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About the Book
Delaney West, a tough-as-nails private investigator who’s not afraid to break the rules, operates out of an apartment she shares with her grumpy orange tabby named Pumpkin. Clients come to Delaney for her unique gifts — talents that helped her put away some of the city’s most dangerous criminals. But when Delaney takes on a case to find the missing Jay Sutherland — a 20-something playboy with a rap sheet and a penchant for beating women — Del realizes this case is much more than it seems.
With the help of her father, who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s, in a nursing home, Del discovers that the truth behind Jay’s disappearance is linked to a group called The Night Society. But they’re no ordinary villains. Anika, Jay’s girlfriend, is the only person who may know his whereabouts, but she harbors a dark secret that could pit Del against an enemy she hasn’t seen since her childhood.
As she delves deeper into this web of mystery and danger, can Del put aside her commitment issues long enough to save Jay and herself?
The Secret Within is a new stand-alone urban fantasy by masters of story Sean Platt and David W. Wright. Fans of Supernatural and Underworld will love spending time with Delaney West.
My Review
I really liked the way this one started. I found the dual perspective to be interesting and a great way to drive the story forward on parallel and eventually converging paths. I really enjoyed Delaney as a character, she was strong and tough and I found her to be a great protagonist. I also really liked the writing style of the story, it was active and engaging and really drew me in.
Things were clicking along and I was really enjoying the layers of possibility and confusion that were piling up about what was *really* going on underneath everything – and then about 3/4 of the way in there’s a big revelation about a side character that threw me completely for a loop and felt like it was totally out of left field and didn’t resonate with the rest of the story. It felt a little Deus Ex Machina, and while it was a character I really liked and I didn’t mind the way it played out ultimately, it felt odd to be incorporated into the story as it was unfolding.
It ends with some cliffhangers but not in an inappropriate way, more in a setting-up-the-second-book way. Despite my slightly waning enthusiasm after the strange character and plot twist, I am curious enough about some of those cliffhangers to pick up a second book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
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