Maeve and Derwent are back and doing their best to keep their distance. Josh is juggling work with the stress of looking after his sick stepson while Maeve is taking tentative steps to move on and start dating. So it isn't easy for either of them when they are paired together on a tricky murder investigation, a young woman killed in a locked hotel room with no sign of any perpetrator. Things become even complicated when Josh is arrested for an attack on his girlfriend, an attack Maeve is convinced is manufactured. But with even Josh telling her to keep out of the case, evidence mounting against him whilst evidence for the job she is supposed to be investigating remains frustratingly sparse, Maeve finds it difficult to concentrate on her work and even more difficult not to try and clear Josh's name, whether he wants her to or not.
Casey writes good crimes and this book is no exception, but the power in this series comes from the well developed characters, from the will they won't they dance betwen Josh and Maeve, from the long running storylines which play out over several books. The Secret Room is a tense, exciting and twisty installment in the series and a must for all Josh and Maeve fans.

I've just finished reading through the Maeve Kerrigan series from the beginning, the first time I've read them in order, so was in the perfect place for the latest instalment. Casey is great with character: all of the gang are back for a storyline which includes the puzzlingly impossible death of a rich woman in a high end London hotel and Josh Derwent once again getting caught up in an investigation as a suspect rather than a detective. Perhaps inevitably at this point in a series, the crime-solving is less important than the relationships. We want to know what's happening with Maeve and Josh's on/off romance far more than the machinations of a somewhat convoluted murder, and, although I'm usually the last to guess these things, I worked out what was going to happen with the second plot thread almost from the start. Not that I minded - there was plenty to keep me reading and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. No spoilers, but I'm intrigued to see where things go from here...

Wow. This was a ride. Before I even started reading, I was on edge because of the nail-biting epilogue in the previous book. Jane Casey starts this book off at a run and keeps up the suspense right up until the end. I raced through the pages, half wishing I could slow down to draw out the experience, but very much unable to.

I don’t want to say too much in case of spoilers, but I was so pleased to have many of my guesses about what might happen or who did it proved wrong. Jane Casey does like to keep her readers on their toes!

I am so thankful to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the chance to read a DRC of this book. What a wonderful way to start the year.

Utter perfection! This book was everything I wanted and so much more. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better ..... it did! My favorite police book series of all time and my favorite book in the series so far. I can't say much without spoilers and the author has specifically requested that we not reveal any details, so you will just have to take my word and go read it yourself, you won't be disappointed. I'd recommend reading from the start as you really need the background and history (and all the angst) in order for this book to really hit the mark and be as impactful as it is. Find somewhere to read without distractions, you won't want to stop. I walked around with a smile on my face for days after finishing. I have the worst book hangover ever now, and just want to read this one again and again.

i jumped into this series apparently this is book 12 and was able to follow it. A police procedural novel, a rich woman was killed under very unusual circumstances, that case and the case of her boss/romantic interest being accused of domestic abuse are the main cases they are working on. Interesting, well written, strong heroine. I enjoyed it. 4.5

At last – the latest in the DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent series!

At the outset we are introduced to the enigmatic Mrs llaria Cavendish who has a weekly appointment with her lover in a luxurious central London hotel. However, luxury proves to be a feeble protector against an unknown adversary determined on murder!

Not only does Jane Casey provide her readers with more than one intriguing case to solve in this novel; she also focuses more sharply than ever on Maeve and Josh’s reluctant attraction towards each other. But how can he possibly walk away from his girlfriend, Melissa, who has just been brutally attacked in her own home?

The central characters remain funny, sharp and warm as well as proving themselves to be effective detectives, even in the toughest of situations. At the heart of ‘The Secret Room’ is the theme of loyalty and Casey explores it very effectively from many angles.

Those who have taken Kerrigan and Derwent to their hearts will not be disappointed in this latest offering. Grab and devour!

My thanks to NetGalley and HarperFiction, Hemlock Press for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Two mysteries intertwine in The Secret Room, 12th in the outstanding DS Maeve Kerrigan series. A beautiful, wealthy and married woman checks into a luxury hotel. She does this one day a week, always under an assumed name. This week, before her lover is to meet her, the one visitor to her room is the room service attendant who delivers champagne and leaves within minutes. When her lover arrives, she is dead. A perfect locked room mystery for Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent. Then a personal crisis distracts Maeve and forces her to divide her time between two mysteries that will affect her career.

No more said without spoilers. As expected, Jane Casey delivers a mystery/thriller with complicated, familiar characters, the locked room setting and a complex plot. I will read anything Jane Casey writes. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and Jane Casey for this ARC.

Another absolutely sensational novel by the author!!

This is book #12 in the DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent series.
2:32 p.m. Wealthy, privileged Ilaria Cavendish checks into a luxury London hotel and orders a bottle of champagne. Within the hour, her lover discovers her submerged in a bath of scalding water, dead.
Initially, it looks like an accident, as no one went in with her and she was completely alone but when Maeve attends the scene, the clues point to murder.

Readers of this series are already familiar with the investigative duo and this one involved some shocking news for DI Josh Derwent, making the novel all the more interesting for both him and DS Kerrigan.
I love this series as from the very opening it plunges you into the action and keeps you flying through the pages. I can't say more, save for spoilers, but I think this is almost my favourite in the series, right up there with the Close. Definitely one I highly recommend.

While I think you could jump into the series at any time, like any good series, they are best read in order.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollinsUK, HarperFiction for this gifted review copy.

This is such a difficult book to review as to describe any of the plot would give away too much so I’m going to say nothing about what actually happens. What I will say is that it’s yet another of this series which grabbed me from page 1 and held me throughout – I raced through to the end to find out what happened and it didn’t disappoint. The Maeve Kerrigan series is one of the best of the genre and somehow they just keep getting better, with such well established and entirely believable characters who can somehow occasionally drive you mad but still keep you rooting for them throughout. Jane Casey is a master at what she does so don’t miss this one but if you haven’t read the rest of the series it’s absolutely worth treating yourself and going back to the start.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

After the cliffhanger at the end of the last book I was delighted to be approved for an ARC and I'm even more pleased now that I've read it. A brilliant book, full of twists and turns and surprises, two great mysteries to unravel and of course the continuing will they/wont they storyline.
I'd give this 7 stars if I could. Already my book of 2035 and I doubt if anything will beat it - unless it's the next instalment.

I hadn't realised this was part of a series but was quite easy to get into.
Clever writing from this wonderful author.
Well written characters and an engaging storyline.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

I was absolutely THRILLED to be approved for an ARC of this book from Netgalley. This book is number 12 in the Detective Maeve Kerrigan series and I'm obsessed with the relationship between Maeve and Josh.
This book doesn't disappoint. There's a clever plot with a difficult murder to solve. Beautiful and wealthy Ilaria Cavendish is brutally killed in a luxury London hotel and it's up to Maeve and Josh to figure out who did it. Josh also has something very serious going on in private life and warns Maeve to stay away but will she listen?
I read this book in two days, utterly unputdownable and already I can't wait until the next! One of the best of this series so far for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was provided to me by Harper Collins and Net Gally in exchange for an honest review.
I have been a huge fan of Jane Casey's writing for years now. She is the author I recommend more than anyone else no matter the genre of books people enjoy.
I was honestly unsure what to expect from The Secret Room as it is the 12th book in the series and I find sometimes series this long feel stretched out. Jane has an amazing way of keeping you engrossed from the very first page. Through our the book whenever I thought I had it all figured out there was a littl twist that changed everything.
With the smooth writing and amazing characters that you cannot help but love even through there are times they make you want to scream or strangle them. This book is a must read.

Unlike the early books in the series the thriller is less dark, I would put the crime at similar level as the last book in the series before that.

Jane Casey connects with her authors she not only brings characters we all can't help but love to live but adds pieces of herself which makes it impossible not to want more of her writing both in this seri s as well as stand alone.

Furious. Did not realise this was a series and I have never read any of the books! This book was absolutely AMAZING!!!!!! I loved how there was a couple of stories in it as well. So several times it was a who done it. The characters are amazing. I am now planning to work my way through the series.

I love this series - this is the twelfth - featuring DS Maeve Kerrigan. Each story is standalone but there's also a hell of a slow burn romance going on throughout between Maeve and her colleague Josh Derwent.

There's an intriguing plot here about a woman found dead in a hotel room, but the most engaging story runs alongside, with the focus turning to Josh's girlfriend Melissa and their unhappy relationship. (He's only staying because he loves her son, Thomas.) When he's accused of something terrible, Maeve refuses to believe he's guilty, but the evidence against him doesn't look good...

I did guess some elements of where the story was going (not the hotel murder - I defy anyone to guess that), but this was a cracking read with an ending to remember.

I have only read one of the previous books in the authors Maeve Kerrigan series, The Close which I really enjoyed. I think The Secret Room can be read as a standalone book, although having finished it I’d suggest this series be read in order to know the characters and their histories from the beginning. The Secret Room starts well and quickly captured my attention and interest and held it all the way through. The authors writing and the plot line are both good, and the pacing is spot on. There are two story threads here, Kerrigan investigating a murder, and alongside this searches for answers after a close friend/colleague is accused of something she knows they are not capable of. As I've not read this series from the beginning I’m not fully invested in Kerrigan and Derwent’s characters and found Derwent quite dislikeable here and Kerrigan annoying at times. I correctly guessed how some of the story threads would play out - not all of them though. I feel Kerrigan's efforts to help her friend play a much bigger part in the story than the murder she is investigating which to me felt secondary. I did like the glimpses into the characters personal and family lives and the ending. So whilst I enjoyed this book it didn’t quite hit the mark with me as much as The Close did, and I think if I’d been following this series from the start you’d be reading a very different review.

3 stars

I was ecstatic to receive an ARC of The Secret Room, the latest in the Maeve Kerrigan detective series, as fans of the series will know that A Stranger in the Family ended up on a massive cliffhanger for Maeve. I have been waiting with bated breath for the latest instalment. I love love love this series! Maeve is a strong, independent and extremely likeable detective who has a talent for observation and finding the detail that everyone has missed which is key to solving the case. I urge all readers to start the series from scratch and enjoy how all the key characters develop. By this stage in the series, Maeve has a close working relationship with Josh Derwent and it is obvious to everyone that their feelings are more than professional respect. The chemistry between these two are what has made the last few books in the series so enjoyable. Casey enters this instalment with a new murder to be solved and no mention of the cliffhanger the reader was left on in the last book. This comes later as we discover that Josh is in trouble and Maeve is desperate to help him. All the elements of a Maeve Kerrigan story are delivered and longtime fans will not be disappointed. I will say that Josh displays ALL of his red flags in this instalment and even I was encouraging Maeve to forget about him! Save this book for a day when you have nothing else to do and no distractions as, if you are like me, you will not be able to put this one down! Have we got a date for the next one yet please Jane Casey?

I absolutely love Jane Casey books and was delighted to get an early copy of her newest book The Secret Room. As expected, I was not disappointed and simply could not put the book down once I started! Another triumph from Casey and eagerly look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

I absolutely love the Maeve Kerrigan series so I am always very excited to read the next instalment. The main plot of the Secret Room is the death of a socialite in an apparently locked hotel room. Alongside this Maeve’s colleague Josh Derwent has his own challenges to face and for me this was the more interesting part of the novel.
I love the character of Maeve and I would suggest reading the rest of the series to get the maximum enjoyment from this novel. It’s the best will they, won’t they relationship I’ve read in a series of novels and the author portrays the relationship between Maeve and Josh with such intensity. It’s not my favourite of the series as others have a stronger plot but I recommend this for Maeve fans !
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC

Let me start by declaring that I'm a big fan of this series, so perhaps a little biased - but The Secret Room is a really good read!

The series is one of the best in the crime genre because it extends outside the genre; the solid writing and contemporary themes would appeal to many people who feel they can only read "literary" fiction, while the love interest angles would satisfy a lot of modern romantic fiction fans. The main character Maeve is modern, clever and feisty, emotional without being a drama queen and very likeable.

The Secret Room doesn't disappoint. Smart, crisp writing, good observational detail without getting bogged down, well-judged pace, and credible twists and turns. Perhaps it leans a little too much on the relationship issues compared with previous books in the series, but I can forgive that because it's what many fans will want...

I'll rate it five-star as a fan, but four star as a reviewer simply because you really need to have read the rest of the series to get to grips with the various relationships and shared experiences as police officer colleagues for everything to make perfect sense. Please don't read as a standalone, you'll be disappointed and not get the best from this latest Kerrigan episode.