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Trapped Secrets
Having attended a Murder Mystery evening at Goldsborough Hall, DCI Cyril Bennett returns to the station to find his team involved in a missing persons’ investigation. He is initially perturbed as this area of crime would not normally fall within their jurisdiction.
In total, five people have disappeared with no pattern to age nor gender. Bennett is exasperated by the actions of a vigilante group bent on confronting and exposing paedophiles.
A body is found on a popular walkers’ route and the case becomes a murder investigation. Frustration creeps in as the team concentrates on locating the remaining missing persons. Another body is discovered, seemingly a case of suicide.
The detectives concentrate on trying to filter muddied waters as they discover existing relationships between the missing. The team engage in a painstaking search in order to solve the case. Hard facts are required, not supposition as the motives of revenge and retribution surface.
Reviewer — UK
Superb
Hollingdrake doesn’t let us down, yet again. Another great story in the Bennett series. When is the next one out?
Elizabeth P — United States
Wow!!
DCI Bennett and team had a complex case this time. But it is a great team! Malcolm Hollingdrake sure knows how to keep a person awake! I highly recommend this book!
Mme Hustwayte — France
Oh My!!
Another great story in this series. So very exciting to read, hard to put down. A truly gripping adventure from start to finish...
In total, five people have disappeared with no pattern to age nor gender. Bennett is exasperated by the actions of a vigilante group bent on confronting and exposing paedophiles.
A body is found on a popular walkers’ route and the case becomes a murder investigation. Frustration creeps in as the team concentrates on locating the remaining missing persons. Another body is discovered, seemingly a case of suicide.
The detectives concentrate on trying to filter muddied waters as they discover existing relationships between the missing. The team engage in a painstaking search in order to solve the case. Hard facts are required, not supposition as the motives of revenge and retribution surface.
Reviewer — UK
Superb
Hollingdrake doesn’t let us down, yet again. Another great story in the Bennett series. When is the next one out?
Elizabeth P — United States
Wow!!
DCI Bennett and team had a complex case this time. But it is a great team! Malcolm Hollingdrake sure knows how to keep a person awake! I highly recommend this book!
Mme Hustwayte — France
Oh My!!
Another great story in this series. So very exciting to read, hard to put down. A truly gripping adventure from start to finish...
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 27, 2023
This is book 13 in the wonderful Harrogate crime series and I know authors worry they are going to stop getting better the longer a series goes on. This is absolutely not the case here.
Trapped Secrets opens with Cyril Bennet and Julie attending a murder mystery evening. He gets very involved and very drunk and it made me chuckle throughout.
Obviously it wouldn't be a crime novel without murder, but this opens with two missing persons and odd but very realistic masks of a face and hands appearing throughout the city.
Cyril, the slightly less clumsy Owen, April and Shakti have to work hard to uncover this mystery.
This team have been together a while now and I love catching up with the characters, it feels like reconnecting with old friends. This becomes particularly poignant at the end.
The story is a steady unravelling of many clues and is relentless with a couple of shocks along the way.
This can be read perfectly as a standalone if you haven't come across Malcolms books before.
Trapped Secrets opens with Cyril Bennet and Julie attending a murder mystery evening. He gets very involved and very drunk and it made me chuckle throughout.
Obviously it wouldn't be a crime novel without murder, but this opens with two missing persons and odd but very realistic masks of a face and hands appearing throughout the city.
Cyril, the slightly less clumsy Owen, April and Shakti have to work hard to uncover this mystery.
This team have been together a while now and I love catching up with the characters, it feels like reconnecting with old friends. This becomes particularly poignant at the end.
The story is a steady unravelling of many clues and is relentless with a couple of shocks along the way.
This can be read perfectly as a standalone if you haven't come across Malcolms books before.
April 27, 2023
It’s hard to believe we are at book thirteen in The Harrogate Crime series. It doesn’t seem two minutes ago since my first introduction to them and yet I feel like I have been through so much with Bennett and Owen it’s like greeting old friends each time I open the next book in the series.
The story starts off with Cyril at a Murder Mystery evening with his partner Julie. If you know these characters, you will understand my delight at reading this as it was a great start and a funny one at that. I love how the author sets not only the story in Harrogate but uses real places. I have never been to Goldsborough Hall but it was great to be able to look it up on the internet and see for myself this stunning place.
The case is anything but straight forward and one that had my feelings and emotions at loggerheads with each other. Due to the nature of the storyline that deals with paedophiles and sexual abuse, it does make for some sombre reading but as always the author writes it sensitively with just enough information given without too much detail.
Trapped Secrets is a dark and gripping read that lures the reader in and takes them captive as once the story takes hold, you won’t want to put it down. It had me go through an array of emotions and I was grateful to the author for throwing in some lighter moments to heighten my enjoyment. I’m not sure if it is right to say you adore the main characters in a crime series, but I really do love Bennett and Owen. I think the chemistry in a detective partnership really is the key to a successful series and this speaks for it self in volumes in the fact that we are thirteen books in to the series.
My thanks to the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
The story starts off with Cyril at a Murder Mystery evening with his partner Julie. If you know these characters, you will understand my delight at reading this as it was a great start and a funny one at that. I love how the author sets not only the story in Harrogate but uses real places. I have never been to Goldsborough Hall but it was great to be able to look it up on the internet and see for myself this stunning place.
The case is anything but straight forward and one that had my feelings and emotions at loggerheads with each other. Due to the nature of the storyline that deals with paedophiles and sexual abuse, it does make for some sombre reading but as always the author writes it sensitively with just enough information given without too much detail.
Trapped Secrets is a dark and gripping read that lures the reader in and takes them captive as once the story takes hold, you won’t want to put it down. It had me go through an array of emotions and I was grateful to the author for throwing in some lighter moments to heighten my enjoyment. I’m not sure if it is right to say you adore the main characters in a crime series, but I really do love Bennett and Owen. I think the chemistry in a detective partnership really is the key to a successful series and this speaks for it self in volumes in the fact that we are thirteen books in to the series.
My thanks to the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
April 27, 2023
Cyril and Julie attend a murder mystery evening and Cyril takes the event very seriously. He makes his views very clearly and loudly throughout! This provided much amusement at the beginning of a serious story.
When two people are missing, the cases are intriguing as they don’t seem to be related. The team need to find out what has happened and if the cases share any similarities.
This book is called Trapped Secrets and I don’t want to say anything else, as I don’t want to give away any of those secrets!
We are back with Bennett, Owen, April and Shakti and it’s like being back with friends. Great, friendly banter between them all which also helps to lighten the tense atmosphere in the story. Follow the team as they slowly peel away the layers to solve the case. After all these years, they still work well together.
I have read every single one of the books in the series and I have loved them all but Trapped Secrets is my favourite, it’s dark and intense but also a difficult and powerful story that needs telling.
I especially enjoyed the little known facts about Harrogate added to the story and also the interesting information on Henry Spencer Moore at the end of the book.
My thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
When two people are missing, the cases are intriguing as they don’t seem to be related. The team need to find out what has happened and if the cases share any similarities.
This book is called Trapped Secrets and I don’t want to say anything else, as I don’t want to give away any of those secrets!
We are back with Bennett, Owen, April and Shakti and it’s like being back with friends. Great, friendly banter between them all which also helps to lighten the tense atmosphere in the story. Follow the team as they slowly peel away the layers to solve the case. After all these years, they still work well together.
I have read every single one of the books in the series and I have loved them all but Trapped Secrets is my favourite, it’s dark and intense but also a difficult and powerful story that needs telling.
I especially enjoyed the little known facts about Harrogate added to the story and also the interesting information on Henry Spencer Moore at the end of the book.
My thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 4, 2023
I cannot believe this is book 13! I have read and enjoyed every one of them.
To reconnect with Cyril Bennett, Owen, April, Shakti and the rest of the team feels like a family reunion which is long overdue. The opening pages when Bennett and Julie attend a murder mystery night, with him not solving the crime, but ending the evening rather ‘the worse for wear’ made me smile. Something he notices at the venue sets the theme.
Malcolm has a talent for creating very intriguing crimes for the team to solve. All the different threads that are seemingly unconnected, always all come together in the end. There are some dark themes that are explored within the story and at times make uncomfortable reading, but these issues should be discussed.
His references to the wonderful area around Harrogate always evoke special memories and I always enjoy his references and information about art and music.
Altogether another triumph for Malcolm! Looking forward to no.14!
To reconnect with Cyril Bennett, Owen, April, Shakti and the rest of the team feels like a family reunion which is long overdue. The opening pages when Bennett and Julie attend a murder mystery night, with him not solving the crime, but ending the evening rather ‘the worse for wear’ made me smile. Something he notices at the venue sets the theme.
Malcolm has a talent for creating very intriguing crimes for the team to solve. All the different threads that are seemingly unconnected, always all come together in the end. There are some dark themes that are explored within the story and at times make uncomfortable reading, but these issues should be discussed.
His references to the wonderful area around Harrogate always evoke special memories and I always enjoy his references and information about art and music.
Altogether another triumph for Malcolm! Looking forward to no.14!
July 28, 2023
Another brilliantly written book!
I have read the whole series & each new book brings in another 'new' crime which is so different from the previous one.
Highly recommend not only this book but the whole series.
Malcolm is one of my favourite authors & I am so looking forward to his next book.
Harrogate is my home town & is described exactly as it is with no 'added extras' - the street names & buildings exist, sometimes I can visualise the setting & put myself there watching the crime unfold.
Congratulations Malcolm - may you continue with your much deserved success as an author.
I have read the whole series & each new book brings in another 'new' crime which is so different from the previous one.
Highly recommend not only this book but the whole series.
Malcolm is one of my favourite authors & I am so looking forward to his next book.
Harrogate is my home town & is described exactly as it is with no 'added extras' - the street names & buildings exist, sometimes I can visualise the setting & put myself there watching the crime unfold.
Congratulations Malcolm - may you continue with your much deserved success as an author.
May 10, 2023
I finished Trapped Secrets in the early hours of the morning..Several missing people come under the radar ..just as the team are finding a link in the case ..a body is found ..but what connects them ? There's something about this series that takes its hold on you ..Julie is the best thing that's ever happened to Cyril ..I thought each of the team shone in this story ...5 stars A Stunning Gripping read ...
April 30, 2023
Congratulations to Malcolm and yet another brilliantly written book which once I started reading it I could not put it down. I Absolutely enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend to other avid readers like me. Lastly I would like to thank Malcolm for my ARC copy of this brilliant book.
May 20, 2023
Hard to believe Trapped Secrets is book 13 in The Harrogate Crime series. Yet again a brilliant book , superbly written with an intriguing plot. I loved the opening humour of DCI Bennett at a Murder Mystety evening. The title is perfect for the book, trapped secrets are about to be revealed. The investigating team have a great rapport and each are good at their given task. I often liken DCI Bennett to Insoector Morse with their quirks and intellect. A great addition to the series.
May 10, 2023
Another Winner!
DCI Bennett remains one of the best characters in British books. He and his team are so real. I always enjoy seeing them again. The story was gripping and kept me reading! As always, I highly recommend this series!!
DCI Bennett remains one of the best characters in British books. He and his team are so real. I always enjoy seeing them again. The story was gripping and kept me reading! As always, I highly recommend this series!!
May 19, 2023
Review
Another excellent story set around all the real.places I know well. In particular, I actually live in the village of Goldsborough, featured at the beginning and end of this novel. Unusual and endearing characters and a great plot.
Another excellent story set around all the real.places I know well. In particular, I actually live in the village of Goldsborough, featured at the beginning and end of this novel. Unusual and endearing characters and a great plot.
March 31, 2024
I don’t know how he does it, another great story. Although these books can be a stand alone, I just love the development of the characters, they almost feel like friends. I was so relieved to see a mention of book 14. Thank you.
December 26, 2024
Ahhh do love Cyril and the gang
Another absolute be!Red of a read
Just love this series it just gets better and better
Cant wait for the next book
Another absolute be!Red of a read
Just love this series it just gets better and better
Cant wait for the next book
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews