The Secret Room by Jane Casey is book 12 of the Mauve Kerrigan police series and it is a fabulous read. Any readers of the series will be gripped until the end and then will wonder what happens next?
The murder that the team are investigating is long and drawn out, because it isn’t obvious that a crime was committed at first and then who could have committed the crime, when CTV doesn’t show anyone else entering the room, other than hotel staff and the lover who found the victim.
A fascinating police mystery and an insight into relationships, the good, the bad and the failures.
Highly recommended

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After the jaw-dropping cliffhanger in A Stranger in the Family, Jane Casey has asked readers to avoid spoiling the next chapter of Maeve and Josh’s storyline—and for good reason! I’ll say no more and let you discover the surprises as intended. This is the twelfth book in the DS Maeve Kerrigan series, and while it works as a standalone, diving into a few previous instalments will enrich your understanding of the characters’ dynamics.

In this case, Maeve and Josh tackle what seems like an impossible murder. Ilaria Cavendish checks into a luxury London hotel, only to be found dead shortly afterward in a scalding bath by her secret lover. With no signs of anyone else in the room, it looks like an accident—but the evidence suggests otherwise. Meanwhile, Josh finds himself in deep trouble, insisting Maeve stay out of it, putting everything at stake for both of them while unravelling long-held secrets.

Jane Casey once again delivers a gripping and clever addition to the series, with sharp writing, clever twists, and emotional depth that keep readers hooked. The “Will They or Won’t They?” tension between Maeve and Josh remains utterly captivating, adding a personal layer to the suspenseful plot. This is a standout in one of my favourite series—compelling, tense, and impossible to put down!

A intricately detailed plot, more brilliant characters and an atmospheric setting… what’s not to love?
Another brilliant book from Jane Casey!
I really enjoyed this and will be recommending it to my book club.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.

Locked Room Mystery..
The twelfth outing in the Maeve Kerrigan series finds Maeve and Derwent with a locked room mystery on their hands. The location, a luxurious London hotel. What at first appears an accident is anything but - it has to be murder, but how? With a cast of credible and well drawn characters populating a cleverly crafted plot and with a lively narrative this is a worthy addition to this superlative series which shows no signs whatsoever of flagging. Excellent.

I love this series. When a woman is found in a bathtub at a posh hotel, the team needs to find out how and why it was done.
Maeves private life is taking a turn, with lukes friend owen, how will that end? When one of their own is arrested ,they have to know whether they believe this person did it or not . Uncertain times .......
Great read, addictive, highly recommend

This is the first Maeve Kerrigan book I have read and I was worried I would be at a disadvantage reading a book in a series but this was not the case. Casey does a great job at providing the backstory to the characters and I quickly felt like I knew them and their shared history. They are likeable characters too which helped me connect with them.
The investigation plot for this book is great, gruesome, dangerous and full of twists. I was hooked reading this and was sad to finish it. There are also plenty of developments for the other characters and I enjoyed discovering these. This will definitely not be my last Maeve Kerrigan book.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

It’s book 12 of the Maeve Kerrigan mysteries and Jane shows no signs of stopping – which is a bonus for fans. It’s proving to be a tricky case, however: a privileged woman found dead in a bath of scalding water in a hotel room. Though it looks like an accident, signs point to murder despite the teeny tiny fact that no one went out of the room or went in. For Maeve, the case, though brutal, means she can be distracted from the Very Big Problem in her personal life. Quite soon the biggest professional challenge will mingle with a personal challenge. Be prepared for things never being the same again (and we’re not embellishing). It’s such a cleverly conceived plot that shows off both Jane’s skill as a writer and the characters to their best ability.

Maeve and Derwent are back and doing their best to keep their distance. Josh is juggling work with the stress of looking after his sick stepson while Maeve is taking tentative steps to move on and start dating. So it isn't easy for either of them when they are paired together on a tricky murder investigation, a young woman killed in a locked hotel room with no sign of any perpetrator. Things become even complicated when Josh is arrested for an attack on his girlfriend, an attack Maeve is convinced is manufactured. But with even Josh telling her to keep out of the case, evidence mounting against him whilst evidence for the job she is supposed to be investigating remains frustratingly sparse, Maeve finds it difficult to concentrate on her work and even more difficult not to try and clear Josh's name, whether he wants her to or not.
Casey writes good crimes and this book is no exception, but the power in this series comes from the well developed characters, from the will they won't they dance betwen Josh and Maeve, from the long running storylines which play out over several books. The Secret Room is a tense, exciting and twisty installment in the series and a must for all Josh and Maeve fans.

I've just finished reading through the Maeve Kerrigan series from the beginning, the first time I've read them in order, so was in the perfect place for the latest instalment. Casey is great with character: all of the gang are back for a storyline which includes the puzzlingly impossible death of a rich woman in a high end London hotel and Josh Derwent once again getting caught up in an investigation as a suspect rather than a detective. Perhaps inevitably at this point in a series, the crime-solving is less important than the relationships. We want to know what's happening with Maeve and Josh's on/off romance far more than the machinations of a somewhat convoluted murder, and, although I'm usually the last to guess these things, I worked out what was going to happen with the second plot thread almost from the start. Not that I minded - there was plenty to keep me reading and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. No spoilers, but I'm intrigued to see where things go from here...

Wow. This was a ride. Before I even started reading, I was on edge because of the nail-biting epilogue in the previous book. Jane Casey starts this book off at a run and keeps up the suspense right up until the end. I raced through the pages, half wishing I could slow down to draw out the experience, but very much unable to.

I don’t want to say too much in case of spoilers, but I was so pleased to have many of my guesses about what might happen or who did it proved wrong. Jane Casey does like to keep her readers on their toes!

I am so thankful to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the chance to read a DRC of this book. What a wonderful way to start the year.

Utter perfection! This book was everything I wanted and so much more. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better ..... it did! My favorite police book series of all time and my favorite book in the series so far. I can't say much without spoilers and the author has specifically requested that we not reveal any details, so you will just have to take my word and go read it yourself, you won't be disappointed. I'd recommend reading from the start as you really need the background and history (and all the angst) in order for this book to really hit the mark and be as impactful as it is. Find somewhere to read without distractions, you won't want to stop. I walked around with a smile on my face for days after finishing. I have the worst book hangover ever now, and just want to read this one again and again.

i jumped into this series apparently this is book 12 and was able to follow it. A police procedural novel, a rich woman was killed under very unusual circumstances, that case and the case of her boss/romantic interest being accused of domestic abuse are the main cases they are working on. Interesting, well written, strong heroine. I enjoyed it. 4.5

At last – the latest in the DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent series!

At the outset we are introduced to the enigmatic Mrs llaria Cavendish who has a weekly appointment with her lover in a luxurious central London hotel. However, luxury proves to be a feeble protector against an unknown adversary determined on murder!

Not only does Jane Casey provide her readers with more than one intriguing case to solve in this novel; she also focuses more sharply than ever on Maeve and Josh’s reluctant attraction towards each other. But how can he possibly walk away from his girlfriend, Melissa, who has just been brutally attacked in her own home?

The central characters remain funny, sharp and warm as well as proving themselves to be effective detectives, even in the toughest of situations. At the heart of ‘The Secret Room’ is the theme of loyalty and Casey explores it very effectively from many angles.

Those who have taken Kerrigan and Derwent to their hearts will not be disappointed in this latest offering. Grab and devour!

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperFiction, Hemlock Press for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Two mysteries intertwine in The Secret Room, 12th in the outstanding DS Maeve Kerrigan series. A beautiful, wealthy and married woman checks into a luxury hotel. She does this one day a week, always under an assumed name. This week, before her lover is to meet her, the one visitor to her room is the room service attendant who delivers champagne and leaves within minutes. When her lover arrives, she is dead. A perfect locked room mystery for Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent. Then a personal crisis distracts Maeve and forces her to divide her time between two mysteries that will affect her career.

No more said without spoilers. As expected, Jane Casey delivers a mystery/thriller with complicated, familiar characters, the locked room setting and a complex plot. I will read anything Jane Casey writes. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and Jane Casey for this ARC.

Another absolutely sensational novel by the author!!

This is book #12 in the DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent series.
2:32 p.m. Wealthy, privileged Ilaria Cavendish checks into a luxury London hotel and orders a bottle of champagne. Within the hour, her lover discovers her submerged in a bath of scalding water, dead.
Initially, it looks like an accident, as no one went in with her and she was completely alone but when Maeve attends the scene, the clues point to murder.

Readers of this series are already familiar with the investigative duo and this one involved some shocking news for DI Josh Derwent, making the novel all the more interesting for both him and DS Kerrigan.
I love this series as from the very opening it plunges you into the action and keeps you flying through the pages. I can't say more, save for spoilers, but I think this is almost my favourite in the series, right up there with the Close. Definitely one I highly recommend.

While I think you could jump into the series at any time, like any good series, they are best read in order.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollinsUK, HarperFiction for this gifted review copy.

This is such a difficult book to review as to describe any of the plot would give away too much so I’m going to say nothing about what actually happens. What I will say is that it’s yet another of this series which grabbed me from page 1 and held me throughout – I raced through to the end to find out what happened and it didn’t disappoint. The Maeve Kerrigan series is one of the best of the genre and somehow they just keep getting better, with such well established and entirely believable characters who can somehow occasionally drive you mad but still keep you rooting for them throughout. Jane Casey is a master at what she does so don’t miss this one but if you haven’t read the rest of the series it’s absolutely worth treating yourself and going back to the start.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

After the cliffhanger at the end of the last book I was delighted to be approved for an ARC and I'm even more pleased now that I've read it. A brilliant book, full of twists and turns and surprises, two great mysteries to unravel and of course the continuing will they/wont they storyline.
I'd give this 7 stars if I could. Already my book of 2035 and I doubt if anything will beat it - unless it's the next instalment.

I hadn't realised this was part of a series but was quite easy to get into.
Clever writing from this wonderful author.
Well written characters and an engaging storyline.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

I was absolutely THRILLED to be approved for an ARC of this book from Netgalley. This book is number 12 in the Detective Maeve Kerrigan series and I'm obsessed with the relationship between Maeve and Josh.
This book doesn't disappoint. There's a clever plot with a difficult murder to solve. Beautiful and wealthy Ilaria Cavendish is brutally killed in a luxury London hotel and it's up to Maeve and Josh to figure out who did it. Josh also has something very serious going on in private life and warns Maeve to stay away but will she listen?
I read this book in two days, utterly unputdownable and already I can't wait until the next! One of the best of this series so far for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was provided to me by Harper Collins and Net Gally in exchange for an honest review.
I have been a huge fan of Jane Casey's writing for years now. She is the author I recommend more than anyone else no matter the genre of books people enjoy.
I was honestly unsure what to expect from The Secret Room as it is the 12th book in the series and I find sometimes series this long feel stretched out. Jane has an amazing way of keeping you engrossed from the very first page. Through our the book whenever I thought I had it all figured out there was a littl twist that changed everything.
With the smooth writing and amazing characters that you cannot help but love even through there are times they make you want to scream or strangle them. This book is a must read.

Unlike the early books in the series the thriller is less dark, I would put the crime at similar level as the last book in the series before that.

Jane Casey connects with her authors she not only brings characters we all can't help but love to live but adds pieces of herself which makes it impossible not to want more of her writing both in this seri s as well as stand alone.