Secrets From The Grave

Deadly Wolds Mysteries #5

by Jack Cartwright

Three teenage boys savour the summer sun in Lincolnshire’s Snipe Dales. School has finished, and the only place they must be is home for dinner each night. But when they embark on building a camp in which to while away the days, they make a gruesome discovery that will cast a shadow over the weeks to come, plunging their hearts into darkness.

DI George Larson and DS Ivy Hart have been busy forging a team. New to the area, they have been given all the resources they need to succeed, and with George’s retirement looming, failure is not an option. George’s last ambition is to hand the team over to Ivy, which along with the years of working side by side, should be enough to guarantee success.

But with every investigation they are handed, the complexities seem to increase, the barriers seem larger, and the hurdles they must leap seem higher.

The Snipe Dales investigation is no different. With clear evidence of betrayal, conflict, and deceit, they must use every facet of their team to cut through the noise and bring a killer to justice. It could be their most trying investigation to date.

Secrets From The Grave is the unputdownable fifth book in Jack Cartwright’s bestselling Deadly Wolds mystery series.
Fans of Jack Cartwright also enjoy books by JM Dalgliesh, LJ Ross, Ann Cleeves, JD Kirk, and Simon McCleave.

452 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2025

Reviews

[Mrs Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As we are beginning to find out, George Larson is a DI who uses his lifetime experience of solving crimes in a way that's different from his fellow detectives, his fatherly manner towards pushing his young team into thinking more deeply before jumping to any conclusion, is felt even more in this book, the team have to investigate a woman's body found by 3 teenagers, who are making a den in a local country park, using some items from a pile of flytipped rubbish at the entrance. the team are going in circles trying to find how and why the body was dumped, all their efforts seemingly coming to a dead end, until finally, a simple phrase uttered by one of the boys lets things to fall into place! once again, we only find out the truth in the last couple of chapters, where all the little threads are spun together to show the killer(s)??
we are also being allowed a glimpse into the emerging characters' lives and how their minds work, especially Ivy, who George has a paternal soft spot for, both professionally and personally, smoothing the way for her to reconnect with her estranged husband, which I hope will feature a bit in the next book.
once again, Jack Cartwright has pulled a great book out of thin air. a 5🌟 read 📚

[M A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading another Jackman and Evans book. All the books can be read as they are but as a series the characters are gradually developed into a cohesive team showing empathy and understanding.
This story had various, apparently unrelated strands which you guessed would come together..but how? I presumed the identity of Chaos from early on but had to revise it fairly soon.
Definitely worth reading even if you don't know the series, and the detective team didn't annoy me as Freya Bloom does!!

[Janice Staines · Rating 4 out of 5]

so many secrets, so many motives, so many suspects!

Three teenagers stumble across a body wrapped in a carpet as they attempt to build a den in the country park. Fly tipping was becoming an increasingly regular problem in and around the countryside and George and his team as tasked with finding out who is behind this antisocial activity.They hope that finding out the answer to this question will ultimately lead towards them solving their murder.

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this crime story, which was fast-paced with great characters. George is particularly likeable and is an excellent police detective.

A body rolls out of a carpet...

This was a complex tale of secrets and psychological trauma with twists and turns and surprises. It was well-written and engaging throughout.

Brilliant read. Highly recommended.

[Roger Weeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Jack Cartwright in the Deadly Wolds mystery series.
I love the way the stories are constructed and that the lead detective provides training and guidance to his team during their investigations. I also like the personal and human touch Jack Cartwright brings to him in his “not at work” moments in the book.

[Christmas Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Jack's books. I devour every word. And in this story Jack dishes up the most wonderful stew of murder, betrayal, and deceit. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Five stars just aren't enough. Highly Recommended.

[Hazel Pickering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoy reading these books as I am familiar with the place names.

I choose the rating because I have become familiar with Inspector George Larson, he always gets there in the end. Hope he does not retire soon.

[Lora King · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman is found rolled up in a carpet in the park nearby a pile of junk. What happened in the woods that day, do the young boys know or is it someone else. The team will tackle this complex case. Ivy will learn some lessons too.

[Karen Oakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Jack Cartwright. This was a convoluted story with many twists and turns and red herrings. I'm enjoying how DCI Warlow interacts with his team and his relationship with DS Ivy Hart. His father figure approach to her and the wisdom he imparts is a delight to read. More please.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good holiday read in this series which must be read in order. Really enjoying the team dynamics in the Wold series more than the Fen series so I’ll continue with the Wolds. Really enjoy the sections with Pippa Bell.

[Linda Woodley]

I enjoyed the book immensely the story line was spot on

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant read !

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read

[Mr David Bevan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of enjoyed this. Just felt at times it dragged on. Sure it was developing characters, but felt more time should have been spent on the actual storyline.

[Debra Whisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow burn with interesting characters and a good story. The mix of police procedural and George’s home life was nicely done.

[Helen Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love the relationship between Ivy and George, and the way these books are written. Proper whodunnits!

[Gill Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing as always

Kept me going to the end brilliant writing. Onto book 6 which I'm sure will be as riveting. Thank you

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this but then books by Jack Cartwright always are always good.