I Have a Secret

Sloane Monroe #3

by Cheryl Bradshaw

It’s been twenty years since PI Sloane Monroe has returned to her hometown of Tehachapi, California, but when a former classmate is stabbed and tossed overboard during the high school reunion cruise, Sloane isn’t about to allow a murderer to run free in her own backyard. But in a town where everyone is harboring secrets, how many more men will die before she discovers the truth?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Suspense, Thriller

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2012

About the author

Cheryl Bradshaw is a New York Times and 11-time USA Today bestselling author writing in multiple genres, including mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, supernatural suspense, and poetry. She is a Shamus Award finalist for best private eye novel of the year, an eFestival of Words winner for best thriller, and has published over fifty books since 2011.

Raised in Southern California, she now lives in North Texas. When she's not writing, she loves jet-setting to new countries, exploring the outdoors, and playing with her grandbabies.

For a free eBook, click here: http://cherylbradshaw.com/get-a-free-...

Book series in order by Cheryl Bradshaw:

Georgiana Germaine (Mystery Series)

1. Little Girl Lost - USA Today Bestseller
2. Little Lost Secrets
3. Little Broken Things
4. Little White Lies
5. Little Tangled Webs
6. Little Shattered Dreams
7. Little Last Words
8. Little Buried Secrets
9. Little Stolen Memories
10. Little Empty Promises
11. Little Hidden Fears

Sloane Monroe Mystery/Thriller Series

0. Silent As the Grave (prequel to series)
1. Black Diamond Death
2. Murder in Mind
3. I Have a Secret
4. Stranger in Town - Shamus Award Finalist
5. Bed of Bones - USA Today Bestseller
6. Hush Now Baby - USA Today Bestseller
7. Gone Daddy Gone - USA Today Bestseller
8. Smoke and Mirrors - USA Today Bestseller

Sloane Monroe Stories - Mystery Novella Series
(with characters from the main series)

1. Deadly Sins: Sloth
2. Deadly Sins: Wrath
3. Deadly Sins: Lust
4. Deadly Sins: Greed
5. Deadly Sins: Envy
6. Deadly Sins: Pride

Sloane & Maddie Peril Awaits - Mystery Series
(Spinoff Series with Sloane Monroe & her sidekick Maddie)

1. The Silent Boy
2. The Shadow Children
3. The Broken Soul
4. The Widow Maker
5. The Familiar Stranger

Addison Lockhart Ghost Mystery Series

1. Grayson Manor Haunting
2. Rosecliff Manor Haunting
3. Blackthorn Manor Haunting
4. Belle Manor Haunting
5. Crawley Manor Haunting

Stand Alone Mystery/Thriller Novels

1. Eye for Revenge - USA Today Bestseller
2. The Perfect Lie
3. Hickory Dickory Dead - USA Today Bestseller
4. Roadkill - USA Today Bestseller

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is the Murderer?

Small backstory:

Sloane Monroe returns to her home of Tehachapi, California as a murder has happened that involves one of her old high school classmates (Doug). The suspects within the town are numerous and Sloan will need to dig deep into the heart of the town to find out who and why Doug was murdered!

That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then go read this book!

Thoughts:

This is the third book in the series of Sloane Monroe and these books can kind of be read as stand alone as they don't end in cliff hangers where you would need to read the next book in the series however saying that sometimes it is better to read them in order as something might pop up regarding the character Sloane from maybe a previous book.

This book had tons of suspects as the author kept everything well hidden till the very end of the book. I literally could not figure out who the killer was as it could have been any of the characters that were involved.

The pace of the story was a little slow in the beginning but that was because of world building but once I made it past the 45% mark the story kicked up a notch and then after the 60% mark I was on a roll as the story just exploded with suspense and tension. By that time I was on the edge of my seat and stayed awake till early morning hours a couple or so nights. All in all a great book in this series and looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Giving this one five "Killer Thriller" stars!

[Lindabtx · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good story and another very quick read but while most of the editing was better than in the previous two books it was still only "fair to midland". I'm still chuckling about that from chapter 16. Fair to Midland is a band out of Dallas and Midland is a city here in Texas, but "fair to middling" is phrase she probably wanted in the book.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but needs a new proof-reader.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Have A Secret: Cheryl Bradshaw

When your past becomes intertwined with the present why does it sometimes lead to murder? When high school friends decide to reunite on a cruise why is one classmate stabbed and thrown overboard? Doug Ward seemed very pensive and in need of deal with his own private thoughts before joining his former classmates for their night of fun on the last night of their cruise. Finding Doug on deck his wife Trista calmly waits for him to come back to the part after he tells her he needs more time alone. But, someone else is lurking in the background that remains unseen until the time is right. Many of the women in his class thought him to be the primary catch. One was on the cruise named Candice who seems bent on tormenting Trista but do no avail. Candice enjoyed tempting the men and Doug was her primary target. Not caring that he was married to Trista nothing would stop her from going after her prey except of course Trista or Doug himself. But, when Trista went back to the party someone came out in the shadows and took his life. Knife in hand stabbing him and with some effort threw him overboard but no one saw. When Trista became alarmed that he never returned to the party or their cabin she enlisted the help of Sloane and Giovanni and some others to try and find him. But, Sloane being a PI knows her way around an investigation and sometimes her methods of questioning can be quite inventive to say the least.

Finding her way into the surveillance room Sloane uses her feminine wiles and ingenuity to get the person on duty to allow her to view the tape from where Doug was last seen. What they both see with their own two eyes is the murder being committed but cannot identify the killer. The captain alerted and Sloane and Giovanni who happens to be FBI questioned the question of just where this investigation will go and how far anyone will go to find the killer is paramount.

Returning home Sloane contacts Trista and restates her offer to help find Doug’s killer. As she is about to enter into the investigation and even before she arrives in her old hometown another classmate is stabbed and murdered. Just why are the members of this particular class the target for the killer? But, when Sloane questions Trista about her life with Doug she learns about his drinking problem, their marital strive and the fact that someone else came between them. Learning that Doug attended AA due to his drinking problem she reconnects with another classmate, Doug’s sponsor. Sponsors are supposed to help when the person they are working with needs to talk and listen to their problems. But, sometimes people become too close and situations heat up and things change when Trista finds herself disconnecting from the world, taking too many pills and literally as she states to Sloane sends Doug into the arms of Heather. But, who wanted him dead and why and what else was Trista hiding from her and did Heather tell her everything?

Enter Jesse a cop in her hometown of Tehachapi who seems bent on not only using his masculine wiles to get too close to Sloane but claims he wants to help her find his killer. Hired by Trista to learn more and find out the answers Sloane agrees to dinner with him keeps her guard up at all times. Added in someone left her note attached to her hotel room door with a knife that when analyzed she learns would be used by a doctor performing surgery. The conversation with Jesse enlightens Sloane to some information about not only Doug but his sponsor Heather too. Learning Heather lied about her alcohol or lack of alcohol problem and learning more about Candice who seemed to make the rounds of every man in town, Sloane started to slowly attempt to connect some of the disjointed and fragmented pieces of the lives of these people together to try and find the common denominator and the killer. But, the secrets and lies mount up and the attempts on lives continue as Jesse makes a move on Sloane and finds out it was more than just a mistake. Giovanni shows up and Sloane realizes that she just might need some extra help to dig deeper into the lives of the people in this town and find out why she seems to be the only one who has no idea what is really going and what lies hidden and buried in the past.

Small town gossip is hard to hide from when Sloane starts to deal with the people in this town after twenty years. Secrets and lies hidden so deeply and threatening messages warning her to leave before she gets hurt, just how many more bodies will be found before the killer’s identity is revealed? But, the gateway to the past opens up its floodgates as Sloane relates her childhood nightmare to her Giovanni and the reader learns about the terror she and her sister endured at the hands of her father.

Then, Sloane decides to visit another old friend finds him dead and decomposed. Thrown, sick and unable to deal with more she calls for help and sends photos of the body to Madison to uncover something about this third person’s murder. Another stabbing another classmate gone but why? As she tries to piece it all together more players come into the mix and one night of fun is revealed that would change the course of not only four lives but a young child’s too. Nate, Jesse, Doug and Rusty just what did they do that has been hidden for more than two decades? Why did Jesse find it necessary to make sure that Sloane would leave town? What about Doug’s mother what truths does she reveal about her granddaughter that sets a chain of events in motion that will not end until not only is the killer revealed but a secret uncovered. A secret pact made among four friends to cover up what they did to one young girl, the lies they told her and the end they assumed she met. When Trisa alerts Sloane that her daughter Alexa is missing just who would kidnap this medical student and why? Just who was the person closest to her and where was she now? Author Cheryl Bradshaw takes the reader and Sloane back to a town she would rather forget existed to a place where nightmares visit her dreams and her thoughts of the past evolve into the present. With the help of Giovanni she learns the secret of one woman’s past another’s deceit and the final outcome will leave you breathless and wondering who will live to tell the truth and who will be the killer’s next victim? Persistent, hardnosed, straightforward and definitely not someone to trifle with, Sloane Monroe takes her hometown by the bullhorns and let’s them know she’s not leaving until the secret of the past if brought out front and center in the present. “I Have A Secret,” by Cheryl Bradshaw kept this reader glued to the printed page from start to finish. I read this in one hour because I could not put it down. I have a secret that I will reveal to everyone: This is definitely a great book and the twists, unique ending and strong characters are realistic, interesting and let’s hope Sloane and Giovanni return soon. A smart PI who knows how to get the facts, get the job done and definitely can do it alone.
Fran Lewis: reviewer

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never know who makes the spelling or grammar errors in an ebook so I'll just come out with the two that irked me in this book.
"...fair to midland" should have been middlin'. I've never seen it with the 'g' on the end so I'll leave it at that.
"...haven't a queue" instead of cue.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and enjoyable read. Probably the best in the series so far.

[Dwight Burgess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to believe.

I really enjoy fiction. But this goes beyond fiction. It's like a fairytale. Ms Bradshaw writes better than this, but...........

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attending the high school reunion brings up memories for everyone. Not all the memories are good. Some elements of the story were clear fairly early but the book was well written
Reviewed on Kobo on January 14, 2018

[Robert Crouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book in the Sloane Monroe series finds her at a school reunion, where Doug Ward is brutally murdered. Determined to find out why, Sloane has to go back into the past to find who would want to kill him. As she stirs up old resentments, there are more murders and threats on her life.

Sloane is a resourceful and tenacious private detective with a direct approach that gets results, even if it ruffles a few feathers along the way. She cares about the people she represents and often puts herself in danger – though she’s helped by Giovanni, a mysterious gangster type with a soft spot for her. His help and protection mitigated most of the danger she faced and allowed her to get results with less effort than normal, which rather took the edge off the story for me.

But like the previous two books, which should be read first to get the most out of this one, the writing is smooth and confident, with a good pace, leading to an exciting climax, even though it was fairly straightforward to identify the killer and motive.

If you enjoy character driven murder mysteries by authors like Sue Grafton, the Sloane Monroe series should appeal to you.

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revenge will be had. Sloane has decided to help out an old friend's wife after he is murdered. But the whole town seems to have secrets and who wants the four cool boys dead? The more Sloane digs into Doug's death and life the deeper the secrets become. Why would anyone want to hurt Doug, Rusty and now Nate? And why does the young girl hold all the clues? Will Sloane be able to figure this out before someone else needs to die? The past never stays buried no matter how much you wish it would.
A good read.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 20-year high school reunion on a cruise ship should be filled with fun and pranks, not a missing person that is later revealed as a murder victim. Another similar murder happens back on land. Sloane returns to her hometown to find answers and discovers others aren't happy with her trying to dig up dirt. People trying to keep secrets become desperate and desperate people can become dangerous. While I guessed correctly on most of it, there were a couple of things I didn't know before reveals but I wasn't disappointed by not knowing all.

[Sandra Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy these "Sloane Monroe" mysteries. Fun to read, engaging, great characters, even though I am not really fond of Giovanni. I know he is intended to be a "mystery" inside the mystery, but I don't trust him, and I get annoyed that Sloane does, even though she questions herself on that score all the while. Eventually, it will likely come out that he's a really good guy, but I won't believe it until the Author says so! :D

Always a good story with lots of twists and turns. Keeps me interested throughout.

[Steve Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time I picked up the Sloane Monroe series by Cheryl Bradshaw. Pretty good read, even if the writing could use some proofreading ("fair to midland" gave me a mild conniption fit). It makes me want to pick up more of the stories - while "I Have a Secret" can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, the characters like Sloane, Giovanni and his crew, and Madison have my interest piqued.

[Will Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one wasn't as good as the second in the series, but still an entertaining read. I do recommend reading them in the proper order if you want to fully understand the dynamics between the characters. I really like Bradshaw's writing style and the clean editing. The mystery aspect and the romantic aspect of this one seemed lacking. The mystery aspect because the plot was somewhat predictable, and the romance because it was somewhat missing.

[Terhi Tatjana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry to say I was disappointed in this story. I love Sloane's quirky character, and her tenacity as well as her backstory. In this instalment however, I found the framing of the story to be problematic. To call the tragic gang rape of a girl, no matter how intoxicated and troubled she might have been, a "group sexcapade" is just tone deaf. In the story, the murders of Sloane's high school male friends and her subsequent return to her hometown provided an interesting setting. The lynchpin was a girl (Ivy West) who had disappeared years ago and left behind, though not of her own volition, a little bundle of joy who had been rehomed at the orders of a town high society maven, like some poor shelter kitten. By the time the truth was revealed at the end and the trauma done to Ivy, I was so mad at the language used to describe her violation and the ensuing cover up. When the author finally discussed the crime in appropriate terms, as Sloane learns of it, it was too late for me. I'd already written off the storyline. While I enjoyed the continuing intrigue of Giovanni and his "goons", along with Sloan's dogged pursuit of the truth, the whole thing has soured for me. I'm not a fan of stories where victim-blaming is excused, and the perpetrators are not allowed to meet their just ends. Sloane is given to straddle the line many a time, living in the gray area of not asking too many questions of Giovanni, yet she can't seem to extend the same benefit for someone who has been victimized horribly? Doesn't ring true to me and reflects a character inconsistency. Not only that, the main perpetrator's narration of what happened isn't challenged, it's just accepted despite that no one can corroborate his story because the victim is dead. I'll give the next one in the series a try but it's going to take some recovery for me to get behind this series again.

Favorite Line ~ "The lack of affection I'd been raised with left me with an inability to bond fully without feeling like I was being forced to sit through a long sermon in a sticky church with no air conditioning."

[Ranjana Joshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book that I read in the series and also the first book by the author. The story follows Sloane Monroe, a private detective, as she tries to find the killer of her classmate who was killed in their high school reunion party.
The book is the 3rd in the series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone read as well. The story was interesting, though the plot was predictable. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get to like Sloane’s character too much. I liked Giovanni, though he is not necessarily a good guy. He seems to be a mystery, even to Sloane. Given that she is a detective, she seems to know precious little about her boyfriend. Perhaps, the author has something in store in later books about the man. All in all, a decent read, though a proof-read could have made the reading experience better.

About Me:
I love reading and writing. A more detailed review is posted on my website: www.ranjanajoshi.com. Do check it out and subscribe if you like what you see and if you want a free Aarya short story. You can also check out my books (crime, thriller & mystery genre) either on Goodreads (my author page) or on my website.

[Annette Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

another enjoyable read

Small town secrets and power trips are exposed in this well plotted out story. The language is clean.
A soft touch given to the horrors of gang rape and a life that was tried to live afterward, that’s why it was enjoyable.
The harshness of the actual reality of the crimes committed in the story doesn’t come through in the writing. There is no suspense, no anguish, anxiety felt… no disgust nothing just an enjoyable read.
The other books in this series lack that punch also.
One thing this does do though is make the story more accessible to more readers who don’t like the hard hitting thriller type books.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

While on a high-school reunion cruise, a former schoolmate (Doug) of Sloane's disappears from the ship during a party. Later investigation shows that he was apparently stabbed and thrown overboard. When Sloane begins looking into things with the help of Giovanni, she meets Alex, a young girl who appears to be the daughter of Doug and his wife. When the girl's birth mother shows up, the true story of what Doug and his cronies got up to during their high school days begins to come out. When Alex later disappears, Sloane focuses on finding her. Another good entry in this series.

[Sandra Gest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what type of book this is but it was the best I have read since I read all of Victoria Holt's books. I read it in one day and I am a slow reader. I want to read them all. Would like to know which books are like this, full of twist and turns that you can't put down. This is the second one I read. You are wonderful!!!! I can't think of all the good things I can say about this book. Not many books really grab me from the beginning. Thank you for the great read. I am looking for the next one I want to read! By you of course!! Sandra Gest

[Jackie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this author. She knows how to tell a story. Sloane is on a class reunion when of the classmates is murdered. She being a private eye wants to catch a killer. She returns to her home town and reconnects with some of her classmates. Jesse is a real pain and Sloane,s boyfriend arrives to take care of Jesse. Seems said boyfriend may be involved with the mafia. Meantime two more murders take place and the town is full of secrets. Sloane is determined to uncover the truth.

[Sheila Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A life built on lies

It started with a class reunion on a cruise then one is missing, Monroe immediately goes into her PI mode Doug was a good friend back in the day. Oh god she has to go back to her home town to solve this one. It's a long twisted tale something that happened years ago has come back to haunt the town, and some people never change like Jessy who's a cop now and still thinks he has the right to any woman he wants but not Monroe. Murder kidnap and lies and everyone is in danger. A great thriller that keeps you glued recommend

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good series and I’m enjoying it a lot. I really like Sloan and the more books that come out the more we hear about her history. The more we also learn about Giovanni, which is honestly kind of scary. This particular mystery was kind of disturbing in what it involved… Stabbings of three men that had one secret in common. How long got to the bottom of it was also interesting… sneaking into the security room, and tricking one of the young men to showing her the footage was entertaining for sure

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

she went on a hs reunion cruise. one man was killed. she went back to home town tahacapi
to solve his murder. found out 2 other men dead. stabbed like him.

the wife and he adopted his daughter and told the real mom her baby was dead. the cop killed and buried her but she wasnt dead. she found her daughter when she was grown up and killed all the men who raped her
she died on rr tracks

the pi's mafia boyfriend had her childhoood home burned down, nothing but bad memories there for her

[Debbie Chatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's a PI to do when they go yo their high school reunion and classmates are getting murdered? We'll investigate of course. In this book we follow Sloane as she follows the clues to find the common link between the classmates getting murdered and as she does, she uncovers a secret big enough to kill for. Highly recommend this book for its suspense and Intriqued, with twists and turns to keep you guessing.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

During their 20 year reunion cruise, classmate Doug Ward mysteriously disappears. Sloane Monroe, also a classmate and a private investigator, decides to check the security tapes and sees that Doug was stabbed to death and thrown overboard. After the cruise, a few other male classmates are found stabbed to death. How are these connected? Sloane takes on the case of what seems to be a serial murderer. Could it be revenge for something that happened long ago?

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doug Ward is stabbed and thrown overboard on a cruise ship while celebrating his high school reunion. His wife hires a former classmate of theirs, Sloane Monroe, P.I., to investigate the murder of her husband. What ensues is a race against time as other classmates are also murdered in the same fashion.

Sloane discovers that all Is not what it seems in this mystery that unravels at breakneck speed. Don’t miss this great read by Cheryl Bradshaw.

[Brenda Treddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great thriller.

Sloane is at it again,Murder!!While on a cruise ship for a high school reunion murder happens.Drawn back to her hometown,with bad memories from her childhood.She has to figure out why some on the old gang of men from school are being killed.As always she will find out,but the price is high.Great ending.This to me can be read alone.But it's good to read in order to know Sloane Monroe.

[Cindy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good mystery. Cheryl Bradshaw is amazing at creating believable twists and turns in a story that will keep you turning the pages. This is the third book and so far I have enjoyed every one. I love how she has me wondering through the entire story what the end is going to be. I am also impressed with how she has Sloane learning from her experiences and growing into a more secure person, more mature. Can't wait to start book 4!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Series

An amazing series following the career of Private Investigator Sloane Monroe. Sloane and her partner Giovanni attend Sloane's school reunion aboard a ship. One of Sloane's old class mates ends up murdered and thrown overboard. Sloane goes back to her old town where the mystery deepens with yet another of her class mates stabbed. There are many twists in this one, the series is certainly a thrill ride. Cheryl Bradshaw weaves an intriguing read. Loved it!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beginning of the story was quite intriguing and led nicely into the latest Sloan Monroe adventure.

As in all of her other cases, she did not have a lot of information to track down the murderer. The story flashed back a little to her time growing up while she was attending High School.

The interaction of the characters kept you engrossed until the end when the murderer was exposed in addition to revelation of events which were the motive for the murders.

I enjoyed this story and recommend it highly.