The Heartreader's Secret

The Faraday Files #3

by Kate McIntyre

The brilliant engineer Emilia Banks has gone missing.

Deathsniffer Olivia Faraday may be partial to solving murders, but this missing persons case is too personal to pass up -- especially when all the clues lead her and her assistant, Chris, to the sprawling countryside manor where Olivia was born and raised. Their investigation reveals new insights into the political conflict raging in nearby Darrington City, but every step is fraught with mysterious deaths, suspicious stalkers, and players both new and old each harboring dangerous agendas of their own.

Are the powerful traditionalists or the anarchic reformists prowling the borders of the estate responsible for the sudden disappearance of Miss Banks? And could the elusive engineer's private project truly change the world forever?

Genres: Fantasy, Steampunk, Mystery, Paranormal

464 pages, Paperback

Published April 12, 2018

About the author

Kate McIntyre was born and raised in the frigid white north, having spent her entire life in Moncton, New Brunswick. She learned to appreciate the quintesstial Canadian things: endless winters, self-deprecating jokes, the untamed wilderness, and excessive politeness. Somehow it was the latter that she chose to write about.

She has been writing since she was five years old and nothing has ever stopped her for long. Her first novel was about a lady mouse detective saving her turtle janitor boyfriend from kidnappers, so it’s nice to know she always loved lady detectives. She is the proud author of sixteen embarrassing hidden novels and one publishable one.

Kate loves crochet, video games, board games, reading, and listening to bad pop music very loudly. She spends several months of the year in Illinois, and the rest of the time lives in a big country home with two cats who refuse to stay on diets and the world’s friendliest dog.

Reviews

[Kate McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm particularly proud of this one! I hope everyone likes it. It was a lot of hard work but I couldn't be more happy with how it's all come together :)

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding yet again! The Faraday Files is one of my most favorite series! The 1900s alternate steampunk London (Darrington City) and the diverse cast of characters found a place in my heart in Kate Mcintyre's debut, The Deathsniffer's Assistant, and I've been watching the characters struggle and cry, laugh and grow, sacrifice and persevere ever since.

But before I get into my review of Kate's newest release, book three, The Heartreader's Secret, I'd like to give you a brief overview of the first two books. (No major spoilers-just shortening review some) In the first book, The Deathsniffer's Assistant, we're introduced to the very eccentric and hard-hearted Olivia Faraday, a Deathsniffer (someone who hunts murderers) and her overly sensitive assistant, Christopher Buckley, a WordWeaver (transcribes thoughts directly to page). Chris and his sister, Rosemary recently lost both of their parents in the Floating Castle accident and Chris has had to take on the responsibility of not only raising Rosemary but trying to keep her safe and out of the hands of the enemy that want to harness her unique and very strong gifts. Chris and Rosemary have been living on the savings that their wealthy parents left them but the money is starting to run out so Chris has to find a job to support them. He's never had to work before so he has absolutely no experience doing anything and Olivia Faraday, who's in need of an assistant to help with her investigations, is the only employer willing to take him on. So there begins the start of an unexpected but fond and spirited comradeship...

In book two, The Timeseer's Gambit, Olivia and Chris have their hands full hunting for someone using bound elementals to kill young priests and trying to find evidence to save Dr. Francis Livingstone who's been falsely accused and is now standing trial for the thousands of deaths caused by the falling of the Floating Castle. In his personal life Chris is struggling with his sexual identity and the mixed feelings he has for both Rachel Albany and his childhood friend, Will.

Then we come to Kate's newest masterpiece, The Heartreader's Secret, Chris's attraction to both Rachel and Will come to a roaring head in this book. We get an in-depth view of how conflicted Chris is with his sexual identity. He really struggles with reconciling his real feelings with his need to conform to society's expectations. On top of that, Emilia, a very brilliant engineer, poc and girlfriend to one of Chris and Olivia's good friends, Maris, has gone missing. Maris, a police officer, is absolutely devastated and she's convinced that something bad has happened to Emilia. On Maris's request, Chris and Olivia travel to the last place Emilia was working which happens to be Olivia's childhood home, Miller's farm. They've traveled under the guise of investigating the suicide of one the stable hands so as not to alert potential suspects that they're on their trail. As Chris and Olivia search for clues to Emilia's dissapearance, we also get a front row seat to the discord between Olivia and her mother and we learn the real reason why Olivia has given up her family legacy to be a Deathsniffer.

So that's a little background on the series thus far. It'a a spectacular series and each book just gets better and better! If you like mysteries with a dash of steampunk, then you should really give this series a try. I guarantee Darrington City and its diverse and eccentric inhabitants will reel you in like they did me!

*I received this ARC from the publisher, Curiosity Quills Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

THE HEARTREADER'S SECRET is a thrilling paranormal-steampunk mystery. That's a mouthful but that is the description that fits with a story that has elements from all three genres. Technology is powered by magical creatures and the main characters have various sorts of interesting powers that they use to solve a missing person case. This genre mash involves some incredible world building that veers onto too complex especially if you are jumping right into the third book of this series. I really enjoyed immersing myself in this story and its complexities though. There are multiple interesting plot threads woven together that revolve around the main missing person plot. While there is so much going on the book isn't tough to get through as it's just one more fascinating revelation or twist after another that keeps you engaged.

Aside from the plot, the characters are wonderful. I loved how many of the main characters have something about them that makes their movement and interactions in Victorian society difficult yet they succeed and even defy expectations. We have Emilia, a female POC and brilliant engineer, a female detective (Olivia), and a female police officer (Maris) who deal with being women in a society that leans more towards dismissing their gender's intelligence. Chris, while he is a white man, struggles with his sexuality and his emotions against the rigid Victorian societal expectations. All are fully realized, non-stereotypes, with their own flaws and strengths that add to the depth of their character.

THE HEARTREADER'S SECRET like the previous two books in The Faraday Files is imaginative, entertaining, and full of heart. If you like your genres mashed together in a well-written, thought provoking way, I'd say pick this series up.

[Lori S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one caught me in the solar plexus at the end and I had tears. Christopher and his sister, Rosie, both have to make hard choices for themselves and their friends as well as each other. Christopher is just getting the hang of his feelings for Will and Rachel, and is very confused by both. Though a bit of a slow read, this series building up to something more than just the sum of its parts and I look forward to seeing what the conspiracy and the characters develop into in future stories.

[Anna lost in stories *A* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book :) first things first, this is the third installment in what seems to be a four-book series, and those books are very much connected to one another, so you really should read them in order to get the most of the experience and to understand all the connections between characters... :) but fear not if you are brand new to this series... just because I am so much in love with it doesn't mean that the whole world knows it ;) I am hoping to change that ;) anyway... I will have a totally spoiler free next paragraph, talking about the series and some major characters in general, and then the third and last one will be all about this third book and will include certain spoilers from the first two, so please skip that one if you are not caught up with the series :)

The Faraday files is a steampunk / paranormal series taking place in Darrington... it's a made up city where technology is mixed with... magical creatures :) that's the shortest way for me to describe it right now, for more details be sure to check out the first book :) it's explained much better there ;) some people in this world have talents... abilities may be a better word for it :) that are unavailable for the rest of them :) again, it's much better explained in the book, so let's just go with the super short explanation and move on :) a few years ago there was a huge accident that killed a lot of people... I won't go into details about it, but in each book we get a little glimpse into that event and more details about what exactly happend there and why... but the main focus of the series is on Chris... he's connected to that event, but I'm not gonna spoil you how :) at the beginning of the first book he's looking for a job... money he inherited from his parents are basically gone and he has a younger sister to take care of... even though they were raised in... I wanna say upper-ish family, they now struggle... so an opportunity to work as a deathsniffer's assistant is basically his last chance... and that's how we meet Olivia Faraday :) *sighs happily* I absolutely adore that woman :) think of her like a female equivalent of Sherlock Holmes... she's sort of a detective and she needs someone to help her with the cases... make notes and such ;) because usually she scares them off pretty quickly :) since Chris is pretty desperate, he's also very determined to get and then hold on to this job :) each book concentrates on a diferent case but there are things and events that have consequences in other books and many things are connected to one another, that's why I very highly recommend you to read this series in order :) it's amazing, full of phenomenal writing style, complex characters and just overall awesomeness :) ok, now that we have this explanation out of the way, let me tell you more about the third book :)

Last warning, if you haven't read the first two books avert your eyes... I won't spoil anything that happens in this installment, but I will talk about people and events from the previous two books so proceed with caution :) ok, let's jump into all the reasons why I adored this newest installment :) what will I start with? :) let's go with character development... :) I am truly amazed how much the people I've met before have changed... how Chris matured... although he does one incredibly stupid thing in this novel that I'm gonna have problems to forgive him for... *sighs* but it's still a difference from Chris we met at the beginning of the series... and Olivia... I already mentioned it, but I will say it again :) I adore her... and she changes a lot... it may not be spectacular, but it's a lot of small things that paints such a complicated picture of her as my favourite character... especially since in this installment we visit her childhood home and get to know more about her history... it definitely helped me understand her more... :) and we got to see Will again... *sighs happily* I think it may be a tie between him and Olivia, cause I forgot how much I adore him as well... he's yet another complex person :) this installment revolves around a missing person, which is very unusual, cause Olivia deals with murders, but when a friend asks for help, even she can't refuse... the case is as always layered and complicated, and throughout the whole book we uncover more and more facets of it... and everything leads to a pretty spectacular ending... trust me... I am dying to get my hands on the fourth, and if I remember correctly, the last book in this series... cause a lot of archs and events came together in this installment, we discovered a few things... I definitely still have some questions... but I think everything came together very nicely to make us super curious and excited about that final book... :)

XOXO

A

[Peter Bensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not happy with where Ms McIntyre is going with this series. I loved the first two books, but I wanted to see Christopher grow emotionally a little faster than he has in this book, and honestly no one could be quite as dense as he is. I am tired of him careening from one emotional wreck after the other without ever understanding himself better. I realize that the characters in this series are "writ large" with big emotions but the consequences for anyone exposed to the disharmony, cruelty and barbs thrown around here is going to be more significant than we see here. Christopher's relationship with Will does not make sense, nor does Olivia's relationship with her mother; both have been artlessly thrown into conflict to create emotional tension - but honesly, "I wish your brother had lived and you had died; you are a monster." All said by a mother to her daughter after some banal irritation? There are so many better ways to create tension in a story between characters.

The plot of this story is good and I like the support characters Ms McIntyre creates, I just wish she gave Christopher some more depth. Also - Irritation! There is a significant lack of editing in the kindle edition: a missing or extra article, misused preposition, duplicate words, at least once every five pages. In some cases you have to re-read a sentence to figure out what the author meant.

[Marie -The Reading Otter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review:
I recieved this book from the publisher for review.

I don't know what has changed my opinion on this series. Maybe that it's been 2 years since I read the last book, maybe my reading tastes have changed, maybe a little of both?

What I can say is that there are far too many plot lines in these books to have a very cohesive plot through the three. Being the third book, and with each book having about 300-400 pages, I would have thought that by now some things would have had some closure, but all that's been happening is more questions added on. This book did a better job of tying up loose ends, but still, things should have been far more resolved by now.

I don't know if I will be reading the next book in the series, I don't know how long it will be for that book to come out, and I don't know how many books this series is going to have. I might just wait and until all the books are out then either buy them or borrow them from the library to finish the series.

[Jenessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I was certain that nothing could top The Timeseer’s Gambit for me, but Kate McIntyre just keeps getting better every book. If this is the same sort of quality I can expect from the last book, I’m extremely excited.

The Heartreader’s Secret finds Christopher Buckley and his employer looking into a disappearance in Olivia’s home, where Chris’ sister Rosemary has been hiding from the growing conflict between reformist and traditionalist factions. But there’s much more to this case than just the disappearance. Chris has to deal with the growing knowledge that he can’t keep Rosemary safe, or even hidden, forever, while Olivia has to face her mother and a past she’s tried to leave behind. And, in the midst of that, Chris has to decide who it is he wants to become, both to Rosemary and to everyone else he loves.

I’m fighting really hard not to just write a huge review about how much I love William Cartwright, despite the fact that he’s not in this book very much! As the title would suggest, this is Rachel Albany’s book, dealing with what she’s been doing while looking after Rosemary in the countryside. My opinion of Rachel has always been fairly indifferent, but she had a lot of complex and interesting moments in this book that continued to deepen and flesh out her character. In addition, this book continues the trend of teaching us more about Olivia -- Summergrove and Miller are where she’s from, home to all sorts of shadows from her past, and it’s genuinely enthralling to learn more about her history. But that’s hardly a surprise, is it? Olivia is always so captivating.

And, as usual, Chris is outstanding this book. Watching him grow as a person and realize what he really wants is satisfying and very cathartic, especially since the book makes it clear quite early on that he still has a lot of growing to do.

In fact, with every book, I’m impressed and pleased by how human McIntyre’s characters are. They make mistakes and have foibles like real people, and sometimes -- like real people -- you just want to grab them by the shoulders and demand what the hell is wrong with them. But at the end of the day, just like any real human being, they’re just trying to find their way in the world, growing a little bit at a time, and that’s worth celebrating.

The more science fiction and fantasy series I read, the more frustrated I grow with how often the second books in a trilogy or third books in a quartet don’t seem to matter. So often the plots are complete sidetracks from the story’s most important conflict, and I’ve read some books where I’ve known that the final entry in the series won’t mention almost anything from the previous one or two. But this book does a fantastic job of setting up the final conflict while still making it clear that what happened in this book and Timeseer’s Gambit are going to matter. There’s no “movie 2” syndrome here, no plot culdesacs like what have derailed other series I enjoyed. What happened to all the characters in Timeseer as well as this book matter and will have a massive impact on what happens in the final book in the series. (Speaking of that, I can’t wait to hear more about when that’s going to come out -- I’m on the edge of my seat already!)

I’m going to really miss this series when it’s gone, but whatever McIntyre writes next, I’ll be there for.

[Rainbow Unicorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

The third installment of the Faraday Files is finally here, and I am glad to be able to say with confidence that it is the best one yet. Of the two previous novels in the series, it has been my opinion that The Deathsniffer's Assistant has so far boasted the better mystery, while The Timeseer's Gambit featured a more satisfying delve into the personal lives and relationships of the Faraday Files' EXCELLENT cast. In The Heartreader's Secret, we are treated to both a tightly plotted, well put together mystery alongside an oftentimes hilarious, sometimes frustrating and occasionally heartbreaking progression of character interaction and relationships -- both platonic and otherwise.

The Heartreader's Secret opens with Chris and Olivia doing what they do best -- bringing murderers to justice with customary style, efficiency and just the right amount of charming banter between them. However, early on in the novel a dear mutual friend disappears under extremely suspicious circumstances, and they are persuaded to take on a case rather outside their wheelhouse: missing persons, after all, are not necessarily the same as murdered persons.

But don't worry. There's plenty of murder in this one to go around... and the bodies left behind are not the ones I expected.

The mystery and intrigue satisfies, and did I mention the EXCELLENT cast? In The Heartreader's Secret, we leave behind the urban backdrop of Darrington City and travel to the countryside... more specifically, to Olivia's childhood estate, a sprawling orchard that has become the unlikely yet compelling eye of a political whirlwind, hosting a number of significant guests both new and known and near and dear to us from the previous novels. Christopher's spiritbinder sister Rosemary is among them, as well as "The Good Doctor" Livingstone, the brilliant engineer Emilia Banks, and the titular Heartreader, Rachel Albany. Presiding over it all is Olivia's own mother, Elouise Faraday, and the complexities of their mother-daughter relationship are every bit as compelling as the novel's central investigation and the overarching political intrigue of the series.

Olivia and Christopher's partnership continues to be my personal favorite aspect of these books; in this book we are finally treated to more than just a glimpse of the "real" Olivia -- and everything we learn just makes me love her more and more.

Overall, I cannot recommend this series highly enough -- and my fellow fans of the first two will be pleased to find that this third installment has been well worth the wait.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Heartreader’s Secret is the third in Kate McIntyre’s Faraday Files series, a queer fantasy mystery series. I do suggest reading the books in order, so starting with The Deathsniffer’s Assistant. I don’t think I can fully avoid spoilers for the previous two books in this review, so head on over to The Deathsniffer’s Assistant if you’re not familiar with the series (and it’s a great series, so I really do suggest considering it).

Olivia Faraday is only interested in solving murders — other crimes are too boring or petty to be of interest to her. But when her personal friend, the brilliant Emilia Banks, goes missing, Olivia agrees to take on the case, even though it involves a trip back to the countryside manor of her childhood. Of course, Chris Buckley will be going with her as her assistant. To avoid arousing suspicion, they claim to be investigating what appears to be a clear-cut suicide. Only, as they start their investigation, coincidence upon coincidence pile up.

As they investigate, there’s personal conflict aplenty, for both Olivia and Chris. Olivia has an acrimonious relationship with her mother, who is trying to pressure Olivia into taking over the family business. Chris looks forward to seeing his sister and her governess, Miss Rachel Albany. Only, his sister seems to have grown up in the months they’ve been apart and he struggles to relate to her. And while he can’t deny that he’s attracted to Rachel, he can’t stop thinking of William… who he bitterly insulted and hurt at the beginning of the book.

Chris is a mess. A huge mess of fear and panic and self hatred. He’s internalized all this stuff about what society says is proper and normal, and he’s beginning to admit that it might be wrong, but he still struggles to take that knowledge into himself and move on from the expectations of society. Essentially, Chris is in that stage of self coming out where he’s freaking out about not being straight and what society considers “normal.” In the process, he manages to put his foot in it and alienate practically everyone he cares about, except for Olivia, who’s too abrasive herself to really be put off by it.

While I hate what Chris is doing, I can’t hate him for it. I don’t want to get too personal here, but I’ve experienced a lot of those emotions. Thankfully, not to the same extent because I don’t live in a fantasy society with Victorian-esque social mores, but I get the panic and fear of not being “normal.” I’ve mostly gotten over it, am out in most areas of my life, and have realized that “normal” is a pretty ridiculous concept to begin with. Chris hasn’t reached anywhere near the same sort of self acceptance yet, but I think he’s on the path to. He spends much of The Heartreader’s Secret guilty and miserable, but he has some important realizations. His character growth is one of the most compelling aspects of the Faraday files.

But enough about Chris! There’s plenty else to appreciate in The Heartreader’s Secret. For one, you get Olivia’s backstory. I love Olivia so much. A brash, eccentric lady detective with a strange fashion sense and complete disregard for social propriety? *swoon* I’ve loved her since book one, and I continue to love her here. Otherwise, Rosemary is really coming into her own, growing in confidence and abilities.

The mystery itself is intriguing, although I suspected the culprit pretty quickly. However, I still didn’t have much clue as to means or motivation, so the story still had plenty of surprises left in store for me.

There’s only one book left in this series. I both desperately want to read it and want to put it off as long as possible, because what will I do when this series is over?

I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.

Review from The Illustrated Page.

[OwlKit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy. As with the previous two books in this series, I devoured this one in under two days (and still, I was doing my best to exercise some self-control). Because even when something feels entirely mundane in this story, it's never boring, it's never dull. There's always some detail to be noted, some development, some new piece of information or emotion to slowly make up the bigger picture, some new facet of this amazing world to be revealed. The mystery had me constantly searching for new breadcrumbs in the story, and the slow reveal of Olivia's past and family was so compelling. Not to mention, I'm such a sucker for good character/relationship development, as well as interesting villains. And while the first two books have definitely been layered and complex, this one kicks it up a notch; it feels bigger, denser, like it's really building up to the finale.

Seeing Chris and Olivia's friendship evolve and deepen has been incredibly satisfying, and moving, as it has been to see them change each other for the better. Speaking of, I've always found Chris to be a frustrating character -- but in the very best way. I adore him, and so many times I've had to pause reading to just sigh, close my eyes with my hand against my forehead and whisper, "Chris, no". Because he is frustrating. He is a snob, immature in many ways, and something of a coward -- but the reader is made very aware of it. In truth, he behaves like most of us would (if we're being honest), and he's constantly called out on it by other characters -- which makes his growth and development all the more satisfying. He's not a static character, but actually noticeably changes. Just like seeing Olivia soften up and accept that yes, sometimes you find a friend person and there's actually no catch to it at all (and the cats, good god the cats, yes). Plus, I really liked the development of Rosemary and her relationship with Chris; it was a long time coming, and it was good.

As always, the romance aspects of this book(/series) are so important to me, as someone who identifies as bisexual. Seeing Chris's struggle, understanding it despite being infuriated by it, with both potential love interests written as well-rounded characters in their own right and not just as simply love interests -- it's what I'm here for (also, Will is my son and I would die for him, just putting that out there). In short, The Heartreader's Secret is everything I want from a story, and I'm already dying to read the conclusion to the series.

[Rachel McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book did the trick because after receiving a copy on Netgalley and reading it through, I immediately went and bought the first two in the series.

In a world not unlike our Edwardian era, there is magic, sure, through the power of elementals; but there is also murder.

McIntyre plays on the Sherlock Holmes slant here pairing Christopher Buckley ( an arresting character with a lot of heart and pragmatism) with Olivia Faraday, a scientific automaton who rubs people the wrong way and is a death sniffer ( solves murders).

The world is dark and creaking, the banter is sharp and while I found there could have been a tighter hand at editing, I was really moved by the depth and growth of relationships in this instalment. Christopher is learning where his heart truly lies while investigating a secret close to where his beloved sister Rosemary is hiding.

There is a brewing war between two parties: reformalist and traditionalists and the politicized undercurrent surges the book with an intelligence as well as adds an additional layer to the carefully crafted world.

For readers of Holmes ( of course), Catherine Webb, Natasha Pulley and VE Schwab, I would recommend this unique and expertly plotted series.

With thanks to Netgalley for the review

[Wontfor · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I was given an advance reading copy of this book for an honest review)

So I've been pretty busy at work, and I haven't been reading as much. However, I've also been waiting to get further along in this mystery, and the world around it for quite some time. I was very pleased to be able to get an ARC for it. I refreshed myself by skimming a couple of the previous entries which got me excited to dig into the new one, and boy howdy.

The flow from the previous entries is great because this one builds on all of the lore that the previous two introduced while also teasing some delicious new facts about the world. We get to dig into Olivia's origins quite a bit in this one, and it's so good. Once again there's a self-contained mystery as well as more details going into the central mystery of the series.

I love the dialogue, and the setting details, and Chris is just such a lovely person to want to reach through the page and ask him to stop being so frustrating, but in a good way.

Cannot wait for the next book because it's looking like we're diving into the central mystery wholesale, and I'm super excited.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this world and its story and characters. This third installment (3 of 4 in the series) was worth the wait. Not to give away spoilers, but some of the will they/won’t they and is she/isn’t she questions get answered for several of the characters. I love to read series that provide this gradual peeling away of layers of illusion to get to the truth, where you end each book with a little different (hopefully better) understanding of how things really are.

And I love Abigail, Tremaine too. Who wouldn’t?

[Alexandra Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've really, really enjoyed these books and I hope that there are more in the works! But please, please get a better editor. There are so many mistakes in these books (and this last one particularly) that it gets a little distracting. The writing and the stories are so wonderful, I just want your editor to match that quality

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOD the last 15% of this book is like being repeatedly hit by a freight train. Still hoping the last book in the series stuck in publishing limbo might come out someday, because I'd really love to see this series concluded, especially after this book's ending [longing look in the direction of The Spiritbinder's Key]

[Amanda Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! I'm so glad I somehow discovered this series. These are really some of the best books I've read this year! And I learned that Kate McIntyre is the sister of Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block. Ha!

[Julia Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason I'd been under the impression this was the end of the series, so I'm super excited that it sounds like their saga isn't over!

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Honestly, I absolutely adore this series and this latest installment in the 4 book series will top my best reads of 2018 list. The characters are complex, the world building subtle yet distinct, and we even have a mystery to solve by the end of each book. But at its heart, it's a story about relationships and different forms of love - from platonic to passionate.

Story: When Olivia and Christopher are called upon to find a missing person (someone close to them), the trail leads, oddly enough, to the estate run by Olivia's mother. Using a recent suicide as an excuse to return, old animosities between mother and daughter resurface. But for Christopher, it is a bit of a homecoming as well; his younger sister Rosemary has been hidden away there to protect her from those who would seek to abuse her spirit binding abilities. As well, Christopher is still grappling with his feelings for both Rachel and William; where does his heart truly lie? The most private and quietest estate in the countryside is about to become the most infamous as secrets are revealed and a plot to destabilize the government is uncovered .

There are several plot threads interwoven beautifully here: Christopher finding a changed sister, Olivia having to return to the responsibilities she spurned to become a deathsniffer, Maris seeking her missing partner, Christopher and Rachel trying to come to terms with their mixed signals of attraction, and more. It made for a layered and fascinating blend that really highlighted author McIntyre's writing prowess. I honestly did not want the book to end, even if it meant I never got to see the mystery solved.

The Heartreader's Secret was also rewarding in that we get many more answers to questions raised in earlier books. Olivia, especially, is given quite a bit of character growth as we explore her complicated history with her mother and her family's estate. But much more about the world building and clear direction of what we can expect in the next (and last) book are welcome aspects of this book 3.

For me, The Faraday Files series has two outstanding points: the witty dialogue and heartbreaking relationship between Christopher and William. I was hooked in the first book as soon as William appeared in the story but it is the delicious banter between Olivia and those with whom she interacts that keep me hooked. There were so many bon mots dropped as to contantly put a smile on my face while reading.

If I had a nitpick, it's that it seems every one except Olivia has a remarkable unique snowflake gift or talent. It's not enough to have the ability - they have to be exceptional at it. And that so many are constantly running into each other over the same mystery is tried to be explained away but it does feel like a strangely small world. This were small for me and not enough to reduce my five star rating.

The Faraday Files has been one of my best reading finds in the last several years. The series is incredibly well written, entertaining, imaginative, and full of pathos. I can only hope the wait for book 4 will not be too long. . Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really fascinating and interesting but it shouldn't be read as the first one in this series.
That was my mistake and I was really confused for at least part of the book as I was feeling there was a lot of world building and background but I was not able to understand about them.
I like the development of the characters, their emotional baggage and struggles. The mystery is intriguing and keep you guessing till the end.
A good book but not a good choice if it's the first one you read in this series.
Many thanks to Curiosity Quills Press and Netgalley for the ARC