The book starts with the death of a student in a university campus and letter from her admirer. This is a police procedural and could be read as a stand alone. The pace slowed in the final one third, and that dampened the moment of revelation. If it could be cut short then it would be a fab read.

This is the 6th book in the DI Natalie Ward series. It can be read as a stand alone, as I have done here. Everything you need from the back story is provided. So you can hit the ground running. A gripping story keeps you guessing until the very end.

Natalie's character feels real. She is just a vehicle for pumping out stories. She is a living breath carer detective doing a job she is good at. She has made some sacrifices along the way but not to the point of making her a stereo type.

She is NOT a lone ranger with hidden senses, that sees things other cannot see. She is part of a complex team and works the evidence. She is NOT an legend in her own mind Its NOT all about Natalie. Its very much like a real Murder Team.

This is a great find. I am going to be picking up the previous five books in the series. Also waiting expectantly for further titles in the series. Really enjoyed

If you want to read a book full of suspense and mystery by all means read this book. I was intrigued by what happened next and how the victim's mother would get justice. The twists and turns had me turning the pages so fast. Thank you NetGalley.

I've not read any books by this author before, whilst this book is part of the Detective Natalie Ward series, it doesn't affect the storyline if you read as a stand-alone book.

It commences with a letter to Gemma from an admirer, then moves on to prior to the attack on Gemma. Moving between the investigation and Natalies personal life, trying to keep going after the families recent loss. There's plenty of red herrings along the way..

This was a good book, but for me personally I found the pace a bit slow. I would've liked a bit more from the "admirer" in between the investigation work.

Hard to believe that The Secret Admirer is already Book 6 in the fabulous Natalie Ward series and as always, Carol Wyer does not disappoint.
Dark, gritty and gripping from the get-go, it doesn't let up till the very last page is turned.

After a three month break, recovering from her own deeply shocking and personal loss, Natalie decides to return to work and immediately becomes lead investigator into a shocking and gruesome murder, that of a young nineteen year old girl.

Another nail biting, action packed read and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Can't wait for the next.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC for my honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and I really enjoyed it, it may be book six in the series but it is as fresh and gripping ad if it were the first, the story is tense and how the lives of the detectives are followed is also very addictive! I can't wait for book 7 for more police action and follow up to the life and loves of Natalie ward

This book was pretty good, interesting but not memorable. The main characters were relatable. It was primarily a police procedural and watching them unravel multiple mysterys. I enjoyed it but as i said i will not remember it beyond today

Love this series and this book was no exception, it was brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the red herrings kept me guessing and engaged right through the book. Had my interest from the first page and had me hanging on to every word. A really great book that deserves the five stars I’m giving it.

After the pièce de resistance that is The Blossom Twins any author would find it difficult to live up to that standard but I have to say that with this book Carol Wyer has a pretty good stab at it. The horrific attack in the first chapter shows that this isn't a story for the faint hearted and the book continues in the same vein. Additionally, along with the intrigue there are moments that moved me to tears particularly the interactions between Natalie and Sasha. All I have left to say is roll on the next book in this truly compelling series.

I love Carol Wyer 's books especially the Natalie Ward series. I was blown away by The Blossom Twins and couldn't wait to see what had happened to Natalie after losing her daughter. The Secret Admirer is another good read but in my opinion not as good as the previous books in this series. Natalies personal life has become increasingly difficult and I wonder if it's a bit too much. Can't wait to see what is in store for her in book seven. I hope it's something nice!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

I have so many books to review due before this published date but I had to treat myself this weekend. Carol Wyer is one of my favourite authors and the Natalie Ward series has been amazing. I wasn't sure where this could go following the stunning ending of the last book but this really worked. The emotions of Natalie are so raw and her ability to get back to work is the start of her healing. A really great twisty, turny whodunnit. So many characters with secrets and so many lies. I didn't get near guessing the ending. Keep writing Carol!

Book 6 in the Natalie Ward series.
I have loved all of the books in the series so far and was wondering how it could follow the last book, The Blossom Twins that actually left me speechless. I should not have been worried.
The secret admirer follows on seamlessly from The Blossom Twins and is sympathetic and realistic to Natalies situation.
There were lots of twists and turns which kept me gripped and wondering what happened next.
I loved it and highly recommend.
The secret Admirer can be read as a stand alone book but why would you want to miss out on the first 5?
5 stars

Absolutely great. Likable Characters have individual voices, moves quickly with undeniable clarity of purpose and logical yet unpredictable ending. I'm so glad Nat & Mike continue and am looking forward to the next thriller by Eyed
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

It's no secret that I love Carol Wyer. I believe I've given 5 stars to every book I've read by her. With that said, this is my least favorite by her. Not because it wasn't good. The mystery part was spot on and she did a great job with it. I just felt that Natalie's personal life is getting too far out there. Not necessarily Natalie herself either, her soon to be ex-husband. The last five books have pretty much made you dislike David but this one pushed the envelope. I don't think so much needed to happen to him considering everything that happened in book 5. That was the most disappointing thing about this book, otherwise it was another great entry in this series.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am loving Carol Wyers Natalie Ward series. The Admirer is 6th in the series, it could be read as a stand alone but I would recommend reading them all in order. Another excellent read which kept me hooked from the beginning, I was especially intrigued to where this series would go after the ending of the Blossom Twins. Fantastic and would highly recommend if you enjoy high octane fast moving crime thrillers.

The Secret Admirer by Carol Wyer is the sixth installment of a series focused on Detective Natalie Ward. I have been a huge fan of this series from its very inception, and the talented Ms Wyer has delivered once again. This is a series that, once started, will have you irreversibly hooked.

Detective Natalie Ward has returned to work following a devastating personal loss. A female student has died following an acid attack, and each of her housemates, among others, falls under suspicion. Who would possibly want to harm the beautiful and gregarious Gemma? As the team race to solve the puzzling crime, Detective Ward's personal and professional lives will once again collide in the most unexpected of ways when a surprising suspect emerges, and Natalie's mettle will be tested even further.

This is a series that continues to surprise me at each and every turn. If you are looking for an addictive series that you can emotionally invest yourself in, this is it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Quite a good book. The first I have read by this author and in the series. That did not really matter because relevant information was mentioned in the book so I felt that I got to know the characters, their history and their relationships fairly quickly without this information being too contrived.
The story is about the death of a popular student and follows the police investigation looking into the students in her house share and living locally . The descriptions of student life were realistic and I understood the irritations of individuals of shared living and student life. I also thought that the previous bereavement in the life of Nathalie added an extra dimension which made her seem more human. What I did miss , was that some characters (for example Gemma's tutor) were investigated but their stories didn't seem to be finished .... that may be just me !
The first crime seemed quite believable and the setup that led to it was also fairly logical . As the book went on, I found that the story became somewhat convoluted and I needed to concentrate on who was who and what their background was. The descriptions of the investigations were a little drawn out and the personal events in the detectives lives seemed to add to the confusion about who did what and were not really resolved within the book. Having said that, I will look out for more by this author.
Thankyou to net galley, the author and publisher for an interesting read

The Blossom Twins was one hell of a read. Carol Wyer pushed herself, her character and her readers to the limit, giving us a story which packed one hell of an emotional sucker punch. Following that was always going to be one hell of a challenge for a series that, in a very short space of time, has become a firm reader favourite. Thankfully Carol Wyer is one heck of a writer and delivered a story which picks up where its predecessor left off and is every bit as tense, suspenseful and emotional.

This is the story of Gemma, a language student at the local University, who. finds herself victim of a serious assault that ends in her dying from her injuries. There are no clear suspects or motive for the attack and, on the surface at least, Gemma seems like the perfect student. But does perfect really exist? And why are her friends and housemates being so evasive in talking about Gemma, and keeping secrets from the police? That's what falls to DI Natalie Ward and her team to find out in an investigation that has everyone on edge.

There are many threads to this story, and as a reader I was kept guessing as to what had driven the attack on Gemma. There are several viable suspects, Gemma's housemates chief amongst them, but the real motivation proves elusive to the team for quite some time. Threaded in amongst the main investigation are a series of letters written to Gemma from the eponymous 'Secret Admirer', letters which become increasingly more threatening as time passes. But who is the author? Well ... the truth might prove rather surprising.

On top of the investigation, the team are all going through some personal challenges. From relationship breakdowns to the challenge of dealing with a brand new baby, they are all struggling in. their own way, and it fuels a very different kind of story. This is a tale with the whole idea of family right at the heart of it and it works perfectly to develop that sense of impending tragedy.

Now it's difficult to say much about the lead up to this investigation without giving too much away about the previous book. It is safe to say that we join Natalie in a period of change and emotional turmoil, following events which have seen her take an extended sabbatical from work. Gemma's murder is her first case back, a real test of her metal, and one that Carol Wyer has portrayed perfectly. That whole feeling of distraction, of a real sense of understanding and compassion towards Gemma's mum, Sasha, which exceeds anything we have seen in previous cases, really rings true and adds to the emotional turmoil you can feel oozing from each page.

The scenes between Natalie and her husband, David, are packed with tension and anger. There's has always been an underlying sense of turmoil brewing in their relationship, but David especially has been struggling with what has happened. His reactions, his actions, have a tragic sense of authenticity, and while his deterioration. takes place largely off the page, the devastating impact it has on Natalie and those around him is profound.

Tense, emotional and impactful. Another brilliant read.

Oh my days... All the god damn stars for this book. 5 big fat Thrilling stars *****
What a superb series of books this is, I really have to admit now that I really was concerned over the ending of the previous book and what It could mean for our main character. I know I shouldn't have been worried because as usual CW has come back with an even better book and another fantastic story line. I sometimes think we need to worry about what goes on in the heads of these writers, where do idea's come from? Absoflippinglutley Brilliant to read.

I'm not going to mention the big happenings in the previous book as I would hate to spoil it for anyone who is yet to read it, but if you are going to treat yourself to these books, then you need to really treat yourself and read them in order.
It makes for a much better reading experience.
What a start we had to this book, A young girl is attacked with Acid being thrown in her face, how dreadful that must have been for her, the agony it would cause. It killed her almost immediately.
Who could commit a brutal evil attack of this nature.
It's down to Natalie Ward and her team to investigate. Natalie is called back to work after being off for a few months following on from her last case and her own personal demons.
Is Natalie in the right frame of mind to head this case, or is her personal life and drama's going to stop her doing her job? The only way to find out is by reading books.
The book takes some amazing turns with lots of things thrown in that you really were not expecting. When Natalie is forced to question someone she knows regarding the murder, can she keep her cool and investigate as things seem to becoming nearer to home for her and a little more personal.
This is book 6 in this series, a series I have to say was a surprise at as I was loving Carols other series of books with Detective Robyn Carter.
I wasn't sure at first how I felt with a whole new series, but my goodness it's turned out good. Its one of the best series of books I've read and the author certainly isn't scared of taking characters out of their comfort zone and making tough decisions. Again, a first class read as part of a first class series.

I'm still annoyed about what happened to Leigh in the last book but this is a well written follow on with the return of several characters and a fast paced plot.
NB; there is no such thing as a Catfisher, it's a catfish who goes catfishing and a victim has been catfished.