The Darkness We Hide by Debra Webb is another case of being glad that I decided to stick with The Undertaker's Daughter series. I particularly enjoyed just how twisted this installment was, even I had to work to suspend my disbelief of some scenes a little more than I generally prefer to in a non fantasy or sci-fi story. I also enjoyed that we finally got some downright shocking family secrets out in play. My only complaint is that sometimes the writing can alternate between quite beautiful to somewhat uneven and choppy throughout the course of the novel. Overall, I'm glad I decided to pick this up. If you're interested in a suspenseful series, you may want to give this a series a try.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Rowan DuPont is desperately trying to live a normal life with her boyfriend, police chief Billy Brannigan, and manage her father’s mortuary business. As funeral director and undertaker, Rowan knows how evil people can be. And no one is more evil to Rowan than Julian Addington, her mother’s former associate who was responsible for the death of Rowan’s father, as well as several other people. Presumed disappeared, Rowan knows better than to get comfortable in her life, always on the lookout for Julian to return. When people close to her start dying, and others are put in danger, Rowan knows that Julian has returned. To finish him once and for all, Rowan must confront him and learn the secret he has been trying to tell her for years, even if it means an end to all she holds dear.
“The Darkness We Hide” is the third (and I presume final?) novel in The Undertaker’s Daughter series by Debra Webb. I did not read the first novel, but was granted the second one through NetGalley, and this one is much of the same.
The writing is choppy and stilted and I had a difficult time connecting with the plot as a result. I am a huge fan of serial killer fiction, and this storyline would normally be right up my alley, but there was just not enough power in the writing to interest me. The idea of the protagonist being an undertaker is completely unique, and Webb had the beginnings of a great idea—just no follow through.
I predicted the twist in this novel almost right away, but there was still a few unanswered questions that I was curious enough about to continue reading. The idea of a “serial killer club” is fascinating, and I wish that Webb had taken that idea and run with it, instead of focusing on the Rowan-Billy romance.
As mentioned, I did not read the first novel so perhaps there are big plot points that I missed (although Webb does a decent job of updating the reader on events from past novels) and I apologize for anything in my review that would be different had I read the first novel.
I enjoy Ms. Webb’s ideas --her creativity is there and she has some pretty dark storylines that would make me a devoted reader—I just wish her writing flowed easier and was less staccato and broken.

Julian Addington has more or less ruined Rowan Dupont's life as he has systematically murdered her immediate family. She's moved back to Winchester, Tennessee and has finally given into a living relationship with Billy Brannigan, who is the chief of police, but she knows Addington is still out there and he's coming for her. Why? Well, Rowan has unearthed a lot of secrets in this series-dangerous ones about evil people. It would help, I think to have read at least of the earlier books (I only read the second one) but Webb does provide backstory in the early pages that will catch you up. There are lots of twists and surprises. Not all of them make sense (to say that they do might imply that serial murder makes sense) but you will find the storylines tied up at the end (even if you, like me, might sigh a bit about them). Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Good storytelling.

4.5 Stars

This is the third book in the Undertaker’s Daughter series by Debra Webb. I am not certain, but this could be the last book in this series. It certainly did feel like a finale book to me.

Basic premise: Rowen Dupont runs her family’s funeral home business. But there is a killer lurking in the shadows waiting to take revenge on Rowen.

Family is really important in this book. A lot of family secrets are unearthed in this one, so don’t skim over anything and miss some startling revelations! We learn who the killer is and how he is connected to Rowen, what the true legacy of her family was and how much she didn’t know about her mother’s death.

I don’t really want to go into too much detail here considering the more I say, the more likely I will spoil it for you. Just say this…. great pulse-pounding book that you won’t want to put down until it is over. It is not gory, per say, but the subject matter has a bit of gore-feeling. Maybe disturbing is a better word for it. When you get to a certain point you just have one thing on your mind… what the heck is going on here?

Great book! Loving this series. If this is the last, it is leaving off in a good place.

If you love a good mystery/thriller definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Dr. Rowan Dupont is back in her hometown of Winchester, Tennessee. But for the last ten months she hasn’t been staying in a hotel or cottage, but rather her family’s large Victorian funeral home.

Dupont knows it’s time for the mysterious deaths of people around her to be solved and come to an end. But the deeper she searches the more family secrets she uncovers.

Living with Billy Brannigan, who is now Police Chief, can bring her some comfort. But will their friendship and love be enough to keep her safe?

My Thoughts
Only after I started reading did I realize this was the third book in a series. Sometimes that can work, and at other times it’s awfully hard to jump into the middle, or in this case end, of a series.

It felt like the first quarter of the book was spent trying to catch the reader up on needed information. So, for me, it felt like an overload of information without the emotion that usually comes with a story.

For that reason, I highly recommend that these books be read in order. Otherwise, it makes it awfully hard to enjoy The Darkness We Hide.

It does get better and was able to gradually draw me in, but it takes too long for that to happen.

What Concerned Me
This is a book that really needs to be read as part of the series. It just didn’t work as a standalone.

What I Liked Most
The writing felt good and the sentences flowed in an easy-to-read style.

OMG was this book awesome! We learn a lot about Rowan and the rest of her family that we may have surmised, but there was a lot that I never figured out until they figured it out in the story. I'm so happy that Rowan finally gets the answers that she needed to move on with her life. Billy is a supportive man and is always ready to be there when she needs him. Couldn't stop reading, I just wanted to find out where Julian was and why he kept going after Rowan. Definitely recommend!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Love this series and I'm so glad that I was invited to read and review it, it was non-stop from the beginning to the end ,and once I start reading it I was hooked , and one of the reasons was just how darker it seemed and how when you think you knew all of the dark secrets that there could ever be you find out that there is still more to the story then you think is ever possible

WOW !!! One of the best serial killer series ever written !!! This is a deliciously dark and disturbing thriller filled with shockingly gruesome secrets and characters so warped and evil that its beyond belief !!!! Mind blowing !!!
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Mira for the opportunity to read and review this book ! Opinions are solely my own ! #Netgalley #Harlequin
#Mira #TheDarknessWeHide

This book is a part of a series and while it was a bit difficult to catch up to the other books and to the theme of the story, the author did do a good job in the first portion of the book summarizing where everything had left off.

I found an immediate connection between the characters and the authors development of them was interesting and well done.

Most of the story reveal revolved around a serial killer and their hunt for this person who is doing it to punish Rowan, our heroine.

The author did not hesitate to paint the dark, grim pictures required of this type of story. There’s plenty of gritty detail that is sometimes a bit difficult to read but yet necessary for the development of the story.

Webb writes with emotion and passion for her story and characters which is evident in the connection between the characters as well as the suspense she brings and climactic ending. I had a difficult time putting this book down which is always a good thing when it comes to a suspense story.

Webb is Definitely an author I will be reading again. She blends in the perfect amount of chills and thrills and tempers it with a bit of romance on the side to make it an awesome experience!

The Darkness We Hide by Debra Webb
The Undertaker’s Daughter #3

In the finale of this trilogy we finally have the answers that Dr. Rowan Dupont has been looking for. - and that I have been waiting for. By the end of this book many secrets had been revealed and I felt the conclusion had definitely been reached with this series even though it seems there is another series by this author in the same setting. It was a bit slow in the beginning, there was a bit of repetition in Rowan’s thinking at times and it took awhile to get into the story but about midway the pace began to pick up speed and so did my interest.

What I liked:
* The twists and turns
* That I didn’t always know what would happen next
* The twisted thinking of more than one character
* Not necessarily knowing who was good and who was evil
* The look into the life of an undertaker
* Billy – seemed to be a truly good man and he definitely loved Rowan
* Rowan – mostly – though sometimes she did some silly things that didn’t seem very wise related to her safety
* Charlotte – a good friend to Rowan
* The baddies did get there comeuppance

What I did not like:
* The twisted evil characters that were in this book/series – they were warped beyond belief
* Realizing once again that evil is real and that real people are evil – sometimes fiction is just the tip of the iceberg.
* Wondering if there might have been more information in the first book that would have explained some of my lingering questions...

Did I enjoy this book? I think so
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins – Harlequin - Mira for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

Favorite Character: Charlotte

Charlotte has it all together, and she’s not afraid of anything. She keeps the funeral home running while Rowan deals with a serial killer, discovering her family history, and love. She doesn’t let Rowan out of her sight, filling the role of protector even though it could cost her everything to do so.

What I Loved

I love the suspense that never lets up. Through twists and turns and murder after murder, I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It’s a book that is so exciting I didn’t want to put it down. From the first chapter, I knew I was reading a story about a serial killer who was responsible for the death of the main character’s mother, and his daughter was responsible for the death of the main character’s sister. How could a situation like that be anything other than thrilling?

I loved how the past unfolded in small bits and pieces. There wasn’t a big mind-blowing reveal. Instead, I enjoyed the smaller reveal approach as Rowan learned more and more about her mother and her family. Each reveal was jaw-dropping and kept the pages turning faster and faster.

The story explored many aspects of serial killer mentality - from a killer collective to communities of killers who hold killer parties. These parties are horrifying and beyond belief.

I found the idea of a killer collective – not a kill club – but a group of vigilantes who are serial killers themselves and killed other serial killers intriguing—sort of like killers policing their own. I haven’t seen this type of plot device before, and it just added another layer of suspense to an already thrilling story.

I loved the ending. It was surprisingly satisfying, but of course, I can’t say more for fear of spoiling it for you.

To Read or Not to Read

This story has all the twists and turns, surprising reveals, and suspense any lover of the genre could want. It ticks off all the boxes and then adds a few boxes of its own and ticks those off too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dr Rowan Dupont was always known as the undertaker's daughter after her twin sister and only sibling was murdered decades earlier. Now, after the murder of her dad she is the actual undertaker, a position she is determined to do as conscientiously as her father before her. Death has trailed Rowan her whole life, but finally she knows she is getting closer to locating the serial killer who has decimated her family and reduced her future to one of uncertainty and fear.

With her boyfriend and lifelong friend, local police chief, Billy Brannigan, she is determined that one way or another this ends now. She and Billy have had four months of waiting nervously and Rowan knows they both deserve a future lived on their terms and not someone else's. Unfortunately no one told the killer that.

Once again Debra Webb has written a brilliant story. Her main characters are full of warmth and emotion which makes you want only the best for them. It also means more than a few heartstopping moments during this book as the tension increases and the inevitable final confrontation edges ever nearer.

I loved this book but almost didn't want to know what happened, just in case! The excellent writing and great characters will have have had you hooked right from the start however, and by the beginning of this fourth instalment they are old friends you want nothing but the best for so you have to jump right in.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who has read the rest of this series, they won't be disappointed. I think it is a series which needs to be read in order and so this isn't the place to start but if you start at the beginning you absolutely won't regret it. There is the first chapter of a new series included at the end, I can't wait to see what it has to offer.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on Mar 31, 2020

The Darkness We Hide is the 3rd and final book in the Undertaker's Daughter Series. Having read the first two books in this series, I was thrilled to finally find out more of the storyline surrounding Rowan's mother and how she is connected in the storyline. This book keeps you on your toes as you follow along with Rowan as she searches for the answers. This book as previous ones is action packed, so well written that it leaves you wanting more. I would highly recommend this book to others.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book from NetGalley, and the Publisher and this is my fair and honest review.

The Darkness We Hide was okay for me. Apparently this is book three in a series so I spent much of it trying to play catch up. A lot of the back story clearly is in the last two books and I did not know a lot of the overall story. The suspense is intense but I had trouble relating to Rowan Dupont because I missed so much of her history in previous stories. This book should definitely be READ IN ORDER in the series to be enjoyed as it should be. I plan to read the previous books and then re-read this to see if I can enjoy it more as I have Debra Webb's novels in the past My voluntary unbiased review is based upon a review copy.

Loved this book so much!! Anything Debra Webb writes instantly becomes my favorite. She gives me a "Book Hangover" every time!

In the third and final installment in this trilogy, Webb ties everything up nicely (if a bit quickly, to my mind) and Rowan finally gets her answers - some of which come at quite an emotional price. The writing and pacing in this final book were once again tight and kept me on the edge of my seat. I read this one in literally one sitting of about 3.5 hours - I couldn't stop until I, like Rowan, had my answers...

My one issue with the book was the final confrontation with Rowan's nemesis, Julian Addington. After all of the build-up in the previous books and the previous pages of this one, the final showdown felt a bit hurried. I commented on this "pencils down!" issue in the prequel and first book, where I also felt like things built deliciously slowly and then - BAM! - suddenly ended with a bang - and a whimper. I'm starting to wonder if it's part of Webb's writing style though, since it's happened in the vast majority of the books in the series. Perhaps for her, the build-up IS the story, and the resolution is more like the icing on the cake. That's fine if so - the build is usually where the magic happens for me too, so I get that, even if my personal taste would be to carry that sense of taut suspense through to the final pages...

Regardless, this was another fabulous read and the series as a whole was a phenomenal one. If you like your mysteries/psychological thrillers DARK and twisty and full of secrets, lies, and misdirection, this is definitely one you should add to your To Be Read list!

This was a twisted thrilling ending to Rowan’s story. It picks up a few months after the previous book ended.
It was a suspenseful, edge of your seat story. I enjoyed the book! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

A suspenseful story that really reads best if you read the previous ones first. they give a lot of background that helps with the overall story arc...while you can enjoy it as a standalone, i highly recommend reading them in order :)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Darkness We Hide by Debra Webb that I read and reviewed.
This was the conclusion of The Undertaker’s Daughter series and all I can say is wow. I loved how Webb ended this series and I loved the surprises she threw in for the readers. I did not see most of them coming and I loved it. This was one of those series where you get attached to the main characters and it was hard saying goodbye to them but it was such a satisfying end to this the series as a reader you can walk away totally fulfilled.
This book gets nothing but five stars from me.

Having read the other books in this series I had to go back and reread the books to remember who Rowan was but once I started back down the web of the undertakers daughter I couldn't put down the books.

This book will not disappoint readers as they are pulled though the web of a serial killer that has tormented Rowan for years.

The authors ability to create a fear that readers will connect with as well as the moments of clarity show the amazing ability of Debra Webb and her gift for the written word.

The characters come to life as readers are side by side working to find the truth and the killer.

This is a can't be missed book series.



Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of Debra Webb The Darkness We Hide.