5-STAR REVIEW: THE SECRET TRUTH by Barry Finlay

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The Description

Jake Scott Mystery: Book 3
Publication Date: September 3, 2024

Retired investigative journalist Jake Scott narrowly avoids a collision with a speeding car on his way to a Bed and Breakfast where he plans to spend the night. Moments before his arrival, the peaceful atmosphere at the B&B is shattered by a devastating explosion, claiming the lives of five guests. While authorities initially chalk it up to a tragic gas leak, seasoned homicide detective Dani Perez can’t shake her suspicions. Given her overloaded schedule, she enlists Jake’s expertise to delve into the backgrounds of the deceased. As Jake pursues the investigation, he unearths a web of secrets hinting at a darker truth lurking beneath the surface of the seemingly idyllic B&B.

Excerpt The Review

A retired journalist dusts off his investigative skills after an explosion destroys the bed and breakfast he had been staying in, killing multiple people.

Author Barry Finlay delivers the third installment of the Jake Scott Mystery Series with The Secret Truth. Although part of a series with reappearing characters, the book can be read as a stand-alone.

Jake’s lady love, homicide detective Dani Perez, plays a key role. However, with her caseload full, she’s counting on Jake to work his magic. He doesn’t need complex technology to find answers; give him a whiteboard, and the theories will flow.

As a former journalist, I have an appreciation for how effectively the author has developed Jake’s character. Not only does he have an appealing sense of humor, but he’s genuinely a good person. His interactions with Oliver the cat are humorous, as is his affinity for using Alexa’s word of the day in conversation with his breakfast group.

The deeper Jake digs, the more complex the mystery becomes. The action-packed conclusion delivers an interesting twist.

The Secret Truth takes readers on an investigative hunt that will require Jake and Dani to connect the dots before it is too late. Buy Links

About The Author

Barry Finlay is the award-winning author of the travel adventure, Kilimanjaro and Beyond – A Life-Changing Journey (with his son Chris), the Amazon bestselling travel memoir, I Guess We Missed The Boat, the inspirational Just Keep Climbing, and five Amazon bestselling and award-winning thrillers comprising The Marcie Kane Thriller Collection: The Vanishing Wife, A Perilous Question, Remote Access, Never So Alone, and The Burden of Darkness. His new Jake Scott Mystery Series debuted with Searching For Truth and The Guardians of Truth. He is now following that up with The Secret Truth. Barry was featured in the 2012-13 Authors Show’s edition of “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading.” He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal for his fundraising efforts to help kids in Tanzania, Africa. Barry lives with his wife Evelyn in Ottawa, Canada.