I can’t say I ‘enjoyed’ this book. It’s very sad. It is fast paced & really well written. it feels gritty, real & intense. The characters feel real. I’d really like a story finding the 2nd girl. I would/will definitely be reading more. #HiddenAngels #NetGalley

A shooting in a church leads to the discovery of a body behind a wall. The body is identified as a girl who vanished aged 8 but this body is of a sixteen year old. Who held Sadie for 8 years then killed her…?
Hidden Angels is the 13th book to feature Detective Amanda Steele and her partner Trent.
Amanda and Trent are called to a church where a priest has been held hostage at gunpoint by a man who claims he was abused. The gun goes off and a wall is damaged, revealing a young woman's body. Amanda and Trent are very determined to catch the killer, horrified by what they uncover.
This book is very emotive due to the kidnap and subsequent death of a child. The prologue starts with a girl being abducted and the evidence suggests she was held for years before she was murdered and hidden. The hostage taker has been traumatised by his childhood experiences.
There are lots of twists as the detectives investigate. Their frustration with the secrets and lies to protect the guilty felt realistic and made me even more supportive of Amanda and Trent. I found the reveal a bit contrived and didn’t really believe it felt authentic compared to the strong build up. The personal side to the detectives added a reminder of their softer elements to their characters which in turn lightened the dark tone of the criminal aspects of the plot.
Hidden Angels is a tense and dark crime thriller.

Carolyn Arnold is at it again with an interesting police procedural thriller which is both intriguing and heartbreaking at the same time.

Last we saw her, detective Amanda Steele had just broken up with her long time boyfriend Logan. She is back to living the life of a single mother with her adopted daughter Zoe. Her partner Trent has been in a relationship with Kelsey for quite some time now and hence Amanda has kept her attraction to Trent on hold.

The duo are called to investigate a murder in with the body was found under bizzaire circumstances - a young man threatening the priest of a church at gun point accidentally misses the shot which creates a hole in the drywall of the church and reveals the body that has been hidden in there for long. As forensics reveal that the body has been in there for about twenty odd years, Amanda and Trent have a complicated job in their hands, as they have to both identify the remains and also find the murderer.

What follows is a convoluted and complex investigation into the events that have taken place two decades earlier, with the case taking the duo on a roller-coaster of emotions. Arnold has written a plausible story against the backdrop of what is essentially a cold case. The story manages to be interesting enough to hook its readers and proves author Arnold's skills as a writer.

Though there are some interesting scenes which depict the tension between Amanda and Trent, this book focuses primarily on the case, with the personal lives of the two main players only occupying a few lines in between. It felt, however, heartwarming to see that Amanda has finally started to try to strike a balance between personal and professional life, with her adopted daughter Zoe learning to live with her job as well.

The background of the current case and the people involved in it provide a greatly entertaining, albeit glum and moody, story that never struggles to sustain the interest of the reader. I can't wait to see the direction the life of many characters of the story takes up in the upcoming books.

I really like Amanda and Trent as a partnership, I think it works well. And because they have a bit of history too, that makes this series of books even more interesting.

A body is discovered in a wall of a Church and it is up to Amanda and Trent to figure out the story. Who is she? How did she get there? And who killed her?

Lots going on here and an enjoyable read. The only slight negative is the title of the book, a bit misleading, perhaps? Still, I can't wait to read the next book, Carolyn Arnold is one of those authors, for me, who is an automatic "want to read".

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Detective Amanda Steele is unshakable in her determination to solve a shocking case centred around the hostage situation at a church - and a grim discovery.
She and partner Detective Kyle Trent must plough through witness obfuscation and long-hidden evidence that could prove a killer's guilt.
A pulse-pounding, riveting crime-thriller from the magnificent Queen of the Murder-Mystery, Carolyn Arnold, Hidden Angels is guaranteed to grip you firmly by the imagination throughout.
Don't miss out on this unputdownable whodunit - you'll read all night!

This is the thirteenth book in the Detective Amanda Steele series but it could be read as a standalone.

This case was heart-breaking. As a mother of a young child this one really hit me. The thought of my daughter being taken and missing for 30 years is unimaginable. I felt Amanda's determination to find the killer leaping off the page and into my heart.

This book was fast paced and full of tension. Carolyn had me hooked from the very first page. Her writing is compelling and addictive.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour.

Book 13 in the series, that see's Amanda and Trent tasked with finding justice for the body in the wall.

The author has skilfully woven together a web of deceit and intrigue in this latest offering that is tense, dramatic and compelling.

An emotive read to add to this solid series.

Hidden Angels is another thrilling installment in Arnold's Detective Amanda Steele series. Despite being the thirteenth book, the series continues to grow stronger with each case, offering original and captivating mysteries.  With well-developed characters, engaging plots and suspense that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. 

Amanda's current case involved solving a decades old murder. While Amanda along with her partner Trent don't usually solve cold cases, they approached this case with the same diligence as they would with any of their other cases. This case landed in their laps when a hostage situation led to the discovery of a body hidden in the walls of a church. The body belongs to a sixteen-year-old girl who went missing thirty-one years ago when she was only eight years old. The big questions arising from the discovery were who kidnapped and killed her and why?

Throughout the course of their investigation Amanda and Trent unearthed disturbing secrets. As a mother the case affected Amanda, and she made it her mission to find justice for this young victim. The investigation revealed a connection between the individual behind the hostage situation and body found in the church. This twist along with many others added to the complexity of the case, making it one of the most challenging cases of Amanda's career.

Each new piece of evidence, takes Amanda and Trent deeper into this twisted and dark world. Once again Arnold sheds light on the depravity of human behavior. This is one of those mysteries where not all the answers were obvious. The cases presented in each installment work as standalones, however the undercurrents of Trent and Amanda's relationship makes it preferable to read the series in order although not necessary.

Hidden Angels is the perfect read for persons who enjoy a challenging mystery. A mystery that keeps the detectives involved on their toes and the reader engaged from start to finish. If you're looking for a gripping crime novel this book is a must-read.

Hidden Angels is the 13th book in the Detective Amanda Steele series and it was another original, interesting crime thriller. During a hostage incident at a local church, a body is discovered hidden in the walls when a bullet goes through the drywall in the nave. Detective Amanda Steele is immediately called to the scene, where FBI agent Sandra Voss fills her in on the incident. The victim has been perfectly preserved, her jewellery and summer dress taking Amanda back many years. When DNA is checked, they find out that although the victim is in her mid-teens, she was kidnapped over thirty years ago when she was only 8 years old. The construction was done 23 years earlier, so they realize that she was 16 when she was put in the wall. Where was she for those 8 years in between. Thinking about her own daughter, Amanda cannot imagine the devastation for the young girl’s family and vows to find the killer.

Cold cases are not the usual crimes Amanda deals with, but she and her partner Trent go at the investigation just as diligently as any crime they are assigned. The place to start is with those who worked on the repairs to the church and although the priest doesn't want to give them any information, they get a warrant and he has to. I will say that I did not like him at all. He was more worried about his "flock" and church than getting justice for the young victim. There is also a question as to whether he knew about abuse going on within his congregation that he ignored. This was not an easy case to solve. It isn't until someone comes forward to tell them what they saw 23 years earlier that the investigation really gets moving. There is another murder along the way and of course, Amanda is once again in danger, but they eventually bring the case to a close. I do like the inclusion of the personal lives of Amanda and Trent and how they try and fit it all in with their job. I was pretty sure I knew who the killer was, but was there someone else who helped? This book has themes of abuse, infidelity, child abduction, and life/work balance. I thought the ending was very realistic as life is not always tied up with a ribbon. I definitely recommend this book and series to those who enjoy a good crime thriller or police procedural.

This book had me holding my breath more than once. I had to step away more than once too. It felt that real. True crimes are much more scary than horror. This definitely felt real life. I always enjoy an Amanda Steele book and this one didn’t disappoint. I keep thinking they’re going to run their course and get boring, but I couldn’t be more wrong. This was definitely one of my favorites. This one involved a little girl, which always tugs the heart more. I kept guessing who the killer could be and kept getting shot down. The ending was a bittersweet, on more than one level, outcome. You won’t be disappointed if suspense is what you’re after!

As Always freaking amazing! The best characters the best plots. Breakneck speed and suspense. This one keep my heard pounding start to finish. A veritable rollercoaster ride with every single page. This one will keep you up way to late and it’s worth every minute of lost sleep

Hidden Angels by Carolyn Arnold is the WoW 13th book in the excellent Detective Amanda Steele series and I have loved this series from the very first book called The Little Grave. The main character Detective Amanda Steele is just excellent and I enjoy reading about her and what case she takes on and how she solves it. Once I open any of these books I end up reading it all day, all my plans go out of the window.

I highly recommend all these books they are a cracking read.

Detective Amanda Steele books in order -
Book 1 - The Little Grave
Book 2 - Stolen Daughters
Book 3 - The Silent Witness
Book 4 - Black Orchid Girls
Book 5 - Her Frozen Cry
Book 6 - Last Seen Alive
Book 7 - Her Final Breath
Book 8 - Taken Girls
Book 9 - Her Last Words
Book 10 - Missing Before Daylight
Book 11 - The Wildfire Girl
Book 12 - Her Deadly Rose
Book 13 - Hidden Angels

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Love this series and this book is jaw droppingly brilliant! The author just absolutely delivers with every single book in this amazing series. Loved loved loved this one!

Carolyn Arnold is a go to author for me. Her ability to spin a web of mystery keeps me following along in her step by step investigation. Detective Amanda Steele is on the case in Hidden Angels.

Her body had been hidden in the walls of the church for twenty years. How could it be that she had never been missed? As the story unfolds the ugliness of their community is exposed. Lives will be changed forever.

Amanda’s long term relationship is over and she is single again. She finds it hard to balance work and family, but isn’t that a common problem for all of us? Especially for a homicide detective? Their job is no nine to five job. Her partner, Trent is in a relationship, so she puts aside the feelings that she has for him. Zoe, her adopted daughter who is nine years old going on teenager, is her anchor.

When Amanda and Trent were questioning Audrey:

The woman’s elaborate storytelling had drawn her in.

It made me think of my husband’s ability to stretch a story out.

As the investigation develops, dirty secrets are exposed. The victim had been used and abused and tossed aside like trash. Those involved are despicable and I hope they get their comeuppance. Knowing Carolyn Arnold, she will make them pay.

I want to thank Carolyn Arnold, NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read Hidden Angels.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

A tragic tale of murder and deceit.

Amanda and Trent will stop at nothing to get their perp.
And this time they have a lot to sift thru to get to the end of their case.
A 31 year old cold case that is.

This was a great story full of twists and turns and an ending you won’t see coming.

Carolyn Arnold has delivered another incredible installment in her outstanding Detective Amanda Steel series with Hidden Angels!

The discovery of a young woman’s body hidden within the walls of a local church occurs when a young man accidentally discharges a gun while confronting the pastor. Amanda and Trent are assigned the challenging task of uncovering the truth behind her death.

I’m continually impressed by Carolyn’s ability to create such gripping crime thrillers! Amanda and her partner Trent are relatable characters dedicated to safeguarding their community. I’m eagerly anticipating the next book! Be sure to grab your copy today!

I always love coming back to Detective Amanda Steele. It’s a formula that works, and this especially felt like a sort of reset. Amanda is finding new footing after leaving Logan, and turning a page on how to balance work and life. Trent is still figuring out who he is and wants to be. The mystery was interesting and the cast of characters all there. I wonder if a new storyline is brewing and look forward to continuing the series! If you like a police procedural with a strong female lead, I think you’ll enjoy this. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Disclosure. This is a review of an ebook I was sent for free. All opinions are my own.

This is the thirteenth title in the Detective Amanda Steele series.

The prologue hooks you in with an abduction of a young girl from a busy theme-park, leaving you wanting to know more.

Moving on, the main story starts decades later with a body being discovered by chance in a church wall, during an incident, where 23 year old Cameron Cofell was holding the priest hostage. Cameron had been abused as a child, and believed the priest was aware, but had not intervened.

Meanwhile it appears that the body had been in the wall for decades. As Detective Amanda Steele and partner Trent, start to speak to long-standing congregation members, they wonder if there is any connection.

And then there is another death of an elderly lady living next to the church, shortly after giving them a statement. The more they investigate, the darker it seems to get.

Lots of twists to this tale and an ending that I definitely didn’t see coming.

A thrilling page turner indeed.

And reading the author’s footnote at the end of the story is a must too!

Yet another classic book in this detective series. Amanda and Trent are soon busy when a young girls body is found hidden years ago in a church wall .With so many suspects their hands are full trying to find the people responsible and bring closure to the girls family.
Great book for an avid detective fans.

This book begins with a body of a teenaged girl found in a wall of a church. Detective Amanda Steele and her partner Trent need to find out who she is, and why she’s been in the wall for over 20 years.

I couldn’t put this one down. Police procedurals always suck me in and keep me engaged (I guess that comes from my obsession with tv dramas like NCIS, Law & Order and Criminal Minds). I like Amanda a lot. She’s a great FMC. She’s incredibly dedicated to her job and her daughter, but balancing the two isn’t easy.

There were a lot of pieces to finding the true story of Jane Doe. As the pieces fall together, more people’s lives are at risk. I didn’t expect the twists, or the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.