You know it must be a good blurb when you accidentally sign up to host the same book on two different tours at either end of the same month. Without further ado it's once again a pleasure to take part the BlogTour The Family Secret and to welcome Terry Lynn Thomas back to the blog again with her second book in the Cat Carlisle series. It's a cosy mystery series that sometimes veers into the spy genre.
About the Author
Terry Lynn Thomas grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, which explains her love of foggy beaches and Gothic mysteries. When her husband promised to buy Terry a horse and the time to write if she moved to Mississippi with him, she jumped at the chance. Although she had written several novels and screenplays prior to 2006, after she relocated to the South she set out to write in earnest and has never looked back.
Terry Lynn writes the Sarah Bennett Mysteries, set on the California coast during the 1940s, which feature a misunderstood medium in love with a spy. The Drowned Woman is a recipient of the IndieBRAG Medallion. She also writes the Cat Carlisle Mysteries, set in Britain during World War II. The first book in this series, The Silent Woman, came out in April 2018 and has since become a USA TODAY bestseller. When she’s not writing, you can find Terry Lynn riding her horse, walking in the woods with her dogs, or visiting old cemeteries in search of story ideas.
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Buy The Family Secret
About the book
Will she find the truth?
England, 1940 - After a sudden unexplained disappearance, Thomas Charles comes back into Cat Carlisle’s life with the suggestion she leave London – and the threat of bombs – to move to back her childhood village in Cumberland.
Back in her hometown Cat discovers her childhood friend, Beth Hargreaves, is suspected of murder. As Cat tries to prove Beth’s innocence, she discovers a scheme of deception that affects the whole village. Can she uncover the family truths behind the murder and expose the enemy hiding in plain sight?
This is the second book in the Cat Carlisle series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel, but I would suggest reading the first, if only to get to know more about the main character of the books, and what makes her tick.
I felt as if there was less focus on Cat this time, which is what made The Silent Woman such a strong read. The taking hold of her life and becoming the woman she is supposed to be, despite all of the obstacles in her way. I felt that element of Cat was missing in this story.
The cosy mystery element of the series played more of a significant role this time, perhaps to the detriment of any possible secret squirrel activities ordered by Sir Reginald and delivered by Thomas.
When the narrative switches from Thomas to Phillip I had to go back and check I was still reading the same book, because the secondary characters play just as strong a part in this story I wasn't sure if it was still the same one.
The impending war, the fear and the changes due to the impact of this threat play a secondary role. It plays along silently in the background, as lives go on in semi-normality. People still commit crimes, fall in love, betray each other and try to carry on as if life as they know it isn't changing forever as they go about their business.
On a side note in regards to Phillip - does a leopard change his spots? Extra strong bleach perhaps?
It's a cosy mystery series that sometimes veers into the spy genre with plenty of memorable characters. It has a comfortable feeling to it, a pleasant read with a family secrets, snide characters and people determined to find the truth.
Buy The Family Secret at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Digital pub date 1 Mar. 2019. Buy The Family Secret at Amazon com.
Read my review of The Silent Woman (Cat Carlisle #1)
