Criminal defence attorney Morgan Dane and her fiance PI Lance Kruger return in Secrets Never Die, a story that begins with a sixteen-year-old boy walking in on his stepfather’s murder and then having to run for his life. The why of the murder and the where is the boy occupy Morgan and Lance throughout the story as they follow leads which seem to make no sense until long-buried secrets are dragged into the light.
There are some nice slices of family life woven in, with appearances by Morgan’s grandfather and her three daughters as well as Lance’s agoraphobic, tech-wizard mother. Lincoln Sharp, Lance’s PI partner, is relegated to a pretty minor role in this book, the focus being on Lance and Morgan.
Melinda Leigh knows how to tell a great mystery, but I have to admit the character of Morgan is beginning to grate on my nerves. How exactly does the mother of three young children, who doesn’t keep up any kind of exercise routine and is addicted to coffee, chocolate and donuts, maintain a ‘slender figure’? And I have to wonder when either Morgan or the PI firm actually get paid, as they seem to spend all their time doing pro bono work and never taking any paid clients.
I wouldn’t say this stands well alone, so don’t start here. You’ll want to read the earlier books in the series to understand Morgan and Lance’s back story and get the character development that’s a bit lacking here. Four stars for an installment in this series that didn’t quite hit the spot for me.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.