A brand new author to me - I do like finding a new author. An enjoyable read and would be interested in reading more by this author.

DARK SECRET by Janice Frost is the second in a new series of detective thrillers featuring D.S. Ava Merry and D.I. Jim Neal. Ava Merry is a young policewoman, recently promoted to detective sergeant. She is fitness fanatic with a taste for dangerous relationships. Jim Neal, the boss is a single dad who is totally devoted to his job as well as caring for his son.

The plot is set in the fictional Northern city of Stromford. The characters are well-developed and the story is evenly paced.

This is a super follow-up to Book 1-DEAD SECRET. Be prepared to bite your nails, as the tension mounts.

D.I. Jim Neal and D.S. Ava Merry are called in to investigate a new case; Gray Mitchell’s body is found buried under fresh snowfall in the early hours of the morning outside Stromford Cathedral. The victim has jumped? A possible suicide? Numerous people had motives to kill him, including Mitchell's partner, Leon, a suspect, who had been cheating on Gray.

Then another murder is committed, a young woman, with many secrets, also connected to the cathedral is stabbed to death! The investigation soon reveals an intricate web of secrets connecting the crimes. But there is something the detectives have missed, the dark secret which can break open the case.

In a breathtaking climax, Jim Neal fights for the life of someone very close to him.

A very enjoyable whodunnit murder/mystery.

My thanks to Joffe Books via Net Galley for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this novel, and loved all the twists and turns. Couldn't have wished for a better plot! I hope to read more by this author.

This is a sequel to DEAD SECRET and it hits the mark. It kept me guessing what was going to happen next...and I never got it right. I hope there will be more in this series.