oh my word what a book. what a time to be a reader. what a time to be an author as magic as Lisa is. or is it just magic running through her fingers because ones again we have another stunner of a book. except now we have all really come to care for Josie have we not? so i get a thrill when shes back but also fear. we are 23 books in now, surely it cant end. but must it? or can we bargain with Lisa so we just follow Josie forever right until she is solving these things into her residential home? yes, sound ok Lisa?
from the very outset of this book we are drawn in. drawn back into the person life and challenges of Josie who is doing her best with the current hurdles life has dealt. and also into a new case, or should i say old case. one with so many mysteries tied around it. one that was either meant to stay cold and old and surely what comes next will bring risk to many.
a perfectly happy couple once, then vanished. out of the blue, gone. no one knew what happened, not even their children. they were happy. weren't they? well we all know that age old line is a line for a reason "behind closed doors" and all that. and this definitely apply here for Tobias and Cora.
but with nothing to go on Josie has her work cut out. until the secrets start to be revealed. this couple were hiding things. from each other and their children. and as the layers are peeled back we begin to find out more. and more. and more. and Josie is getting in deep, and possibly too deep to figuring this thing out. because now Josie must figure out all the pieces to this puzzle before another body is added to this mystery.
another brilliant brilliant all the stars read. i couldn't put it down, i didn't want to put it down. i was hooked from start to finish and once again loved every moment of it. the bits Lisa gets right is making you involved in both plot and characters. you care for both. you are involved and needing to know what happens in the plot but you also love to know more about Josie and love all the bits in between with her and the team.
loved this.

I wish I could give this book 10 stars! It was a truly outstanding read!
We are immersed in a cold case that's anything but when the bodies of a couple are found submerged in their car.
Detective Josie Quinn's relentless pursuit of the truth behind their seven-year disappearance is gripping from the first page.
The plot is full of suspense, packed with twists and false leads that will keep you guessing.
Beyond the thrilling investigation, we get to see Josie's softer side as she navigates her complicated home life with her new ward, Wren. Every character is well-developed, and the totally unexpected ending ties every thread together perfectly.
I loved this book, I just wish I'd found it before we got to book 23! I will definitely be going back to the start of the series. It's an absolute standout of the year for me.

I love whenever my favorite crime series is back! Even after so many books, I am HOOKED every time. I devoured this one in just a couple sittings! I love how we are still getting new perspective and growth from characters we’ve grown to love throughout this series. It feels like coming home to my favorite little family every single time.

BUT LISA, you are killing me with the tiny peaks into Turner over multiple books! Please, queen, I need to know!!!! Give us our Kyle book… *fingers crossed*! (You do know how to build anticipation!!!)

Bottom line, this is a must read series in my opinion. Can’t stop, won’t stop!

Josie Quinn and her husband Noah are back after Noah’s vicious kidnapping and rescue in the previous book. And this time, they have a child with them, teenaged and orphaned Wren. Forget murders, this time they have to figure out how to be a family for their adopted daughter. Who cares about the murdered couple found submerged in the river for seven years? Balancing work and family, Josie has to work with Gretchen to figure out what happened to this couple, redoing all the work another detective did years ago, before someone else gets hurt.

This might be my least favorite of the Josie Quinn series. It took forever for anything to happen. There were no leads, no clues, no really solving anything. Just rehashing what other’s did and solving the case based on a theory and getting someone to confess. I know it’s probably because a lot of this was about Josie’s personal life (which I loved - Wren is a great addition to the family) but nothing happened in the mystery until like 60-70% into the book. But it’s fine - I still love this series and Lisa Regan and can’t wait for book 24!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this novel!

Lisa Regan delivered another suspenseful and entertaining story that keeps you guessing. I like her writing style, the characters, the suspenseful and the storyline. I can’t get enough of this wonderful series and I can only recommend it.
I received an advance review copy via Netgalley/Bookouture and I’m leaving a voluntary and honest review.

Number 23. Lisa Regan you’ve done it again. Great storyline for Josie and a Gretchen. Loved seeing them working on a case together. One of my favorite parts was the shocker about Turner. I had all the feels. All these characters with all these storylines feels like home to me. I want to be a part of their family. Lisa Regan is an auto read for me and always will be. Would love to see Zane in another Josie Quinn book.
Thank you to Bookouture, Lisa Regan for the widget of The Couples Secret. Out September 1, 2025

4 family secret stars

It’s hard to believe that this series is still going so strong! This is #23, and Lisa Regan has not missed a beat! I eagerly read them as soon as I can, and I am never disappointed. The cast of characters is strong, and we have plenty of character development to go along with the police procedural.

This time, a drought has unearthed a long-buried car in the river. Two bodies are found inside, and the long process to identify them and solve the crime begins.

The bodies in the car are identified, and we get to know their surviving family members. Tobias and Cora were a happy couple, engaged to be married. They each had children from a previous marriage. They disappeared before that could happen. Now at long last, their children and families know what happened to them. But who killed them? And how did they end up in the river?

This time, Gretchen and Josie are teamed up, and I loved the dynamic. They really had their work cut out for them. Seven years is a long time ago, and there are almost no clues left behind. The now-adult children seem to be hiding some secrets of their own. Before they can solve the case, there is another murder. This one kept me on my toes and I was not anywhere close with my guesses.

I loved the growth in Josie and Noah’s story, and the end of this one is special! I also can’t wait to learn more about Turner. It’s a good thing Lisa Regan writes these quickly!

I took a chance and jumped into this without reading the previous books. I think it's doable to follow and put things together without that background. Don't be afraid to pick it up if you haven't read the first 22 books. Although I absolutely plan to go back and read them!

I really enjoyed the writing style here. It's a bit of a slow burn but in a good way. The procedural and forensic aspects were so detailed and thought out, I really appreciated the authenticity. The characters are lovely. Of course with 23 books you have time to add layers, develop and evolve but they are very also all so endearing. Some in their own love to hate them kind of way.

The love I have for this series! Every single books makes me fall in love with each character more and more! I hope we get 20 more books!

The Couple's Secret is the 23rd in the series by Lisa Regan. This is full of suspense, drama, many secrets and is such a emotional edge of your seat read. The storyline will keep you guessing and changing your mind on who did what. Josie Quinn does it again. With no real clues as to how two people ended up in a car in the middle of the river dead and missing for 7 years. Josie has to start with the family and go through their history and the previous missing and mysterious deaths of one of the victims ex-wives. This will have you on the edge of the seat and wow what an ending! Love it. This series is one of the best! Thank you for the ARC both NetGalley, Lisa Regan.

Part of a series featuring Detective Josie Quinn and her team. A little different this story but just as engrossing.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Thank you NG & Lisa Regan
-The Couples Secret-

I ate this book UP in one sitting. This was such a good book and I was NOT ready for those twists. As soon as you read one, there’s more. And your jaw will drop even further.

This is the epitome of “family secrets”. A must read for the lovers of fast paced page turners with a sprinkle of heart pumping the further you get.

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7784728926

This book was AMAZING!! I loved the mystery in this new book in the Josie Quinn series, it kept me guessing who did it the whole time! The characters in this series is like long time friends, and enjoy every new book that comes out in this series! This book Wes so well done, the mystery was top notch and a thrilling ride! I would recommend this book and series to everyone!

#23 in the Josie Quinn series and Lisa Regan never disappoints!! Even though Josie is working on “cold cases” there always seems to be a mystery that she can throw herself into and unravel.

A drought in the Denton area has left the river at a very low level. A submerged car tied to a missing persons case 7 years ago is pulled from the river. Cora and her fiancee Tobias are found - and the results are perplexing?? What really happened to this couple on their way home from a romantic dinner? And why were they found in Denton, three hours from the restaurant they attended?

As the title suggests, this couple has a host of secrets that will be revealed. The blurb gives way so much so I’ll limit my review of the plot.

The mysteries and twists keep coming throughout the book and kept me engaged and turning the pages.

Besides the mystery I enjoyed watching Josie grow as a character. She and her detective husband Noah, are now the guardians of a teenage girl, Wren! They are beginning to see how much there is to raising a child - particularly a teenager with lots of abandonment issues.

They are also dealing with Noah’s PTSD - a result of what happened in the last book, #22.

Josie and Noah follow the clues that will ultimately answer the question of “The
Couple’s Secret” and those kept by others.

The ending was great and suggested that we might get to know Turner more in the upcoming episodes!

As always I can highly recommend this novel to all of the Josie Quinn fans!!

This was a great wonderful buddy read with Carolyn, Debra, DeAnn and Brenda. Be sure to read their excellent reviews!

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Gripping, thrilling, shocking, mysterious and hard to put down, Lisa Regan has another hit on her hands with The Couple's Secret!! It's full of secrets, tension, twists, revelations, and chilling moments. The Couple's Secret picks up where the last book in the series, Husband Missing leaves off!

Josie Quinn is called in to investigate the grisly discovery of a car emerged in a river outside of Denton, PA. Inside are the bodies of Tobias Lachlan and his fiancée Cora Stevens who were last seen at a restaurant the evening they went missing. Their bodies indicate that they were viciously murdered. Now Josie and Gretchen must interview their family, friends, children to gather more information for their investigation. But then another body is found and the investigation kicks into high gear as the stakes keep getting higher!!!

This is one of my favorite series and I can always count on Lisa Regan to deliver shocking mysteries, thrilling detective work while also giving viewers glimpses into the characters' lives. Speaking of the characters' lives, Josie and Noah are going through a lot in this book both individually and as a couple. They also recently become guardians of Wren, a teenage girl, left in their care. I enjoyed seeing Josie and Noah support each other and be there for each other. Plus, the whole Denton PD is there as well as members of Josie's family who are determined to help Josie and Noah celebrate their marriage!

I love the character development in this series as well as the strengthening relationships between many of the characters. Plus, the ending gives readers a little tidbit into one of the character's live and it has me chomping at the bit, wanting to know where Lisa Regan is going to go with this in the next book!!!!!!

Mysterious, gripping, thrilling, shocking, and hard to put down!!! I can't wait to read the next book in this amazing series!

For her 23rd Josie Q. novel, Ms Regan regals us by choosing to focus on Josie and Gretchen. I found it really nice for once to have some big friendship energy throughout the entire book and this dynamic between them with the "just by looking at you, I get you" feel which I very much enjoyed. And also the fact that Turner was really in the background this time. She writes him to be a nuisance and I have to say that he totally is!!! This book digs deep into secrets and lies, who come to the surface when a couple whom everyone thought had disappeared 7 years prior, is found murdered in their car in the bottom of a lake, 3 hours away from the last place they were seen alive. There was no big brace yourself moment this time but after two books full of them, it was nice to have a less fast-paced writing which gives plenty of room to make our little grey cells work! Well done as usual, Ms Regan! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book early in exchange of a honest review.

The Couples Secret is book 23 in the Josie Quinn series.. I have read them all so far and it’s a brilliant series. Tobias and Cora disappeared after going out to dinner. Seven years later they are found in a submerged car and it’s up to Josie and her crew to solve the mystery. Loved this story, it was extremely engaging and twisty and kept me guessing. That ending left me wanting more! Bring out the next book soon! Highly recommend, totally deserves 5 stars.

As water levels in a river near Denton, PA drop as the drought worsened, a submerged car appears. Inside the car are the bodies of Cora Stevens and Tobias Lachlan who were reported missing seven years before. They had been engaged to marry, intending to blend their two families together, but instead left their families wondering what became of them. Now Josie must try to pick up old leads to investigate those close to the couple to uncover their secrets and the reason for their murder.

Detective Josie Quinn is shocked when the medical examiner reports that the couple were murdered and that she must now solve a cold case murder. She must dig deep to solve this case so it’s just as well she is relentless and doesn’t give up easily.

It was good to see Josie paired up with Rachel in tackling a different type of case. They make a good team together. Josie is also suffering problems at home with her detective husband, Noah still suffering PTSD from their previous case and refusing to talk to a counsellor. She is also trying to bond with Wren, the teenage girl who Noah and Josie have guardianship of. And on top of that she and Noah are supposed to be organising a ceremony to renew their vows since they never had much of a wedding celebration.

Although not my favourite of this series so far, this is a good solid mystery. There were quite a few suspects to investigate, but I was still surprised by the revelation of the killer’s identity and their motive. Catching up with the ongoing events in the characters’ personal lives is very much part of the enjoyment of this series and keeps me coming back for more.

Lisa Regan does such a good job of writing and keeps me wondering at every turn! I had no idea who the murderer was until almost the very end of the book when Josie Quinn started putting it together herself. Seven years ago an engaged couple disappeared and no one had any idea what happened to them. Fast forward to a time of less moisture and their car is discovered in a lake. Their children and his business partner have moved forward, always wondering what happened to them. Josie Quinn is on the scene when the car is lifted from the lake and part of the team processing items in the car before the mud bakes on, making them useless for an investigation. In the meantime, Josie and Noah have a new person in their home. Wren is a teenager whose father was a friend of Josie. He died and now Wren has been dropped on their doorstep, so to speak. They are trying to maneuver being new parents while continuing to work at their jobs. Josie and Gretchen pursue all possible leads and talk to many people but come up empty. Suddenly things start to fall into place, and it isn’t a likely suspect. In her usual interrogation method Josie is able to get a confession. This book is part of a series and I always have a hard time waiting for the next episode in Josie’s life. I received a copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was my first encounter with Detective Josie Quinn. How I've missed the previous 22 books is another mystery, in fact a crime itself!

I feel it would have helped to have read the previous books, Quinn's personal life was like many crime series takes an important part in these books however it didn't take away how much I enjoyed it and will now be seeking out the previous- think I'm going to be busy!

Back to book 23. Seven years ago Tobias and Cora vanished. An apparent happy couple who had just enjoyed a lovely meal together get into their car and are found 7 years later and 3 hours away from home at the bottom of a river. It quickly becomes apparent they were murdered and Quinn is desperate to solve this case. The media scrutiny doesn't help and with Cora's violent ex husband and other family friends all with motives, proving who did it and why will be difficult. With both Tobias and Cora not as perfect as they appear, another close family member dying again with suspicious circumstances, Quinn will have her work cut out. Obviously she will get the baddie (or baddies???) in the end. Read and enjoy.