I'm not usually a fan of romantic suspense but Laura Griffin does a great job of keeping my engaged and interested. The story had several twists and an abundance of suspense, as well as a steamy romance.

Her Deadly Secrets is my first Laura Griffin novel. Wolfe Security is some serious untapped potential. I will definitely be diving into the rest of this series.

Action packed and filled with intrigue, Her Deadly Secrets is a ride worth taking- just watch out for bullets! And hot bodyguards... Still not sure which is more dangerous!

A carefully crafted and simply riveting mystery.

Her Deadly Secrets unfolds as Private investigator Kira Vance spends her days navigating Houston’s legal world, Then on a seemingly normal day, she’s delivering a report to her top client when suddenly everything goes sideways and the meeting ends in a bloodbath. Twenty-four hours later, the police have no suspects but one thing is clear: a killer has Kira in his sights.

Such a great and engrossing story I could not put it down and it left me wanting more!

Here we get a great female lead, broody bodyguard, lots of twists and turns. Overall a great suspenseful novel that will capture your attention and hold it! Another solid, suspenseful, entertaining read with a touch of romance that’s perfect for an afternoon read.

This second story in Laura Griffins new venture into romantic suspense was an interesting one and I enjoyed it immensely. While the fist story revolved around a heroine that was a defense attorney in a high-profile case, this story instead centers on an unsuspecting woman pulled in as lead investigator for the defense. Kira has only been in the PI game for a few years, really considered green by most, but when her mentor and best friend is murdered right before her eyes, she refuses to just let the investigation drop and digs in like a dog with a bone. Enter Wolfe Security expert Jeremy Owen, who has just returned from a disastrous assignment and wants nothing to do with the sassy and resistant PI. They but heads at every turn, but soon that heat and passion leads them to an unexpected place—directly into one another’s arms. As a killer gets closer to Kira in his bid to keep the truth from coming to light, Jeremy must protect her from the danger he presents and that she seems to run headlong into now matter the consequences, but Kira isn’t willing to let a killer go free, no matter the cost. Kira was an interesting mix of vulnerabilities and strength, but you could tell she had a lot of hang-up and issues that she held against the world in general and Jeremy in specific, until she really got to know him and as she found her footing in the world of investigation. It was amazing to see her mind work through the intricacies of the plot forming and finding a way to bring a killer to justice; her intelligence, grit, and strength were obviously what drew Jeremy initially, but once he gets to know the woman underneath he know just how much he needs to protect her from becoming jaded with life and find a way to make her his. Jeremy has lived a hard life, both in the service and afterward in his time with Wolfe. He was a strong man, but his mind and body are equal in strength asking him more than just a mindless automaton. Once he realizes there is no fighting the force that is Kira on a mission, he makes it his own personal mission to keep the woman he is coming to care for his priority no matter if that means giving up his own safety and instinct at times. It was amazing to see his dedication to making Kira happy and giving her what she needed (or thought she did) at any given moment to be happy. The passion between these two is off the charts every moment they are in the same zip code and I can tell they will have a fiery romance their entire lives. I am looking forward to the next story in the series and seeing who falls in love next. This series is shaping up to be another hit even if it leads readers in a whole new direction from the Tracers series so many have come to adore. Keep up the good work Ms. Griffin.

Her Deadly Secrets
Laura Griffin

Note: I am usually the first one to read and review a book by Laura Griffin but this one came out as I was dealing with a major flood last year. So I’m sorry for just now getting around to it.
The Queen of rom-suspense hits another home run in book two of her Wolfe Security series, an offshoot of her multi-award winning Tracers Series. With her iconic dialogue with an attitude Laura brings readers another hair-raising story set in her beloved home state of Texas this series based in Houston and delivers a story that has a real feel because many of the backdrops are and readers need to pay attention or they’ll miss some critical clues Laura slips in here and there. Her couple in this book Jeremy and Kira are both engaging and the sexual chemistry is off the charts especially because of the ethics of Jeremy and hands-off the client rules of Wolfe Security. Her secondary characters both bad guys and good guys are also realistic and each fit their roles perfectly and believably. Fans of riveting reads and romantic suspense will need to put this high on their reading list.

While working for the defense in a high profile murder case PI Kira Vance has a near miss in the same attack that killed her boss, Ollie Kovak and injured Brock Logan, the defense attorney. She knew Ollie was excited about some sort of new evidence but was killed before he could tell either Kira or Brock about it. Now the entire defense team including the defendant suddenly find themselves in the sights of killers and as a result under the protection of Wolfe Security. When Kira is assigned her own bodyguard she doesn’t like it one bit, how is she suppose to covertly nose around and learn what got Ollie killed with a bulky, ex-military but sexy as hell security agent hounding her every step.
Jeremy Owen didn’t even have time to decompress from his last mission when he’s assigned to guard a mule headed, looking for trouble luscious PI. He know this case is going to be really bad for him.


Desperate Girls review- https://thereadingfrenzy.blogspot.com/2018/08/review-desperate-girls-by-laura-griffin.html

So this author has been recced to me many many times and I can now see why! I love a good romantic suspense and this definitely hit the spot, so yay for new authors with backlist to dive into.

Kira Vance Private investigator is delivering information to her boss at a client’s house at night. When in a matter of seconds her boss is dead, the client is shot, and the package is gone. Now also being shot at and being investigated by the police like she had something to do with it is only pissing her off. This is the way the book opens and the action and story does not stop until the end. With all of the twists and turns you as the reader are taken for a ride and wonder who is wanting this person killed. You follow Kira through the streets and back alleys of Houston using her street smarts and finding the people that knew her boss and using his contacts to help find who killed him and why? There is a romance with her and a Wolfe security person that is watching her, but for the most part, it is on the back burner and Jeremey actually helps her. Overall a very good book and I liked the characters.

Kira Vance is a Private Investigator working for Ollie, the best PI around, her friend, her mentor. She's helping Ollie who is working for a very prestigious law office who is going to court soon to defend a doctor who has been charged with killing his wife.

During a meeting, a man breaks into the lawyer's house, Ollie is killed immediately, the lawyer is winged and Kira is hit with flying glass.

Twenty four hours later, the police have no suspects but one thing is perfectly clear ... a killer has Kira in his sights. They are looking for something belonging to Ollie ... his office has been ransacked, nearly destroyed ... but what do they want? and why?

The lawyer hires Wolfe Security to protect all his employees... the ones involved with his upcoming trial, and that includes Kira. She's none too happy to know that someone will be with her at all times.

Fiercely independent, Kira doesn’t expect—or want—help from anyone, least of all an unscrupulous lawyer and his elite security team. Instead, she launches her own investigation, hoping to uncover the answers that have eluded the police.

At least Jeremy Owen, former military, and an employee of Wolfe Security is not hard to look at. And though he may be attracted, his focus is on protecting Kira as more bodies fall around her.

This is a terrific Romantic Suspense, more suspense than romance, although there is sizzle and spice. It's an easy read with finely drawn characters. It's an exciting romp through the legal system that kept me riveted to the story.

Many thanks to the author / Gallery Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Romantic Suspense. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

PI Kira Vance is working with her boss Ollie on a  murder case but when she arrives at their client ,the high profile lawyer Brock Logan’s home, a gunman murders her boss and steals all the files. Short on time Brock Logan hires Kira to help his team. Kira knows her boss had discovered new critical  information about the case and along with Jeremy Owens her own personal bodyguard from Wolfe Security team, is determined to find out more , even though it puts her on the killer’s radar. 

Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin is the second book in the romantic suspense Wolfe Security series and can be read as a stand alone. It is a fast moving story with mystery, suspense, and romance which kept me thoroughly entertained. Looking forward to the next one in the series

I would like to thank Gallery, Pocket Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Speaking of secrets... it’s not one that I’m an avid Laura Griffin fangirl. And in HER DEADLY SECRETS, book #2 in the Wolfe Security series/universe, Ms. Griffin is back to doing what she does best: melding the perfect amount of character-driven storytelling with just the right touch of action and suspense, against a background of romance that is incredibly subtle (the hero and heroine don’t actually get together until ~90% of the way through the book, though their attraction is on a hot simmer since the first time they cross paths on the page) and yet devastatingly effective. If you’ve read any of Ms. Griffin’s work, HER DEADLY SECRETS is really no different— just more of the same that manages to feel both homey and familiar (in a good way) and yet manages to avoid feelings of “wait, haven’t I read this before??”. I rather liked heroine Kira Vance, the plucky, resourceful PI caught in the middle of something way bigger who’s the antithesis of the TSTL heroine. And Jeremy, oh Jeremy— he’s everything you’d expect from a former Marine-turned-bodyguard (focussed, unflappable, quick to act, stoic, committed) but with enough vulnerability—showcased initially by a recent op having gone sideways, then by his budding feelings for Kira— to make him relatable and easy to root for rather than an automaton. So whether you’re an avid Laura Griffin fan or a neophyte, get out there and read HER DEADLY SECRETS!

**ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for the review copy.
I enjoyed this book. I love legal thrillers and crime fiction and Her Deadly Secret mixed them together. the writing was good. The Character development was intriguing.
The main character was very relate-able and the author is a great story teller.

Five star romantic suspense. If you can’t tell from the 5-star rating, this is a stellar entry in this genre, but then, all of Griffin’s books are wonderful.

As usual, the romance is important but this book is more about the suspense. There is a mystery to solve, and you will be captivated. Kira is a strong character and Griffin rightfully makes this character intelligent and sensible. We see a woman who works hard and thinks. That’s one of the things I like best about Griffin.

Laura Griffin is back with another dark tale of suspense, HER DEADLY SECRETS. Kira Vance is a private investigator with a penchant for fact and low tolerance for bullshit. “The truth cut both ways, and that’s what she liked about it.” Well, so do secrets. When Kira swings by the house of a big client to talk to her boss who she knows is there, a masked gunman attacks. When the smoke clears, her boss is dead and it’s clear someone is now gunning for Kira, too. As usual, Griffin crafts an intelligent story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, one that’s liberally peppered with fast-paced plot twists and compelling characters. Her heroines are admirable in their capability, and in this instance we get a two-for-one on female badassery: not only is Kira a formidable force, so is Detective Charlotte Spears. And add in a healthy dash of security expert Jeremy Owens and you’ve got a masterpiece. Kira and Jeremy have great chemistry and their interactions actually made me smile. This is a great story, but I gotta tell you: in the end, I just love how her mind works.

*Originally published on Frolic: https://frolic.media/june-and-july-romantic-suspense-round-up/

Her Deadly Secrets is the second book in the Wolfe Security Series.

Kira Vance is a private investigator who's meeting her boss/mentor, Ollie Kovak at the house of their well-known client, Brock Logan, a defense attorney. She's bringing important information in regards to the case they are working on when a gunman surprises them. Her boss is shot, Brock is shot as well and a bullet grazes Kira's body.

The police are called to investigate the crime and this is where we meet another important female character, Charlotte Spears. She's a police detective, who with the help of her partner, Alex Diaz, will go looking to find the shooter.

Kira and the police will continue their investigations parallelly. But Kira is not alone. Her life is in danger and the client hires Wolfe Security to help take care of the threat. Kira is not happy with this new arrangement since she has to uncover the responsible party and there is no way she can stay sequestered in a hotel room when she needs to follow the few clues she has. Thankfully, her assigned bodyguard is Jeremy Owen, a man of few words but someone who makes Kira feel safe in all possible ways.

Laura Griffin can spin a Suspense Romance like no other. Her stories are always well organized and addictive. Once you open the first page, you're pulled into her make-believe world and nothing is as important as finishing the novel.

I love that in Her Deadly Secrets, we get two relevant female characters. Both women were strong-minded, smart and unstoppable. I like Jeremy too. He understood quite early that Kira was not another job. He tried to keep his distance but failed miserably.

I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Gallery Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Second in the Wolfe Security mysterious romantic suspense series and revolving around the men, the bodyguards, of a premier security company. The couple focus is on Kira Vance and Jeremy Owen and set in Houston.

This eARC was sent to me by NetGalley and Gallery Books for an honest review.

<h2 class="clr">My Take</h2>
I do like Kira's independence and that she stands up for what she wants. Even if it does seem to backfire sometimes...ouch... Her priorities are, mostly, in the right place with those investments in her tools, but I don't understand why Kira is so broke, if she's so good at what she does. Then again, maybe I'm leaping ahead, and Kira is finally learning how good she is? Hmmm...then again, Kira doesn't impress me with her surveillance skills when she and Jeremy head to Ballard Shipping.

As for the bread-and-butter side of being a PI, I can understand why Kira isn't too happy about deadbeat dads, insurance scams, and the like, but she is the kind of person who simply loves to discover the truth, no matter where it leads, which makes me understand why she wouldn't want to be a lawyer, lol.

So, Griffin is using third person global subjective point-of-view, which means we see and "hear" from a variety of characters in <em>Her Deadly Secrets</em>. It's how we learn that Kira is so anti-security when she's so coolly evasive at the start with no hints, that it starts me wondering. Her grief for Ollie makes sense as we discover how much he's helped Kira, but he also sounds like the stereotypical jerk of a PI. Jeremy, Spears, Diaz, and Shelly provide their perspectives as well.

Griffin has a variety of ways of informing us that Kira is good, from Jeremy's observations, from Logan's determination to hire her, and from Spears' interest. As for those tiny teasers about Brock's interest, I do wish Griffin either went somewhere with it or skipped it. I kept expecting something to happen. Why does Diaz think Spears is interested in Logan? I didn't pick up on any indicators??

I had to appreciate that Jeremy is so realistic about the business side with clients, although the touch-me/don't-touch-me got a bit tedious.

There are some odd assumptions in here. One is assuming we know who Ken Phan is. Coroner? Officer? Detective? How does Logan have any underdog status to play up if he defends rich people?

Still, it was a fun story that is primarily character-driven with a reasonable pace, even if it doesn't have the tension I've felt in other Laura Griffin stories. I <em>am</em> looking forward to reading more about how Kira and Jeremy make things work.

<h2>The Story</h2>
Private investigator Kira Vance is through with waiting on Ollie to pay her. This time she's dropping the report off with him at the client's house. Only, that's not all that gets dropped.

It's luck that Kira is needed with the trial so close, but she's a fiercely independent woman who doesn’t expect &#8212; or want &#8212; help from anyone, least of all a high-powered lawyer and his elite security team. And, luckily, Kira Vance spends her days navigating the intricate labyrinth of Houston’s legal world, and she knows all of its shadowy players and dark secrets.

Launching her own investigation, Kira hopes to uncover the answers that Ollie discovered. And she'll take help wherever she can find it.

<h2>The Characters</h2>
The outspoken, independent (and insightful) <strong>Kira Vance</strong> is a private investigator with e-skills, eking out a living. <em>Too bad she can't borrow Ollie's van!</em> <strong>Ruth Hovis</strong> is her parents' neighbor. Her brother, <strong>Jack</strong>, is a firefighter in Houston and understands her job. Jack is married to <strong>Emily</strong>, and they have a son, <strong>Aiden</strong>, who is prone to ear infections. <strong>Gina</strong> is Kira's neighbor and best friend.

<em>Wolf Security is...</em>
...one of the best and owned by a former Marine, <strong>Liam Wolfe</strong>. The team assigned to Logan's people includes <strong>Jeremy Owen</strong>, a former Marine who will be head of Kira's security detail; <strong>Keith</strong>; <strong>Trent</strong> seems to need more seasoning; <strong>Joel</strong>; and, <strong>Erik Morgan</strong> (a former Marine; <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373451-desperate-girls" title="Opens Laura Griffin's Desperate Girls in Goodreads" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Desperate Girls</em></a>, 1) are on this job.

The men are sometimes split into teams, <strong>Alpha</strong> and <strong>Bravo</strong>. <strong>Lopez</strong> is on special assignment in Aspen. <strong>Cody</strong> is sidelined.

<strong>Oliver "Ollie" Kovak</strong> is Kira's boss and an almost, maybe partner, who investigates all of Logan's big cases.

<em>Logan &amp; Locke is...</em>
...a law firm with <strong>Brock "Lone Logan" Logan</strong> a managing partner who defends wealthy people. <strong>Sydney</strong> works reception. <strong>Bev</strong> is his assistant? <strong>Neil Gautier</strong> is a junior associate.

<strong> Mount Logan</strong> is the name of Logan's house. His dad had run an auto-repair shop and beat his kids.

<strong>Gavin Quinn</strong>, a prominent heart surgeon, is accused of killing his wife, <strong>Ava</strong>. <strong>Craig Collins</strong> is Ava's deadbeat brother. <strong>Michael and Margaret Collins</strong> are Ava's and Craig's parents. <strong>Dr Robert Peck</strong> is Gavin's iffy alibi.

<em>Houston PD</em>
<strong>Detectives Charlotte Spears</strong> and <strong>Alex Diaz</strong> are partners. <strong>Fiona Glass</strong> is the best police artist in the country. <strong>Lacey</strong> is a blonde CSI. <strong>Officer Hanlin</strong> was on the scene at Logan's. The territorial <strong>Detective McGrath</strong> thinks he has Ava Quinn's murderer for which <strong>John Healy</strong> is the prosecutor. <strong>Detective Goldstein</strong> is McGrath's partner. <strong>Officer Gonzales</strong> is on the case at Avalon Lofts. <strong>Grant</strong> is their big-deal fingerprint examiner.

<strong>Ken Phan</strong>. <strong>Glenda</strong> is the judge's clerk. <strong>Lorraine Hartman</strong> is in Public Records.

<em>Xavier Shipping Company has...</em>
...a warehouse on Channelview owned by <strong>Anatoly Markov</strong>. <strong>Andre Markov</strong> is his inept son who was tried for aggravated assault two years ago in front of <strong>Judge Erica Farland</strong>. <strong>Bruno and Sasha Duric</strong> are friends of the Markovs.

<strong>Bruce Garvis</strong> is Kira's landlord. <strong>Ryan Conyers</strong> is a pizza delivery guy with secrets. <strong>James and Lisa Macey</strong> put in an order for pizza. A high tech company, <strong>Cloud Corp</strong> is run by <strong>Leo Rollins</strong>. <strong>Daryl</strong> is a barber with a useful bathroom. <strong>Emilio Sanchez</strong>, a bail bondsman, has the office next door to Ollie. <strong>Guillermo</strong> is his excellent skip tracer. <strong>Jean Colton</strong> owns <strong>Post Place</strong> and employs her son, <strong>Jason</strong>.

Michelle "<strong>Shelly</strong>" Chandler is clerking with <strong>Duffy and Hersch</strong> and messing around with <strong>Andrew Spence</strong>, one of the junior partners. <strong>Renee "Ren"</strong> is Drew's wife, and <strong>Mia</strong> is their three-year-old.

<h2>The Cover and Title</h2>
The cover is intimidating in its black foreground, a very close close-up of Kira's face coming in from the dark, the center of her face highlighted. The fuchsia title spans Kira's face, just below her eyes with "A Novel" immediately below her chin. <em>I do wish Griffin had put the series info here instead...</em> The author's name spans Kira's neck with an info blurb below that. Both are in white.

The title is all about Kira and <em>Her Deadly Secrets</em> that could put her in jeopardy.

This is one of the first Wolfe Security books that I have read from Laura Griffin, although not the first book that I have read of Laura Griffin's.

The story is well written and is filled with some very good twists. There is also a great amount of sexual tension written throughout the book, which helps develop the character's stories. Laura does a great job with intertwining each of the main character's stories.

Laura does well with providing background information on the characters. It did take me a while to understand why Jeremy was being introduced into Kira Vance's story, however, I am so glad that he became apart of her story. The sexual tension between Kira Vance and Jeremy is almost painfully drawn out and the longer it goes on the more you want them to just hook up.

The other main characters are Logan (Lawyer), Charlotte Spears (Detective), and Ollie (Kira's boss). Much of Ollie's story is given in the past tense. Logan is part of the Logan and Locke law firm and it is so easy to see that he loves his alcohol and has the hots for Kira. Charlotte is the detective in the book and she appears to be a very by the book type of detective who is untrusting of Kira.

As I mentioned before, this is the first book that I have read in the Wolfe Security series. There is one book before this one, Desperate Girls. I felt like I was able to easily understand the story in Her Deadly Secrets without having read the first one. I definitely plan on going back and reading the first one, but I don't think it is necessary in order to read this one.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series and I am hoping that Laura continues the next book from where this one ended. She left me, the reader, wanting more and wanting to know what is going to happen between Kira and Jeremy. The wait is going to be hard.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

OK, but the characters didn't come to life for me. Maybe if I'd read the first in the series, I would have enjoyed it more, but it isn't a series I plan to continue.

I have found my newest favorite romantic suspense author in Laura griffin!! I loved the mystery of this book, along with the romance and the fact that they didnt fall in love with eachother from the first second saying hello. I have already requested all of her books the library has and will wait with baited breath for her next book to come out!

A great read, I enjoyed all the suspenseful aspects. Kira is a strong woman and intereting character. Even after surviving someone who tried to kill her.It has romance but I would say it's secondary.
Her Deadly Secrets is packed with action,suspense it's quick and it has a great romance.