I found this book to be really slow at the beginning and it was only in the last 1/3 of the book that things started to happen. The whole idea of Cora having the ability to ‘hear voices through touch’ which helped in the investigation of a missing child was very unbelievable but seeing as though this was the main part of the storyline her ‘abilities’ only seemed to be used a couple of times !

A great crime debut! Twists, turns, dead-ends and more fun than I've had for a good long while reading this book! Cora also has a supernatural to sense emotions from objects, so we've more than one genre covered here.

This is an unusual book but one I enjoyed. The idea of Cora who is some kind of empath who can connect with a victim by feeling something belonging to them is one I have never come across and I found it fascinating. I loved the fact that the story was told through the eyes of each of the individual character as it gave a real insight into that person's character. This is an author whose work I have never read before but I will look out for her in the future.

A little girl is missing and no one knows where she is. But Dr. Cora Lael has a unique gift and is able to hear voices simply through their objects. Soon Cora will assist DS Minshull in his first major investigation.

This novel is told through the POV of the different characters. This allows the reader to engage with the characters and see the narrative told through their eyes. White gives us many individual characters, not having one person the same, allowing different personalities. I found myself unable to like some of these characters, but this simply made the novel realistic as I don’t believe we are meant to like everyone.

I really enjoyed the short chapters through the eyes of the missing girl, Hannah; these were intriguing and atmospheric.

White’s writing will leave you in suspense with twists you won’t see coming.

This is part of a series and I look forward to the next novel.

An eight-year-old girl, Hannah Perry, has vanished from the Easter Market at St Just near Ipswich. South Suffolk CID’s DI Joel Anderson was in charge of the last child abduction case in the town seven years ago, that of ten-year-old Matthew Cooper who was found dead after the detective made a terrible and fatal call. Something that led to a breakdown, haunting him badly ever since, and which has led to Acting DS Rob Minshull, an officer only three months into his promotion from DC, being put in charge of the case with Anderson as SIO in name only. The girl’s stepfather looks to be a good suspect but they have no proof. When the police receive an item of Hannah’s from the kidnapper, the case looks ever more similar to that of Matthew’s. Could the killer, never caught, be back? Enter Dr Cora Lael, a psychologist with a strange talent – she hears emotions as voices from objects that people have handled. Calling it emotional synaesthetes, an undocumented psychological skill, it is as much a burden as a gift, but having lived in St Just through the first child murder case, she wants to make a difference and thinks she can help. Grudgingly Minshull accepts and she tells him Hannah is still alive. But for how long and can the police even trust the word of what most of them see at best as a psychic? As the media and townspeople start calling the police incompetent and are baying for blood, will Minshull and Anderson be able to get Hannah home safely and quell the ghosts of the past?
It was easy to guess the truth about Hannah’s abduction fairly early on but still great to be proved right as the story reached its conclusion. I loved the police procedural aspect of this story and indeed Cora herself as a person, but I was not sure about her ability which isn’t a real condition and seemed a little bit too close to being a psychic medium for me. It’s quite a long book and much is taken up with Cora’s thoughts and feelings. There are also quite heart wrenching little snippets of what Hannah is thinking as she is imprisoned, with quite a lot of soul searching from Minshull as he tries to step up to the job whilst constantly being compared to his father and Anderson as he relives his past failings. All in all, plenty for the reader to get their teeth into. I look forward to hopefully more stories featuring a great team of detectives but preferably without Cora. 4*

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review. This is Mirandas first deep into the crime scene away from her bestselling romance novels so I was intrigued to see the transition.

A fantastic read ,clever concept with new fresh ideas . Fast paced with twists and turns . Chilling and unpredictable as the truth is revealed.

Every parents nightmare come true when a child goes missing . Evidently those close to home become suspected . The police do not want a repeat of a historic case of child abduction so they are willing to try something new. Will it work?

Really enjoyed it and look forward to book two in this series.

Thank you for letting me pre-read this book.

I only got about half way through before Cora and her ‘abilities’ started to grate on me, it wasn’t very realistic, other than that the plot would have been good as a police thriller without her in it. I find it hard to keep up with at least 5 different POV in the story.

Nice ending though not very believable.

Dark, complex and captivating, The Secret Voices is the accomplished debut crime novel from best-selling women’s fiction author Miranda Dickinson writing as MJ White.

The small Sussex community of St Just is devastated by the disappearance of eight year old Hannah Perry. Acting DS Rob Minshull is tasked with finding the missing child, but he is troubled by the fact that Hannah’s disappearance mirrors another case which ended in heart-wrenching tragedy. Rob hopes that Hannah’s case will have a different outcome, but with his investigation leading him down one dead end after another, his optimism diminishes and disintegrates with each passing day. With the kidnapper laughing at the police from the shadows by sending Hannah’s belongings and cryptic notes, Rob is at his wits end – until Dr Cora Lael comes into the picture.

Cora is a psychologist with a unique gift. She can sense emotions attached to discarded objects and she is disturbed when the moment she sees Hannah’s belongings, she hears a child’s piercing scream. With time running out and not much to go on, Rob needs to find Hannah – fast! Could Cora be the missing child’s only hope? Will they find her before it’s too late? Or will this be another missing child case that ends in tragedy?

Writing as MJ White, Miranda Dickinson has added another feather to cap with this exciting, layered and unpredictable crime thriller. Packed with twists and turns readers simply won’t see coming, The Secret Voices exquisitely tempers tension, terror and suspense in one jaw-dropping chiller readers will find hard to put down.

Dr Cora Lael is a fascinating character I loved spending time with. Intelligent, forensic and methodical in her approach, she is a heroine I hope we haven’t seen the last of.

An impressive crime debut, M J White’s The Secret Voice heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in the genre.

I really enjoyed this crime novel debut by Miranda. I have read Mirandas other novels and this did not let me down!!
It's a story of a child who goes missing, the investigation that happens and the suspects. Cora is brought in to help with her special talent of hearing voices from items of people. I was gripped by the story line and it kept me wondering how it was going to turn out. I will definitely be reading the other books in this series when they are released!!

I like Miranda Dickinson books however I was unsure if I would like this as a completely different genre....i should not have been concerend.

A great read and will definately be reading and future books.

Oh I was so excited by this book for two reasons.
1. It’s written by well-loved romance author Miranda Dickinson under a penname and I adore her writing
2. It’s a new investigative series and I love getting a new set of characters and places.
Dr Cora Lael has a gift. She can sense things from objects that have been previously touched by people. When a young girl named Hannah goes missing and DS Minshull is struggling to find evidence and connections, Dr Cora steps in to lend a hand. With Cora’s unique skills and Minshull’s police expertise, can they work together before time runs out for Hannah?
This is a cracking start to a new series and I am here for it – (as the cool kids say).
I love police procedurals and detective novels and this one is made even better with a little twist of something magical. It’s such a clever concept and it is delivered with intelligence and finesse. It doesn’t read as impossible or out of the ordinary – it works in such a realistic manner. The plot is so intricately planned and every twist and turn has perfect timing.
The narrative comes from several perspectives which gives a different point of view of events and also helps the reader get to know these new characters. Short chapters from Hannah build tension and also reminded me that a child’s life was at stake. I became engrossed and when these chapters came about, I was fully invested in her experience with her.
I loved the early introductions to Cora and Rob Minshull and how their partnership is in its early days. I loved Cora and how determined she was to use her gift to help others. I also enjoyed how she dealt with the doubt and negative feelings people had about her. I am really looking forward to learning more about these characters but also watching their working relationship grow and evolve.
The Secret Voices is such a well written, and cleverly executed police thriller and it has definitely left me wanting more. I cannot wait for more in this series and I am hoping that M.J. White embraces her dark side a little more often.

THE SECRET VOICES (Cora Lael #1) by M J WHITE.

This is book one in a new crime thriller series from MJ White, aka romantic novelist, Miranda Dickinson.

When eight year old Hannah goes missing, the case holds striking similarities to the disappearance of a young boy seven years ago, that didn’t have a happy ending.
Cora Lael is a psychologist who has an extraordinary gift, which could be the answer to solving the mystery of Hannah’s disappearance.

The story is told from several different perspectives, with Cora’s voice being a high light and little Hannah was simply captivating.

This is a well written, fast paced thriller. It drew me in and kept me gripped right to the end.
I look forward to more books in this series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out now in paperback and Ebook.

With thanks to #Netgalley and #HeraBooks for a digital arc of this book.

Omg absolutely loved this book, so glad it was finally published. Cora was amazing and such a lovely character definitely my favorite can’t wait for the second book x

I am a big fan of Miranda Dickinson and was both excited and cautious when she announced that she would be writing in a new genre. My fears were unfounded because this was a brilliant and gripping thriller.

Thrillers aren’t my normal go-to genre to read, although I do like watching them on the TV, and this was the vibe I had whilst reading The Secret Voices. I was hooked from the start and couldn’t wait to get to the end to uncover the truth.

The Secret Voices is a detective thriller about a child, Hannah, who has gone missing and the investigation to find her. The village in which this happens has experienced the same incident seven years previously when a young boy, Matthew was taken. The police team on the case are under pressure for there to be a different outcome this time round, but keep facing dead ends. Dr Cora Lael, is a psychologist who joins the team to aid the investigation with her ability to hear the emotions attached to discarded objects.
The story is told through multiple viewpoints including Hannah, Cora, Minshull as well as other members of the police team on the case. I really enjoyed it being told from such a number of different perspectives as this gave a more rounded view of how things were unfolding, not only in this investigation but the effects from the previous one.

This book was addictive and had me hooked and guessing right until the end, and I was still left shocked.

I am thrilled that this is the first in the new Cora Lael series, and can’t wait to read more from Miranda in this genre.

A nom de plume of a romance author and the first of a new series, The Secret Voices by M J White is a most promising beginning to the Coral Lael mysteries. An eight year old girl goes missing and newly promoted Acting Detective Sergeant Rob Minshull is given the case. It is reminiscent of a similar case seven years ago when a small boy disappeared in a tragedy that still haunts those involved. Although the kidnapper sends messages and some of Hannah’s things, the case is going nowhere as the pressure builds on the police. Psychologist Cora Lael has a special gift that allows her to hear emotions in objects and so she is co-opted into the investigative team. An intriguing police procedural with a four and a half star rating, making for a most enjoyable crime thriller. With thanks to Hera Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

I requested this book, being a huge fan of Miranda Dickinson. When I saw she was writing a crime series I was so eager to check it out.
It was a fabulous story. I LOVED the gift that Cora had, such a brilliant concept.
A real pacey page-turner and I can't wait to read more.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for the opportunity to read an early copy.
My honest opinion is 'read it'!!

I’d like to thank Hera Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Secret Voices’ written by M J White in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A report comes into the South Suffolk Police Department of Hannah Perry, eight, who’s disappeared on her way home from school, in similar circumstances to what happened to Matthew Cooper seven years ago. Acting DS Rob Minshull who’s been put in control of the investigation is struggling to find leads until Dr Cora Lael uses her unique gift of feeling emotions from objects.

This is a police procedural thriller that helps by outlining the main characters’ backgrounds at the beginning prior to proceeding with the story. It’s well-written with an interesting plot full of suspense, drama and twists and turns, especially the final twist that comes towards the end and is a big surprise. I like the characters of Rob Minshull and Cora Lael and foresee a good working relationship between them in the future.

The Secret Voices is an excellent crime debut for M J White .Dr Cora Lael isn’t a detective but she has a unique gift that could help the police when they have nowhere else to turn. The dynamic between the police especially Minshull and Cora is great and can only get better with further books which I’m very much looking forward to. I literally couldn’t put this book down I switched my light off at 3.30 am this morning (good thing it’s Sunday today )

4.5 stars

The Secret Voices is a gripping read that draws you and has you holding your breath from the first page to the last page.

Hannah 8 years old has gone missing in the town of St.Just. This brings back to the community and the police the reminder of a another missing child that did not have a good ending.

DS. Rob Minshull is in charge .

Dr Cora Lael has a unique ability and the team is desperate to find Hannah so Cora is brought on board.

I found myself reading late into the night as I had to know what would happen to Hannah.

Twists and turns keep you guessing.

I can't wait for Book 2 in this series and I will be first in line to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for an outstanding new series.

This is a UK police procedural with a bit of a twist. A young girl, Hannah, has gone missing. The case bears similarities to another child that went missing 7 years prior, ending in the recovery of his body. The acting DS Rob Minshull is in a bit over his head on his first case as DS. He is helped by a pscyhologist, Cora, who has the unique ability of sensing emotions (and sometimes last words) associates with objects. This is well-written and suspenseful, and I enjoyed the multiple POV's which lent breadth and depth to the story.