Any new book by Faith Martin is always welcomed. I love WPC Loveday and her crisis at the end of the book shows how much she is growing. Great characters, great plot and a totally dazzling finish. I never once suspected the perpetrator. I can picture Ryder too, he is also a fab character. Also enjoyed the (slight) change of heart in DI Jennings. The period setting is perfect too, nostalgic but also a stark reminder that the ‘good old days’ had a very dark side. Wonderful.

Trudy and Clement are back with another mystery. I really enjoy the dynamics of the duo however it is getting frustrating now that Trudy hasn't just asked Clement what is wrong and that this hasn't been disclosed. I appreciate the author wants to keep suspense and also doesn't want to have to write Clement out but I became increasingly frustrated as passages are repeated about how Trudy wants to know but can't ask.

It's so fascinating about the period of time where female police officers were rare and I really like this aspects of the book.

This wasn't my favourite in the series but I did enjoy it.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

I love stories like this that are part of a series and as usual I'm late to the party but I have rectified this and downloaded the others. A child is missing and subsequently found dead and the unlikely partnership of the Coroner, Dr Clement Ryder and probationary WPC Trudy Loveday investigate the case. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books. I would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for letting me have the book to review and the opinions expressed are entirely my own views. #Afatalsecret#

I love Faith Martin's work, and was delighted by the arrival of this new title. However, publisher beware! The typesetting in the version I was sent was inept - the number of errors was unbelievable, and if proofreading had been carried out before its release, that was equally inept. This is a wholly disappointing presentation and does a complete disservice to the effort that Faith puts into her work.

This was a really nice gentle murder mystery. Set in bucolic surrounds and peopled with good folk - for the most part! - Notable for it's lack of profanity whilst still being an engrossing whodunnit, albeit in a much earlier and gentler era than todays currents settings. Not a smart phone, electric hybrid, or laptop in sight, let alone the internet! Settle yourself in your comfiest armchair, pour a glass or 2 of sherry and get stuck in. Lovely book and despite (or perhaps because ) there being no mad-slasher type psychopaths running around it was a jolly good tale and beautifully written. Looking forward to hearing how Trudy copes in the aftermath of her near-death experience at the hands of a bad man wielding a scythe ;)