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Monday, July 31, 2023

Secrets in the Dark - Romantic Suspense Review

Goodreads:  Secrets in the Dark (Blackbird Trilogy #2) by Heather Graham

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Library

Description:  Over a century after Jack, a new Ripper is on the loose.

Following in the footsteps of notorious serial murderer Jack the Ripper, a killer is stalking the streets of London. The self-dubbed Ripper King strikes at night, leaving a trail of eviscerated bodies in his wake. Fresh off a case with potential ties to the recent rash of killings, FBI agents Della Hamilton and Mason Carter are all too familiar with a slayer set to rule with a lethal fist. And they’ll stop at nothing to end his reign.

The killer’s MO may be nothing new, but his desire to be infamous makes him dangerous. Della and Mason know it’s only a matter of time before their investigation emboldens this new Ripper, forcing the agents to work quickly before another woman winds up dead. But now that the heat is on, their game of cat and mouse takes an unexpected turn, leading Della and Mason into a deadly trap they never saw coming…

Genre: Mystery - Romantic Suspense

Why I Picked This Book:  I usually enjoy Graham's books and I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy.

My Impression: In general I have found the second book in Graham's trilogies to be my least favorite.  So I went in to this one with some reservations.  However, I ended up really enjoying this one.  Part of this may be because I went the audio route.  I have noticed Graham's books are fantastic audio books and this was no exception.  

In this book we are back in London with Della, Mason, and the rest of the Blackbird crew.  I did enjoy that this book stayed in London (with a brief visit to Louisiana) and focused on one primary murderer.  It gave it a bit more of a cohesive feel and time to get really invested in the mystery.  I loved the look at the original Jack the Ripper case as well as seeing how it could be copied and investigated in today's time.  

The romance part of the book was on the subdued side.  Della and Mason are already a fairly established couple so there are a few references to them being a couple and a slightly spicier description or two but the focus really isn't on them.   My main negative is that the rest of the international team aren't really fleshed out.  We know their names but very little of their personalities or personal life.  

This was a fun follow up to an entertaining mystery and I'm looking forward to seeing how Graham closes out this trilogy.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I'm looking forward to reading the next book and the rest of the Krewe series.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy romantic suspense with a bit of ghostliness this is a fun trilogy though I recommend starting with the first book.

5 comments:

  1. I enjoyed (and purchased) some of her Krewe of Hunters. The early ones are narrated by Luke Daniels who is a favorite. They are a bit woo-woo which can be charming and also annoying.

    Anne - Books of My Heart

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  2. A new Jack the Ripper in London is an intriguing premise.

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  3. I really have to check this series out.

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  4. Good that the second one lived up to the wish for it to do so. I will try HG but maybe not this series, I think I have my eye on a different one.

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