Deep Dark Secret (Secret McQueen #3) by Sierra Dean
Urban Fantasy
March 06, 2012
Samhain Publishing

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “Do you kiss you mom with that mouth?”

“No, but I would tell her to go fuck herself with this mouth.”

At the end of A Bloody Good Secret, Secret McQueen killed a tribunal member, which automatically requires her to take the deceased place. Now that she is on the Tribunal, Secret finds herself playing more of an administrative role and being less active in the field. Something she misses very much. With her new supernatural powers becoming stronger and more unpredictable, she is also required to have a bodyguard. This keeps her and Holden rather close and Secret finds her attraction to him increasing. In Deep Dark Secret, Holden calls in his marker and asks Secret for help for a friend. Secret finds herself in the presence of the were-ocelot’s Queen, Genevieve, who is asking a favor. Her niece has gone missing and she wants Secret to find her. Secret is excited to finally be hitting the pavement; doing actual work. Secret realizes a serial killer is stalking paranormal females, taunting the police department with grisly clues. Her investigation leads her to her old boyfriend, Gabriel. Secret knows Gabriel couldn’t have done this and goes undercover looking for the real killer. A killer who’s gift is to die for.

Sierra Dean comes back with a hard one-two punch as she brings us another thrilling installment of her Secret McQueen series-Deep Dark Secret. A delightfully dark and humorous urban fantasy that pairs charismatic characters with engaging action filled plots that will leave you wanting more after you read the words, “The End.” Each installment continues to mature, further enriching the development of the characters in realistic fashion. The emotion and decisions they make aren’t always what we want, but we can’t deny they aren’t for the best. I wouldn’t recommend starting here if you haven’t read the previous books. This arc is long reaching and each book picks up where the last one leaves off. You’ll miss out on a lot of the build up if you skip.

Secret McQueen, half vampire and half werewolf, has had a very hard year. Gone are her bounty hunting days; circumstances have placed her in a tangible position of power on the Vampire Tribunal. Her powers are increasing and changing, leaving her feeling uneasy. Her love life continues to be one hot sexy mess and suddenly she is remembering things…things that may have been better left buried.

Though she lives with her werewolf lover Desmond, she is also in a relationship with Lucas, the King of the Werewolves. He’s pushing for a more permanent bonding for political and personal reasons and isn’t above tricking Secret to get it. Holden, oh sexy, sexy Holden, is also asking for a chance to see if their mutual attraction is anything more then just that. And then there is poor Desmond. *sigh* He always seems to get the shaft. He has Secret’s body but I’m not convinced he has her heart.

If I have any qualms about this series, it’s still the romance. After three books and a few novellas, the romance hasn’t advanced much beyond the initial stages. I don’t really sense any love between any of them. Except Desmond. I feel he loves Secret but I don’t get the same feeling from Secret. Secret’s love life is based on a soul bond and I still don’t understand it. I can’t wrap my mind around that it can over ride all your intentions and good sense. And Secret doesn’t have much sense concerning it. She gets mad but never says anything. There is one scene ( a major scene that changes everything) that really made me mad. While I wasn’t pleased with Lucas, it was Secret’s actions that left me cold. I expected him to act that way-but not her. There is a small, vindictive part of me, that wants Desmond to find a second “soul mate” too and stick it to Secret. But I’m petty like that. I think my problem is that love triangles bother me to begin with. It feels like cheating and I don’t really see a future in it unless it’s just for sex. It has an Anita Blake feel to it. However, clues in this book and hints from Ms. Dean lead me to believe the decision may not be hers for much longer and major changes are in the air.

The main conflict is quite macabre and chocked full of action and suspense as Secret follows a literal trail of blood and murder to a insidious villain who’s evil knows no boundaries. He plays a nasty game of cat and mouse with Secret and I found myself on edge, not sure if Secret would come out of this unscathed. Old friends come into play; we see the luscious Detective Taylor again, who is still under the impression that Secret stood him up and makes no bones about the fact he doesn’t like her. Holden does a fine job of playing her conscientious and I still loves him lots. They all offer advice, warnings, and show signs of keeping even more secrets from Secret as she fights to find Lucy and for her life. The ending is a dramatic affair with plenty of twists, turns, and shocking revelations that has me waiting impatiently for book 4. Even with my qualms concerning Secret’s love life, the main storyline and arc developments keeps this series strong and me a fan.

Overall Rating: B-

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