Detective Meredith Somerset and her new partner are sent to the scene of a homicide. Taken place in the middle of a suburban well to do street, how were there no witnesses?! Each neighbour on this small estate is mysterious in their own way, but what are the residents hiding, and could it be linked to the murder of the young woman?

One of my favourite things about Steve Frech's books are the characters - truth be told, I'm a little bit in love with Meredith Somerset now. The work relationships, family dynamics and history behind the characters adds an extra level to the story that makes you completely unable to put it down! Det. Somerset's past, present & future are considered throughout this book, and the characters she interacts with along the way are given just as much detail & depth as our heroine.

This book has drama, mystery, a few funny one-liners that made me smile, a little bit of creepy/thriller factor as well as being crime fiction, If you are new to the crime/mystery genre, this would be an excellent place to start.

I really hope to see more of Meredith & Tyler in future books! An easy 5 stars from me!

Thank you to the publisher, HQStories & NetGalley for this e-book copy to review,

Wow, where to start, another great book from this author!!
This is fast paced, with the discovery of a body right at the start, it doesn’t slow down until the last page.
I love how it pulls you in and keeps you captivated right up until the end (and I can’t wait for the next instalment, you will see what I mean when you read this!)
What I found surprising was how different this one is from his previous books, some authors end up stuck following similar stories/patterns but this was totally different from previous titles which is fantastic.
This will keep you guessing until the end!
As the story progresses you learn more about the main characters and feel more connected to them and understand why they do some things they do.
Well done Frech, another great book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and most importantly the author, for the chance to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This story really drew me in from the beginning when the body of a young girl is discovered in the middle of the street.. A street surrounded by homes where not one person saw anything., or even came outside to see what was going on.. Which is definitely already suspicious.. As Merideth and her new partner Troy are questioning the residents its very obvious that they are all hiding something.. They just have to figure out if their secrets have anything to do with the murdered girl..
The case kept me guessing..Everytime another suspect came to the front of the investigation I was convinced they were it.. I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed.
I also loved all of the flashbacks to Merideths past and what happened to her little sister.. The reason she became an officer in the first place.
I can' wait to see whats going to happen in this series next, especially with how it ended!!

I was drawn into this from the first page. I loved Meredith - her backstory & how it impacts her life, her family & how they support each other, and her whole attitude. I think her & Tyler are an interesting team, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I enjoyed seeing the case unfold and seeing the secrets of a weird neighbourhood come out into the open.

Wow! I really enjoyed this. Although I had no doubt that I would. I love all the books by this author. It was tense and nail-biting. I couldn’t turn the kindle fast enough to find out who it was.

Steve Frech never ever fails to write an amazing book! And Secret To The Grave is another hit. The story line was really interesting and I loved how he weaved the different characters stories all in one. I loved reading a strong female point of view in this one, where other books by Frech have had a male lead. I loved the twist and I loved that I didn't have it figured out until the end, definitely kept me guessing.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ for the electronic copy.

This is Book#1 in a new series starring Detective Meredith Somerset based in Atlanta. It's well-written and I enjoyed the dialogue and interactions between Meredith, her Sergeant an her new partner, Tyler Foles. However, I was left feeling that the whole storyline around the investigation consisted of a lot of toing and froing and getting nowhere fast.

Early one foggy morning a jogger discovers a teenaged girls body in Willow Lane; she has no ID, is not wearing shoes but her socks are grass-stained leading Meredith to conclude that she must have run out of one of the small group of exclusive houses on this close. But - none of the neighbours show the slightest interest in finding out what the police and forensics officers are doing on their street - no-one comes out of their house. Someone must know something surely? Their only clue is a silver heart-shaped pendant the victim has hidden in a sock.

As the investigation proceeds house-to-house we soon find out that all the neighbours each have an "oddness" about them; they don't like one another and as things progress we realise they each have their own secrets to hide away from police intrusion.

There are constant flashbacks from Meredith's point of view regarding her young sister Alice's disappearance and the guilt she feels. This theme is almost as prevalent as the investigation itself and no doubt would run into the next book.

I thought it was an OK read. I felt the storyline was a bit "thin", with Meredith's personal life (and to an extent, that of Tyler's) almost overshadowing this police procedural. But of course, this is just my opinion.

Detective Meredith Somerset lands a murder case of a young girl. Unfortunately there is nothing to identify the young girl but a necklace. This case takes Meredith back to the day he own sister was murdered while under her care. Will this undo Meredith as she takes on the case and has constant reminders of her own sister? A thriller from the first page!

This was a totally immersive experience. I really had to keep reading to find out what happened and still want to know more re their journey.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I received this arc through netgalley and the publishers.

The first in a series featuring Meredith Somerset, a murdered girl appears in a close of posh houses with a medallion tucked in her sock, The race to find who killed her and what the medallion means has Meredith teaming up with Tyler in what could be a beautiful partnership

I will be eagerly waiting for the next book in the series and will go and find other books that Steve Frech has written

This book was provided to me by HQ HQDigital and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

An enjoyable story filled to the brim with suspense and thrills.

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ Digital, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Why isn't everyone reading Steve Frech?

This is the 3rd novel I've read by this author and each one has been fantastic. All three have been markedly different as well, proving that he is not a one-hit-wonder, but rather a writer of considerable talents who has lots of ideas bouncing around in his noggin. The first I read was a thriller with a hint of ghost story; the second was a straight up ghost story; and this most recent was an excellent crime/police procedural that looks to possibly be part of a series (I hope!).

In this entry, a teen is found dead in an upscale neighborhood, and our investigators--each with their own personal dramas--are on the case. Frech's characters are well-drawn and his action keeps you turning the pages. There are also enough background details to make a reader want to continue following these characters in a series.

Overall, I find Frech to be an exciting writer who plays with an impressive repertoire of genre. I highly recommend reading his stuff--he's on my "must read" list!

The premise of this book sounded interesting from the very beginning. It was a quick, easy read and I was surprised by some of the twists. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A young girl is found dead in the middle of a quite street in a reasonably affluent area by a woman going on her early morning jog. This street has quite a mix of characters but focuses on four families who we zero in on as potential culprits. Each of these families are all very different and this gives a great perspective to the story, I really thought this was very well done as I found them all fascinating and ripped through the book waiting to see who was actually guilty. I liked the relationship between Meredith and Tyler, as their relationship grew it was plain to see they complemented each other in their roles, bouncing off each other not only with ideas but also when interviewing suspected parties. I also enjoyed the character of Sergeant Wheaton and the relationship he had with Meredith. This book was definitely a winner for me, thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to all. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A teenage girl is found dead on a quiet suburban street. Detective Meredith Somerset is joined by a new partner to investigate, and as she begins to question the residents it seems that no-one saw or heard anything. It appears that everyone has something to hide and Meredith will have to dig deep if she is to determine what happened.

Not having read this author before I found this to be a good domestic thriller and look forward to the next instalment.

I really loved the author’s last book, Deadly Games, so I was excited to read this book. In fact I loved his last book so much I read all of his previous books. It looks like Steve Frech is not afraid to try new styles and genres because this book is very different from his previous books. Unfortunately I much preferred his plot and the genre of Deadly Games. I’ve read a lot of police procedurals and so many of them are similar to this that it’s just not very unique or interesting. Like so many novels in this genre we have a female detective with a dark backstory and a very messy personal life. I just didn’t care about her ex-husband or her daughter as it just was not interesting but unfortunately the author took up a lot of page time with it.

I like mysteries but it’s thin here. Unfortunately this novel is more about the secrets people keep and seems more like a dark Desperate Housewives as it involves the goings on behind closed doors in a neighborhood. I also had zero interest in the criminal activities of a certain police officer. A conflicted character might add something to a plot but a drug addict as hero is far too much of a stretch. If you hate when books don’t wrap everything up be warned that’s the case here. While the actual case is completed the door is very much left open to a cold case that’s very important to a certain character. I’m interested enough to read that to see what happens but I do wish the author would get back to the style that so impressed me with Deadly Games. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It was just about OK, and that’s all. Definitely not the ‘unputdownable detective novel’ the description promised – for me anyway! The writing was OK, the story was OK, and I’m sorry I can’t find anything really positive to say about it. There was the expected littering of errors, but the one thing that really got my goat was the way that Meredith spoke to her 15-year-old daughter. “Baby, why is this upsetting you so much?” “Baby, look at me.” “Nothing, baby. Mommy was making a joke.” Every single time they spoke. Then Meredith called her own mother, and we got the ‘baby’ thing all over again. It really got on my nerves. Nothing exciting or thrilling about this story at all. Sorry, not a book I could recommend.

In an exclusive residential cul de sac an anonymous teenage girl lies dead on the roadside. It is up to detectives Meredith and Tyler to find her killer but on a street where everyone is keeping secrets they have a mammoth task in front of them.
As well as the intrigue that begins on the very first page this book really tugs at the heartstrings. No one in the neighbourhood admits to knowing this girl and what's more is they don't care. I loved the dynamic between the two detectives who have just been partnered up and it was a breath of fresh air to read of his senior officer who supports his team and stands up for them. The fact that everyone is hiding something led to little shocks throughout the book and I can honestly say that I never even suspected the killer.
This is a great start to what I hope will be a really exciting series with the mystery of Meredith's missing sister running through it.

“We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin.”—André Berthiaume

Detective Meredith Somerset has been called to the scene of a body found face down in the street. The body is of a young teen age girl who apparently was strangled…a young girl found in an upper middleclass subdivision…a young girl who bears a striking resemblance to her sister who disappeared so many years ago. “I miss you, Meredith…” the voice of her sister is so clear in her mind, but Meredith has to shake off her haunted past in order to find justice for the murder of this young victim.

While investigating the scene, Detective Somerset finds it highly unusual that no one has come out of their homes to ask what is going on…no one is peaking out their windows…no one is out walking their dog…it’s as if Willow Lane is completely devoid of anyone but the emergency response personnel and the dead body in the street. Going door to door inquiring the residents if they saw or heard anything brings up more questions than answers, and Detective Somerset’s investigative senses are all a tingle. Someone knows what happened to this young girl, and she will uncover the secrets of the Willow Lane community…one way or another…

How well do you know your neighbors? Would you know if a killer lived amongst you? SECRETS TO THE GRAVE is an intriguing thriller that will keep you guessing as to what exactly everyone is hiding, and while the sleuth in you may unravel fragments of the mystery, there is still that wee bit you never quite guess! I’ve enjoyed Steve Frech’s other works, and this may be his best yet! Looking forward to the next installment to this new series! Loved and highly recommend!




**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Detective Meredith Somerset has landed a horrific case; the murder of a teenage girl. Meredith not only has to find the killer, she has to first identify the victim. Her only clue is the silver necklace the girl is wearing. Her body was discovered in a suburban neighborhood, but locals claim to have seen and heard nothing. Compounding Meredith’s problems is the memory of the disappearance of her own sister, who vanished under Meredith’s care. A domestic thriller that shows that there is no such thing as the perfect neighborhood