"Dark Secrets" By Keri Arthur: Review/Giveaway

Review by Lorie Lewis Ham

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of this book and a link to purchase it. 

I have been a fan of Keri Arthur’s fantasy novels for years, and reviewed many of them. While I was sad to see her Lizzie Grace series end, I was thrilled when I found out we would be visiting that same world again for new stories about new characters. Dark Secrets is the first book in that new series, The Black Lantern Series.

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The main character in this new series is Hanna Kang. She is an investigator for the Black Lantern Society, which is an organization of witches, werewolves, and vampires who work behind the scenes to right wrongs and bring bad witches to justice by whatever means necessary. Her partner at the agency is a shapeshifter named Ginny Baker. The pair are given what Hanna expects to be a very easy job of looking out for Monica Ashworth, the pampered only child of one of Canberra’s most prominent witches. Monica is out partying with her bridesmaids at a club when things go terribly wrong. She goes missing. While going after Monica that night, Hanna is attacked and is rescued by a man who has no life force but who appears to be human, but then he disappears. Soon one of her bridesmaids is murdered. It seems that Monica had planned to sneak out on them, which they weren’t prepared for, but surely she hadn’t planned the murder. Monica’s marriage was arranged, was she simply trying to escape it, or is there something far more sinister going on? Has she now been kidnapped? But there’s no demand for ransom.

Hanna and the mysterious man’s paths keep crossing and she finds herself attracted to this potentially dangerous with a lot of secrets. More bodies are found and they team up to try to figure out what is going on before even more people die. Could the motive for the murders, and Monica’s disappearance, be revenge instead of money? Her father certainly has his fair share of secrets and enemies. Hanna also has her own secrets—dangerous ones. So does the mysterious man, Rene Jones, who she is quickly falling for.

I really enjoyed going back to this world and all the little Easter eggs for those of us who read the Lizzie Grace series. However, you don’t have to have read those books to be able to enjoy Dark Secrets—it has its own stories and characters, it’s just set in the same world. There were plenty of twists and turns to the story that kept me guessing all the way through. Rene and Hanna have great chemistry. I look forward to getting to know these characters and this world better—there’s still much to uncover about Hanna and Rene. I like that Hanna is a little older than you often see in books. She is 38 and has a grown son, who I also really liked. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Hanna’s sort of familiar, a black cat named Atticus, who brought much of the humor to the story. If you enjoy urban fantasy that combines fantasy and mystery, don’t miss this series. I can’t wait for the next one. And I highly recommend that you check out more of Keri’s other books as well.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Dark Secrets, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "secrets,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 5, 2026. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win.  You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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You can click here to purchase this book.

 

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie's mystery writing including her latest mystery novel One of You, the latest Tower District Mystery, at Mysteryrat's Closet.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.