Martyn Ford delivers a gripping and morally complex thriller in "All Our Darkest Secrets," where loyalty and love collide with the harsh realities of a DEA agent's pursuit of justice. This heart-pounding narrative explores the fine line between right and wrong, drawing readers into a dark and dangerous world where choices have consequences, and alliances are tested.

James Casper, a dedicated DEA agent with a clear sense of justice, finds himself at a crossroads when his wife, Rosie, commits a terrible act. The story quickly evolves from a high-stakes opioid investigation to a gripping psychological thriller as James grapples with the weight of his choices. Ford adeptly crafts a narrative that delves into the complexities of morality, pushing James to confront the blurred lines between good and evil.

The character development is a standout feature, with James presented as a multifaceted protagonist facing a moral dilemma that challenges his principles. As events spiral out of control, loyalties are tested, and alliances shift, Ford keeps the tension high, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. The internal struggle faced by James adds depth to the narrative, making his journey both compelling and thought-provoking.

The pacing is relentless, with each chapter driving the story forward, unveiling twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. Ford skillfully navigates the intricate plot, maintaining a balance between action-packed sequences and moments of introspection. The author's exploration of the opioid crisis adds a layer of social relevance to the story, elevating it beyond a conventional thriller.

While the novel successfully navigates the morally gray territory, some readers may find certain plot developments and character motivations slightly predictable. However, the strength of the storytelling and the exploration of the human psyche in the face of moral challenges outweigh these minor considerations.

In conclusion, "All Our Darkest Secrets" is a riveting thriller that engages readers with its intense plot, well-drawn characters, and exploration of ethical dilemmas. Martyn Ford crafts a tale that keeps the adrenaline pumping while inviting reflection on the choices we make when faced with our darkest secrets. This is a must-read for those who appreciate morally complex narratives within the realm of suspenseful thrillers.

This was a solid thriller and great escapism and I really enjoyed it. It was different but in a good way but worked really well.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

The lengths we go to protect our loved ones far out way the ones we’ll take to save ourselves. How far is too far? What are you willing to live with, who are you willing to live without?

DEA James Casper finds out the answers to all those questions and more as he tries to do right by the one person he has loved his whole life.

I feel like there is so much packed into this story of love and betrayal that Murder seems the obvious answer, at least for a character or three. I definitely recommend this book if you like to ride rollercoasters. Even if you don’t, you may still like the ride of this story. Buckle up, Buttercup, we’re going on an adventure.

James is about to break his biggest case since joining the DEA. His current investigation concerns the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company. The DEA suspects him of smuggling in illegal drugs with his company inventory. On the eve of the big break, James' wife makes an irrational decision that will forever alter both of their lives. James and Rosie are childhood sweethearts, and he would do anything to protect Rosie. James must choose between reporting Rosie and helping her. James believes, given his background, that he can get away with murder. Unfortunately for James, his worst enemy learns what they have done, and is quick to exploit the knowledge of James' crimes to his advantage. James quickly finds himself dragged into the very world he has dedicated his life to bringing down. The endgame is to get out, but how and when will take some finesse. James' loyalty to his coworkers is put to the test, as well as his loyalty to his wife. Throughout it all, James' primary focus is to protect Rosie. He truly believes that in the end, no matter what happens, he will still have Rosie. Nothing goes as planned and the amount of double crossing happening is extreme. I was pleasantly surprised by the pace of this novel, and really enjoyed the internal struggle of James. The ending was just as messy as the rest of the story, which I appreciate. A nice, neat, happy ending would have been a cop out. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read an early copy of this, even if my review is a tad delayed.

"James Casper is one of the good guys. A DEA agent. A loyal husband. With his sights set on the man at the top of the city’s opioid crisis, James is about to make the biggest bust of his career. Then his beloved wife Rosie does something terrible, and James must choose: report it—or help her."
I wasn't expecting to find this so compelling and addictive! When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about reading it. James and Rosie's problem is bad and how could she do this to him??!! He's the good guy! They realize they have two options. They make their choice and there's no going back...James is so likeable. I was holding on to my seat until the very end! wowza, 5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

All Our Darkest Secrets by Martyn Ford is a DEA / police thriller that also weaves in elements of a domestic thriller. The story revolves around James Casper, a DEA agent who has always fought for the common good. But when his wife Rosie commits a terrible crime, James has to choose between helping her hide her crime or turning her in. What will he choose to do? Will he choose his wife or his duty?

Here is a gripping excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Special agent James Casper," he reads. "You seem a confident young man. But your hand is shaking. It's always shaking, isn't it?
Clasping my fingers together, I hold them as still as I can.
"Do you know why?" he asks.
"Go on."
Edward stares with wide, mad, open eyes. "It's doubt," he says. "You're anxious because you're afflicted by doubt."

Overall, All Our Darkest Secrets is a DEA thriller that goes beyond a standard police procedural. One highlight of this book is how it blends James's personal life with his work on the force. I was captivated by the premise. I did take off 2 stars, because I lost interest midway through. I couldn't relate well to James's character and didn't really care about his problems anymore. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book, which is available now!

I absolutely loved this book! Whilst it deals with some heavy topics like suicide and drugs among other things, I think it was all done really well.
The characters are so messed up... but it a way that you can't look away. A real page turner that I just couldn't put down.

James is devoted to Rosie and would do anything to help her. There are so many twists and turns in this thrilling read. I had memes of Ozark playing in my head. The plot is cleverly crafted and would make a great movie.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

DNF at 46%

I can't put my finger on why, but I could not get into this at all. I love mystery/thrillers but I really couldn't finish this. The writing in my opinion just wasn't anything special and I didn't care about the characters at all. I found myself getting distracted and could not focus on this book. It's such a shame because I was really excited to read this.

Amazing book! Loved this story and highly recommend it! I look forward to more books by this author!

James Casper is one of the good guys. DEA Agent. Loyal husband to his childhood sweetheart. Smart. Honest.

He’s closing in on Edward Lang, the powerful head of a pharmaceutical company, and about to make one of the biggest busts of his career and bring down the kingpin of the city’s opioid crisis.

Then his beloved wife Rosie crosses a deadly line and kills her abusive boss. James must choose: report it or help her. He decides to help and tells himself he’s smart enough to get away with murder.

Instead, his worst enemy learns of his deed and he’s dragged into a vicious spiral of lies and blackmail. He realizes the only way out is to be even more ruthless than the people he’s working for.

But it’s worth it. No matter what, he’ll still have Rosie. Or will he?

The book is told from James’ point of view. Throughout, he has flashbacks to his childhood, growing up with Rosie and her brother Matthew, James’s best friend.

The jumping back and forth between past and present was disconcerting. But as the back story comes into better focus, the current situation in which James finds himself begins to make more sense. The story becomes even more horrific when Rosie’s darkest secret of all is revealed.

I should have seen the ending coming, but I had to read the last few pages a couple of times to be sure what I thought had really happened.
While the ride was thrilling, the characters throughout were thoroughly unlikeable, full of violence and betrayal. I did stick it out, though. The writing is well-crafted. From the very beginning I disliked Rosie. Even as a ten-year-old girl she manipulated James. It’s later clear he fell pathetically in love with a sociopath and make the wrong choice in protecting her.
For those reasons, I give the book four stars, but not a recommendation.

I need to know right now if there is another book to this series. Rosie's character definately could have her own book with her viewpoint on what happened after the ending. I liked this one but holy crap it's hard not to question every single move that James makes! Thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

There's some seriously fine writing here, but I'm baffled about the choice to burden an original and propulsive narrative line with lengthy and incredibly dull chapters filled with rambling flashbacks to the main characters' childhood. Yeah, I get that the man is formed by the child, but what readers really care about is the development of the main narrative line, and the main narrative line here is terrific. After a while, I simply started skipping the flashback chapters altogether and I found the book read far better for it. Note to publisher: there' no charge for my editing work.

And what was with the constant repetition of a silly grammatical error: 'Me and Nell went...'etc etc. The first time it was jangling; the second time it was annoying; and all the other dozens of times it was downright ridiculous.

As it stands, this is a 3* book at best, but some of the writing is so damn good I've just got to give it 4* in spite of the glaring flaws that a decent editor could and should have fixed.

James Casper is a DEA Agent who comes home to find that his wife has murdered her boss Frank.
James makes a decision to protect his wife Rosie and they dispose of the body and think they have got away with murder.
James then finds himself in a situation with the man that he is pursuing for the city's opioid crisis.
As the novel continues there are more dead bodies along the way.
The book tells the story of James and Rosie's relationship from their childhood and is interesting the relationship that we can see from early on, but James is just becoming to realise what Rosie is all about.
Great read and eventful from start to finish.

All Our Darkest Secrets by Martyn Ford was a dark and at times confusing read. Opiate addiction and smuggling with combined with the sociopathic behavior of the main characters, the story was hard to follow with it's many twists and turns. How Rosie evoked such strong feelings of loyalty and love from James was hard to comprehend being she was such a horrible person.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This is a strange, tense psychological thriller. Kind of hard to follow at first but after a few chapters it falls into a pattern that is both lovely and frightening. Kept me entranced to the suspenseful end.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I was rather disappointed overall with this book. It was so frustrating when the characters repeatedly decide£ to follow the most obviously wrong paths.

Wow, this was a read! I didn't see that twist coming.... The characters are amazingly fleshed out and realistic, and I rooted or hated them the entire way.

I swear, this book scared me in the best way possible.

Thank you netgalley for the arc copy!

i found this whole story hard to believe. i especially hate when the characters act so naive to the point where u're palm facing every time. maybe it's just me, but this book didn't really work out for me. can't recommend this tbf :/

So many twists, so much evil. There was really nobody to like in this book. James was too weak to really like him though I did feel somewhat sorry for him. Rosie was impossible to like - just a horrible psycho person! A lot happened in the 8 month span of events in this story. The writing is good and the ending is a surprise - and yet not really.