Member Reviews

A police procedural to keep you wanting to keep reading. The fifth in the series but you can pick up on the characters and it is a finite story standing on its own Gaby is a committed detective with a strong team around her trying to find the killer of one of the police officers and the son of his partner. Plenty of twists and turns leading to the unveiling of a vengeance crime. I’ll return to this series to read the earlier book

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Thank you Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Detective Inspector Gaby Darin is enjoying a spa day with Amy, a co-worker and friend. Amy is about to be married, and they are celebrating the bride. In typical fashion for an investigator's life, their spa day is interrupted by a call to a home residence to investigate a "crime scene". There is a dead boyfriend who seemingly perished by his own volition. There is also a missing child who is diabetic. The mother is frantic and the police are frantic as well, but everything may not be as it seems. If you like police procedurals, you will enjoy this book. There is a lot of supposition on what exactly happened, which will cause you to be bounced from one person to another in order to figure out the mystery. My only problem with this book was the ending. It basically left you with your mouth agape. This may have been the writer's intention. It was definitely a great mystery, and I would recommend it for any mystery lovers. Four stars!

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Another excellent read from Jenny O’Brien. A fairly standard set of murders at the beginning of the book, although the death of a minor is always harrowing.
What a love about these books particularly, is the sense of team. Led by DI Darin, each member of the team has their place and it is fascinating seeing how the investigation unfolds. The chapters are written focussing on different members of the investigation unit and the victim. Everything slowly unfolds as you are kept guessing, without it being sensationalised.
I really look forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital, One More Chapter for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

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Oh my, this story is full of tragedy from the start to the end. Hannah hardly ever leaves her young son to go anywhere on her own, but she had been in a relationship with her fella a while now, so she trusted him. She had been invited to a night away with a new friend for an all-expenses-paid weekend break. They have a great time even if they do have hangovers. When Hannah gets home, there is no one around. When she goes to their garage, to get the car and look for them, she finds her partner is dead, and her diabetic son is missing.

This is the 5th book in the D I Gaby Darwin series, but I believe my first. Gaby is heavily involved in wedding preparations when she receives a call about the case. When they arrive at the scene, someone recognises the dead young man as a police officer. The investigation goes up a notch, but things take a turn for the worse when another dead body is found.

I liked getting to know Gaby Darwin, she is brisk and likes things to move at her pace. This case is quite complicated, with some false leads to throw the team off the right track. Hannah is a mystery, and Gaby is sure she is hiding something from them. I found this story ever so sad. It is well written. A series that I will have to go to the start of.

I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly.

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A detective series set in North Wales, an area I know well. I loved the setting. The DI is Gaby, I did not take to her straight away but got to appreciate her more as the book progressed. I did come to like most of the team by the end.
The crimes were the deaths of the partner and son of a nurse working in a carehome. She has been dealt a rough hand having lost her family in a planecrash at a young age.
The book was not bad, but had sections where the investigation dud not seem to be going anywhere, though the suspense picked up later in the book. The investiigation was ok, probibly a true picture of how things are in real life, but I got bogged down by the lack of progress and clues at times.
Some of the nursing protocols could have been researched better, especially regarding controlled drugs , some of what is described would result in disciplinary action ...
Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

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Buried Lies is the fifth book in series with Gaby Darin as the lead character. This is definitely a stand alone, but if you are a fan of the series, then should be read in order.

After Hannah Thomas returns from a spa weekend with a friend she finds her fiance dead and her son missing. DI Gaby Darin and her team are called in to investigate. When Darin gets to the scene, she notes the dead fiance but there seems to be a lack of concern regarding the missing child with type 1 diabetes. There seems to be a lack of urgency in finding the missing child and more on the impending wedding of best friend Amy. Hannah seems to be in a daze and does not stress to the police to do their jobs.

The story lagged and seemed to have go in circles that didn't make sense. The book is fine but was hoping for something the held my interest better.

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Buried lies by Jenny O'Brien 5 book in series
After a night away Hannah comes home to find her fiance Ian dead and her sin missing.
DO Gaby Darins is set to solve the case.
A good plot ,would live to now go back and read other in series
Thanks to Netgalley for letting me review this book

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I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Buried Lies, the fifth novel to feature DO Gaby Darin of the North Wales MIT.

When Hannah Thomas returns from a night away she finds her five year old son missing and her partner dead in his car. A few hours later another body is found. Gaby is sure that the answers lie in Hannah’s past, so the question is how to unlock them.

I thoroughly enjoyed Buried Lies, which is an absorbing tale of secrets and loss. It is told from various points of view, but mainly Gaby and Hannah. This is interesting as a juxtaposition of Gaby thinking Hannah might have killed them and Hannah bewildered by what has happened to her, especially as her family was killed in a plane crash a few years ago and she has no one to turn to.

I found the novel absorbing because I had no idea what had happened or why. Murder/suicide, accident/suicide or plain murder, all options are in play and then there’s the question of motive. It’s all very intriguing and the author does a great job of stretching it out and muddying the waters. This means that the solution came as a surprise. I’m not sure that I found it overly convincing, but does that matter when the journey to get there was so interesting?

It’s all go for Gaby. She’s settling in as the new Detective Inspector and worrying about her people skills, her relationship with Rusty is getting more serious and she’s chief bridesmaid at her friend and colleague Amy’s wedding, all while investigating two deaths. I like her and, more importantly, I admire her stamina.

Buried Lies is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

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This is the fifth book of the series featuring DI Gaby Darin and I feel that I would have benefited from reading the series from book one. That being said, although there were many references to past cases, I still found this to be an enjoyable read. The book is well-plotted and has many twists and turns.
The story is set in Wales and follows the investigation into the death of a serving police officer and the young child of his partner . The characters are well-drawn and the story moves along at a good pace. I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to readers of police procedurals.

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This is the fifth book in the Detective Gaby Darin series, but can easily be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the book so much that I immediately downloaded the previous books in the series!

I was gripped from the start, when Hannah came home from a hotel stay with her friend and found her partner dead, and her five-year-old son missing. Then a second body is discovered, and DI Gaby is trying to catch the culprit before there are any more deaths.

It doesn’t seem as though there’s anyone who would want to hurt Hannah or her partner, so what can the reason be?

A brilliant plot with plenty of twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

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When I requested an ARC of Jenny O’Brien’s novel, I had no idea this was the fifth instalment in a series about DI Gaby Darin. I wondered whether I would be able to get to the heart of the novel without knowing Gaby’s back story, or the crime she had previously investigated, but I need not have worried. The plot is centred around Hannah Thomas who is confronted with the body of her dead fiance and the disappearance of her child. Shortly after Gaby Darin starts her investigation into Hannah’s family,tragedy a second body is found. Are the murders connected? Is Hannah Thomas, outwardly the grieving mother and fiance, all she seems? Well-plotted, with a good mystery at its heart, I enjoyed this book and will be looking out for other in the series. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in return for posting this review

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A complex murder case where every trail leads to yet another suspicious event or avenue shedding no light on the case only producing more suspects or facts to be investigated. The lead detective is under pressure from her superior to arrest the bereaved woman, Hannah, the daughter and sister of dead parents and brother from a fatal plane crash and now suspicious death of her partner and child. Yet our protagonist, a detective fast tracked to a senior role is convinced there is more to the case than the obvious, with both her instinct and police training with backing from a strong team all intent on finding a reason and culprit who may or may not be the obvious one. An electrifying breathtaking chain of events leads to a spine chilling conclusion that is the stuff of nightmares. A mystery that perhaps could identify the killer and reasons behind the murders, but never give a happy ending,. Living with the result of losing loved ones in tragic circumstances especially the actions of a deranged individual would have a satisfactory outcome for the police but huge inescapable void for family members. Many thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

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I have enjoyed the previous books in the series to feature DI Gaby Darin, but this one, not so much. The pace was a bit tedious at times and Gaby is becoming an unlikeable character. The plot was good and the setting is lovely but the book just failed to grab me as it was just a bit too long and rambling in parts. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

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Hannah is a nurse who is engaged to Ian and has a son named Hunter. Her friend/coworker Milly invites her to go away to a posh hotel and enjoy the spa treatment when Milly's boyfriend up and leaves her. The weekend is paid for so Hannah agrees to take the trip.
This is her first time away from Hunter but thought a weekend away would give Ian and Hunter time to bond and give Ian a chance to see what being a stepfather is all about. When Hannah returns home she finds Ian dead and her son is missing. What a nightmare.

When Gaby's team arrives to investigate they recognize Ian as one of the new police officers hired. It appears he commited suicide but anyone who has read a police procedural will know this could be one of the red herrings inserted in the plot. Hannah is obviously bereaved and frantic but is also a suspect in the case. She has a past which revealed a patient death under suspicious circumstances.

The Welsh names of cities come up which is a part I like. Love traveling to Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, Y Mwyar Duon in Ruthin, Llandudno and Rhos-on-Sea in Wales through virtual travel.

Buried Lies is the fifth book in the Detective Gaby Darin series and I blew through this novel in a day. I enjoyed the first four books and was delighted to be approved for an advanced readers copy of this series. As the characters develop I find I'm quite attached to them, watching them grow in their personal and professional lives.

Here is a list of the Detective Gaby Darin series:

Missing in Wales (book 1, titled Silent Cry in the UK editions)

Darkest Night (book 2)

Fallen Angel (book 3)

Lost Souls (book 4)

Publication date November 17, 2021 by St. Martin's Press. Genre: General Fiction, Mystery and Thriller. you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book. I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

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Hannah has experienced tremendous loss in her life, but nothing compares to the loss she comes home to after girls' night out. Her fiance, Ian is dead, and her son is missing. Enter DI Gaby Darin. Her job... to figure out if Hannah is the next victim or the one who killed her family.

I love police procedurals, especially set in small towns. One of my favorite shows is Vera, and this book has all the Vera vibes for me. Full of suspense with a nice twist at the end. Had me fooled. All the better!

Buried Lies is the 5th in the Gaby Darin series. The books are set in Wales, and follow Gaby's move up the ranks. I usually don't like jumping into a series at book five, but Buried Lies pulled me in from the opening pages. I'll be picking up the previous books in the series and look forward to future volumes. That's the highest praise I can give.

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When Hannah returns home after a night out she finds her son missing and her boyfriend having committed suicide. What follows is an investigation led by detective Gaby Davin.

A fast paced and exciting thriller.

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A heartbreaking story. To kill an innocent child is, for me, about the greatest sin of all. The killer disconnects the child's insulin pump and then leaves them to die on qaa compost heap. Why? Who would do such a thing? Surely the mother isn't guilty of it?

Enthralling.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

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I do not usually read series of novels, especially detective ones as they are usually written to a formula. I requested this one because of the blurb and to be honest I liked the cover. That was the only thing I liked about it. It is written in very simple English with some attempts at description which were unnecessary and distracting, eg. cream carpet thick and decadent, tapped her rounded fingernails, red dress swirling around her ankles, etc. There were lots of mentions of coffee going cold, toast not being eaten, missed meals, to symbolize busyness or emotion. Gaby's side story of Amy's wedding was irrelevant and uninteresting. The plot was so far fetched and the detective methods relied on luck and guesses that for me it was totally unbelievable.

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Solid police procedural but sadly this one didn’t grab me. Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

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This is an excellent police procedural crime novel with good characters and a story that keeps a few surprises for the end. I enjoyed the north Wales coast setting and found the MIT to have a good mix of personalities and skills. It is a shocking tale but not gratuitously awful and I liked that I didn’t like all the characters. Good stuff, I will read more by this author.

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