Mathieu builds a picture in this novel. Layering of plot, characters, politics, race history - with a few twists! I enjoyed the interplay of the main characters but would possibly know more if I had read the first title. That aside, the plot stands well on its own. Intriguing buildings, relationships, pasts. At times I had to slow down to ensure I had all the pieces of the puzzle together. An enjoyable read with depth. I look forward to more from Mathieu.

Such a great read! The action starts at the beginning of the first chapter and never lets up until the last page. Full of twists and plot turns the reader stays very engaged.

I am quite in love with both Grace Donovan and Elizabeth Campbell, they really are two of the most fabulous literary heroines I've come across in a while. I can't quite decide which of them I prefer; both kick ass (without being over the top, unrealistic CEO/Chief of Police at 30 clichés) but the pair of them are also prone to a few screw ups. Grace's running battle with her unstable office chair, "Black Devil" is my personal favourite in this regard. 

Before I go into the specifics of Secrets of the Last Castle, I should mention that this is a sequel to the most excellent Sins of Our Fathers. If you haven't already read this, I'd highly recommend you do so as soon as possible. While you could read Secrets of the Last Castle as a standalone you'll get far more from it particularly, the relationship between Grace and Elizabeth, having read Sins of our Fathers first. Oh yeah, plus it's an utterly awesome read!

Part of the novel is concerned with legal/police procedural, part twisty mystery (I did not predict the ending, which I absolutely loved) but fascinated me the most was the discussion of racial politics in the southern states of America both in the past and in the present day. Not only is this a timely theme given the current political climate in the US and elsewhere, I also learned a huge amount about the history of the American Civil Rights movement. 

I don't want to give away too much, so I'll shut up now. Buy and read this book; you will not regret it. 

PS A. Rose Mathieu, please write your next book very quickly. :)

This is the second book starring attorney Elizabeth Campbell and detective Grace Donovan, after Sins of our fathers, which I considered as a fantastic book and after finishing it, one of my feelings was that I would like it to become a series. And it seems that it will be like that. And this second book is really great! 

I do not want to go deep into the mystery that surrounds the plot, but the story is developed little by little, discovering bits and pieces that are giving meaning to the events. It has some unexpected turn that is well resolved and does not appear out of nowhere. 

And among all this, Elizabeth and Grace are trying to resolve their personal relationship by avoiding the difficulties arising from their professional interests, which leads to some truly romantic situations. 

The secondary characters help to complete a story that I found really interesting, in its approach, its development and its resolution. 

I highly recommend this book, it is a very entertaining and interesting reading.

<i>An ARC was sent to me from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley for an honest review </i>

I realized that the author publish a book before this one. I dont think it effects the story that much, at least to me it did not. So I'm finding the author well organized and very very eloquent in their writing. I thought the main detective did not have many things going on for her in this book, I dont know if she took the majority of the story before but in this one elizabeth was the main star for sure and I very very much enjoyed her adventures. Where I often wondered where was the detective!". the twist was something I did not expect so that was amazing, I dont like to predict easily the story. one thing tho the mix between romance and thriller was not even YET I recommend this book for romance lovers as well. Highly recommended to someone who's looking for good story in general I finished the book under 6h I think

I loved this book. It was an amazing sequel to the previous book Sins of our Fathers. I loved seeing the relationship between Grace and Elizabeth progress. unfortunately most sequel books don't stack up to the first but I'm happy to report this is as good or almost better than Sins of our Fathers. 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 Stars. This is Mathieu’s second book and a sequel to Sins of Our Fathers. This was a good read but I do think I liked the first book slightly more. This is a whole new mystery, but I think it is worth reading Sins first to get a feel for the characters and their connection.

After finally kissing Detective Grace Donovan, Attorney Elizabeth Campbell can’t stop thinking about her. She just wants them to spend more time together to see if a relationship is possible. When Elizabeth is asked to defend a young man of murder, she finds herself on the opposite side of Grace since she is the lead detective on the case. Can these two actually have a chance together or will work always stand in the way?

As with the first book, a normal looking murder case ends up being anything but, and Grace finds herself dealing with a mystery of an old plantation. I found the mystery to be pretty enjoyable. I loved how the old haunted plantation added a teeny tiny paranormal flare. If you are not a paranormal fan don’t worry it’s very slight and should not bother you. This is a murder case filled with plenty of clues and twists and turns. I did feel like the mystery was getting a little convoluted towards the end. However, there were twists I didn’t see coming which I always appreciate.

When it came to the romance it was better than in the first book. Book 1 it is very slight and just beginning. I appreciated in this book that I felt more of a connection and chemistry between the characters. The romance is a little angsty, a lot of push/pull that I was not crazy about. Even with the push/pull the whole of the relationship goes pretty fast, I just kind of ignored it and just enjoyed it. The sex scenes in this book are fade to black.

I think what I really enjoy about these books is the character of Elizabeth. She is quirky and funny at times which gives these murder mysteries a lightness that I enjoy. Her character’s dialogue and personality are just well written and very likeable.

If you enjoyed Sins of Our Fathers, chances are high you will enjoy this one too. If you are new to the series, check out Sins before you read this. I’m not sure if there will be a book 3 or not. Either way I will absolutely be reading whatever Mathieu writes next.