I’ve said before that what I particularly love about this series is the character development – but my goodness, this is also a really gripping story. At first, there seem to be disparate threads – a new arrival at Lucy’s refuge, a fairly routine murder investigation for Maggie and the team – but the disappearance of one of their top men adds a level of real complication, with links that slowly become only too clear. It’s wonderfully convoluted as the layers are peeled back, a series of discoveries and revelations (with a few nice red herrings) and it had me entirely absorbed from beginning to end. I’ll admit that I was a step ahead of the investigation as I read, but that always just makes me feel a bit smug – it was good to have my conclusions confirmed, and it didn’t spoil the story (or lessen the tension) in any way at all.

But because of my total inability to write a review of a book like this without being in danger of telling the entire story, I’m going to focus on its wonderful characters. I already loved Maggie, with her focus and determination about her work sometimes leading her to overstep the mark and push too hard for what she thinks is right – but this book has an increased focus on her personal life, and that was something I enjoyed very much. I liked her vulnerability – the tentative start of a new relationship (and one not without its complications), the emotional side particularly well handled. I also liked the support provided by Kate (now at a distance), and the glimpses of her home life with her brother and the cats.

Lucy’s story was told in the first book, and she was always a character that interested me a lot with her complex history – and the slow uncovering of new arrival Ronnie’s story brings back uncomfortable echoes of her experiences in her time with Patrick.

The police team and their relationships is always something that fascinates me, and that’s further developed in this book. Nathan’s now looking rather more comfortable in his role as “boss”, but I like the interplay between him and Maggie – Cat still has no filter (and there’s some nice humour in that), and Bethany’s still working away doing the important screen work that’s so pivotal to resolving every case. I’ve always been a bit of a fan of DI Rutherford, another really strong female character that the author draws so well, and I enjoyed the way her hard exterior cracked a little in this book, with a few more personal insights.

There’s an exceptional feeling of authenticity about everything procedural – the interactions with other agencies, the friendships leveraged and the favours called in. I liked too the rather more spiky relationship with the forensic team, a legacy from an earlier book and nicely done. And I really should mention that although I’ve read all the earlier books, and understanding the relationships and all that had happened before meant I leapt straight into the story, I think this one would be entirely readable as a standalone – but why deny yourself the pleasure of catching up?

As I did with the previous books, I raced through this one – the short chapters and the perfect pace of the storytelling make it impossible not to. And the degree of tension and anticipation kept my heart racing and the pages turning – I loved it. I said when I reviewed Dead Perfect that if all crime thrillers were reliably this good, I might read them rather more often – this book just confirmed that once more, and I recommend it very highly.

(Review copied to Amazon UK - link not yet available)

Dead Secret by Noelle Holten
DC Maggie Jamieson #4

Ruthless murder of a young man is the introduction to a story that is dark, grim, and filled with horror. Who murdered the young man? Where has DCI Hastings and his family disappeared to and are they in danger? Who is the young, battered woman that appears at the shelter to traumatized to speak? Are these individuals related or separate cases and how will Maggie and the team figure out what is what?

What I liked:
* That the book is able to stand alone if you have not read previous books in the series. I missed books one and three and was fine.
* Maggie: dedicated, professional, focused, good sister, loving daughter, keeps part of herself hidden, team player, might be warming up to a potential love interest, intriguing.
* Andy: Maggie’s brother, lives with her, seems to be a good guy, helpful, humorous, there for her.
* Julie: journalist, aggressive, intent, eager, interested in Maggie, tenacious.
* Maggie’s colleagues: Nathan, Rutherford, Kat, Bethany, Medical Examiner (I think)
* The dynamics and discussion on the job.
* Lucy Sherwood and the people in her sphere: Vicki & Mark
* The police procedural aspects of the story
* The twists and turns and surprises
* That the cases were concluded by the end of the book and the lead into book five was indicated.
* The plot and writing
* All of it except…

What I didn’t like:
* What I was meant not to like – the killer – definitely needs to be incarcerated forever!

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in the series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins – One More Chapter for the ARC – this is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Maggie Jamieson and her cohorts are starting to feel like old friends now that we have got to book 4, though Noelle Holten does provide enough background to enable new readers to jump in and enjoy the book straight away. Part of the reason this series work is the way that the different agencies interact with each other, allowing Holten to direct a story from the perspective of social services, refuge workers, probation officers or the police. This does mean that you sometimes have to deal with more acronyms than a night with AC-12, but Holten always makes it clear who people are and which agency they are working for, so it’s never an issue.

This time Maggie has two cases on her hands and it’s proving very difficult. Staffing is really stretched. DCI Hastings (Mother of God!) has been off, presumed sick but now seems to have gone missing and closer inspection has revealed a nasty can of worms wriggling under the most respectable of facades.

Not only that, but a young man has been found dead on a patch of waste ground, his face inked with four dots, a pattern that stirs a remembrance in the back of Maggie’s mind.

Meanwhile, Lucy Sherwood is preparing to open her refuge; her way of dealing with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex, and when a distraught young woman turns up at the door, she can’t turn her away. But this woman is so distraught she won’t speak about or report her abuse and Lucy is left to try and deal with it as best she can.

I do enjoy these different story lines running alongside each other and Holten does a great job of making them really interesting by weaving in threads from her characters personal lives, making you more even invested in her protagonists. Maggie especially is going to have to decide what (and who) she wants from her life, but for now she’s juggling a potential new romance with a longing for an old friend and a love for her job that seems all consuming. These choices are never easy…but for now there’s intense pressure to get to the bottom of this case as another dead body turns up…

Verdict: Strong female characters filled with determination are a hallmark of this series, whether it’s the fierce journalist, Julie Noble, Maggie herself or the determined Lucy Sherwood. Of course they have flaws and vulnerabilities, but this is a series that is hallmarked with the character and determination of the women that populate the pages. Good storylines, excellent pace and a nice series of twisty moments with lots of deflection keep this in the ‘must buy’ category.

The DCI Maggie Jamieson series just keeps getting stronger with each new addition! Dead Secret is the fourth book and as always I’d recommend you read them all (Dead Inside, Dead Wrong and Dead Perfect precede Dead Secret).

I think it’s great to see the characters develop with each new novel and also observe the author’s style growing.
Dead Perfect ended on the cliffhanger of a young woman arriving on the doorstep of Lucy Sherwood (probation office and domestic abuse survivor who has set up a refuge for women in the same situation). The traumatised victim can’t even bring herself to speak to Lucy about what has happened to her.

On top of this a young man has been found murdered with strange markings on his face and one of the DCIs and his family have gone missing in what looks like violent circumstances! DCI Jamieson certainly has a lot on her plate and I definitely think she could give Steve Arnott a run for his money in the stressful situation stakes!


I like the fact that these characters are so rounded; the don’t feel forced or two dimensional. I’m totally invested in their lives and relationships and have loved watching them develop over the series so far. It was great to see Maggie finally let her guard down a little and open up to a little fun and flirting although it appears she still has a lot of work to do on her trust issues.

I expect the cliffhanger at the end of each book now so I’m always a little nervous about those last few chapters which then leave me desperate for more. NOW!

This is the fourth in the DC Maggie Jamieson series; it is the second I have read.
Maggie is a somewhat complex character who has shown some emotional growth since the prior novel; she is beginning to understand and accept herself.

This is a solid police procedural. It did not seem particularly fast paced, but it held my interest. The plot line had twists and turns that were fairly easy to foretell; but it still made for a decent read.

Just as in the prior novel the ending is a set up for a sequel. While Maggie is not my favorite female protagonist, I will certainly read the next in the series.

Absolutely breathtaking book. I was completely blown away by the first book in this series Dead Inside, and although I enjoyed the others, they didn't have the same hard-hitting storylines. Dead Secret is as good, if not better than the first book. Noelle Holten is back on top form with another fantastic installment in the Maggie Jamieson series. Great stuff. 5 stars

Psychopaths can take root in the unlikeliest soil…

DC Maggie Jamieson is back, in the latest instalment in this series by Noelle Holten. Maggie is still reeling from the last case where her friend and colleague, Dr Kate Maloney came up against the 'Living Doll Killer' and she is desperate for a break from it all, but there's no such luck when two cases are dropped in her lap, first is the discovery of a young man who has been murdered, and a strange pattern of black dots inked on his cheek, the second is the disappearance of one of their own, DCI Hastings, but Maggie and the team soon discover there is a link between the two and it's a race against time to find Hastings before someone else ends up dead.

Dead Secret is packed with mystery and intrigue, especially around the elusive 'Ronnie', what is her story? It was great to see the return of Lucy Sherwood who we first met in book one, she is herself a victim of domestic violence and has just opened up a safe haven for people like herself, when Ronnie appears at her door, battered and bruised and seeking help, also we get to witness the growing relationship between Maggie and Julie Noble, the full on reporter for the local paper, who likes nothing more than to get under Maggie's skin at every opportunity, sparks are definitely beginning to fly there! Once again this author delivers with Dead Secret, providing many twists to the tale and the usual cliffhanger that we've come to expect from Holten, which had me pressing maniacally for the next page on my kindle, because that couldn't be the end, could it?? This, like the others in the series, can be read as standalone but I would recommend you start from the beginning, so you capture the background of all the characters and gain a better understanding of them and where they are at now.

I'd like to thank HarperCollins UK One More Chapter and Netgalley for approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Thank the gods for Noelle Holten, Encase her in bubble wrap. Buy her books as gifts and random acts of kindness. Email her hundreds of titles beginning with Dead. Keep her busy cos she writes such great mysteries with incredible characters and I want to keep reading them when I’m in a rocking chair. This one was even better then the last and I think I said that last time.

Another great read from Noelle Holten.
I love this series and this book is a great addition to it.
A man’s body is found and it looks like he dragged himself to the nearby industrial estate before he died.
It’s unclear what the motive was but there are some strange dots found on the body.
Soon a woman’s body is found at an allotment and the dots have been left on a piece of paper found inside her.
Maggie and Nathan then receive some shocking news about a colleague and his family and realise they need to do everything they can to find them.
At first it’s unclear how the murders and disappearance of Hastings and his family tie up, but all becomes clear near the end of the book.
This is a fast paced crime thriller with lots happening during the investigation.
The last couple of chapters set the scene for the next book which I can’t wait to read.
Thanks to Harper Collins, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

An exciting, gritty, gripping and adrenaline fulled story that kept me on the edge and turning pages maniacally.
Loved this story and loved the excellent storytelling, character and plot development.
I strongly recommend it and can't wait to read the next story.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

And the book starts off with a bang. But after things slowed a little for me, and I had a little trouble getting interested. I suspect that was jumping in in the middle of the series and not having read the first three books. But I’m happy to say that passed and by the time the story became personal, I was incredibly invested. You can easily jump in with this book and enjoy the read.

It all starts with finding a body of a college boy and the police team starting to track down his killer. We follow DC Maggie who has remarkable skills but can sometimes be a little impetuous. She’s very relatable and I liked reading about her. The story becomes very engaging when it turns personal for the team. I like how we saw the different ways the team members handle the intense stress.

While there were quite a few suspects, I was able to ride out a hunch and identify the killer about three quarters of the way through the book. But let me add that mysteries and thrillers are my main reads and I more often than not figure out villains and twists early. Even figuring things out I really enjoyed the book. I want to know what happens next with these characters even before reading that bombshell last chapter. What? I guess you’ll have to read it yourself as there are no spoilers from me.

I highly recommend picking up this series if you like well plotted mysteries. I can’t wait to read the first three books and figure out where that bombshell ending heads.

This is book 4 in the DCI Maggie Jamieson series and OMG what an absolute cracker of a read this was. I’m still gasping in shock at all that has gone on in this book. I could have easily read this book in one sitting but unfortunately life gets in the way. This series honestly just keeps on getting better and better and I absolutely love the way these books end with an heart stopping finish that makes you so excited for the next book in the series. If you haven’t read this series and you are a fan of police crime thrillers then honestly I promise you will not regret reading this amazing series. 5⭐️

This book was the 4th in a series, but I did not think I missed out on anything necessarily by only reading this one. Some of the characters referred to past cases to explain their current situations, but it didn't affect the plot of this story. Maggie is an overall likable detective who has a team of powerful women all around her. Her boss, the medical examiner, the Probation officer, the psychology consult, the safe haven director. Each one played a part in helping to solve a string of abductions and murders. The writing felt slightly juvenile, but I find it to be consistent with a lot of British novels I've read. Overall, I enjoyed the story, though I predicted almost all the twists. Some of the scenes and dialogue jump right in at the start of a chapter and it took a little while to figure out where the characters were or who or what they were talking about. I didn't find it to be too often or too distracting, but sometimes it made the chapter transitions difficult. The will-they, won't-they relationship between Maggie and Julie, the journalist, left me wanting more, so I'll definitely read the next book in the series when it comes out!

Noelle Holten has a hit with Dead Secret! A tight, tense and thrilling roller coaster ride of a police procedural. There are so many twists and turns as well as bombs being dropped here and there - you will guess all the way to the end! And speaking of the end, Wow Wow Wow!

Many thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC!

Another cracking instalment in the series for Noelle Holten. My full review will be posted and I'll update it here on my stop on the blog tour of 29th April.

Dead Secret Noelle Holten
This is book 4 in the Maggie Jamieson series, and I have loved them all. I especially enjoyed having Lucy back into the storyline.
Noelle does a brilliant job of picking up the storyline where she left off, and reminding you of what happened in previous books at the same time.
The twists and turns had my head spinning at times, and each time I was sure I knew where the story was going, I was wrong.
This is a series I know I will come back to each time there is a new installment.

The fourth book in the series and an old favorite character, Lucy, is back! She has set up her shelter but isn't quite ready to open when she comes across an injured young woman in need of hel. This storyline seems to run quite separate from the main storyline of Maggie and team dealing with some murders and the apparently related absence of their DCI. That disconnection was a bit jarring but I was glad to see Lucy back. I really like her character! The other new thing was the increase in swearing. I don't recall their being so much in previous books. This could be attributed to the new DC, Kat, who has quite the potty mouth. Needless to say, the story came together quite nicely and I enjoyed getting to know the characters, old and new, better. I like that even though we are in the fourth book, we are still learning and they are still growing. This keeps the series feeling fresh.

I really enjoy this DC Maggie Jamieson series and I love the MO of the killers in each of the books and piecing all the clues together as to who is doing it and why.
This one took me quite by surprise because without giving spoilers away, everything seems so “close to home” within the story, and took me quite by surprise when things were finally revealed as to who was who.
What I especially love about Noelle’s books is the explanation of incidents, and laying it out to you as to why things have happened in a way that is very easy to understand.
I only have one criticism that personally slowed a part of the book down and that is when a relationship develops. For me, it just seemed to slow the pace of the book down, whereas I prefer to read the drama and enjoy the tenseness and be totally gripped by the crimes, rather than relationships forming. It then took me a little while to get back in the zone and for the pace to pick back up.
I therefore give this book 3.5 stars 🙂

What a great thriller!

Always great to rekindle with Maggie!

A really well thought through plot, lot of intertwined stories which unfold perfectly, and sits wonderfully in the series.

Unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Really loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read in advance.

It was great to meet Maggie Jamieson once again. A thrilling gripping story line and plot Maggie is a great down to earth character. . The discovery of a young man's body on which there are a series of dots, begins the intriguing murder investigation. A fast paced thriller in a series that is going from strength to strength