Jonathan Peace – Dirty Little Secret @HobeckBooks @JPwritescrime #DirtyLittleSecret #SharonBTB

‘Dirty Little Secret’ by Jonathan Peace is his debut crime novel. The first book in a series featuring WDC Louise Miller. It is set in Ossett, Yorkshire in the 1980s. I was lucky enough to be able to be one of the first people to read this book and for that, I thank Jonathan Peace. I am so glad I am a part of Jonathan’s and Louise Miller’s journey.

On WDC Miller’s first day, in fact before she has even arrived at her new post in Ossett, she discovers a body of a young girl just left in a telephone box. So begins her first case with her new station. After four years on the force in Manchester, she is the first female detective in Ossett and faced with the sexism and misogyny of small-town policing. She finds an ally in WPC Elizabeth Hines and they begin to uncover the dark secrets of the town. Psychologist Karla Hayes aids in the investigation but then a second girl goes missing. The race is on to find the girl before she joins the first as Louise realises some secrets are meant to be kept, as well as her own.

I loved the character of Louise Miller. A dogged and determined detective who doesn’t give in. She is used to the sexism shown in the force and gives as good as she gets. Elizabeth Hines is a great pairing with her and together they get the job done. I can’t wait to see how these two develop over the series. The men in the station need a good shake up and I think Louise is the woman for the job.

I enjoyed going back to the 1980s, before the Internet and mobile phones, Jonathan Peace has perfectly set the scene to show just how much more difficult it was back then. The setting of Ossett was just as good. The small town with a small force, I immediately conjured the scenes in my head. It wasn’t a million miles to what my home town of Oldham started as, before the advent of decent public transport etc.

Altogether an addictive and immersive read as I had to find out if they would solve this before it was too late… and I needed to know how Louise would deal with it all.
I am looking forward to the next book, can’t wait to go back to Ossett!

Thanks to Hobeck Books and Jonathan Peace for my place on the tour and the copy of the book.