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

This is Book #5 in this series and although I haven't read any of the previous ones, this reads well as a standalone.
This is a complex and absorbing plot, with really good characters and believable dialogue within this police procedural.
Hannah Thomas and her colleague Millie are enjoying a spa day and gin-fuelled evening at the hotel bar. They both work at an old peoples home and Millie is new to the area. Originally Millie and her boyfriend should have been at the hotel but the boyfriend dumped her and she extended the invitation to Hannah. They'd arrived separately with Hannah using her motorbike.
When Hannah arrives home the next day she finds the house devoid of both her 5yr-old son Hunter and her fiancée Ian, a police officer, that is until she discovers his body in his car in the garage. Hunter, a diabetic, is missing.
Newly-appointed to DI, Gaby Darin is head of a major incident team in Wales and she and her team pull out all the stops when it comes to losing one of their own - apparently to suicide in remorse for accidentally killing Hunter. But the autopsies throw up many unanswered questions and Hannah becomes the chief suspect. But why would anyone remove every trace of Hunter from her house?
The answer lies in Hannah's tragic past - but it doesn't stop there!

There's many a twist and turn in this plot as Gaby and her team grapple for explanations and Hannah is plunged into a private hell. This is all about revenge - what had Hannah done to deserve this?

I absolutely loved the interactions of the police team; Gaby is a really loyal boss and values the people she works with. There's a good balance between the team's professional and private lives which really brings the characters to life.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

An interesting story, well -written, with enough twists to keep your interest until the end. The plot was well developed until the satisfying ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have not read any of the previous books in the series but this did not hamper my enjoyment of the story at all. It was a fast moving story and the ending for me was unexpected. Good police drama with well written characters.

Hannah Thomas was having her first night away from her son. Hunter had diabetes and this was controlled by a pump attached to his stomach, so her over-protectiveness was understandable, but her fiance, Ian, was pestering her to get married and she thought it would be a good idea for him to find out what parenting was really like. Her friend, Milly, had arranged to take her boyfriend, Liam, for a night in a posh hotel but then he dumped her and she couldn't get the money back, so Hannah was offered the opportunity to go in his place. She would return home to find Ian dead and five-year-old Hunter missing.

It had seemed to be going so well, too. Hannah had had a text from Ian: A boring night in with a curry and my best boy. You enjoy, my love. See you soon xx. When Hannah got home she couldn't find anyone in the house - and then found Ian's body in the fume-filled car in the garage. There was no sign of Hunter. It looked like suicide but there was shock when the Major Incident Team from St Asaph arrived. Ian Strong was one of ours - a policeman.

Hannah had had a lot to put up with in her life. Her parents and her younger brother had been killed in a plane crash and whilst this meant that she had the funds to buy her own home it also meant that she had no one to call on for support. Ian Strong's father and his brother, Dominic, were there but Dominic was decidedly suspicious about Hannah. DI Gaby Darin and the St Asaph MIT were suspicious of her too: they thought that she might have had a hand in Ian's death. Then another body was found.

I first encountered Jenny O'Brien in early 2020 when I read Silent Cry and thought that it was the start of a promising new series. I then read the third book in the series and now I've caught up with the fifth. The marvellous thing is that they all read well as stand alones and there are no spoilers for earlier books in the series - so I'll be able to pick up the books I've missed. Regular readers will enjoy meeting up with characters they're familiar with but they'll quickly come off the page if you're new to the series.

The plot is good. I began by having absolutely no idea of what had happened, then moved to thinking that I had it sussed. It was pretty obvious that Hannah was hiding something but even when we found out what that was, I didn't feel any closer to the answers I needed. The clues were all there, though - and the denouement is particularly satisfying. It's a good read and the best of the series so far.

I'd like to thank the publishers for allowing Bookbag to have a copy of the book.

A story that captivated me immediately. This is something Jenny O'Brien is excellent at, grabbing the reader from the start. Another great police procedural with a central character that I love, even if she is short with people sometimes. I really enjoy the fact that in every instalment in the series the author takes time to learn more about the personal lives of the police team working with Gaby. This gives these books an edge for me.
This storyline is a very absorbing one. The investigation begins with the team trying to discover if it is murder or suicide. Once this is established the suspense doesn't stop there.
I always love a Jenny O'Brien book and this one keeps her previous high standards going. I found it to be a gripping read. The red herrings were plentiful enough to keep me thinking and flipping the pages. I loved the reveal that the story arrives at to close the case at the conclusion of the story too.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ

I haven't read any of this series but this worked as a standalone.. Hannah leaves her young son with her partner while she goes on a rare night out. On her return she discovers the boy is missing and her partner is dead. I liked the fact that the book is set in North Wales as I know the area very well having family there so it added an extra dimension to the story. Well plotted with interesting characters I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read the others in the series.

Buried Lies is the fifth book in the Detective Gaby Darin series and as the series develops so do the characters and you find yourself becoming invested in their plights.

There is always a good mix of professional and personal mix which helps to keep the characters personal and human.

This was a multi-layered complex crime drama full of suspense, suspicion and in my opinion another fantastic edition to this incredible series.

This book was enthralling and I loved the insight it gave into police procedures. The 'whodunit' was unexpected and the outcome the same. I just didn't expect it. I liked the fact it was set n North Wales and I was familiar with some of the villages Conwy, Landdudno, Rhos-on_Sea. I was able to walk the streets with the characters.

What a really good book! The storyline is gripping, the characters are believable and the whole plot moves along at a cracking pace. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would readily recommend it to all lovers of crime fiction.

Hannah Thomas returns home one morning to every mother’s worst nightmare: a missing child and a dead fiancé. When DI Gaby Darin questions her, Hannah insists she can’t think of anyone who’d want to hurt her family and yet it all feels disturbingly personal. Mere hours into the investigation, a second body is found. As Gaby and her team dig into the victims’ lives, they hit dead ends at every turn – particularly when it comes to Hannah’s past. But when Gaby stumbles upon Hannah’s tragic secret, it doesn’t bring her any closer to the truth.
This is the fifth book in the series & it could easily be read on its own. I like Gaby, she’s now settled as an Inspector & her personal life is also more settled too. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I was left guessing & I’d no idea as to the motive nor who the villain was. There were plenty of twists & turns plus red herrings, so I was engrossed from start to finish & was surprised at the outcome. I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Emotional and twisty this police procedural is full of secrets. The investigative team are relatable characters, and despite their flaws, they are likeable. Well-plotted and realistic, the clues are sparse, and the false leads numerous. There is an engaging amount of personal details to balance the investigative procedure.

Gaby continues to develop into a skilled detective, and her brusque manner is less evident as she feels comfortable with her role and her personal life is more rewarding. The criminal investigation is emotive but sensitively written, and the story keeps its secrets until the end.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Absolute page turner! This is the first book I've read featuring Gaby and her team but as all the books are stand alone books it's not essential to read them in order.
I felt there may have been some references to parts of Gaby and Amy's stories at least bur this was confusing, it's made me want to check out the other books even more.
This book features chapters from multiple characters, all the detectives involved, pathologist Rusty, suspect and victim Hannah Thomas, family and friends which brings real character to the book.
There is a lot of twists and turns and you'll be kept guessing who could be the real killer of Hannahs boyfriend and one other all the way to the final chapters when it'll hit you at the same time it hits Gaby Darin and her team. Excellent read!

I have never read any books from this author and it won’t be my last I enjoyed it from the first page it’s so addictive about Hannah who is a nurse, On arriving home from a spa day she finds her partner and son missing and to make matters worse she is a suspect in his death. There is also a crime years ago where someone died where she worked DI Gaby Darin is finding these deaths very complex and has to race against time before it’s too late.

I loved all the characters and can’t wait to see where Gaby and Rusty the pathologist relationship is going,

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy,

My favorite kind of book - intense, suspenseful, an intriguing crime puzzle, and so many interesting characters - both the regulars in this outstanding detective series, and the villains, victims, red herrings, and “friendlies”, - so intertwined and carefully plotted that it requires best wits in an attempt to distinguish between them.

Book five in the Detective Gaby Darin collection, this was my first dip into this author and this series, and I will definitely be going back to read the others. Gaby is a terrific addition to my delightfully lengthening list of female-strong-and-interesting-detective-leads, and I can’t wait to round out the series with the earlier editions to see how her character has developed..

Based in North Wales, and together with her crack team of police colleagues in the Major Crimes Unit (including the very intriguing Mal, my personal favorite), as well as CSI support, family liaison and Gaby’s sort-of-boyfriend Rusty Mulholland, (the senior pathologist), and managed by her dour and thoroughly unpleasant DCI (ironically named Henry Sherlock), Gaby and her crew provide a briskly competent professional presence, mingled with just the right amount of behind-the-scenes camaraderie, family drama, social engagement, and burgeoning backstories to move the characters front-and-center stage in the novel, with plot and setting following closely behind.

Without giving that plot away (no spoilers here), it’s fair to say this book has all the elements of tragedy, mystery, and pathos - as Gaby and her team race to discover the identity of a vicious killer, and the buried lies and secrets serving the crime.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, cover to cover, - meeting with these characters and devouring this mystery - with a definite hint of sadness as it came to a dramatic (and only very late in the book, guessed) finale.

A great big thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I’d like to thank HQ Digital and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Buried Lies’ written by Jenny O’Brien in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Hannah Thomas arrives home from a weekend away with her friend Milly and finds her policeman fiancé Ian sitting in his car dead and her five-year-old son Hunter missing. DI Gaby Darin is on a spa weekend break with her best friend Amy prior to Amy’s wedding when she’s called back to lead St Asaph Major Incident Team in a search for Hunter and the reason behind Ian’s death.

I wasn’t aware that ‘Buried Lies’ is the fifth in the DI Gaby Darin series and although a bit of prior knowledge of the characters’ background would have been helpful it hasn’t detracted from my enjoyment and can still be read as a standalone thriller. From a slow start, the further I’ve got into the story the more the tension increases until I’ve been really involved in what’s happening. I like the character of Gaby who seems to be fair yet demanding of her team and the story has a lot of drama, suspense and twists and turns, with a surprise ending I wasn’t anticipating. I’m going to look out for previous books in this series so I can get a better understanding of Gaby and her relationship with the pathologist, Dr Rusty Mulholland.

This is the 5th book in the DI Darin series. It is the first one I've read and it was ok as a standalone book but I can't say I enjoyed it. DI Darin is far more concerned with her friend's upcoming wedding than solving murders and initially seems totally unconcerned about a missing child who has a serious illness. She comes across as totally unprofessional and rude and I would hate to have her in charge of any investigation for me! It is a slow story with too much filler, so I ended up skimming through it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

SUPER police procedural arousing feelings of anger, sadness & the question of why & who?? Well written with lots of intrigue & interesting characters. Particularly liked the character of Hannah while dealing with the horrendous destruction of her life. I have bought/read & enjoyed all of this series thus far & totally RECOMMEND them all. Thanks to NetGalley & HQ for this ARC in return for my honest review..

Story starts with D I Gaby Marin enjoying herself for once as her friend is getting married and what better than that of a spa weekend.
As the story progress Hannah a nurse has had some bad luck in the past but was her luck about to change? She has a boyfriend who is a copper and a little boy who she idolizes but he is a diabetic and uses an insulin pump as he is very young.
The story was a little different and for some unknown reason I found it an age to get into it, I take it it is a series but it can be read as a standalone novel.
I would like to thank Harper Collings & Netgalley for an advanced copy to read.

A good read with enough twists and turns to keep fans of this genre happy. Almost a locked room mystery only this time it is who took the car keys Believable characters.

Oh what a great book. I loved the characters. The short chapters kept the plot fast flowing and there was plenty of twists to keep you guessing. I was totally hooked and read it in one day.

This is the first book I've read from this author and I now need to read the first 4. Highly recommend this book for crime genre lovers.