The Dirty Secrets Club
"This book has ‘breakthrough’ written all over it."
Synopsis:
Jo Beckett is a forensic psychiatrist. She profiles victim's lives to solve their deaths. Was it accident, suicide or murder? That is why Jo is brought into the case where high profile prosecutor, Callie Harding has just driven her BMW off a bridge and down on to the busy road below, taking innocent people with her? Why did she have the word 'dirty' written in lipstick on her thigh? Soon Jo realises that Callie's 'murder suicide' is not the only one. Two other high profile celebrities have taken their own life along with a loved one. Or have they?
As Jo begins to dig deeper she finds that there is a dark force operating among the shadows against these people who have formed this bizarre club. Jo needs to find out exactly what is 'The Dirty Secrets Club' and how you become a member. As Jo's forty-eight hours begin to expire she will have looked at more bodies caught up in this conundrum, been chased through the streets by a killer called Skunk who is controlled by his malevolent and mysterious master and had her own past dragged into the investigation. It is going to take all her strength to make it out alive.
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Review:
Having previously always enjoyed Meg Gardiner's books I have seen a steady increase in the quality of the storytelling and sheer readability with each successive novel. However, with The Dirty Secrets Club Gardiner has changed her main protagonist, changed the scene to San Francisco and with this new novel she seems to be settling comfortably into being a writer intent on being taken seriously. She succeeds completely. This book has 'breakthrough' written all over it. The story opens with a high-speed chase from the first page and from there on in the pace is relentless. All the action takes place within forty-eight hours and there is a lot going on for the reader to digest. However, the author leads us safely by the hand and sets everything out so well that nothing is confusing and you'll never feel overloaded with information. I do hope this book brings Gardiner to the attention of the masses. It really should. Not bad for only her sixth book - but, still, about time too. Meg Gardiner has notched up a gear or three with 'The Dirty Secrets Club' and now we look set to see her rip up some smoking tarmac and roar away to huge, and well-deserved, success. Roll on the sequel...