This is the fifth book in the Morgan Dane/Lance Kruger mystery series. Secrets Never Die finds Morgan and Lance settling into together since becoming engaged. They are living with Morgan's grandfather, her children and her nanny as Lance’s house burned to the ground in a previous story.
When the phone wakes them in the middle of the night, it is Tina Knox, who has come home from work to find her new husband, a recently retired deputy sheriff, shot and killed in her home. Her son, Evan is missing. Lance is Evan’s hockey coach and has a good relationship with the troubled teen and immediately wants to help. Morgan, a defense attorney, accompanies Lance to the murder scene. Arriving before the police, it gives them a chance to look around and become worried about Evan. With the evidence that is found, the sheriff jumps to the conclusion that Evan has killed his step-father. Lance and Morgan see the evidence differently and try to find him as well as prove his innocence.

The characters of Lance, Morgan and Lincoln Sharp once again prove themselves smart and quick. They use interviews, perseverance and a reporter, Olivia Cruz, to ferret out information about Tina's past that may have something to do with this crime. I liked the addition of Olivia to the story. It looks like she might be a romantic interest for Lincoln in future books. There was not much romance in this one, which was fine by me, but as I normally classify this series as Romantic Suspense, this one doesn't have any sizzle. This story was well-paced and has some suspenseful and thrilling scenes scattered throughout with a twisty, suspenseful conclusion. I was not expecting the direction this story took, but it was a good one. On the homefront, I enjoyed seeing Lance develop his relationship with Morgan's girls. He is such a good dad and the way the girls react to him is wonderful. That is great to see. I am looking forward to hearing what is next for Lance, Lincoln and Morgan. I recommend this book to those who enjoy a relatively clean suspenseful story with some romance and family as well.

For lawyer Morgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger, trying to balance their personal life with their professional life is hard work, especially as Morgan’s kids and family often take center stage in their relationship. But when a retired sheriff’s deputy is killed and his stepson, Evan, is missing, it’s up to Morgan, Lance and Lance’s partner, Sharp, to figure out just what got the deputy killed and who is after Evan. The twists keep coming as they follow the trail and as more questions add up, secrets are starting to come out in the open. But as the killer draws Morgan and Lance into his game, they find the killer is determined to keep those secrets hidden no matter the cost.

Wow is all I can say after finishing SECRETS NEVER DIE and I can’t help but fall in love with these characters more and more with each book in the series. Author Melinda Leigh delivers a pulse pounding ride from start to finish and the twists will leave the reader breathless even as they flip the pages to see what happens next. I sincerely love this series and can’t help but want more after each book in the Morgan Dane series is done. The author does a masterful job creating stories that have just the right amount of tension, mystery and character development to keep me intrigued and the cases Morgan, Lance and Sharp investigate are intriguing to say the least. The story flows smoothly with a quick pace right from the first page. I loved how the characters continue to evolve with each book and I lov the dynamic Morgan has with her family, Lance and Sharp. Since the first book when we met these three characters, I loved how they just clicked together and the sparks between Lance and Morgan was so much fun to watch, especially with her three kids and her mourning the loss of her husband.

SECRETS NEVER DIE is a wild ride from start to finish with an ending that left me reeling. The killer shocked me when I finally found out in the last chapter and left my jaw on the ground. The reader gets a few hints but it’s like the author teases you into thinking its someone when in fact it is someone you really didn’t expect. That right there made me glued to the pages till the very end. I just could not put this book down. Ms. Leigh does a perfect job in keeping her readers attention with her latest installment in the series and its one series I highly recommend you read from the beginning in Say Your Sorry and I can’t wait to see where she goes next in the series for Morgan, Lance and Sharp. I look forward to reading more book in the series in the future.


This is an objective review and not an endorsement

Another great book in the Morgan Dane series! This book is set around Morgan and Lance trying to prove a teenager's innocence in the murder of his stepfather. A great read that had me guessing until the very end.

Secrets Never Die is number five in this series and the first I have read. I had no problem with jumping in and reading it and I plan on reading the other books in this series. I was hooked from the first chapter.

A nice read, whilst the villain of the story is obvious or so we think from the middle of the story, another twist shows that Leigh can spin a story designed to twist your thoughts.
Cleverly executed and brilliantly portrayed Leigh shows usthe depths Morgan and Lance will go to whilst the story itself makes you question just how far would you go to protect your kids.

I love all the books from Melinda Leigh. After being introduced to her work a couple years ago, I have read everything she has written. This book certainly did not disappoint.

Exciting all the way through. Loved the flow of the chapters that kept me anticipating the next. Intriguing charachters and well written. I would highly recommend this book to other readers.

Title: Secrets Never Die

Series: Morgan Dane #5

Author:Melinda Leigh

Genre:Adult Romance

Pages:326

When a retired sheriff’s deputy is shot to death in his home, his troubled teenage stepson, Evan, becomes the prime suspect. Even more incriminating, the boy disappeared from the scene of the crime.

Desperate to find her son, Evan’s mother begs PI Lance Kruger for help. She knows her son is innocent. Kruger and defense attorney Morgan Dane want to believe that too, but the evidence against the boy is damning. Just as the trail goes cold, another deputy vanishes. His shocking connection to Evan’s stepfather throws the investigation into chaos as Lance and Morgan fear the worst…that Evan is the killer’s new target.

With so many secrets to unravel, will Lance and Morgan find him before it’s too late



My thoughts

Rating: 5

Would I recommend it? yes

Will I read more of this series? yes

Would I read more by this author? yes

This is the first time I've read anything by this author and I have to say that I want to read more by her ,and more of this series, even though this is book 5 I had no trouble getting lost in the story or understanding what was going on, it just had me hooked from the start and I was along for the ride, the twist and turns kept me guessing as well and the secrets also kept me wanting to read , with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

Secrets Never Die by Melinda Leigh is the fifth book in the Morgan Dane series. Each book in the series features a new case, so they could be read as standalone novels.

Morgan Dane is the lead character in the series, a defense attorney and a mother of three, working with her former high school boyfriend turned P.I Lance Kruger.

When a retired sheriff’s deputy is shot to death in his home, his troubled teenage stepson, Evan, becomes the prime suspect. The fact that the boy disappeared from the scene of the crime, makes him a prime target. Now it’s upto Lance and Morgan to uncover the truth.

The story can be described as a part detective story- part action thriller. Right from the start, we are aware of the facts (like who is not the killer) which the investigators are not. Though it was still fun watching them solve the puzzle, it took away a bit of the mystery.

The story and the characters were easy to follow. Morgan and Lance's characters were well written, along with other minor characters. Having not read the previous parts, some backstory of the characters could have helped. I felt Morgan herself had very little to do in the story, especially in the investigation part.

While this story was well-written, it felt somewhat predictable. The ending of the book was very fast-paced but had more action than mystery. After all the build-up, the final reveal was a bit anticlimactic. I really enjoyed the action in this book, but the action elements overshadowed the mystery parts. Finally, it was a good story with some great action sequences and overall an enjoyable thriller.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Montlake Romance and the author Melinda Leigh for the ARC

This was another fast read that sucked you in from the start. I like how her books can read as a standalone with the different cases but they still tie into the other ones. I really enjoy Morgan and Lance's characters and the way they are written. They are likeable and clever.
This story started with Evan walking in to find someone killing his stepfather and barely making it out alive. He ends up on the run because he doesn't have any idea who would do this or what they really want. You find out as you keep reading that his mother has a sketchy past and the sheriff doesn't really investigate well. That pretty much leaves it up to Morgan and Lance to figure it all out.
Id give it 3.5 stars. It was entertaining and kept my attention.

This is such a great series and this book was just as action-packed and suspenseful as the other books. I love the relationship between Lance and Morgan and I love that Sharp just may get a special love for himself. While this book can be read as a stand alone, I highly recommend the whole Morgan Dane series.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller
Triggers: murder, attempted murder, torture

This is a story where Lance and Morgan get caught in the middle of an investigation of one of Lance's students whom he coaches.

Evan's stepfather, a retired sheriff, is found shot, execution style, in his own home. While Lance, Morgan, and Evan's mom know that Evan isn't capable of the violence that was inflicted, the police are less willing to look further than Evan. With Evan missing, his friends not telling the truth, and Tina hiding from her past, events will unravel with careful consideration in a fast-paced, well-planned mystery.

I really enjoyed seeing Lance and Morgan again. They are still as strong as ever and they fight for what they believe is right. We also got to see the family side of their lives and that was reassuring.

Evan is not sure who he can trust and when it comes to his life, he's not willing to take many risks. His mom, a nurse, isn't willing to let her son fall into the troublesome past she left behind. We learn about her past and what could potentially be her downfall.

While this story was very well-developed and thoughtful, it was also somewhat predictable. And while I enjoyed the mystery aspect, I found it a bit anticlimactic. It seemed almost like the big buildup was the story and the ending was just thrown together. Leigh delivers on her story, but it just didn't come together like the previous books.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
I think this is the scariest book in the series yet! This time Morgan and Lance are racing against time to find an injured teenager the Sheriff has accused of murder. The story flashes between Morgan and Lance’s investigation and Evan’s battle to survive as evades the police – and his stepfather’s killer. It’s an exciting read and I enjoyed trying to figure out the clues alongside Morgan and Lance.

There’s always some discordance between Morgan’s role as the mother of three small children and her job chasing down criminals but I feel like there was possibly too much domesticity in this story. I’m still not sure what the storyline about a sick child added to the book. Morgan and Lance are settled as a couple in this story and I was a little sad that there seemed to be very little romance or intimacy between them. I was also a little sad that we don’t see much of Sharp or Lance’s mum in this book.

I really enjoyed the action in this book, but I don’t feel this is the most carefully crafted story in the series. Even after the big reveal at the end, I felt there were pieces of the story that still didn’t fit and other details that came together far too easily. I feel like Evan’s mum, Tina, plays a huge role in the story but her character is never fully developed and her actions/motivations feel inconsistent at times.

4.5 Stars!

Secrets Never Die was another phenomenal installment in the Morgan Dane series with an intriguing case and a few unexpected twists along the way.

After a retired sheriff's deputy is found shot to death in his home, the police are determined to nail his killer. Their prime suspect? Evan, the victim’s teenage stepson who disappeared from the scene of the crime. Convinced her son isn’t the killer, Evan’s mother asks PI Lance Kruger to find her son. Lance doesn’t believe Evan is guilty either so he and defense attorney Morgan Dane set out to find the boy. But as Morgan and Lance dig into the case, they uncover a few surprises that could mean Evan is the killer’s next target.

The murder case in this book was interesting as we see the murder happen and know whether Evan is guilty or innocent from the start. It was definitely a change of pace to know something of such importance while the characters didn’t. I enjoyed watching everyone work the case and despite us knowing the situation with Evan, there were still plenty of surprises along the way. Sharp’s storyline in particular was the one that kept me guessing the most and I was happy to see the return of Olivia Cruz in his storyline. The ending of the book was very fast-paced with a bit more action than the previous books in the series and I really enjoyed it.

Morgan continues to be an amazing main character and I’ve enjoyed watching her grow from book to book. She’s much more confident in her abilities now and I was happy to see her on a more solid footing after the events of the previous book. I’m loving the direction her relationship with Lance is going and how far the pair has come from book one. At the end of the previous book in the series, Lance moved in with Morgan and we get quite a few family-centric scenes in this book. I loved seeing Lance bond with Morgan’s daughters and how they’ve become a family. We also get a few scenes with Morgan’s grandfather who is a fantastic character and I love how he helps Morgan work through the case when she gets stuck.

Secrets Never Die was just as fantastic as the rest of the series and I can’t wait for the sixth book, Save Your Breath, to come out. I highly recommend this series if you’re looking for a new romantic suspense series to check out.

Amazing story! I was hooked from the first page!

A Teenager comes home late after curfew hoping he won't get in too much trouble. Once he walks in, he realizes something is definitely wrong. From that point on, his life will never be the same.

This is a story of survival, loyalty, and unrelenting persistence. Morgan and Lance will do everything in their power to find the truth and protect the innocent. Their relationship is the only thing that keeps them motivated as they work together in this their most difficult case.

I am purposely not being too specific because this is a book the needs to be experienced by the reader. No spoilers here. If you like murder mysteries that are fast-paced, this book is for you.

I thank the publisher for sharing a copy of this book with me. I am voluntarily reviewing this book.

No one does mystery like Melinda Leigh. Secrets Never Die is no exception. It is a riveting mystery that sucks you in and has you biting your nails until you find out who done it. Morgan Dane and Lance Kruger are engaged. She is an attorney and Morgan is a former cop and current Private Investigator. Together they work to solve mysteries that the inept sheriff's office can not seem to solve. A teenage boy named Evan comes home late one night to find a stranger has shot his stepfather and is standing over him. Evan flees the scene, but not before being shot also. The mystery and twists and turns the book takes is brilliant writing. I loved the book and was shocked by who the killer turned out to be. This is an absolute Must Read !!!

The 5th installment in the series shows the continuing romance with Morgan and Lance. And then a non stop thrill ride from the very first page. Great twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. Thank you to Melinda and Netgalley for the ARC

Melinda Leigh's Secrets Never Die is a great addition to her series. Her books are always entertaining. I've read most of her books and have enjoyed them all.
I definitely recommend Secrets Never Die or any of her other books...

This fifth book in Melinda Leigh’s series about defence attorney Morgan Dane, her partner – PI Lance Kruger – and his boss and their mutual friend Lincoln Sharp, focuses on a tautly written mystery plot involving a murder and a missing teen while also taking an insightful look at the challenges of parenting young children and finding a practicable work-life balance.

When Secrets Never Die opens, we meet sixteen-year-old Evan Meade as he’s returning home – later than he should be – from an evening out with a friend. He’s surprised to see there are no lights on inside the house; his mother, a nurse, is still at work and his stepfather, Paul, a retired sheriff’s deputy, always leaves a light on for her – but the place is in total darkness. Cautiously – and still feeling guilty for being out late and having ignored Paul’s concerned texts earlier – Evan is making his way through the house when he hears a loud pop he thinks must be a gunshot. He stands in the doorway of the den, frozen in terror at the sight of Paul lying on the floor, covered in blood, as a large man carrying a gun stands over him and shoots him again, this time between the eyes, execution style. As Evan watches, horrified, he sees the man is wearing a gold badge clipped to his belt and he’s wearing gloves – is he a cop? After that final shot, the killer’s eyes fix on Evan – who turns and starts running for his life.

Morgan and Lance have had a particularly difficult and exhausting few days. Morgan’s three daughters – all aged six and under – have been ill which has meant disturbed nights for both of them (something I’m sure all parents will be able to identify with!) and they’re both running on empty when Lance gets a call in the early hours from Tina, Evan’s mother, who tells him she returned from work to find her husband shot dead and her son missing. Lance, an ex-cop turned PI, also coaches a hockey team of at-risk youths, which is how he knows both mother and son. He and Morgan think it’s a bit strange that Tina has called them before dialling 911, but they nonetheless head over to the house, arriving at the scene before the County Sheriff and his team, which gives them a chance to look over the house for evidence before they’re told to butt out.

When Sheriff Colgate does arrive, it’s clear he’s not pleased to see Morgan and Lance already there, but accepts their explanations that they’re friends of the family and allows them to remain while he and his team start documenting the crime scene. The discovery of blood on the handle of the back door and on the cell phone they find on the other side of the back fence indicates that Evan must be injured, although it’s impossible to tell how badly.

But it rapidly becomes clear to Morgan and Lance that there are things the sheriff isn’t telling them, and that he is pursuing his own agenda. They know Evan is innocent of the murder of his stepfather but with him still missing, his past history of being in trouble with the law and evidence pointing to his relationship with Paul having been an acrimonious one, the difficulty is going to lie in proving it.

Long buried secrets, police corruption, a crimelord recently released from prison… author Melinda Leigh skilfully interweaves her various plotlines and clues into a tightly-written, fast-paced mystery that credibly combines the suspense elements with a look at the day-to-day difficulties of parenting young children alongside having a demanding and sometimes dangerous job. Morgan and Lance are engaged now – although Morgan has become a little skittish and has so far refused to set a date – but there’s no big melodrama involved, and they act like sensible, mature adults and talk things through so that by the end of the book, things are back on track. There’s only a whiff of romance in this one, though, which is provided by Lance’s boss, Sharp, whose reluctant crush on reporter Olivia Cruz (who helped out with the investigation in the previous book, What I’ve Done) hasn’t abated. I always like a romance between older protagonists (Sharp is fifty-three, Olivia is in her forties) and Olivia is a great addition to the cast; she’s funny, she’s clever, she’s vivacious, and she’s got Sharp’s number – plus, I can never resist characters who lob quotes from The Princess Bride at each other ;). Olivia proves herself to be one tough cookie when she and Sharp find themselves in a perilous situation when they follow up on a new lead – and I hope to see more of her in the next book.

This novel works perfectly well as a standalone, although one of the real strengths of the series is the closely knit ‘family’ of characters the author has built up around Morgan, all of whom have important parts to play in her life and the stories. It’s not necessary to have read the previous books in order to enjoy this (I’m still working my way through them), but doing so will definitely provide a little more insight into the various characters and their relationships. Secrets Never Die is an intriguing mystery that grabs the attention from the opening chapter and keeps you turning the pages through the twists, turns and life-or-death situations until the very end.

This whole series is excellent! I can't recommend it enough. Great characters and great plot lines. While it can be read as a stand alone, you are doing yourself a disservice not to read the whole series!

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Melinda Leigh never disappoints, having read the previous books in the series this one is another winner.
There is lots of action, suspense, and surprises all making great ingredients for an amazing thriller.
Another plus point is that although this a series, yet each book could be read as a standalone story with no particular order or hanging threads. But if you enjoy high quality thrillers, then I strongly recommend the entire series.