Little Lost Secrets

Georgiana Germaine #2

by Cheryl Bradshaw

From New York Times Bestselling Author Cheryl Bradshaw comes book two in her exciting new mystery series .
When a dead body is found in the walls during a home renovation, detective Georgiana Germaine gets swept into a cold case murder. Whose body lies within the walls of the house and what ties does it have to the death of Georgiana's father more than three decades earlier?
Readers are Saying :
"Well written and leaves you guessing ." - Vine Voice
"Another well written mystery with lots of twists and turns ." - Vine Voice
"I devoured 2 books in 2 days. Wowza !"
"WOW!!! I could not book this book down. Honestly I started reading it and didn't stop. The suspense is amazing ."
"The cast of characters is fantastic ."
"This book is probably my favorite that Bradshaw has written so far!"
"I love when a book surprises me . In this one, I had NO idea it would end up as it did."
"I am absolutely loving this series ."

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Ebooks, Suspense, Crime, Mystery Thriller

238 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2021

About the author

Cheryl Bradshaw is a New York Times and 11-time USA Today bestselling author writing in multiple genres, including mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, supernatural suspense, and poetry. She is a Shamus Award finalist for best private eye novel of the year, an eFestival of Words winner for best thriller, and has published over fifty books since 2011.

Raised in Southern California, she now lives in North Texas. When she's not writing, she loves jet-setting to new countries, exploring the outdoors, and playing with her grandbabies.

For a free eBook, click here: http://cherylbradshaw.com/get-a-free-...

Book series in order by Cheryl Bradshaw:

Georgiana Germaine (Mystery Series)

1. Little Girl Lost - USA Today Bestseller
2. Little Lost Secrets
3. Little Broken Things
4. Little White Lies
5. Little Tangled Webs
6. Little Shattered Dreams
7. Little Last Words
8. Little Buried Secrets
9. Little Stolen Memories
10. Little Empty Promises
11. Little Hidden Fears

Sloane Monroe Mystery/Thriller Series

0. Silent As the Grave (prequel to series)
1. Black Diamond Death
2. Murder in Mind
3. I Have a Secret
4. Stranger in Town - Shamus Award Finalist
5. Bed of Bones - USA Today Bestseller
6. Hush Now Baby - USA Today Bestseller
7. Gone Daddy Gone - USA Today Bestseller
8. Smoke and Mirrors - USA Today Bestseller

Sloane Monroe Stories - Mystery Novella Series
(with characters from the main series)

1. Deadly Sins: Sloth
2. Deadly Sins: Wrath
3. Deadly Sins: Lust
4. Deadly Sins: Greed
5. Deadly Sins: Envy
6. Deadly Sins: Pride

Sloane & Maddie Peril Awaits - Mystery Series
(Spinoff Series with Sloane Monroe & her sidekick Maddie)

1. The Silent Boy
2. The Shadow Children
3. The Broken Soul
4. The Widow Maker
5. The Familiar Stranger

Addison Lockhart Ghost Mystery Series

1. Grayson Manor Haunting
2. Rosecliff Manor Haunting
3. Blackthorn Manor Haunting
4. Belle Manor Haunting
5. Crawley Manor Haunting

Stand Alone Mystery/Thriller Novels

1. Eye for Revenge - USA Today Bestseller
2. The Perfect Lie
3. Hickory Dickory Dead - USA Today Bestseller
4. Roadkill - USA Today Bestseller

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not well developed characters instead relies on idiosyncrasies. Main character is supposedly very morally good but knows she is dating a mafia boss? Come on.

The mystery was not well plotted. Everything just suddenly made sense.

Finally, why is the "second sight stuff" thrown in?

[Dawn Fielder · Rating 5 out of 5]

this second installment in the series was really good. a smooth read. compelling and easy to follow. moving and fast paced.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skeletal remains found hidden in a wall open a Pandora's box for detective Georgiana Germaine. Her investigation leads her to other previous deaths which in turn lead back to the unsolved murder of her father.

Georgiana is like a dog with a bone when she is on a case. She leaves no stone upturned. Now that she has come out of her grief over the loss of her daughter she has thrown herself into being a detective again. She is still hesitant on the forming friendships front but has finally opened herself up to reigniting a relationship with a man from her past.

Engaging story from beginning to end. Cant wait to see what's next.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A woman is remodeling her house and finds a skeleton wrapped in plastic wrap. She's a friend of the detective protagonist, and so calls her over. While trying to figure out who the skeleton is, she finds links to other deaths, including that of her father. Meanwhile, she pursues a romance with a man she knew from high school.

Not bad, but a little abrasive.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My New Favorite Mystery Series

I love Georgians Germaine! She's a very interesting character. The mystery was solved with many twists and turns just like I love them!

[Leah Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in this new series is even better than the first. Georgiana is a complex character who is slowly developing. The case she is drawn into by an old friend has long reaching implications. When ties are found to her father's death, she won't stop until she has all the answers.
The relationship between Georgiana and Giovanni is a slow burn. Readers will quickly become invested in these two people from very different worlds.
The cast of characters is fantastic. There is a new addition who I hope we see more of.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgiana comes to the aid of her friend, who finds a dead body in the home she is renovating. Who is it? How long has it been there? The more she looks into this case, it becomes connected to her own father's death...a cold case she is determined to solve. There is also an old 'friend' from her college years, and they are rekindling their relationship, but not without some issues. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Bonnye Reed]

Author gift via Phil Williams

[Toni G · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars perhaps I should have read the first book in the series. Strong, intelligent female lead. Didn’t have enough back story to be empathetic. The multiple mysterious deaths were intriguing but I wasn’t fully invested. I was much more engaged in the Sloane Monroe series. Why is Giovanni in both series?

[Robert S Mezinko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cluttered Reading

Only two stars because of all the useless details and extra story lines and characters added
for no good reasons. Every time it looked like a conclusion could be drawn some other character drops in and we're back to square one. Too much of an effort to try to sort out this mess of a story. Thumbs down.

[aisyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smooth & fast-paced read. Enjoyed this second installment of the series. As expected, I always enjoy a Cheryl Bradshaw book!

[Niki Boesen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not understand the high ratings for the books in this series. I read fiction with fair amount of suspension of disbelief. But you need more than that for this series. I read this second book hoping it would be better than the first (which I did not love, but thought had potential). It was not better.

This book, as well as the first, "Little Girl Lost," establishes the main character, Georgiana (Gigi), as an over the top, rogue, angry detective, working alone, keeping information to herself, and generally going off the rails. It's a stretch. I could not believe how many times she whipped her gun out and threatened someone with it, and in a couple of instances fired "near" them to make a point.

Characters in both books were not fleshed out very well. It was a large cast of characters in a short book. They are very "soap opera-esque" with way too much drama and no information to get you to invest in them. Dialogue was not natural. And I was particularly bothered by Georgiana referencing her dad as "my father" when speaking to her aunt (dad's sister). This book sent me over the edge right at the beginning when some of the information from the first book did not spill over into the next. And other information, like how it was possible to get latent prints off of paper was said VERBATIM by the same character, in both books. I know you have to assume some people reading book #2 did not read book #1, but there are better ways to tie them together. Like, "I'm hoping you can get a print off this threatening letter, like you did with the notes from my sister's stalker."

Georgiana has been described numerous times as an old soul as far as her vintage clothing choices. A lot of time is dedicated to describing her outfits. The woman lives in an Airstream. There is no room for the wardrobe she is described as having.

The ending is the reason I won't be reading any more of this series. After her NEED for justice, after sending a little old lady to prison to pay for the crime of killing a reprehensible man decades earlier, her relationship with a Mafia boss who put out a hit on her father's killer is just too much. I. Can't. Even.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

SYNPOSIS
Every home remodeling project typically brings a few surprises, but finding a skeleton hidden behind the wall? That's unexpected, to say the least.
For detective Georgiana Germaine, the newly discovered skeleton opens a Pandora's Box that will take her on an investigative journey that leads to more than just the body behind the wall. It’s a discovery that hints at connections to additional deaths that could circle back to the unsolved death of her father.
THOUGHTS
I had the strangest sense of deja vu while reading LITTLE LOST SECRETS. The characters, the mystery, it all felt overly familiar. I've read previous Cheryl Bradshaw books which are usually enjoyable, and quick reads with engaging if not wholly original characters. Likewise, the mysteries may not be the most complex but they do keep your attention. LITTLE LOST SECRETS, however, was a bit of a slog because the story seemed so disjointed. There is an accident, a suicide, a hit-and-run, and what is most assuredly a murder. Somehow, all of these are connected and lead Georgiana to solve a case with ties to her late father’s last investigation. But the overlapping storylines don’t have an emotional pull making it difficult to remember or care about all the characters. Detective Georgiana Germaine is defined more by her quirks—her retro style, preference for solo work, and prickly demeanor—than by her investigative skills.

RECOMMENDATION: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3
LITTLE LOST SECRETS starts with an intriguing premise but ultimately fails to deliver a compelling mystery. It feels like a rehash of much better books.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiffany Wheeler had decided to leave Los Angeles and her boyfriend, Russell. She had come back to Cambria where she bought an older home which she planned to renovate and maybe sell. However, she had waited until she had the house partially torn up to tell Russell that he was not welcome to move with her. He was very angry. After yelling at her, he put his fist through one of the walls and left in anger. After being relieved that he was gone, she saw the hole and wanted it gone. So, she took a hammer and began finishing the demolition of the wall. Abruptly she stopped when she noticed bones in the wall!

Being in shock from finding the bones, Tiffany turned to her childhood friend, Georgiana Germaine. Georgiana was a detective and would know what to do. Although it interrupted her romantic dinner, Georgiana answered Tiffany’s call. When she saw the bones, she knew immediately they were human and called her stepdad, the police chief, and got the investigation started.

Finding the identity of a long-dead piles of bones inside the walls of a home owned previously by an elderly woman was going to be hard enough. Finding, who killed him was even tougher. Gigi is determined to figure it out for her friend.

[Jodi Pomerleau · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I wasn't sure if I liked this book or not, though there were some interesting parts. Remains are found inside a home that is being renovated, and instead of calling the police, the home owner calls her friend Georgiana whom she hasn't seen in many years. I thought that was weird right off the bat. The house had previously belonged to a family whose daughter had apparently committed suicide after her first year of college. The events get all jumbled up in the hit and run death of Georgiana's father. So it was quite a mess of details and characters. Georgiana is a detective, but she is dating a guy from the Mafia, and that seems a bit out there too, when he has someone killed on Georgiana's behalf. What cop would allow that to happen? The story line was a bit messy, but I didn't find the book boring or so unbelievable to make it frustrating. I did like Georgiana's character, but the romance just seems to be too unrealistic. I normally like Cheryl Bradshaw so I think future books in this series might get better with time.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another case is thrown into Detective Germaine's life when an old friend calls her in a frantic about a discovery she made while renovating an old house. The more she digs into the situation, the more questions she has. She also find out this case isn't a single incident, but rather the end of a short string of incidents, one of which hits a little too close to home. There are several surprises as we learn more about the crime and the victims/suspects. Everyone has a different story and the detective has to decide who to believe, trusting her gut is important. We get to see a little more of her relationship with Giovanni as that evolves. While there is not much violence, and the sexual content limited (closed bedroom doors,) this is a little more 'mature' than your standard cozy mysteries. The subject matter is a little heavier. It's well written and leaves you guessing. Each book can be read as a stand alone. It's written from her POV.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! Much more than a mystery. It's an exploration of the lives of people who knew each other, cared about each other...most of the time, but who also kept secrets from each other. Since the story begins with a revelation that takes everybody back to youthful days and memories, it shows how much people can change.

Thank goodness Georgiana Germaine is excellent at what she does. She has a nose for smelling lies and ferreting out the truth. It's amazing how the search for what happened to a body that is found inside a wall can lead to exploring and solving so many other crimes. The author truly does an excellent job of developing the characters in the story. Each one has a distinct personality and their relationships are for the most part easy to understand. I enjoyed reading this book and I'm sure you will, too!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two and I'm enjoying this series a lot. Excellent pacing and a plot that is easy to follow and keeps you guessing throughout. While it seems like and easy case to solve there are plenty of twists turns that keep the story from moving and takes an interesting turn that involves detectivd Germaine and her father who was killed by I'm a hit and run accident many years ago.
While Germaine herself is a character you like the fact that she's dating a mob boss makes your eyes roll a bit but at the same time it's going to be interesting to see where is all goes in the future. How will this one decision affect the stories going forward? It will be interesting to see what happens and at this point it's a series I'm invested in and will be reading the rest of the books.

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the series is even better that the first! Gigi’s friend has bought a new home. In a fit of anger, she hits some holes in the wall and finds a dead body. While investigating, she finds that this murder may be connected to several others in the past. Her involvement with Giovanni is still progressing, but I’m sure we will learn more about it in Book 3. Gigi is such a complex character and leaves no stone unturned when she’s involved in an investigation. I especially liked that some questions from the first book were answered instead of waiting until the end of the series. But there is still more to come and I’m anxiously waiting for Book 3.

[Dorothyb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Georgianna Germaine in book 1 left us with a few unanswered questions about her life like her huge love of eggs, what happened to her father and her attraction to Giovanni. you will discovered these in this book. A skeleton found in a wall begins the twists and turns of this story that takes you to the past where she finally does find out what happened to her dad while solving the mystery of who is in the wall and why. True to form the who and the why are as always a surprise.

[PWA Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tense, fast moving and extremely good. Georgiana is starting to see a connection between murders 20 yrs ago along with her Father's death. She findS it difficult to solve as everyone is lying to her. Breaking down truth from lies presents some interesting clues. A surprise at the end I didn't see coming, which is great as I like the unexpected twists. I'm not sure I agreed with one of Georgiana's decisions at the end, her being a Detective and all, but that's just my own opinion. I'm ready and excited to get to the next book in this series.
Well written and engaging!

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

With each story this series gets better. Bones found... identification made... now the hunt is on to follow the clues, learn the truth and find the killer. Three college students and a cop are dead, two still alive keeping the truth a secret. Georgiana is not taking no for an answer, especially since this case is hitting very close to home. This author weaves a story, that draws you in. Making the reader by of the story.

[Yvonne Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book is Awesome! I Loved the first book with Detective Georgiana and this one is even better as we slowly peel back the layers and get to know the detective with her tragic past as well as solve the crime she has been asked to solve. I love that you get more questions as we go along to solve the crime. It is well written and I am absolutely loving this series and cannot wait for the next book.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads Kindle Copy Win

A thrilling read that will keep you glue to the pages. You will be swept away in the story as you breeze through the end.

A home renovation turns to a dreaded scene when a body is discovered that has been a cold case.

A detective is drawn into this cold case as it seems to be linked with the death of her father for over thirty years. She will seek to find the answers and the truth about her father.

[Pete Ffrench · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding human remains in the wall of your new house must be a harrowing experience but Georgiana helps her friend and also uncovers connections between this death and a whole sequence of unsolved deaths including her father's which the community had swept under the carpet. She gradually uncovers proof and brings the culprits into the open to face the justice they thought they had escaped. Good involving story and characters, lots of them to get your head round.

[Carla O · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good police procedural

This was a good story, although it lacked some depth. There was little in the beginning to explain that the main character was a detective, and no real connection to a police department and the connections there other than a familial one. The main character seemed to operate alone and incidentally brought a couple of other police types into her investigation. This made it less realistic.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

apparently i got a lot of books in April and June of this year 2022, this one was included in there, i read about finding FREE books thanks to Bookbub, need to get back on there soon, so fun. got this one for free. series. 5 books in the series. "Georgiana Germaine series". out February 21, 2021. medical thrillers. heist crime. women's detective fiction. i have not read anything else from this series. just this one. will hope to do others very soon. i love a good read. and new to me author.

[Ruby Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I absolutely love the Georgiana Germaine series. I read each one in a day. The characters are so true to life & they never disappoint the reader. The twist & turns keep you turning the pages & keeping you in suspense until the last page.
A brilliant Author!
Since 5 is the highest number you can give, honestly, if there was no limit I would give her 100! A must read!

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a simple fast weed

This is a simple Little mystery. It has a complex crime scene cobbler. Wife sees cowboy characters that if you wanted to trace it and we'd better to write down certain names and their relationships. And they're the cost of character because there's 3 separate mysteries inbut all at all. It is a very simple little case, a very quick read. And you will probably enjoy it. In

[Maureen ~Bitch Can Write A Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

💥💥💥 Boom💥💥💥

Ohmahgawd...I absolutely love this series. I can’t wait for the next book. This series is so unique and fast paced. I devoured 2 books in 2 days. Wowza! So dang great. Detective Georgiana Germaine is so cool, badass and trying to get over her tragic past. I love that she’s in her 40’s. I do like the lost love story but I’m not sure about him yet...

I can’t wait for book 3!!!!