This is a great series and I have enjoyed them all.They seem to get better and better. Jane crafts a terrific plot and also manages to bring to life all the individual characters; a team that like and respect each other, headed by Josh Derwent and Maeve Kerrigan. They have an extra dimension, developed throughout the series.
The investigation is a locked room mystery that seems impossible to solve but follows procedural lines. It is well written and tense enough to not want to put it down! There is romance too as Maeve and Josh fight their attraction to each other. Definitely 5* from me.

The Secret Room Jane Casey
4 stars

The best Maeve Kerrigan yet!

I have only read 3 books in this series but am planning to try and read them all. However this book is fine to read even if you have not read previous books as each story is new.

In this case Maeve and her colleagues are sent to investigate a murder in a hotel room. A woman, Ilaria Cavendish, has been found dead by her lover , Sam Blundell, in a bathtub of scalding hot water . Ilaria is married to a very rich man and has been meeting up once a week with Sam. When he arrives he finds her already dead but according to the hotel's CCTV no-one else could have committed this crime as no-one had been in the room before Sam arrives.

One of the clues is in the title of the book but the way the story unfolds is mainly down to Maeve's incredible detective skills as she discovers things that everyone else has missed. Interwoven with the story is the relationship between Maeve and her colleague Josh Derwent,. They are obviously in love but Josh cannot leave his girlfriend Melissa, because she has threatened him with no access to her son Thomas and Josh loves him like he was his own son.

I loved this book but cannot go into any more details as this would spoil the book for other readers. All I would say is if you a fan of this series or even if you have never read any of them do so soon, you will not be disappointed! .

Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net Galley

I dont want to spoil this for anyone but if you like fast paced police proceduals, romance and mystery then this is the book for you! I loved it and cant wait for the next instalment @thesecretroom@netgalley

This is such a great series featuring Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent, I can't believe we are on book 12. I absolutely love the cast of characters, especially Josh, they are all beginning to feel like members of my family! The plotting is spot on with this latest suspense filled read, as the team investigate a murder. The writing is so compelling and tense right to the end. I can't write any more for fear of spoilers but it is safe to say that this is an easy 5* read which I highly recommend!

Once again jane done it.

What a read.

Can't wait for more by this author.truly love her books.

This is what Maeve and Josh fans have been waiting for. I want to avoid spoilers, so I’ll just say that it’s been worth the wait. Jane Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan series is now amongst the best quality crime writing available.

The focus of the book is on the will-they-won’t-they between Maeve and Josh and clearly one for fans of the couple. I love the series but feel uncomfortable with the way Josh glares and glowers if Maeve speaks to any guy and the storming off and unadult way they both have of treating their relationship.
Though the investigation of the dead interior designer found in a bath in a posh hotel is secondary, this was my favourite part of the book with an intriguing mystery that felt strong. There’s a second mystery that ties into the Maeve and Josh drama and it felt a bit of a stretch for me to turn a character’s story around from previous books. It was still an enjoyable read but would love a return to the series being a crime with a bit of romance rather than romance with a bit of crime.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

DS Maeve Kerrigan is back alongside DI Josh Derwent who has been struggling with a difficult situation. They are investigating the murder of privileged Ilaria Cavendish who is found in a bath full of boiling water. Soon disaster strikes and it is down to Maeve to help.

I was a latecomer to the Maeve Kerrigan series, having only read my first instalment last year and I realised then what a mistake I had made! This latest book is another superb addition to this wonderful collection. What is great about this series is the character’s and the authenticity of the relationships between one another. I felt connected to them and invested almost straight away in the last book and I was so happy to pick straight back up again in The Secret Room; it felt at though I was revisiting friends.

The police procedural element of this book is also strong and clever, with an element of the impossible locked room mystery. I was interested to see where it would go and loved solving the little clues along the way, while discovering all the twists and turns. The romantic element works so well here and the will they won’t they; my emotions where all over the place. The ending left me very satisfied! After finishing I need more already from this addictive series and I will
most certainly be recommending! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

The Secret Room has a big secret that absolutely cannot be spoiled so I don’t want to say too much but this is a nice continuation of the Maeve Kerrigan series, even if I did find her quite annoying as a protagonist in places.

This is the latest book in the DS Maeve Kerrigan series.
A body is discovered in a luxury London hotel and Maeve and her team are put on the case.
Wealthy Ilaria Cavendish is submerged in a bath of scalding water. Initially it looks like it might be an accident as no one appears to have gone into the room with her. It's a tricky case requiring all of Maeve's skills to resolve.
There's an excellent side story regarding a child, but I don't want give any spoilers on this.
Finally we have the 'will they, won't they' romance between Maeve and Josh Derwent. I must confess that I skipped through this towards the end of the book, just reading enough to see where they landed this time!

The Secret Room by Jane Casey

A closed door. An impossible murder.

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.At first glance it looks like an accident. No one went in with her. No one came out. But all the signs point to murder.

For DS Maeve Kerrigan, the case is a welcome distraction. But when shock news hits close to home, affecting her partner, DI Josh Derwent, she faces the toughest challenge of her career. And if she fails her world will never be the same again…

There’s an extra secretive element to this twelfth book in the DS Maeve Kerrigan series. In her afterword Jane begs readers not to reveal aspects of the novel for those who have yet to read it, in fact for those people who have only just discovered this addictive mix of murder investigation and ‘will they - won’t they’ love story. So I’m trying my best to keep it to myself while telling you all what a great read this. The murder at hand is a tricky one and will probably remain in my brain forever after reading that when the victim’s lover tries to pull her from the bath her scalp comes away. She has, rather disturbingly, been boiled like a lobster. However it isn’t the water or the heat that has killed her, Illaria has been strangled with a cord then dragged into the bath. The fact that she was meeting her lover and had the room booked for exactly the same time every Wednesday is an interesting little detail. Sometimes they only use it for a few hours but it is always booked, exactly the same. These are the actions of someone wealthy and it’s no surprise to find she has a rich husband. Angus is incredibly frank when interviewed; he loved his wife and wanted her to be happy and she wanted Sam. They had met at a glitzy dinner and Angus reveals that when he saw them talking together he knew, it was a coup de foudre, when love hits instantly like a bolt of lightning. Ilaria had a great life, filled with travel, events and a little interior design business with her friend that Angus funds too. They seem to be going nowhere when Maeve has a sudden lightbulb moment leading to a discovery. 

There’s an extra secretive element to this twelfth book in the DS Maeve Kerrigan series. In her afterword Jane begs readers not to reveal aspects of the novel for those who have yet to read it, in fact for those people who have only just discovered this addictive mix of murder investigation and ‘will they - won’t they’ love story. So I’m trying my best to keep it to myself while telling you all what a great read this. The murder at hand is a tricky one and will probably remain in my brain forever after reading that when the victim’s lover tries to pull her from the bath her scalp comes away. She has, rather disturbingly, been boiled like a lobster. However it isn’t the water or the heat that has killed her, Illaria has been strangled with a cord then dragged into the bath. The fact that she was meeting her lover and had the room booked for exactly the same time every Wednesday is an interesting little detail. Sometimes they only use it for a few hours but it is always booked, exactly the same. These are the actions of someone wealthy and it’s no surprise to find she has a rich husband. Angus is incredibly frank when interviewed; he loved his wife and wanted her to be happy and she wanted Sam. They had met at a glitzy dinner and Angus reveals that when he saw them talking together he knew, it was a coup de foudre, when love hits instantly like a bolt of lightning. Ilaria had a great life, filled with travel, events and a little interior design business with her friend that Angus funds too. They seem to be going nowhere when Maeve has a sudden lightbulb moment leading to a discovery. 

Aside from this case and arguably being the most compelling part of the novel is the drama surrounding DI Josh Derwent. Josh has been living with psychotherapist girlfriend Melissa and her son Thomas for a while now, much to Maeve’s sorrow. Melissa is due to pick Thomas up from school, when she gets a phone call from a distressed patient. Knowing she has to see them and needing someone to collect and keep Thomas for a few hours, Josh calls Maeve’s parents. They’ve been like grandparents to the little boy who hasn’t been well of late. Hours later when they return Thomas, Maeve’s father runs into a panicked young girl on the driveway, screaming that Melissa has been hurt. Melissa is at the bottom of the stairs, motionless and covered in bruises as if she’s been beaten badly. As she’s rushed to hospital and the police arrive, so does Josh and quickly finds himself arrested for the attack. When Maeve arrives Josh tells her to stay out of it, walk away and don’t get involved. However, readers of the series know that this is something Maeve simply can’t do. Despite Derwent’s disapproval she has to find a way of clearing his name, because she knows he isn’t capable of this. 

I have to be honest and admit I was so caught up in the Melissa/Derwent storyline that there were points when I forgot about the other case. It was more psychologically complex and of course had the added weight of caring about these characters over eleven previous books. I couldn’t believe the suspicions I had about it and I was desperately hoping Maeve would come to the same conclusion, if she didn’t get herself suspended for meddling first. When the book went back to Ilaria’s murder I found myself going ‘oh yes, where were we’. Having said that it’s a cracking case in it’s own right with a seemingly impossible premise. With the only people seen on CCTV of the corridor being a chambermaid and the man who delivered the room service champagne, but he wasn’t in there long enough to murder anyone. When he’s found dead on a building site, it looks very much like someone is covering their tracks. On the face of it Ilaria’s life seemed perfect, so why was she sneaking around? Was it really love or was something else going on? 

I whipped through the final chapters in an afternoon to find out and to see what would happen with Melissa, who I was beginning to hate! I loved the little vignettes of normal life in between, especially with the men in the book. Derwent’s eldest son Luke and Thomas have a lovely growing relationship and with Maeve’s nurturing and loving parents he had a great stand-in gran and grandad. It was interesting to see how Melissa’s ex-husband and Derwent were with each other too. Through Luke, Maeve was introduced to a decent man called Owen and their dates were going well. It was nice to see her being treated with kindness and consistency. This was an addictive read from an author who knows exactly when to leave the reader hanging and when to deliver heart-stopping action sequences - the suspicious man at the front desk of the police station had my pulse racing. I’m interested in where she takes DS Kerrigan next and I’ll definitely be queueing up for my copy.

Unfortunately I didn’t finish this book. I found as the series progresses the stories have become more about Maeve and Josh having a relationship than the actual crimes. I never read romance novels so I’m disappointed that this series has headed that direction.

This is an excellent book and much awaited next in the series after the gripping wait from the last one. The Secret Room starts with the characters we have grown to love and features the tortuous and often difficult relationship between detectives Josh and Maeve.

In this book we see more of the other characters and how they interact to build the tension in the book. I loved the role Luke, adult son of Josh, plays in the storyline and how he becomes a larger part of the future of his wider family.

As always, the plot is so well written and as a reader you need to be looking out for small details that appear insignificant but on closer inspection are the ones that ultimately help solve the case. In this instance a murder in a hotel room, which seems impossible, runs alongside a huge personal story for Josh. I won’t give away this detail so as not to give any spoilers, but it is a huge part of the story.

The ending is really unexpected and the solving of the murder using the small details which could easily have been missed runs concurrently with the climax of the story about Josh in his personal life. A must read and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Maeve Kerrigan series reaches book number 12 with The Secret Room which is another highly enjoyable police procedural from Jane Casey.

The main storyline is a take on a locked room mystery and is good on its own, however, the star of the show is the secondary or supporting storyline that definitely drives the book on and keeps the pages turning.

To reach a twelfth book without any fall off in quality is a great achievement and The Secret Room achieves this and more.

Definitely recommended

I absolutely have loved the Meave Kerrigan and Josh series!! And this book was no different! It was thrilling to the end and definitely did not disappoint! Jane Casey sure knows how to tell a story! Hopefully she won’t keep us long waiting for the next installment!!

Ok, I will admit I'm now much more invested in the Maeve and Josh storyline than any of the crimes happening in this series now! This book certainly delivers on that front! Plus the murder itself is a locked room mystery which kept me guessing until the end.

I really enjoyed this book and am definitely looking forward to the next in the Maeve Kerrigan series. Given I joined this series part way through I'm now going to read the first few books to get fully up to date on it.

I was really impressed with Jane’s standalone novel The Killing Kind from 2021, which was one of my top crime novels of that year, and I have regularly dipped into and enjoyed the books in her Maeve Kerrigan series. The Secret Room is the twelfth book in the series.

The previous book, A Stranger In The Family, concluded with a cliff hanger ending, but before dealing with that Jane neatly sets up the main crime at the centre of The Secret Room. At 2.32pm on a Wednesday afternoon, 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. At first glance it looks like an accident. No one went in with her. No one came out. But all the signs point to murder.

For DS Maeve Kerrigan, the case is a challenge and a welcome distraction. With no obvious suspects and no clue as to how the murder was committed, Maeve struggles with what avenues to pursue, but soon her attention is further diverted by another crime impacting her close colleague DI Josh Derwent.

The crimes at the centre of The Secret Room are well thought out and captivating, and it is good to watch Maeve skilfully work her way through both of them. There are several twists and shocks, and the outcomes for both crimes came as a surprise to me. There is also good tension generated by the second crime involving Derwent.

The characters are well drawn and the relationships between the various members of Maeve’s team are convincing. An interesting new character in the form of detective Roz Fuller adds some bite to the story and it would be good to see her again. Those who have read the earlier books in the series, will not be surprised that a lot of attention is paid to Maeve’s waxing and waning personal relationships and her feelings. This does slow the pace at times, and on a couple of occasions I found it to be a bit tiresome. I suspect, however, that others will be more interested in this aspect of the book than me.

Overall, I found The Secret Room to be a really enjoyable read. The police aspects are well handled, and the book really does build to an unexpected and satisfying ending. Highly recommended, especially for regular readers of the series.

Illaria Cavendish checks into a luxury hotel and shortly after, her secret lover finds her dead in a bath full of scalding hot water. All signs point to murder but how could that be possible when no one entered or left the room!

A fab locked room murder mystery case intertwined with the drama following "that phone call" at the end of the last book, Maeve is being pulled in all directions and is struggling with everyone in her life telling her to walk away from the drama.

This book was really unputdownable!
While all books in the Maeve Kerrigan series work as standalones, this is one that you won't fully appreciate if you haven't experienced the build up from previous books regarding the Maeve/Derwent saga!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It’s 1am and I should have been asleep hours ago, but I couldn’t put the book down until it was finished. Oh how I love Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent and how their will they, won’t they, dominated this book.
At times frustrating and others amazing, I loved it. The crime that was actually committed was an intriguing one too. The other investigation was a surprise I did not see coming! Ooh how that angered me and how I loathed Melissa.

Thank you so much for the ARC. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book since I finished the last one and will be eagerly awaiting the next.

OH MY GOD, absolutely stunning I lost sleep because I couldn’t stop reading. I’m just about to start it again and savour it this time. Can’t actually say a lot about the book because spoilers. Just read it the first day ours out book a day of work and enjoy. It was really worth waiting for.