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THE STOCKHOLM SECRET : A Luna Moreno Mystery Investigation (Book 1)
Five powerful families.
A 300-year-old legend.
And a murder that nobody expected.
In the city of a thousand islands, legends don’t die — they kill.
Journalist Luna Moreno arrives in Stockholm to cover a prestigious museum exhibition.
Instead, she finds herself at the center of a chilling mystery.
A wealthy businesswoman has been brutally murdered and the crime mirrors a centuries-old legend whispered among Stockholm’s most powerful families.
A story of vanished rivals, buried secrets, and fortunes built on blood.
Three hundred years ago, five dynasties ruled the outskirts of the city. One by one, their enemies disappeared. Until one family rose above them all.
Now the killings have started again.
With the help of Henrik, whose own family name is tangled in the old stories, Luna begins to uncover hidden documents, forgotten disappearances, and secrets powerful men have protected for generations.
But with billion-krona development deals at stake, someone is determined to keep the truth buried.
And the deeper Luna digs, the clearer it becomes… The legend isn’t just history. It can kill.
READERS LOVE THE STOCKHOLM SECRET:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐' A stunning Debut of a New Mystery Master. This is the first book in what promises to be a great series. Philip Jay Sterling has written Luna Moreno as a solid investigative reporter who can intuit patterns in data
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A masterpiece of fiction. Suspense keeps you reading till the end. A great read that ticks all the boxes. The main character, Luna, is bright and inquisitive.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Clever mystery - a great read! A great mystery set in Stockholm with vivid writing, real characters, and a plot with clever twists. A mix of history, folklore, and tech.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An interesting mystery with plot twists and a likeable main character. Set in Stockholm with bits of history mixed in.
A 300-year-old legend.
And a murder that nobody expected.
In the city of a thousand islands, legends don’t die — they kill.
Journalist Luna Moreno arrives in Stockholm to cover a prestigious museum exhibition.
Instead, she finds herself at the center of a chilling mystery.
A wealthy businesswoman has been brutally murdered and the crime mirrors a centuries-old legend whispered among Stockholm’s most powerful families.
A story of vanished rivals, buried secrets, and fortunes built on blood.
Three hundred years ago, five dynasties ruled the outskirts of the city. One by one, their enemies disappeared. Until one family rose above them all.
Now the killings have started again.
With the help of Henrik, whose own family name is tangled in the old stories, Luna begins to uncover hidden documents, forgotten disappearances, and secrets powerful men have protected for generations.
But with billion-krona development deals at stake, someone is determined to keep the truth buried.
And the deeper Luna digs, the clearer it becomes… The legend isn’t just history. It can kill.
READERS LOVE THE STOCKHOLM SECRET:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐' A stunning Debut of a New Mystery Master. This is the first book in what promises to be a great series. Philip Jay Sterling has written Luna Moreno as a solid investigative reporter who can intuit patterns in data
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A masterpiece of fiction. Suspense keeps you reading till the end. A great read that ticks all the boxes. The main character, Luna, is bright and inquisitive.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Clever mystery - a great read! A great mystery set in Stockholm with vivid writing, real characters, and a plot with clever twists. A mix of history, folklore, and tech.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An interesting mystery with plot twists and a likeable main character. Set in Stockholm with bits of history mixed in.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2025
4 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Philip Jay Sterling
6 books2 followersPhilip Jay Sterling is a mystery novels author who lives in Northern Italy with his wife and two daughters. A lifelong reader and storyteller, he grew up immersed in the worlds of Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Ken Follett, John Grisham, and many others who inspired his love for suspense, psychology, and elegant plot twists.
When he's not writing, Philip enjoys quiet days at his house, long walks in the countryside, and sharing good white wine with friends and family. He travels extensively across Europe, always chasing the next setting for a Luna Moreno mystery.
His debut novel, The Stockholm Secret, introduces readers to Luna Moreno, a sharp and fearless journalist whose investigations take her deep into the shadows of Europe’s most iconic cities.
Philip believes the best mysteries don’t just entertain—they reveal something hidden in ourselves and the world around us.
When he's not writing, Philip enjoys quiet days at his house, long walks in the countryside, and sharing good white wine with friends and family. He travels extensively across Europe, always chasing the next setting for a Luna Moreno mystery.
His debut novel, The Stockholm Secret, introduces readers to Luna Moreno, a sharp and fearless journalist whose investigations take her deep into the shadows of Europe’s most iconic cities.
Philip believes the best mysteries don’t just entertain—they reveal something hidden in ourselves and the world around us.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 21, 2025
This is the first book in what promises to be a great series. Philip Jay Sterling has written Luna Moreno as a solid investigative reporter who can intuit patterns in data, but doesn't rush off to solve the mystery. Rather, she uses her resources to flesh out her intuition until she has all the facts. Her resources include a computer savvy friend (hacker?), a low level employee of the museum, and the investigating police officer. What makes Sterling's plotting very interesting is his obvious knowledge of the city and his revealing to the reader events that Luna will have to discover. In some ways, Sterling breaks the rules of mystery writing, but that only adds to the suspense and keeps the reader's interest focused on Luna and whether and how she will come to know what the reader already knows. In short, a top notch mystery.
February 13, 2026
While I enjoyed most of this first in a series about a European reporter Luna Moreno, I was thrown out of the story twice.
First when she grabbed the diary from the museum. This bordered on theft.
The second instance was when she ascribed some information to Henrick "He said his family acquired the Holms land for a fraction of its worth after their financial collapse." when he did not give that information until later in the book. Poor editing?
In general some of the characters were a bit over the top, and others a bit naive.
I am willing to try another in the series.
I bought a copy since it was not available from my public library.
First when she grabbed the diary from the museum. This bordered on theft.
The second instance was when she ascribed some information to Henrick "He said his family acquired the Holms land for a fraction of its worth after their financial collapse." when he did not give that information until later in the book. Poor editing?
In general some of the characters were a bit over the top, and others a bit naive.
I am willing to try another in the series.
I bought a copy since it was not available from my public library.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews