another great police procedural set in the UK. The past and present intertwine in the fast paced thriller. When a body is discovered at the fairgrounds, Hollie is determined to find the truth. Could the case of her missing friend be tied to this current case? Packed with twists.
I loved this book so much ! You better believe I went and ordered every single book in the series after finishing it ! Grabbed me from the very start
Firstly thank you to Storm publishing for the arc. I found this book a little slow and changing of names a bit confusing. However if you like twisty books with suspense thrown in then I’m sure you will enjoy Hollie’s story.
I had read this book as a standalone book, unaware that it was a book in a five book series. That being said, I think I missed out on some contacts and some background info that would’ve helped me understand more in this book that I just read. Other than that, it was a psychologically, thrilling book with lots of twists, and turns. It had a good fast pace.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
First book by this author. Overall, it was ok. Realistic characters with a solid plot. Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley.
I think this is the best of the five Hollie Turner books. The author really builds on Hollie's character whilst also allowing the other characters to play a bigger role in the narrative. The story is gripping and exciting. It deals well with the very difficult topic of historical abuse of children in care. I hope there are many more Hollie Turner books to come.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
If you're a fan of psychological thrillers that keep you hooked until the very end, this one is a must-read!
In this gripping thriller, Detective Hollie Turner is drawn into a case that hits disturbingly close to home. When a retired police superintendent is found murdered at Hull Fair, Hollie is forced to confront her own painful past. Twenty-five years earlier, her university friend Moira vanished without a trace at that very same fairground, and now, as Hollie delves deeper into the superintendent's death, buried secrets from that tragic night begin to resurface.
The story expertly intertwines a potential link to historical abuse allegations at a local children's home and the suspicious death of a former care worker, making the stakes even higher. The tension mounts as Hollie unravels a web of lies, cover-ups, and decades-old conspiracies. Can she finally uncover the chilling truth about what really happened to Moira?
This novel is an intense, well-crafted mystery that keeps you on edge, with twists that will leave you questioning everything. If you love dark, suspenseful stories with complex characters and a deep emotional core, this is a must-read!
The annual Hull Fair is always a traumatic time for DI Hollie Turner. A quarter of a century earlier, when they were both students, she and her best friend, were enjoying an evening on the rides when Moira disappeared. Now the body of an ex-cop has been discovered in the same area and, like it or not, Hollie's memories are returning to the surface as she and her team find links between the two cases. As her previous involvement in Moira's disappearance becomes common knowledge, the danger increases and Hollie is determined the sins of the past won't become the failures of the present day.
Book five in this series is a very enjoyable read. The pressure of the case is obvious throughout and I felt the need to read faster and faster even though I also knew how daft that was! Hollie is an interesting main protagonist and her regrets about the past will still be there in future outings I think.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Storm Publishing, but the opinions expressed are my own. I enjoyed this very much and happily recommend it.
Book 5 in the Hollie Turner series, I love that she's a strong and caring character even when facing her own issues.
This is a great plotted story with a mixture of mystery and thriller vibes and plenty of twists,turns, and suspense, which makes this a great addition to the series.
Told in past and present chapters that show how things have changed so much over the years.
I read this in a day it held my attention so much,can be read as a standalone but I recommend you read the first four books because when a series is as good as this one why wouldn't you want to.
Recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.
This book takes us on another journey with the absolute baddie, Hollie Turner. We get a glimpse into Hollie's past and the incident that steered her towards her career with the police. Jumping between 1999 and present day an unforgettable, heartbreaking, thrilling, suspenseful story unfolds. It's good, and I mean REALLY good.
Mr. Teague has quickly become one of my favourite authors. His characters have depth, settings are detailed, storylines are unmatched and his writing style is perfection. Looking forward to seeing where Hollie and the team end up next!
I really wanted to like this book. Maybe I would have liked it more had I read the other books in the series. It’s a very slow burn, not exciting at all, no real thrills for me and the changing of names gets really confusing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.