What do you think?
Rate this book
Joe Wilde #3
Hidden Truth
Private Investigator Joe Wilde is investigating the murder of Philippa Redmond a former Labour MP. She had been found dead in her sauna over the Christmas holidays six weeks ago. The majority of her family had been staying with her at the time, but the police didn't regard any of them as suspects. Evidence suggested an intruder had got into her home.
Joe also takes on a cold case of a missing woman named Julie Turnbull. She had disappeared six years ago without a trace. Meanwhile Joe's good friend DI Whatmore is investigating the horrific murder of a woman who was burnt to death in her own home. His investigation crosses over with Joe's missing person investigation. As they conduct their own investigations there are more killings.
DI Whatmore and Joe must join forces to track down a serial killer and solve a puzzling mystery, but doing so puts them and others in grave danger.
Joe also takes on a cold case of a missing woman named Julie Turnbull. She had disappeared six years ago without a trace. Meanwhile Joe's good friend DI Whatmore is investigating the horrific murder of a woman who was burnt to death in her own home. His investigation crosses over with Joe's missing person investigation. As they conduct their own investigations there are more killings.
DI Whatmore and Joe must join forces to track down a serial killer and solve a puzzling mystery, but doing so puts them and others in grave danger.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2025
About the author
C.D. Steele
3 booksC.D. Steele is the author of the Joe Wilde mystery thriller series. There are three books in the series. False Truth which was published by The Book Guild on the 28/04/21, Dark Truth which was published by The Conrad Press on the 15/11/23 and Hidden Truth which was independently published on the 31/12/25.
He works as an Executive Officer in the Civil Service, has a degree in Recreation Management and lives in County Down, Northern Ireland.
He works as an Executive Officer in the Civil Service, has a degree in Recreation Management and lives in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 16, 2026
Hidden Truth by C.D. Steele is the 3rd and final book in a trilogy starring PI Joe Wilde.
First, let me thank the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Well, the book was good, although not to my taste. I'm not a fan of books centered around organized crime, so.... While the other two books in the series held my attention a little more because of their plots, this book felt like an old hard-boiled PI series, which never really appealed to me, although there are a lot of people out there who will love these books.
One of my complaints with the previous books was the repetitiveness, but this did not seem to be a problem in this one. I still don't think the dialogue felt natural, but maybe that's just me.
The one thing I did like about the book, was Joe's character. He's sharp, and he will do whatever it takes to find the answers - legal or not.
It is really difficult to review a book that you really didn't like because of the topic. Especially when it was provided by the author. That's generally why I am picky about what I choose or accept to read/review. Yet there are always surprises. So, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt, because I really believe that if the topic had been to my taste, I would have found more to like.
Anyway, until next time ....
For a more thorough review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, my own synopsis of the book, and its author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
March 7, 2026
I had a difficult time getting into *Hidden Truth*, and I suspect part of that is because I was jumping into an established series without having read the two preceding books.
A number of characters appear fairly quickly, and for a while I felt as though I was being introduced to people whose histories I was expected to already know. It took some time to settle into who everyone was and how they related to one another.
The novel also carries several different narrative threads at once. I normally enjoy a layered mystery, but at times it felt like there were a lot of moving pieces competing for attention. In addition, the editing could have used a more careful pass. There were a few moments where characters were misnamed, which briefly pulled me out of the story, and I noticed several grammatical errors that stood out.
That being said, my overall reading experience was still a favorable one. Steele clearly knows how to weave together complex story lines, and the dialogue throughout the book felt rich and convincing. He also demonstrates a willingness to tackle difficult subject matter without shying away from it, which I respect.
Joe Wilde himself is a likeable lead character, and I particularly appreciated his strong sense of justice. He anchors the story well and gives the reader someone solid to follow through the darker corners of the narrative.
Despite my initial difficulty settling in, *Hidden Truth* ultimately proved to be a solid investigative thriller. If you enjoy crime fiction with multiple threads and morally driven protagonists, this series is definitely one worth exploring, whether you begin here or go back to the first book.
Goes well with: strong coffee and a Reuben sandwich.
A number of characters appear fairly quickly, and for a while I felt as though I was being introduced to people whose histories I was expected to already know. It took some time to settle into who everyone was and how they related to one another.
The novel also carries several different narrative threads at once. I normally enjoy a layered mystery, but at times it felt like there were a lot of moving pieces competing for attention. In addition, the editing could have used a more careful pass. There were a few moments where characters were misnamed, which briefly pulled me out of the story, and I noticed several grammatical errors that stood out.
That being said, my overall reading experience was still a favorable one. Steele clearly knows how to weave together complex story lines, and the dialogue throughout the book felt rich and convincing. He also demonstrates a willingness to tackle difficult subject matter without shying away from it, which I respect.
Joe Wilde himself is a likeable lead character, and I particularly appreciated his strong sense of justice. He anchors the story well and gives the reader someone solid to follow through the darker corners of the narrative.
Despite my initial difficulty settling in, *Hidden Truth* ultimately proved to be a solid investigative thriller. If you enjoy crime fiction with multiple threads and morally driven protagonists, this series is definitely one worth exploring, whether you begin here or go back to the first book.
Goes well with: strong coffee and a Reuben sandwich.
March 3, 2026
Hidden Truth is the third gripping installment in the Joe Wilde series, but as someone jumping in for the first time, I found it works brilliantly as a standalone. The story follows private investigator Joe Wilde as he utilises his skills as a former MI6 agent to solve complex cases that the police can’t-or won’t- touch.
In Hidden Truth Joe investigates the high-profile murder of former Labour MP Philippa Redmond while simultaneously working the heartbreaking cold case of missing woman Julie Turnbull. While Joe is primarily a lone wolf, I found his relationship with DI Carl Whatmore works incredibly well; their begrudging respect adds a fantastic layer of depth to the investigation.
As Joe digs deeper, the cases become far more complicated-and dangerous-than they first appeared. Steele delivers incredibly clever plotting with escalating stakes and a dark, menacing atmosphere.
I had no expectations going into this book, but I can honestly say I really loved it. Having now seen the peak of Joe’s skills here, I’m running straight to Amazon to grab the first two books, to see how this ‘lone wolf’ first started his journey.
If you are a fan of twisty, compelling thrillers
with a likeable protagonist who will stop at nothing to find justice for his victims- then this one’s for you.
In Hidden Truth Joe investigates the high-profile murder of former Labour MP Philippa Redmond while simultaneously working the heartbreaking cold case of missing woman Julie Turnbull. While Joe is primarily a lone wolf, I found his relationship with DI Carl Whatmore works incredibly well; their begrudging respect adds a fantastic layer of depth to the investigation.
As Joe digs deeper, the cases become far more complicated-and dangerous-than they first appeared. Steele delivers incredibly clever plotting with escalating stakes and a dark, menacing atmosphere.
I had no expectations going into this book, but I can honestly say I really loved it. Having now seen the peak of Joe’s skills here, I’m running straight to Amazon to grab the first two books, to see how this ‘lone wolf’ first started his journey.
If you are a fan of twisty, compelling thrillers
with a likeable protagonist who will stop at nothing to find justice for his victims- then this one’s for you.
March 1, 2026
I guess a 2.5⭐️ on this one maybe?
I did receive a free copy of this book for an honest review. To start, the book is the third in the series so jumping right in there were so many characters that I had to get familiar with very fast but once I did that the book did get better.
There’s about 4 or so different stories going at the same time and some I just wasn’t as interested in, while others I felt like we spent too much time on, but they all do end up connecting by the end.
There’s story at some points to seem to just be crazy in everything that is happening. There were also some grammatical errors throughout the book and sometimes saying the wrong name which impacting the reading experience.
I did really want to know what was happening though so I did enjoy that. I felt like the drama stayed throughout the whole book which is good. I don’t know if I would read another book in the series, but if I did I would probably start with the first book and catch up first
I did receive a free copy of this book for an honest review. To start, the book is the third in the series so jumping right in there were so many characters that I had to get familiar with very fast but once I did that the book did get better.
There’s about 4 or so different stories going at the same time and some I just wasn’t as interested in, while others I felt like we spent too much time on, but they all do end up connecting by the end.
There’s story at some points to seem to just be crazy in everything that is happening. There were also some grammatical errors throughout the book and sometimes saying the wrong name which impacting the reading experience.
I did really want to know what was happening though so I did enjoy that. I felt like the drama stayed throughout the whole book which is good. I don’t know if I would read another book in the series, but if I did I would probably start with the first book and catch up first
March 5, 2026
This is the third book in the series and my first introduction to ex-MI6 turned private investigator, Joe Wilde.
The author certainly doesn't shy away from controversial and unpleasant story lines and Hidden Truth is perhaps not one for those of a delicate disposition.
As seems to be the way, both Joe Wilde and DI Carl Whatmore are working multiple cases - one of which involves a pair of lack lustre killers who specialise in a rather brutal line of delivery. This book is the third in the Joe Wilde series - I haven't yet read the first two and found that Hidden Truth worked fine as a standalone.
Joe Wilde will be a hit with fans of the genre, and I give my thanks to the author and Rachel's Random Resources for my place on this blog tour.
The author certainly doesn't shy away from controversial and unpleasant story lines and Hidden Truth is perhaps not one for those of a delicate disposition.
As seems to be the way, both Joe Wilde and DI Carl Whatmore are working multiple cases - one of which involves a pair of lack lustre killers who specialise in a rather brutal line of delivery. This book is the third in the Joe Wilde series - I haven't yet read the first two and found that Hidden Truth worked fine as a standalone.
Joe Wilde will be a hit with fans of the genre, and I give my thanks to the author and Rachel's Random Resources for my place on this blog tour.
April 12, 2026
Delighted to have another story in the Joe Wilde series. Being the third book featuring this detective I feel I'm getting to know his character better and I like what I see. This story is more involved but the author keeps it fast moving and easy to follow. I hope there will be more to follow.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews