This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

I really wanted to get into this book, because I LOVE the idea of a spy book in the modern world (and with an elderly main character being a badass!) but the book felt just incredibly slow. I usually DNF at around 30% but I tried going on further in case it was just a bit slower than what I'm used to, but I was at 39% and it felt like the book was still meandering along, and the book was becoming a chore to read. I saw one review that described it as clunky writing, and I definitely agree - the book has potential, but felt bogged down by other things.

I'm not rating the book (slash will rate it a 3 for neutrality if ratings are required!) but I was disappointed, because I was really looking forward to this book. I know it has much better reviews though, so I'm sure someone else will enjoy it if they can continue onwards. Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 26%

There's nothing terribly wrong with Secret Lives: it's just a dull starter, and didn't seem to be anywhere near the point of getting a move on till the point I'd read it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for the ARC.

I'll start by saying that I generally do no like books with a secret service and modern slant BUT I loved this book, I just could not put it down. Plenty of action, just kept moving in all directions, all the time. Characters were very well drawn and had me guessing. The technology was believable and easy to wade through. What a great book. More please. Thanks you NetGalley and Poison Pen for the DRC

What a roller coaster! The suspense begins on the very first page and never lets up! Author Mark de Castrique creates an unforgettable character in 75-year-old Ethel Fiona Crestwater; she superficially resembles Elizabeth Best of "The Thursday Murder Club," but "Secret Lives" heads in its very own direction.

Ethel runs a very special boarding house; except for a distant relative who’s an American University student, all of them federal agents. I’m not giving anything away; one of the Secret Service members is killed in the very second chapter. Petite Ethel, who has groomed dozens of federal agents, isn’t about to let a hit on her boarder go, regardless of what the Secret Service wants. She joins forces with her double-first-cousin-twice-removed Jesse Cooper to launch their own investigation — a most satisfying one.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
This book had a fresh take on Secret Service employees gone bad with a 75-year-old protagonist named Ethel and her college-aged sidekick Jessie solving crimes faster than the local law enforcement. This book was clever and fun and didn't have any boring moments which is rare for me to say about a book.

This book has a unique story and main character. It’s a whodunnit with a modern, cryptocurrency twist. It also illustrates that being underestimated can work in your favor. I enjoyed the read!

A huge thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The book follows 75-year old Ethel Crestwater who runs a boarding house for government agents and can count the FBI and Secret Service as friends. When one of her boarders is killed and a bag full of counterfeit money is found in his room, Ethel and her double-first-cousin-twice-removed take matters into their own hands to solve the murder.

A fast paced mystery everyone that loves a good mystery with quirky characters and witty banter. Absolutely adore.

So, when I saw this, I loved the cover. The colours are eye catching and the design just popped, I read the synopsis and thought it was equally fun, strange and a little far-fetched.
I had no idea how (if at all) this would come together. But come together it did and in a spectacular way!
Such great characters, loads of personality in them. The story flowed so well and was fast paced and fun.
Highly l recommend this one, great summer reading.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

This is my first book to read by this author but I cannot wait to read more by them! This is such a uniquely written story that you will find yourself thinking about long after you finish it. Highly recommend!!

Writing: 3/5 story: 4/5 characters: 3/5

75-year old Ethel Crestwater runs a boarding house for government agents and has the heads of the FBI and Secret Service on speed-dial. When one of her boarders is killed and a bag full of counterfeit money is found in his room, Ethel and her double-first-cousin-twice-removed take matters into their own hands staying just a step or two ahead of several agencies and agents who all have their own agendas and possibly something to hide.

This was entertaining and had some (obviously) quirky characters that I enjoyed. I know very little about how the FBI and Secret Service work but I can’t say I found this depiction in any way believable. Some clever hiding places and just the right amount of background information on cryptocurrency.

I loved Ethel's character!
The book reminded me somehow of the movie "Hotel Artemis", which kinda has certain similarities to this novel. But that just made the book more enjoyable for me!
Overall a really good and intriguing story!

“Secret Lives” is a really fun read! Ethel is so endearing, I loved following her through the story. There were a lot of characters to keep up with, but overall it was a cute book!

I really enjoyed this book! Ethel is the best. A badass grandma type. I loved her so much. Definitely need one of her in my life 😂

The story was great. I love a good mystery, especially one with lots of secrets. Who attacked Jesse? Was it someone they know? Who can they really trust?

Lots of twists in this book! A quick, intriguing read.

This book was a roller coaster ride that jumped right into the action. It was a very entertaining murder mystery. I loved Ethel and her can-do attitude to solving the case. The only thing I found to be bothersome was the amount of characters that you have to keep up with and the jumping back in forth without really notifying the reader that we have switched characters. Either a new chapter for each switch or even a line between paragraphs would have been helpful. This was a fantastic and fun read and I would love to read more about Ethel.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

An entertaining plot, but the writing feels very clunky, bogged down in unnecessary descriptions and dialogue.

I didn't anticipate how much I was going to like Secret Lives. The story is complex, creative, and engaging. By chapter 3 I knew I would be unable to put this one down until I had finished it. Ethel Chrestwater is 75, and incredibly respected, connected, and smart. I loved how, throughout the book, Ethel shares much of her thoughts and intentions to solve the murder of her border and Secret Service agent Jonathan Finch. But just as Ethel isn't sharing everything with us, she isn't sharing everything with her contacts who happen to be the head of the Secret Service and the Director of the FBI. As a former FBI agent, Ethel was clearly a respected former agent and has since become the owner of a boarding house where she boards FBI and Secret Service agents.

This is a fast-paced story that keeps the reader guessing with several plot shifts. It also has a modern plot which includes bitcoin and virtual wallets. The author explained the currency and why it is so untraceable very well.

There are several secondary characters but my favorite was Jesse, who is Ethel"s first cousin twice removed, which we hear often. Jesse is attending college and is also staying in Ethel's boarding house. He becomes her unexpected partner in the investigation. Jesse makes mostly smart decisions and was a great sidekick for Ethel. While there are many other secondary characters it was not a problem keeping them straight as they all have very unique personalities.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eArc. This is my honest review.

Sharp As A New Pin,..
Ethel Fiona Crestwater. Seventy five years young and sharp as a new pin. Most underestimate her but some don’t and the some may be exactly right. She’s one badass heroine. Running a boarding house for government agents, this former FBI agent, has seen her fair share and that is not about to stop. Madcap thriller with a pacy, action packed narrative and a plot populated with twists aplenty and an eccentric, well defined cast of characters with a protagonist that you daren’t shake a stick at. Fabulous!

An extremely boring book with wallpaper flat characters and Richmond VA references to places that do not exist and also bitcoins. Very much antithetical to my whole vibe.

<i>“It’s not what you know you don’t know that kills you, it’s what you don’t know that you don’t know.”</i>

Seventy-five-year-old Ethel Fiona Crestwater runs a boarding house for government agents. When one of her boarders, a Secret Service agent, Jonathan Finch is murdered right outside her home, she is not one to wait for the authorities to reach the scene and she initiates her very own investigation. Ethel's ”double-first-cousin-twice-removed”, Jesse who is a university student and also one of her current boarders, assists Ethel in her efforts. As local law enforcement, the FBI and Secret Service enter the fold, it appears that the victim's murder case is somehow linked to past and present cases that fall within the jurisdiction of more than one branch of law enforcement. While the bigwigs resolve their conflicts of jurisdiction and set the rules for collaboration, Ethel and Jesse are out to solve the murder. In the course of their investigation, Ethel and Jesse discover more than they bargained for but Ethel isn't one to back down and what follows is a complicated web of corruption, lies, counterfeiting, cybercrime, digital currency fraud and murder.

The Head of Secret Service, the Director of the FBI and the Homicide Detective in charge of the case are well aware of Ethel’s skills and experience and correctly assume that she would not sit quietly while the events around the murder unfold. They realize that keeping track of Ethel’s activities could be to their advantage and each of them plans accordingly. Ethel, for her part, is not oblivious to the situation and knows how to get her work done. Some of her actions could be interpreted as obstruction of justice (as Jesse points out) but as Ethel explains, <i>“To make an omelet, Jesse, you have to break a few eggs.”</i>

Ethel might be seventy-five years old, but she is sharp as a tack, diligent with her RBG workouts, with an enviable network of contacts spanning every branch of law enforcement and a heart of gold. I loved how she and Jesse bonded with Davie, Jonathon’s son who suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic bone condition. I also enjoyed the limited glimpse into Ethel’s backstory and how she managed to make a mark in her chosen profession in an era that did not encourage women to take active roles in said profession. Overall, Secret Lives by Mark de Castrique is an intricately plotted, fast-paced murder mystery with an engaging cast of characters, a good dose of humor and enough twists and turns to keep you hooked and guessing till the very end. This was my first Mark de Castrique novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope that this novel is the first in a new series.

Who knew UFOs (United Flying Octogenarians) were for real? I certainly didn't!

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.