5 ☆

i’ve recently started using netgalley and to get my percentage up, i’m choosing books that i don’t need to request and boy am i glad i chose this one! a thriller/mystery isn’t typically the kind of genre i normally go for but i started reading this and could not put it down!

let me start by saying, i got 50% into this book before i realised there’s actually a first book to this (secrets don’t sink) so i suggest reading that one first. i can’t say not reading that book made reading his one any less enjoyable but i did come to realise i was thrown into a book where the characters were established and introduced in to the first book, but the mystery itself was completely different, it didn’t follow on from the first book.

secrets in pink is about a small town, who some of the residents don’t agree with some choices that are being made, they don’t have faith in the mayor to make the right decisions about their town. in the beginning, there’s graffiti and vandal, it then escalates to arson, and not long after there is a murder. the new chief of police and a journalist team up to try and solve all these crimes, unravelling more secrets about the people in chattertowne.

there’s a sprinkle of a love triangle, that doesn’t really go anywhere, but was fun to read in the midst of trying to figure out who was committing these crimes.

『 tropes 』
• multiple murders
• nosy reporter
• small town
• broody police officer
• strong female lead
• romance;
- love triangle

『 plot 』
i enjoyed the premise of this book so much, the plot was interesting and i found that it never fell flat or slowed down, it was fast paced, easy to follow and had the right amount of drama and twists to keep you intrigued throughout the whole book. there was also funny scenes in the book that literally had me laughing out loud (racoons under houses) that scene was so silly and fun. the book wasn’t predictable and had me second guessing my thoughts every time a new lead or new information was introduced. it honestly was just such a fun read. i enjoyed every page of it.

『 characters 』
like i mentioned previously, i feel the characters were established in the first book but i still loved the majority of the characters.

• audery o’connell; she’s the local reporter who loves getting involved and antagonising the new chief of police. she’s strong willed, opinionated, a little rash, loyal and funny. she’s likes to push boundaries and has great gut instinct when it comes to figuring things out. she was a great main female character.

• cole loveland; the new chief of the police, only been in the job and feels a little like an outsider, he comes in to try and fix the police department (after the scandal in the first book) and forms an unlikely partnership with audrey, they push each other to be better, even at times when they don’t realise. he’s a little closed off in the beginning but starts to open up the most him and audrey become more friends than acquaintances. you can feel some tension between them also, which was fun to read

• holden; from what i can gather he was a political figure in the first book that was involved in a scandal that debunked his reputation, and he also had some kind of feeling for audrey but in this book, they’re not together and they’re a little awkward around each other but in an angsty kind of way, he helps alongside cole and audrey to try and figure out who is doing the crimes. there’s some tension mixed in between the three of them, which was nice little break in between the murder mystery

• the CROCCC group people; some were very shitty people with shitty views, some felt like that had no option but to go along with their leader (chet buchanan) some fell for his manipulative charm and some were threatened by home, some just really wanted to keep their town as it is. but all go about it the wrong way.

• viv, adurey’s sister; from what i can gather she was a big part in the first book as she is in a relationship with someone part of the scandal. she was a good side character, she is chief cole’s receptionist, and loved her dynamic with her sister and the banter she had with cole

『 writing style 』
i enjoyed the writing style, it was easy to follow and flowed nicely, it never felt like there were gap fillers or pointless dialogue, it all either linked to the plot or was a nice addition to lighten the mood and make you laugh.

『 overall 』
i honestly and truly loved this book and devoured it in one sitting, a hidden gem in my opinion! i will definitely recommend this to anyone that will listen to because i feel it deserves to be read far and wide.

For readers who enjoy mysteries and romance novels, Secret in Pink looks to be a captivating book. A small-town setting, well-developed characters, and an engaging plot should draw in readers seeking a story that combines suspense and close-knit connections. What a fantastic read!