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    A Fatal Secret
    A Fatal Secret
    A Fatal Secret
    Audiobook8 hours

    A Fatal Secret

    Written by Faith Martin

    Narrated by Stephanie Racine

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Don’t miss Faith Martin’s fiendishly clever new novel, Murder by Candlelight, set in the 1920s and described as ‘the perfect village mystery’ by J.M. Hall

    ‘The pairing of Ryder and Loveday is a stroke of genius.’ Clare Chase, author of the Eve Mallow and Tara Thorpe mysteries

    Oxford, 1961. A family day out at Briar’s Hall ends in tragedy when a young boy goes missing – and his body is found at the bottom of a disused well in the orchard.

    It looks like a simple case of an eleven-year-old exploring where he shouldn’t: a tragic accident. But Coroner Clement Ryder and Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday aren’t convinced. If Eddie had been climbing and fallen, why were there no cuts or dirt on his hands? Why would a boy terrified of heights be around a well at all?

    Clement and Trudy are determined to get to the truth, but the more they dig into Briar’s Hall and the mysterious de Lacey family who live there, the murkier things become.

    Could it be that poor Eddie’s death was murder? There are rumours of blackmail in the village, and Clement and Trudy have a horrible feeling that Eddie stumbled on a secret that someone was willing to kill for…

    Fans of Richard Osman, Agatha Christie and Faith Martin’s DI Hillary Greene series will not want to miss this!

    ‘Absolutely loved it… The characters were some of the best I’ve read in a long time.’ Angela Marsons, no. 1 bestselling author of the Kim Stone series Readers LOVE A Fatal Secret!

    ‘Absolutely perfect! This is the book I have been craving since I last read the Thursday Murder Club series!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    ‘Very entertaining… Full of red herrings, plot twists and turns. I thought I knew who was the killer but I was wrong.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    'Have become an addict of Faith Martin – love her novels.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    'This author's books are soothing to the soul. Her characters are likable, and the plots always keep me guessing. Excellent fun.'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    ‘A brilliant book! This is Faith Martin at her scintillating best!… A cracking good read… Highly recommend this book and I give it a delighted 5 stars!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    ‘Gripping suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat. I was hooked from page one.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    ‘Great plot, excellent main characters and I read it in one sitting! I would highly recommend this book.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    ‘Gripping… Crime-busting nostalgia at its very best.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    The Ryder and Loveday Series
    Book 1: A FATAL OBSESSION
    Book 2: A FATAL MISTAKE
    Book 3: A FATAL FLAW
    Book 4: A FATAL SECRET
    Book 5: A FATAL TRUTH
    Book 6: A FATAL AFFAIR
    Book 7: A FATAL NIGHT
    Book 8: A FATAL END

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateNov 14, 2019
    ISBN9780008371463
    A Fatal Secret

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    Reviews for A Fatal Secret

    4/5

    36 ratings4 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Read the books in order to watch the development of the relationship between the coroner, Ryder, and policewoman Loveday. The mysteries are also very good.
    • 3/5
      A boy has died at Briar Hall and the coroner records a verdict of accidental misadventure as as the cause. This of verdict doesn't really explain what happened and when the coroner is approached by the Lord of the Manor, at the behest of the boys family, to look closer at the death, Dr Ryder and WPC Loveday have a new case on their hands. They quickly discover that the family at Briar Hall have lots of secrets that they want to keep secret. But how does this explain the boy's death?Together they question everyone they can think of to question but all to no avail as they are told in no uncertain terms that the investigation is to be closed. Only then does the truth reveal itself.Over shadowing the investigation is Dr Ryder's Parkinson's disease and Trudy Loveday's growing suspicion that there is something wrong with the doctor.Unfortunately the ending, abrupt as it was, was too drawn out by inserting reminiscing in the middle of action. The climactic action should be allowed flow freely and not interrupted. It's so annoying when this happens.
    • 4/5
      April 1961 and the police are called out to Briar's Hall. An Easter Hunt in the grounds for the local children has resulted in one boy - Eddie Proctor - gone missing. Unfortunately his body is discovered. His father unhappy with the Coroner's verdict asks the Squire to intervene, resulting in Dr Clement Ryder and probationary WPC Trudy Loveday investigating. What secrets with they uncover, but what about the personal lives of Ryder and Loveday.
      The book is easily read as a standalone story but I would recommend the whole series.
      Another enjoyable well-written mystery in this delightful series, with its very likeable main two characters.
      A NetGalley Book
    • 4/5
      England, murder-investigation, law-enforcement I'm sure that my lukewarm response to this book is mostly due to my aversion to first degree murder of a child disguised as an accident. I just couldn't seem to get as interested in either the plot or the characters this time. I haven't read the earlier books in the series, but that wasn't the problem as there was good referencing so that the reader is not left adrift. I requested and received a free ebook copy from HQ Digital via NetGalley.