I quite enjoyed this first of a series. Ben Harper was only eight when his brother Nick was brutally murdered at the age of fourteen. A decade later, his mother took his own life. As the tenth anniversary of her death is approaching Ben receives the news that one of his brother’s killers has been found murdered. At first, he’s spitefully pleased as anyone in his position would be. But then he finds out his mother was in touch with the killer shortly before her death.

Now he realizes that he could be wrong about so much that happened back then. He’s never wanted to sell his story or write about that time, even though he’s a journalist. But he realizes he may have to break that rule to figure out what really happened to his mother. Maybe there’s a reason he never quite believed she’d take her own life – because she didn’t.

There are a variety of characters that round out the story and at first, it’s a bit jarring when each new point of view is introduced because you’re like “Who’s this person and what do they have to do with anything?” But they are all important to the plot even if you don’t know why yet. And once you see that Ben’s narrative is the only one in first person, the shifts between the various narratives are easier. And I realized one of the reasons I enjoyed the book so much was that the characters were actually likable – more than one of them! I don’t know why that’s happening less with stories these days, but this series shows that characters can be flawed yet still sympathetic and appealing.

I really loved how the author weaved the story together and was pleasantly surprised by the ending. That rarely happens and I’m impressed. As soon as I finished this book, I knew I’d be diving right into the next one in the series and that’s exactly what I did.

Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold is actually Book 1 in this new series. And it does not disappoint. I found myself engaged in the story and in getting to know the characters.

Secrets are dangerous, and this book contains many secrets and revelations that had me gasping out loud at times.

It’s twenty years since Ben's teenage brother was murdered and his mother took her own life with a broken heart. The police knock at Ben's door and tell him his brother’s killer has just been found murdered.

Ben is on a quest to discover what happened to his mother and brother. He teams up with PC Dani Cash, who is grappling with her own demons. They make a great pair, and it's interesting to read how each of their stories unfolds.

As Ben gets closer to the truth, another body drops. Someone in this close-knit town will stop at nothing to keep their secrets.

The story is told from different perspectives, and it was hard at times to keep all the characters straight. Overall, the story held my interest, and it was a refreshing new book.

I would recommend this book and this author. Twelve Secrets is a good crime thriller with good twists and shocking revelations.

#TwelveSecrets #NetGalley @bookouture

Ben is a journalist who moves back home after his mother’s death. It’s believed she took her own life after dealing with the aftermath of her son’s murder. But what if it wasn’t a suicide? After Ben’s brother’s killer is found dead, Ben starts to question what really happened. Ben starts digging into the past, questioning people as if he’s writing an article. But is he ready to discover the truth?

Twelve Secrets is a slow moving mystery. Do not expect twists and suspense one every page. There is quite a bit of detail, with a lot of characters in the book. Everyone had their own backstory and some were intertwined. At times I felt there was so much going on that I couldn’t keep track. I wanted to love this one, but it was an average read for me.