Cover Image: Her Secret Past

Her Secret Past

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Her Secret Past is an excellent police procedural thriller that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last.

There are a number of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the book.

The characters are well formed and the backstory was told in a way which added to the overall storyline

Definitely recommended

Was this review helpful?

Excellent read. I love this series. Jessie and Dylan back doing what they do best. Interesting plot that keeps those pages turning. I read this in less than a day, a book you genuinely won’t want to put down. The main plot is great but oh the development of the sub plots and the characters
Cracking stuff!

Was this review helpful?

DI Jessie Blake is back. I absolutely love this series. A double murder, what is the connection between another double murder years ago? This book had me hooked from the first page, so many twists and turns in this story. It lead me down so many wrong paths. Jessie and her team are just not dealing with the double murder, her ex husband is back in town. I read this book in one sitting and finally turned the last in the wee hours. Tapping my kindle faster and faster I just had to know the truth. An original storyline which had me gripped infact another crime thriller par excellence from this author. A MUST READ, highly recommended and I can't wait to read more.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is book #3 in the Detective Jessie Blake series. It can however be read as a standalone book. Beginning with the discovery of the bodies of an elderly couple in their own kitchen, Jessie Blake is given the case. After finding out the couple are in a property dispute with their neighbour, and that the neighbour’s wife, Rachel Ferguson is hiding a big secret, Rachel is moved up to the top of the suspect list by Jessie’s superiors against her better judgement. With Jessie’s past coming back to haunt her, can she find out the truth about Rachel and discover who the killer is?

I love this series of books, particularly due to the Scottish setting. The story feels so authentic that I can hear the Scottish accent reading it out to me! Jessie is a strong character and even with her personal life crashing down around her, she manages to lead the team, keep control and work on the case. There were plenty of characters within the story to view as suspects and there was also lots of red herrings, dead ends and twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout the book. The storyline was well planned and moved at a great pace, holding my interest right through to the last page.

It is a very dark storyline with some even darker issues dealt with by the characters. Mental health issues and domestic abuse are a strong theme throughout the book, but these are all dealt with sensitively and appropriately to the storyline. I love the storyline concerning Jessie’s personal life and with her controlling ex-husband still on the scene I’m hoping that the next book in the series is finally going to put him in his place! I’ve read the previous 2 books and as the series is moving on, the suspense is turning up a notch in each book! Would definitely recommend not just this book, but the whole series!

Was this review helpful?

This is quite a slow burner of a book and seems to take a while to get going. In fact it doesn’t really seem to get really interesting until about half way through, but then it packs in lots of action. A fair detective story but didn’t thrill me I’m afraid.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! I absolutely loved it! Great storyline!

Omg! I can’t believe it that happened to them, must be very awful! That was a really good secrets to keep from them..Those poor elderly couples who was murdered and left alone in the house..

Looking forward to read more books soon....

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy....

Was this review helpful?

Her Secret Past
By Kerry Watts
A completely thrilling and heart-stopping crime thriller.

This was an intense thriller! It definitely keeps you guessing! 'Her Secret Past' was a very well crafted story of not one but two horrific murder crimes, set 30 years apart. I loved seeing how the story unfolded and how all the different characters worked into the story as the plot unfolded. It was very suspenseful and had plenty of twists and turns! So just when I thought I knew what was going on, or had it solved, I was thrown yet another curveball and surprised to learn that I was wrong. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The ending caught me off guard and it was perfect! Although this is the third book in the Detective Inspector Jessie Blake series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it!

I’d like to thank the publisher, Bookouture, #NetGalley, and the author, Kerry Watts for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
Pub Date 22 Jan 2020

Was this review helpful?

DNF at 52%

The premise of the book sounded so good, but it just wasn’t working for me. There were too many story lines that didn’t make sense. At this point in the book, only a few of them had begun to be tied together. I think if I try this series from the first one and then come back, it may make more sense and I might have a different opinion. But not knowing it was a third book in a series threw me off. Even the basic storyline with characters not from previous books in this series was hard to follow.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book so much. It has a really great plot, superb main characters and I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

Two horrific murders years apart. Can DI Jessie Blake and her partner DI Dylan Logan find the link between these two killings before the murderer chooses another victim? Set in atmospheric Perth, Scotland, this fast paced mystery begins as 14 year old Alice Connor and her older boyfriend are arrested for the bludgeoning deaths of her grandparents.

Now in the present day, Jessie and Dylan are called to a murder scene and discover two grandparents, shot to death. They were in a feud with their wealthy neighbors over land use and, during preliminary questioning, neighbor Rachel Ferguson reveals herself to be the now adult Alice Connor. Is this a strange coincidence? Is Tommy Angus, a disinherited son, somehow involved? What about his son Gordon, whose odd behavior always sets him apart? And who are the two women, employees of the Fergusons, who may be overly friendly with their boss?

There are many questions to answer and author Kerry Watts leads you through this psychological thriller to a totally unexpected ending. Well developed characters, a twisting plot with many surprises that treats contemporary issues make Her Secret Past a must read. 5 stars.


Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Watts for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Disturbing thriller with many strands which eventually all come together. Lots of twists and turns before the detectives get to the truth.

Was this review helpful?

A good read. How we use people's past to colour how we see them now. The story is absorbing and the police are human. The characters are interesting. What more could you ask for!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion

Was this review helpful?

wasn't sure to start with as it was set in two different timelines but a couple of chapters in I was hooked and found it a real page turner with strong characterization.

Was this review helpful?

This is the third in a series featuring Detective Inspector Jessie Blake, but it's a first for me. Happily, this one seems to stand on its own well - at least I didn't feel at a disadvantage for not having read the other two. Better still, it's good enough that I won't hesitate to grab the next one.

The prologue is set in 1990, when a man and his wife are brutally murdered - admittedly by their teenage daughter and her older boyfriend. Fast forward to the present, when Jessie and her partner Dylan are called to the scene of another murder on Boxing Day - also a married couple. Confounding matters is that their grandson, the son of their only son, is nonchalantly noshing in the kitchen amid the bodies and a ton of blood. Needless to say, he's a suspect, but there's no evidence that he's actually involved in any way. Such is also the case with the boy's father, who seems truly devastated that his parents are dead.

Soon thereafter, Jessie learns that the dead people were locked in a property dispute with a neighbor, Rachel Ferguson; further checking reveals that Rachel and her wealthy husband are hiding a dark secret about her past that puts her right at the top of the suspect list. Evidence begins to point to Rachel as the killer, but while her superiors at the police department are sure they've got their woman, Jessie has her doubts and insists on continuing the investigation. Meantime, Jessie must deal with a past of her own as her abusive ex-husband Dan keeps showing up at all hours - often with his new girlfriend in tow - ostensibly to beg Jessie to let bygones be bygones.

The story moves along quickly and with almost constant excitement (plus a few twists). An overabundance of characters overwhelmed me a bit, and overall, the whole thing seemed a titch choppy. Nonetheless, my attention was captured from start to finish (an ending, by the way, that didn't make me very happy with Jessie's actions, or lack thereof). As I advise with all series, it's always best to start at the beginning, but you won't go wrong to start here. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to test drive this one.

Was this review helpful?

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Her Secret Past, the third novel to feature DI Jessie Blake of the Perthshire Police.

When Malcolm and Jean Angus are shot in their kitchen suspicion immediately falls on their neighbour Rachel Ferguson who has had an angry exchange with the dead couple and is not all she seems. Jessie isn’t so sure and continues to investigate.

I enjoyed Her Secret Past which has a convoluted plot and a fast pace that propels the reader forward. It is told from various points of view and has flashbacks to 1990/1 and the story of a teenage Alice Connor. This is not as distracting as it could be because Jessie’s voice is strong and holds the narrative together and also the different voices and flashbacks all inform current events. There is, however, a lot of events and developments so the reader doesn’t really get the chance to reflect on them during the read. It isn’t difficult to follow but it feels crammed. It’s a bit of a relief to arrive at the solution.

Jessie Blake is an abuse survivor so she’s not happy that her ex-husband, Dan, appears to be stalking her as she’s trying to start a new relationship. It’s another twist in a full plot but she manages fine, keeping him at arm’s length and conducting her investigation. I like her as she’s smart and dedicated and likes to kick back with a glass of wine. My kind of woman.

Her Secret Past is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Was this review helpful?

Her Secret Past is a very well crafted murder mystery. A real edge of your seat plot. Throughly enjoyed this book. Mystery fans will love this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Her Secret Past’ by Kerry Watts in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

An elderly couple, Malcolm and Jean Angus, are shot dead in their secluded Perthshire home and when DI Jessie Blake and DC Dylan Logan arrive their grandson Gordon is sitting at the table next to his grandfather’s body eating a sandwich and playing games on his phone. On investigation they discover that Rachel Ferguson, their next-door neighbour, has had a dispute with the couple about land and the evidence points to her being guilty of the crime. This is just the beginning of the tangled web Jessie and Dylan have to make sense of.

‘Her Secret Past’ is the third in the Detective Jessie Blake series and has an action-packed, well-written and entertaining plot that further fleshes out the character of Jessie, her relationship with ex-husband Dan and her growing romance with Benito. As the story reverts back from the present time to events in 1990 in which Rachel was involved, there’s excitement, drama, twists and turns, and a bloodthirsty and thrilling finale, all of which kept me hooked from page one to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this thriller and after ending with a cliffhanger I’m looking forward to the next in the series to find out what happens next.

Was this review helpful?

A well written novel with a clever plot and intriguing characters but lots of unanswered questions. I found Jessie's reluctance to deal with the Dan situation infuriating.

Was this review helpful?

Just WOW! You know when a book grasps you by the first sentence and pulls you into the author's world? That!

I loved the twists and turns, the details that Kerry had obviously researched and then explained well.
I did think that the emphasis on mental health was excellent as well as touching again on domestic abuse. These taboo subjects in books need highlighting to help people feel confident to discuss openly.

A definite 5 star read for me again and I can't wait to see where Jessie is going in the next book.

Was this review helpful?

An excellent novel, a real page tuner. I struggled to put the book down. Well drawn plot and characters. This is the first novel 8 have read by this author, but it won’t be the last

Was this review helpful?