The Secret by Katerina Diamond Blog Tour - This Chick Reads
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The Secret by Katerina Diamond Blog Tour

Boy, was it hard to keep this secret from you, my wonderful blog readers! You might have heard the buzz on twitter regarding a very very secret blog tour. Of course it’s about Katerina Diamond’s new book, THE SECRET, but what probably surprised you is the banner (same posted on twitter yesterday but with all spots as question marks AND a clue to who was hosting). Well, the mastermind that is Helena and the rest of the team at AVON have come up with this genius and very mysterious idea to reveal day by day the hosts of the blog tour. All each blogger knows is their date to post but have no idea who else is on the blog tour AND they can reveal their ‘secret’ they are hosting on the VERY day of their spot! I mean, can it get any more mysterious than this? Brilliant idea for an even more brilliant book! THE SECRET is out today and I recommend it wholeheartedly! What I also recommend is to keep an eye on AVON’s twitter for their next clue as to who’ll be the next tour host. I know the suspense is killing you and it really can’t get any more unpredictable than this. But it’s all a good game and a brilliant way to warm up those grey cells of yours (which might be out of order once you finish the book). OK, enough chit chat, let’s get this baby rolling (blog tour, of course) with my review. As always, massive thanks to AVON and lovely Helena for the chance to be part of this epic blog tour!

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Secret by Katerina Diamond
Series: DS Imogen Grey #2
Also in this series: The Angel
Published by Avon
Published on 20.10.2016
Genres: crime, thriller
Pages: 417
Format: paperback

Can you keep a secret? Your life depends on it…

When Bridget Reid wakes up in a locked room, terrifying memories come flooding back – of blood, pain, and desperate fear. Her captor knows things she’s never told anyone. How can she escape someone who knows all of her secrets?

As DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles search for Bridget, they uncover a horrifying web of abuse, betrayal and murder right under their noses in Exeter.

And as the past comes back to haunt her, Grey must confront her own demons. Because she knows that it can be those closest to us who hurt us the most…

FUUUUUUCCKKK this book is twisted! Honestly, whatever you expected when you read the blurb…it’s WAY BEYOND that! Do I mean this as something positive or negative. Well, it mostly depends on what you see as positive or negative. But there’s also this ‘small detail’ called TWIST YOU DIDN’T EXPECT which is obviously something we like in fiction but hate in real life. But back to fiction and twists, boy…there’s HUNDREDS of twists in this book! Honestly, I was reading this book and all of a sudden I felt this great challenge (mean this in the most enthusiastic and nice way) to use both my left and right side of the brain and fucking predict what will happen next (and by next I mean in the next chapter!). And you know what, no matter what my assumptions were, Katerina proved me wrong. Boy does she have a vivid imagination and skills which seem even arrogant at times (only if you perceive them that way). Here I was, holding the book in my hand, trying to use my previous experience in crime/mystery books or TV shows and I get caught up in this BIG WEB Katerina so cleverly fabricated. She bloody owns her story! AMAZING!

‘The Secret’ is the second installment in the DS Imogen Grey series and once you realise it’s a series the first thing on your mind is, if you need to read the first part (The Teacher) before moving on to this one. Well, both yes and no. No, you don’t need to read the first one and can jump to this second meeting the MCs, Imogen and her partner Adrian, but why the hell would you deprive yourself of the pleasure to meet these awesome characters even closer? While you’d be following a ‘new’ case, there are some unresolved issues from DS Imogen Grey’s past which might confuse you a bit if you just jump to reading the second half. And even if you’re that smart to connect the dots so fast (hats off to you) you’ll miss out on feeling the characters on a deeper level which might overall influence your enjoyment. So, if you want MY opinion, yes, read the first installment first. You’ll devour it in a sitting and then go to The Secret.

The book opens with a case of an undercover cop missing which is just a small drop in the big ocean of events that will happen. Make sure you pay attention to characters, past to present switches and some unresolved issues. They’ll pop rather often and at first might seem irrelevant, but they are woven smartly in the big picture. Bridget Reid is a cop working undercover as a prostitute, working on a complex case which involves drugs ad loads of more illegal activities. Maybe even women trafficking? One day while waiting for her ‘customer’, her flatmates (also prostitutes) are killed, but it’s Bridget who was supposed to be the target. She tries escaping but it’s futile as very soon she’s caught and brought into captivity. Consider Bridget’s case as just a platform, like a base where real shit starts happening. While everything seems to be connected to the Bridget’s case, loads of secrets (big, ugly, terrifying ones) will be revealed, some very closely connected to both DS Imogen and her partner Adrian. Imogen’s a very private person, she keeps both her feelings and her past sealed and she finally thinks she’s starting to live a new, better life. Two years ago she’s left Plymouth and is doing everything to forget that part of her life. But the scars on her body and those in her inside are telling a different story. You know how they say, you can’t run from your past? Hell no, but you can face it and make the past run from you…the new you. That’s what basically happens in this book. While working on this new case, Imogen is faced with some terrifying things that happened in Plymouth two years ago, some people she would rather forget and mistakes she’s made. Once again she’s forced to trust people despite trusting people causing her great distress in the past. The story itself is too complex and there are so many things happening in each new chapter for me to say more about the plot, but I can tell you it’s a real ROLLER COASTER. Something which is amazing and definitely makes this book stand out is that both Imogen and Adrian reveal some things from their past and show some very interesting sides of their character, so if you ask me who is more important to the plot, is it Imogen or Adrian, I wouldn’t know how to answer. At least, that’s my point of view. I don’t care if the series is called after Imogen, I was equally interested in both her and her partner and saw them as two sides of a coin, as equally important, integral part of a thrilling story.

My first reaction after finishing this story was ‘How twisted is your mind, Katerina?’ Honestly, while I was reading I was having this fictional chat with the author in my head, I was trying to get in her head all while resisting her to get in MY head. Unbelievable, that’s why I say this book is a total mind fuck! (Excuse my language, I’m that impressed with it and eloquence is the last thing on my mind now). There are just so many moments which will make you regret you had breakfast/lunch/dinner (depending on the times of the day when you’re reading this book). Seriously! I would read these scenes that made my stomach turn into knots, making all my insides turn in a very uncomfortable way, some scenes with violence and some very raw descriptions for my ‘sensitive’ stomach…but I was so hooked on the book, I simply couldn’t put it down. If you’re someone who’s sensitive to this, you better get yourselves ready or consider yourselves warned. But it’s a thriller, you certainly don’t expect pink bunnies to be killed!

If you’re into thrillers or fast paced books that will seriously make your grey cells burn, this is the book for you! Don’t even try to predict the ending, though I know your left side of the brain will see this as a challenge. Just enjoy the ride, let yourself go and witness everything. To be frank, the ending felt a bit confusing to me, meaning I didn’t get the closure I wanted…but again, that’s my problem. Do you care more about the destination and reaching it or that journey? Don’t know about you, but I was once again (almost) tricked by my desire to see the destination clearly, not the whole journey. And then… Then I closed the book, felt my pulse and thought ‘have I really finished this book in 5 hours without the need to get up?’ I realised I really don’t care that much about the ‘logical’ closure, I already felt adrenaline rise to the max, and besides I’m pretty certain this end fits well in the next, third part in the series. Speaking of the third installment, I can not wait to read it! As all the next in the series. Enjoy!

About Katerina Diamond

Katerina is a Crime Thriller Author who currently lives in East Kent. Katerina was born in Weston-super-Mare and has lived in various places since including Greece, Cyprus, Derby, East London and Exeter. Katerina loves stories and is currently working on her second novel.

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