Secret Sins

Kate Charles
Poisoned Pen Press (2007)
ISBN 1590583566
Reviewed by Lynn Downs for Reader Views (2/07)

Reverend Callie Anson has a complicated life. She is a female priest in the Anglican Church, something that is still a bit unfamiliar to a lot of the parishioners. She has a new love interest, Marco Lombardi, whose Italian heritage and Catholic upbringing make his relationship with Callie difficult. Her brother, Peter, has decided to move into her very small curator's cottage with her, causing some privacy issues. And to top it all off, she has befriended a new parishioner who has secrets of her own.

Kate Charles’ second novel in the Book of Psalms series again takes place in London and interweaves the story of Callie Anson with that of Detective Inspector Neville Stewart. Neville has his hands full as well. A young husband, and soon-to-be father, disappears one morning while jogging along a canal and all clues point to a simple robbery. But as the body of the young man is recovered and the pieces of the puzzle are placed together, he realizes that all is not as it seems. Add to that his on-again relationship with an old flame, who may want more from Neville than he can give.

Just as one case is wrapping up, Neville is brought into a new missing person's case. Twelve year old Alex Hamilton was born and raised in Scotland until her father and new stepmother decide to move to London. Alex is lonely and is the target of the school bullies. Then one day, she meets "Jack" on the Internet - someone who thinks she's funny and pretty and wants to meet her. She leaves one day to meet her new friend and doesn't come home. Has she become the prey of an Internet predator? It is up to Neville to find her before it is too late.

“Secret Sins” is a fast paced, intriguing mystery that keeps you turning pages and not wanting to put this book down. Kate Charles makes each character personable and you connect with each character as their story plays out. She has successfully intertwined the tales of many characters into one great read.

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