This is book 5 in the Carolina Slade Mysteries series and while it can be read as a stand alone, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had some background from previous stories. I have read C. Hope Clark's series on Edisto Island and enjoy her writing style. Wayne and Slade are finally engaged and Wayne has a new partner, a young eager to prove herself young woman. A mix of drugs, weekend militia and old traditions make for a good murder mystery. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Salkehatchie Secret by C. Hope Clark is the latest in The Carolina Slade Mysteries #5 and is another hit. Enjoyable story line. Wonderful characters. Multiple story lines. Would definitely recommend.

I absolutely could not stop reading this. There are twists and turns and surprises throughout. I didn’t get anything done until I finished this. The plot is very cleverly crafted and I love the low country setting.
Many thanks to Bell Bridge Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Even if I read other books by this author it's the first i read in this series and won't surely be the last.
It's a gripping and entertaining story that kept me hooked till the end.
I like the well written and interesting characters, the solid mystery that kept me guessing and the vivid background.
I had a lot of fun and was hooked since the first pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Salkehatchie Secret is can be read as a stand-alone novel, but is considered a part of the Carolina Slade series. I especially enjoy that it actually brings together the main characters from two different series written by Clark. This book is mostly a story centered around Clark's character Carolina Slade,, who is working to solve another mysterious disappearance. Slade's case leads her to the discovery of a body in a location where it would be advantageous to have the cooperation of Edisto Police Chief Callie Morgan. Morgan is also the main character of the Edisto Island Mysteries, Clark's other series,

This book contains everything I look for in a mystery--an intriguing case to be solved, competent and believable characters (no armchair detectives to be found here, folks!), and a setting that adds to the sinister mood. Add in the fact that I get to experience the protagonists from 2 loved series in the same book? That's all I need to know!

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Salkehatchie Secret is the first book I've had a chance to review from a local author. And by local, I mean within a few miles from my neighborhood. And C. Hope Clark has written a very good regional, crime-fiction novel.

"Carolina Slade gets engaged to longtime boyfriend, Wayne Largo, the same night his new partner goes missing. Slade calls in a favor and gets her Sheriff friend, Callie Morgan, to help with the search. Soon they are deep in hemp farms, weekend militias and missing Ag Dept employees."

Very few books are set here in SC (unless it's "four girlfriends who get together to share old secrets after 20 years at the beach") So it was nice to see some crime fiction. Except that Carolina Slade is not really law enforcement. She's a SC Dept of Agriculture Special Projects person - who happens to investigate farmers who violate the terms of their crop agreements. But she does have a gun and shoots somebody. One of the deputies has a large, extended family full of funny stories. And like many small towns, this is one where the family tree is very large and broad. Makes for a great investigative tool. There was a bit of the ending left hanging, but sometimes it works when they don't wrap it up in a pretty package.

It was neat to see characters eat at a restaurant we often stop at on the way back from the beach. If you've driven through SC on the way to the Low Country, you'll recognize many of the places. And if you've ever seen a "conniption fit" you'll really like this book.

Very good stuff. A good story and engaging, with interesting characters and settings, and a good ending to boot! Recommended.

Thanks very much for the review copy for review!!