Overall I found that this book was really easy to engage in and I found from the off that I was connected to the characters. I did however feel that the further through the book that I got, the more complicated I found the number of characters and trying to not get overwhelmed between what felt like a large amount of characters alongside the switching perspective between chapters.

I think I would read some more of this authors books, but potentially not continuing any further with this series.

3.6 ***

This was an intricately interwoven collection of plots. The plot points were mostly plausible and the story progressed at a mostly rapid pace and tied everything up neatly and quickly at the end, while clearly setting the stage for a follow-on book.

The primary characters, though clearly drawn, were portrayed primarily in only one dimension. It kept things simple - but also felt a little simplistic.

What kept jarring me out of the story, throughout, was odd word choices. Sometimes they were just wrong (or slightly off – like a question was “roused” instead of raised), while other times it very much felt as though the author was desperately trying to avoid a simple sentence. There was no “purple prose”, it didn’t feel overwrought – it was just needlessly complex in many places. (I prefer to be so caught up in the story that I don’t notice the writing, but here the writing kept distracting me.). I understand many readers won't respond to these word choices the way I do!

I see this author has a number of books published and is mentioned as a USA Today Bestselling Author, so I will probably seek another of her books.

Finley O'Sullivan works as an investigator for a law firm in Nashville, TN. Her firm is hired by Ellen Winthrop after Ellen's husband is murdered in their home. Finley feels a connection with Ellen as her husband was also murdered. Finley works tirelessly to find out what happened in both cases. What she uncovers leaves her wondering if she really knew her husband and if Ellen is being truthful with her firm.
This is a great mystery with enough drama thrown in to keep you guessing as to what is actually going on and who is actually responsible for the murder. Finley and Ellen are a formidable pair. Perhaps they will cross paths in future books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy "The Nature of Secrets.".

Finley O'Sullivan does it again.
I think I enjoyed the first Finley O'Sullivan book over this one... but none the less, this one still kept me wondering.
Finley finds her self investigating a wealthy, self-made woman suspected of her husbands (Jarrod) murder while simultaneously continuing to uncover new evidence about her own husbands(Derrick) murder.
There were A TON of characters in this book. It almost felt a little overwhelming to me to keep up, afraid I would miss the turning piece in the investigations that they were following. If you like Law & Order/cold case thrillers, this one will vibe well!

Overall, I would suggest this book. The only thing I would suggest is reading the first one (The Last Lie Told) close to reading this one. It might help with the foggy remembrance of who Finley is and what happened to her personally.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley. Thank you for the early read.

Loved the cover of this book and it is what drew me in. This book is exactly what you think. Full of secrets to unravel and thrills to be seen. It is very well written. Although this is book number two it can be read as a stand-alone. This book answers some questions that went unanswered in book one. I will be reading this again to enjoy it.

Read through NetGalley- this is the second book in the Finley O’Sullivan series. I would suggest reading the first book as this clears up a lot of unanswered questions from “The Last Lie Told”. Finley O’Sullivan is an ex ADA who is now working as an investigator for a law firm who is trying to move past the murder of her husband while plotting her revenge. I’m happy to see there will be a 3rd book in this series!

Debra Webb writes amazing stories! Although I have only read a few of her books, I have learned that she never disappoints in her storytelling! Love, love, love this story.

WOW!! I really hope Debra keeps this series going. So far both books have taken me for a ride. I really liked how she writes her characters. You feel like someone you would know. It's not the extra type of characters where you just can't vibe with them. This book will give you some twists you didn't see coming.

Thank you NetGallley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read the ARC in advanced.

Debra Webb has always been that author who tickles my fancy with the way in which she expresses herself. Her writing is superb like a fine wine and she has never disappointed me over the years.
The Nature of Secrets is the second in the Finley O'Sullivan series and is highly sought after in terms of thriller advanced reader copies.
It's one of the most requested books and for very good reason as it contains all the suspense, heart pounding action, and mystery that one would find in a thriller of this magnitude.
Secrets are literally around every corner and jumping off the page to grasp your attention to follow their leads.
Oh, but those leads are winding, revolting, riveting, and pure magical.
Imagine if you will - One woman (Finley O'Sullivan), loses a husband (Derrick),while the other (Ellen Winthrop), hires the widowed woman & her godfather (Jack), to represent her for having been accused of killing her own husband, Jarrod.
Talk about being caught in the middle of a whirlwind of emotional turmoil.
However, everyone and I do mean EVERYONE is carrying baggage!
Ladies, you know when the cats away the mice will play. Men, you too know that not everything is not as it seems.
Ellen has wealth to get her needs met while Finley harbors deep and painful issues relating to rape and is now watching three men who took down and killed her spouse.
That gut wrenching determination to bring her husband's killer to justice while serving her client puts her at a crossroad.
The characters in this book are quite lively and boisterous. They're full of energy and are always finding themselves in some type of difficulty.
What I can tell you is even the Murder House changes its tune and that may not actually be all that bad.
Love the way this one played out in full force and fashion that only Debra Webb could conquer!
Thank you to Debra Webb, Thomas and Mercer, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

The Nature of Secrets (Finely O’Sullivan #2) by Debra Webb is another page turner!! Right from the beginning your grabbed up and not let go until the very end. I believe this is becoming one of my favorite series and I think if you like murder and mystery you’ll like it too. Highly recommended!

This is the next book in the Finley O’Sullivan series. It grabs you from the first page and never lets go, so many twists and turns your head will be spinning. There is a great cast of relatable characters. Debra hits a home run with this one. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I might have been jumping for joy reading this installment of the Finley O'Sullivan series to finally figure out who her husband was!! Webb knocks it out of the park with leaving the reader wanting to know more up until the very end. Excellent characters and a story of the empowerment of women and what a group of like-minded women can do for the betterment of society. And she finally answers questions that we've been asking in the previous 2 books.

In this sequel to The Last Lie Told, we pick up where the first book left off. Our main character, Finley O'Sullivan, begins investigating a new case about a woman whose husband was murdered, while discovering more about her own husband's murder.
The stakes in this book feel higher and I was so here for it. The reckless behavior that would normally annoy me with any other character worked for Finley and made the plot more intriguing. This plot was a bit more complex than The Last Lie Told, with more characters involved in the story, as we delve equally into Finley's husband's murder and the case Finley is investigating.
I really loved how this story wrapped up, and the development of Finley's character. I would have been satisfied with this ending as the end of the series, but I am excited to see what's next in the third installment!

The title says it all, this book is chock full of secrets. Legal investigator Finley O’Sullivan is still dealing with the aftermath of her husband’s murder when she is hired to represent Ellen Winthrop who has been accused of murdering her own husband.

Ellen is a wealthy woman who has discovered that her young husband has been siphoning a lot of money out of her bank accounts. When she comes home and finds him bludgeoned to death, she hires Finley and her godfather, Jack, to represent her. Throughout the investigation, Finley discovers that Ellen is full of secrets as was her husband, Jarrod.

Finley is keeping secrets of her own as she secretly watches the three men who murdered her husband Derrick and raped her a year ago. She purposely puts herself in situations with them that turn out questionably and dangerously. She also questions whether Derrick was keeping secrets from her.

This was a very fast-paced whodunit that was impossible to put down and the ending was quite a surprise. When I read this, I didn’t realize that it was the second book in the series, so I am looking forward to the first one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I gave this book four stars.

4.25/5⭐️

Second in the Finley O’Sullivan series, this was my first to read, but I had no trouble catching up.

Finley, as a legal investigator in Nashville, must determine if a wealthy, influential businesswoman murdered her husband (as all signs point to), or if there is more to the story than the evidence indicates.

I have read several of Webb’s books, and while they tend to have their darker, grittier moments, they are also very well-written, smart and engaging. This one doesn’t disappoint. Featuring a tough, fearless heroine, Finley is also emotionally vulnerable which imbues her with an all too real humanity.

Webb is solidly a favorite of mine in the thriller realm.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

The Nature of Secrets by Debra Webb is Book #2 in the Finley O'Sullivan series. Finley O'Sullivan works for her godfather criminal attorney Jack Finnegan as a legal investigator. Finley previously worked as an assistant district attorney for Davidson County. After the murder of her husband of only a few months and her own beating and rape at the hands of her husband's murderers on that same occasion Finley went back to work in the DA's office following her physical recovery. Unfortunately she had a breakdown in the courtroom during a high profile trial which resulted in the suspension of her law license for six months. She sure wasn't going to return to that job. Thus taking the job as legal investigator for Jack. Finley is still messed up as she is determined she knows who ordered her husband's murder and she is out to prove it and get justice. Her new job suits her I feel. She is tough, intelligent and determined. I enjoyed following along during this investigation. There's plenty of action in this storyline. The secondary characters are quite interesting. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

This is book #2 in the Finley O’Sullivan series (no worries, I won’t give anything away. I leave my reviews spoiler-free)😊

In this book, Finley, and her partner, Jack Finnegan, team up to represent a new client, Ellen Winthrop, whose husband was murdered. While reading, I couldn’t figure out if I liked/trusted Ellen or not. In the beginning she seemed stubborn, sketchy, and not at all helpful. But, by the end, with the help of getting to read her POV, you can really understand her quirks & why she does the things that she does.

I have to say I did NOT see the ending coming in terms of the case, but I did enjoy it! I also absolutely love where Finley is in her life right now & can’t wait to see where the third book takes her!! I love both of these books because you get to investigate alongside Finley, with the help of other character’s POVs. It’s like “watching” a criminal minds/NCIS episode!

Thank you to @netgalley, @amazonpublishing & @debrawebb for the advanced copy!! Pub date for this one is 3/14/23!

Thanks @netgalley for read number 3 of 2023 and read number 11 of Winter Break. I have some mixed feelings on this book. I loved the first one in the series and was excited to read the follow-up. There were a lot of characters in this book and different plot lines. You really had to read the book quickly to keep everything straight. A few of the resolutions seemed almost anti-climactic even though there was a lot of action in the book. This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read in my books. Still hoping that there might be a third book in the series though. I do love the main characters. #avivaandfriendsrecos #bookstagram

Thank you netgalley and publishers for giving me a copy of the arc in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

This is book 2 in the series about Finley, an ex Ada that is working as a law firm investigator, after her husband was murdered and she was attacked. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the plot of the characters and the mystery behind the crime for this case. It was nice getting some answers to questions from the first book. Such as learning about the fallout between Jack and The Judge. Also wrapping up Derek and Finleys case was satisfying but makes me wonder if it was too quickly wrapped. I'm glad everyone was able to give Fin a push at the end to help her realize she has much more career potential than what she's doing now.

I look forward to the next book in this series.

This is an entertaining book with excellent characters. The plot is also very good, but it's hampered by the storytelling being a little messy.