DI Natalie Ward has made the decision that she’s ready to return to work after her compassionate leave following the death of her daughter Leigh. She’s called in a couple of days early when a young University student is attacked with acid and dies. Gemma Barnes was a languages student at Stamford University. Natalie and her team struggle to find a motive for the attack on Gemma. Then another death occurs - Fran was also a student at the university and she shared a house with Gemma. One person with a link to both girls is Natalie’s soon to be ex-husband David. Natalie doesn’t want to think he could be involved but it is clear he is being evasive with her when questioned. The case has the whole team going round in circles with no clear suspect.

Fantastic read from start to finish. Absolutely love this series Carole Wyer.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Carol Wyer for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

After being totally stunned by the ending of the previous novel featuring DI Natalie Ward, I was desperate to catch up with Natalie, her son, Josh, and her estranged husband, David, to see how they were all coping with the aftermath of what happened.
Natalie finally returns to work and quickly focuses in on a series of murders involving students. As you would expect, she throws herself into this against the backdrop of grief and family issues.
I didn’t think the story and the plot were as strong as the previous books but the portrayal of the family torn apart by what happened made up for it. We got to know more about son, Josh, and David and how what had happened impacted on them. The empathy that Natalie showed to another mother of a murder victim was beautifully done. The behaviour of her team was also fitting and it was good to get to know them even better as well.

As a huge fan of Carol Wyer, her latest is every bit as brilliant as its predecessors. The DI Natalie Ward series is intense, never dull and always makes for compulsive reading. I had a very visceral reaction to this one as I did the last, The Blossom Twins. Any author who entertains, keeps you engaged and makes you feel deep emotion is outstanding! The Secret Admirer sets the bar even higher this time and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

The Secret Admirer is the sixth book in the Natalie Ward series and they just keep getting better.

Returning to work after three months on compassionate leave since the death of her daughter Leigh, Natalie is asked to investigate the death of Gemma, a college student who died after an acid attack. With her team behind her Natalie discovers that Gemma had a secret admirer but was she targeted or was she in the wrong place at the wrong time? Natalie will need all her wits about her to discover the truth.

A clever twisty story which will keep you guessing until the end.

This latest novel in the Detective Natalie Ward series picks-up where the last one ended. After the horrific experience of losing her daughter to a maniacal murderer, Natalie is ready to try being back at work. The case she is assigned to hits a bit too close to home. The murder of a young woman, another woman's daughter, has Natalie and her team engaged in a difficult investigation. As the body count rises, Natalie begins to doubt herself. Fighting to keep memories of her daughter's murder in the back of her mind, she leads the team to find the surprising cause of the serial killings.

Wow! Back with Natalie Ward after the explosive ending of The Blossom Twins. Natalie returns to work and to her team, and is plunged into a case concerning the horrific death of a young university student. Struggling against the tidal wave of empathetic memories of Leigh she buries herself in the case. This a a brilliant read. As the bodies mount up and just about every suspect, including some very close to home, seem to lie and hide the truth, you can feel the exhaustion and frustration in the team.
Excellent main plot that twists and turns, presenting you with the perfect villains, just to snatch them away and fantastic developments in the subplots and the characters. Epic stuff

The Secret Admirer is the latest instalment of DI Natalie Ward series. Gemma has angered someone so much that they throw acid in her face one night, leading to her death. There seems to be no one with any real animosity in Gemma's life, she's well liked and popular. But, she does have a secret admirer, someone who felt compelled to write to Gemma and express their feelings. Were those feelings reciprocated or not? It's an interesting premise to start a book. I enjoyed the Secret Admirer but unfortunately I did guess who the antagonist(s) are about half way into the book. Saying that, it didn't ruin the book for me. A good police procedural.

I am a big fan of Carol Wyer’s DI Natalie Ward series so I couldn’t wait to read The Secret Admirer the 6th book in the series. The book carries on from the shock ending of The Blossom twins.

D. I Natalie Ward is still grieving for the loss of her daughter but decides that its time she moves on and gets back to work. When she gets a call from her boss Dan Tasker asking for her to come back to work on a case that has just come in. She is asked to find the killer of University student Gemma Barnes who died from the effects of having acid thrown in her face. But as Natalie and her team investigate and speak to her housemates she knows that something isn’t quite right and she knows that they are not telling the whole truth about Gemma and then the investigation turns for the worse when Natalie’s ex husband is put in the frame for Gemma’s murder.

The story also includes the personal life of Natalie. How she seems to be coping after the death of her daughter Leigh, the relationship that she is having with her son Josh and her ex-husband. How she is determined to get over the death of her daughter by immersing herself in her work and catching the killer.

This is another great instalment but, a bit slower paced then the other books in this series. But it still kept me hooked to the page, with the many red herrings and the many characters in this book. I thought the storyline was current in today’s world and I liked how the author showed the personal life of Natalie it made the story more believable. 5 stars from me.

Another superb book from Carol Wyer with another shocker for Natalie Ward! From the first paragraph I was immersed into Natalie’s life again and just wanted to keep reading to find out more. Lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Another must read!!

I enjoyed this insightful thriller very much. The storyline flows at a great pace, and the characters are well fleshed out. Highly recommended!

The Secret Admirer is the sixth book from Carol Wyer in the DI Natalie Ward series, and my first book from this author.

Gemma is a college student who receives anonymous letters from « an admirer ». One evening, she falls victim to an acid attack while going to the library, and dies from the shock.

DI Natalie Ward has been on compassionate leave following the death of her daughter. From what I gathered from the novel, she’s not been a very lucky detective. She’s estranged from her husband who, even before their daughter’s death, had been in a freefall, gambling and losing his job. She lost friends, and only has her son, Josh, and her new boyfriend and colleague, Mike, to support her. Right after she decided to resume work, she’s put in charge of the investigation into Gemma’s murder.

The investigation focuses on many people. Gemma had a shifty tutor, shared a flat with four other students, two other girls and two guys. A flat frequently visited by Gemma’s mother, and by one of the girl’s best friend roomed in another place. Soon, it will appear that Gemma wasn’t as nice and loved than first thought. More bodies drop and, to add to DI Ward’s troubles, David, her estranged husband, will also come up as a person of interest.

Carol Wyer has built an ensemble of compelling characters, and does a good job of getting new readers acquainted with them and their lives so far. All of them are fleshed out, as the author gives us windows in their lives and meaningful character development. As for the investigation, if the first half of the book moves at maybe too slow a pace, the second half makes up for it. The case is complex, and the team will need more than a break to solve it.

The final chapters combine the unraveling of the case with stressful happenings in DI Ward’s personal life, before setting the stage for the next novel in the series as an epilogue.

The writing is agreeable and flows nicely. There are a few technical inaccuracies concerning phones, SIM cards, and e-mails forensics, but only the most tech-savvy of us will catch them. And, even then, we can easily replace them in our minds with what should have been. It’s far from being a deal breaker, nor was the initial slow pacing, even if the book could have benefited from shedding a few pages.

All in all, this was an entertaining read and a solid police procedural. The series is certainly one to get into.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

Natalie Ward is one of my favourite series by one of my favourite authors ( even after shocking us in The Blossom Twins).

The Secret Admirer grabs you quickly from the first chapter to the last.

Twists and turns, couldn't quite make up my mind who the guilty culprit was. Some nasty people you love to hiss at were in contention for murdering Gemma.

That wont turn out to be the only murder in the book.

Cant wait for Book 7 in the series (summer 2020), I will be first in line. Perhaps I will have my wine chilled before starting the next book.

Don't miss this series or Robyn Carter by Carol Wyer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me watch Natalie solve another crime !

Another fabulous and twisty read from Carol Wyer. I love the way Carol can show the heartbreak of loss, which brings another dimension to a miurder investigation. Shocking and compulsive. Natalie Ward and her home life are as compelling as the 'whodunnit' element of the book. I can't wait for the next book.

This book is pure escapism a psychological thriller written with interesting characters who are all different!! The background story is what I like about Carols books though you could read them as stand alone as they are different cases!! If you want a book to keep you up at night reading I’d definitely recommend this book and the whole series!!

The book starts with the death of a student in a university campus and letter from her admirer. This is a police procedural and could be read as a stand alone. The pace slowed in the final one third, and that dampened the moment of revelation. If it could be cut short then it would be a fab read.

This is the 6th book in the DI Natalie Ward series. It can be read as a stand alone, as I have done here. Everything you need from the back story is provided. So you can hit the ground running. A gripping story keeps you guessing until the very end.

Natalie's character feels real. She is just a vehicle for pumping out stories. She is a living breath carer detective doing a job she is good at. She has made some sacrifices along the way but not to the point of making her a stereo type.

She is NOT a lone ranger with hidden senses, that sees things other cannot see. She is part of a complex team and works the evidence. She is NOT an legend in her own mind Its NOT all about Natalie. Its very much like a real Murder Team.

This is a great find. I am going to be picking up the previous five books in the series. Also waiting expectantly for further titles in the series. Really enjoyed

If you want to read a book full of suspense and mystery by all means read this book. I was intrigued by what happened next and how the victim's mother would get justice. The twists and turns had me turning the pages so fast. Thank you NetGalley.

I've not read any books by this author before, whilst this book is part of the Detective Natalie Ward series, it doesn't affect the storyline if you read as a stand-alone book.

It commences with a letter to Gemma from an admirer, then moves on to prior to the attack on Gemma. Moving between the investigation and Natalies personal life, trying to keep going after the families recent loss. There's plenty of red herrings along the way..

This was a good book, but for me personally I found the pace a bit slow. I would've liked a bit more from the "admirer" in between the investigation work.

Hard to believe that The Secret Admirer is already Book 6 in the fabulous Natalie Ward series and as always, Carol Wyer does not disappoint.
Dark, gritty and gripping from the get-go, it doesn't let up till the very last page is turned.

After a three month break, recovering from her own deeply shocking and personal loss, Natalie decides to return to work and immediately becomes lead investigator into a shocking and gruesome murder, that of a young nineteen year old girl.

Another nail biting, action packed read and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Can't wait for the next.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC for my honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and I really enjoyed it, it may be book six in the series but it is as fresh and gripping ad if it were the first, the story is tense and how the lives of the detectives are followed is also very addictive! I can't wait for book 7 for more police action and follow up to the life and loves of Natalie ward