In the Secret Heart

by Kathy J. Jacobson

Millicent Paulson is the beloved choir director at St. John's Church-or is she?

The day following the annual after-Christmas party at her home, Millie is found dead, rocking the small rural community of Farmerton at its core. The last people to see her alive-and the main suspects in the case-are the members of the choir.

Was it jealousy, an unrequited love, a grudge from the past, a guilty thief, or just a random act of violence by a stranger? In Kathy J. Jacobson's In The Secret Heart, join Sgt. Joe Zimmerman as he embarks on the biggest case of his career, and observes the unraveling of things kept only in the "secret heart."

Genres: Fiction

218 pages, Paperback

Published August 27, 2021

About the author

Kathy J. Jacobson is the author of the Noted! fiction series and two mysteries. She has also written devotions for The Word in Season (Augsburg Fortress) periodical.
Kathy is an avid traveler, having visiting all fifty U.S. states and six continents. She loves the theater, hiking, and the Wisconsin Badgers, but her true passion is writing. Her first novel, Noted!, debuted in 2015. Since then, she has published six more books.
Kathy's first mystery novel, In The Secret Heart, was published in 2021 and a sequel, A Change of Heart, in 2022. She is currently working on a third mystery in this series.

Reviews

[Pam F]

Kathy has an easy style of writing that holds the readers interest with you wanting to keep reading. This was a hard book to put down. The deaths of a minister and choir director and the details of the circumstances make the reader believe what makes sense which adds to the beauty of the plot. I hope this book is the start of more to come. While I enjoyed her “Noted” series, this book shows what else she can do! Must read

[Anna Pennington]

I read this book and thoroughly enjoyed the suspense of the story line. It is easy reading and keeps you wanting to continue reading to find out the guilty party. i WOULD HIGHLY RECCOMMEND READING THIS BOOK.

[Christine DeSmet]

Secrets within most of the characters create the satisfying plot in this short (just over 200 pages), small-town traditional police procedural murder mystery starring Sergeant Joe Zimmerman. Joe has his hands full figuring out an almost fool-proof murder plot involving a church and its choir. The aftermath of the murder simmers for months, confounding Joe and the community of Farmerton, Wisconsin. The murder affects him personally, too, as he begins to fall in love again and starts a new regimen to get healthier. The author uses an effective omniscient point of view that allows readers to get inside the head and heart of Joe and each character who may or may not be the killer. A classy novel, well-written in a literary style. Recommended.