Superb installment in the Maeve Kerrigan series. The highest highs and the lowest lows for Maeve as she works towards the resolution of her conflicted personal relationship with Josh and a tough to crack murder mystery. It is series of a very believable next steps for all the regualr characters in the series. Those who love Maeve and Josh will be thrilled with the both the mystery and the romance!

Here comes the 12th book in the Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey, and it has it all. In "The Secret Room", we follow our favorite detectives as they hunt for the truth and justice through the streets of London, working to solve a new thrilling case, which is a modernized take on the classic locked-room mystery.

Maeve is brilliant as always, and the pacing, as well as the multiple twists and turns, won’t let you put the book down (so beware of a potential all-nighter!). All things considered, I count this book among my top three in the Maeve Kerrigan series.

A huge thank you to Jane Casey and NetGalley for making this book available as an ARC before its official release. It is greatly appreciated because we all know how hard it is to wait for the next book in a favorite series. I honestly couldn’t imagine having to hold out for a few more months—especially after that ending in "A Stranger in the Family"!

Well! This is outstanding, an absolute must-read for fans of the series and of Maeve, and has a murder I'd never have guessed the solution to. I've loved Jane Casey's writing for a while now, and this is tense and twisty. It's difficult to review without spoilers, but the whole way through I kept thinking I could see where things were going in various plotlines, only to be surprised at the actual resolution every single time. I'm going to be thinking about it for quite a while, and lets face it I'm probably going to go straight back and read the whole thing all over again.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Fabulous it is wonderful to be back with Meave and Josh again! Another thrilling book from Jane Casey, Endless drama mixed with emotional and appropriate challenges of the heart and head. Many thanks for access.

Thrilling and suspenseful, enjoyable to read and satisfying. I loved this book, it offers so many answers. The main and secondary characters are well characterized and there are two very well developed plots. I would only recommend reading at least the previous two volumes: the fun will be guaranteed.

DS Maeve Kerrigan is back! Book 12 in the series opens in an upscale London hotel, where a man finds his lover submerged in scalding hot water in the bath. It looks accidental but she has definitely been murdered. The problem is no one entered the room with enough time complete the murder. This tricky case is a good distraction for Maeve, especially as she worries about DI Josh Derwent. But even this case isn't enough to distract Maeve when Josh finds himself in a serious situation. He doesn't want Maeve to be involved, but she's determined to do everything she can to help. But will this help be detrimental?

While you could read this as a stand alone, I really suggest you don't. Each book in the series can be read as a stand alone but the relationships between characters, in particular Maeve and Josh, are built over the entire series and are really important to each book. And while a lot of the time the murder storyline is the focal point of the book, in this one it shares top billing with the Josh storyline and his problem. So I think if you go into it cold without reading any of the previous books, it could be a disappointment.

For those of you who are big time fans of this series, I don't think you'll be disappointed! I was hooked from the get go, just wanting to read this whenever I had a the chance to book up the book. I enjoyed the murder mystery element of it and how all that came together but more importantly, I enjoyed the Maeve and Josh storyline! No spoilers but I cannot wait to discuss this with others who have read it!

Okay. Alright. I had to do a few laps around my house after finishing this one, and I'm not even kidding.

The Secret Room is the 12th instalment of Maeve Kerrigan series and, while we've come so far, Jane Casey has no intention of slowing down. If anything, she stepped on the gas pedal and flung us straight over the drawbridge!

After #11 'A Stranger in the Family' ends with a (frankly) devious cliffhanger, we're dropping in again to find Maeve trying to solve the murder case of Ilaria Cavendish, a rich interior designer who enters a hotel room and dies without anyone going in or out. It is a very intriguing locked room mystery! Our detectives have to deal with this head-scratcher on top of shocking developments in Josh's personal life.

It was a rollercoaster from start to finish. From the murder case, to the events in Maeve and Josh's personal lives. Our favorite detectives are going through it, you guys, and I was just itching to give them a hug throughout the novel. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I carried my kindle everywhere with me so I could spend every single spare minute reading.

For those new to this series, the main mystery in this novel (as in every previous instalment!) can be enjoyed even by first time readers without missing anything, and if the mystery plot is all you're here for, by all means dig right in. It's a juicy one!

But if you appreciate the plots involving main characters' personal lives mixed in with your mystery, I warmly recommend starting from the beginning because it's really worth it to see Maeve grow from the only woman DC on the team and all the insecurities that came with it, into Detective Sargent Kerrigan. And not to mention the will-they-won't-they romance between Josh and Maeve that starts from dislike and grows into grudging respect and then...and then!

This novel ends with another bombshell development that had me experiencing a full spectrum of emotions I wasn't prepared for on a Sunday morning. I simply can't recommend this novel enough!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy!

I have not read any in this series before but I am hooked! Compelling and clever writing which makes you struggle to put this book down. I found it easy to understand the characters history and live the relationships featured in this thriller

Such a huge fan of the Maeve Kerrigan series and this one did not disappoint. A locked room mystery and something special for the long-term fans of the series which didn't take from the strong and sometimes painfully individual of Maeve! Just a fab read, so well balanced.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this-probably the most exciting I’ve received so far as i’ve been really looking forward to the next installement of this series, given the cliff-hanger of the last book. It’s so difficult to write this review without giving away any spoilers BUT I will say it had so much going on with several sub-plots. I’m someone who often reads for the characters over the plot but I really, really enjoy both in this series.

OMG!!!!!!!! I am without words right now, the only thing I can do is stare blankly at the wall feeling dizzy. I read this book in one sitting, and I was holding my breath until the very ending, jane Casey did it again and wrote another masterpiece that will be living rent free in mind until the next book. The way Jane Casey is able to surprise me book after book is unmatched and refreshing. I think that after some amount of reading you start to get a little more “tough” and “seasoned” in the way that being really surprised with something new gets more rare with time,specially considering the times we are living in. But at same time the joy you find when you discover and immerse yourself in a really good book ( in these case fortunately a reasonable quantity of books) is unmatched, in my mind it’s similar to find a treasure or the sensation you have when you find THAT piece of clothing thrifting, that’s so unique and exactly what you were searching for-or most of the times better than anything you could even imagine yourself- and every time you use that piece you feel the same joy you felt the day you found it, you actually treasure and appreciate it every single time, because in a way the the thrill of the hunt of finding it hidden among tons of rubbish make it even more special. I think this analogy explains really well my relation with the Maeve Kerrigan series, since the first book that I read I was really hooked and the more I read into the series more I treasured it like my favorite thrift finds. I went in without much expectation and find myself surprised and obsessed in away that no book had made me feel in the last few years. And to finish my ramble: joshmaeve are E V E R Y T H I N G!!!

The Secret Room is book 12 of the Maeve Kerrigan police procedural series. This is my first one, but I will be going back and reading more as well as other Jane Casey books. I’m not sure how I have missed these, but won’t make that mistake again. And I’m really hoping someone is picking these up as a series that will end up on BritBox or PBS. But a UK version, please don’t let Hollywood get hold of it.

This book drew me in from the beginning and was a page turner. I don’t read that many police procedurals, but really enjoyed this one. I like the characters of Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent. This was very well done, there were glimpses of a backstory which I am sure would add much more for the reader, but what was given was enough for me to not feel lost in this story. But it definitely peaked my interest to get the full story of these characters and others in the department.

It was a very good mystery and quite gripping from the beginning. I read a lot of mysteries, and can sometimes figure out who did it. But this one had me baffled until the very end, There was also a major part of the story devoted to Derwent and what he’s going through in his personal and professional life. You know that Maeve has feelings for him, and is trying to help him out of this situation. And Derwent does not want her involved in any way. But you need to read it as I don’t believe in giving spoilers.

Strong 4 ⭐️
#TheSecretRoom
#NetGalley
#HarperCollins

I was privileged to read the next instalment of Josh & Maeve police detective series. I had been looking out for when it would be published. Only found this author last year and love Jane’s writing. Wonderful British whodunit with a love will they or won’t they suspense on the side. The author makes you forget they are not real people and you are fully invested in their lives. For most of the book I wasn’t disappointed, did want to bang their heads together a few times as you truly believe they should be together. Lots of twists and turns throughout and kept you guessing to the end. I enjoyed most of the book, but sorry to say the last couple of chapters seemed like an afterthought on the outcome of who was the murderer. Just a bit disappointed at the end with the storyline.

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

Another great read from this author. Possibly the best novel to date and neatly develops from previous stories. Highly recommended.

It's always a good day when a new Jane Casey book becomes available. And this is a very good day. I can't express how much I enjoyed this book, how much sleep I lost out on, without giving spoilers. I want to tell you everything that happens but I can't. All I can say is that if you're a fan of the Maeve Kerrigan series, you will NOT be disappointed. If you haven't started this series yet, you have until April to catch up.

I'm always so delighted when a new Maeve Kerrigan novel comes out, and this one doesn't disappoint. There's a satisfying locked room-style case to solve, which takes something of a backseat temporarily to a precarious legal situation that Maeve has to help Josh with, and of course there's the ongoing will they, won't they romance between Maeve and Josh that, despite being a side plot in a police procedural series, is still more satisfying than most of the romance novels I've laid my hands on in recent years. Love this series and can't wait to see where it goes next.

Jane Casey never disappoints. The Secret Room is such a clever blend; it develops the story of the Maeve/Josh police partnership, both characters continue to grow and change as individuals and this side story has a life of its own. I remain invested in wanting to know more about them as people and every book adds further depth to their character and interactions. Casey doesn’t allow this aspect to overshadow the main plot and in this case, she’s at the top of her game and then some. A very clever and skilfully plotted murder mystery around what at first sight appears to be an impossible scenario.

Casey creates people who feel real. In this case some are rich and privileged, and totally believable. In the course of the investigation…no detail here as it’s complex and I don’t want any plot spoilers, she explores sensitive themes including abuse, control and failings in the Met. It’s richly detailed, twisty and packed with surprises. Fast paced and oh so beautifully executed. A masterclass in murder mystery writing. Loved it.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was very much a book of two halves: on the one hand the case Maeve and Josh were investigating and on the other a compelling and suspenseful strand, which I won't touch on for fear of revealing a spoiler. The actual case appeared at first to be an impossible crime - a woman was murdered in a hotel room, but there was no time for it to have happened. The prologue was great and then there were twists and turns and a slightly convoluted solution.

Highly recommended - even more so if you have read the others in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for ARC.

To call this hotly anticipated might be an understatement, and the ARC went to the top of my virtual TBR pile.
Metropolitan Police DS Maeve Kerrigan is called to investigate a murder in a swanky discreet London hotel. A glamorous rich woman dies during her regular visit; at first and second look it seems impossible.
As always, Maeve is struggling with her feelings for the enigmatic and infuriating DI Josh Derwent, who has made it perfectly clear that they have no future. He has domestic concerns of his own with his found family. When Maeve's dad calls to explain Derwent in trouble, Kerrigan realises she will go to any lengths to help her friend and mentor, regardless of the impossibility of romance. To say more about the plot threatens spoilers. For me the main police procedural plot relied a wee bit too much on sudden flashes of inspiration by the investigative team, and another subplot was rather obvious from the outset, but that has been skilfully set up over several books, some of which I've reread recently, so I might have had an advantage there.
This is a tense thriller with lots of forensic detail and some awful themes of intimate partner violence, mental illness and abuse. The reputation of London's Met Police isn't glossed over, and the limits of the justice system are never shied away from. There are also some insufferably rich, entitled people. As always the investigative team that Kerrigan and Derwent work with are well drawn and plausible, and unusually the forensic pathologist isn't a total cliche.
It is perfectly possible to read this as a standalone, but if you don't know this series, it might be worth starting from the beginning - you will probably want to when you come to the end. And what an ending - which has left me impatient for the next phase of Kerrigan's life!