Product Description

Two dead girls in the river Two tiny statues of the Virgin Mary concealed in their clothing One CSI on the hunt for their killer When Judith Chen is found floating in Boston’s Harbour, links are made with the murder of Emma Hale, a student who vanished without trace, only for her body to wash up months later. CSI Darby McCormick is assigned to the case and uncovers a piece of overlooked evidence from the Hale investigation – which brings her into contact with Malcolm Fletcher, a former FBI agent now on the Most Wanted list after a string of bloody murders. And when a third student goes missing, Darby is led into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with deadly links to the past – and a man who speaks to the Blessed Virgin. A man who wants to be a secret friend to the girls he abducts …

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57724 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

About the Author
Chris Mooney is the author of four previous thrillers. Remembering Sarah was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Award for Best Novel, and his most recent bestselling novel, The Missing, was the first to feature CSI Darby McCormick. He lives in Boston with his wife and son.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant and gripping!!
In this book we meet Darby again. She's a great character. The story is original and well written. I don't usually like American crime stories but Chris Mooney writes really well. I will be reading more of these books!

Fantastic
I first read The Missing and thought it was a wonderful read and would be very hard to repeat. Not the case Chris Mooney is a fantastic writer and I am now going through the web collecting the other books. The secret friend is a constant page turner, it grips you pretty much from the beginning.

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!
discovered Chris Mooney when I picked up his novel Deviant Ways. I instantly fell for Jack Casey and the mysterious Malcolm Fletcher. I have read all of Mooney's books and I have adored all of them.

The Secret Friend is the newest Mooney entry and I have to say that I ADORED this book. Our main character Darby McCormick, who we have seen in Mooney's previous novel is back and she is asked to investigate a body that was found floating in the Boston harbor. After some research, the body is linked to another murder - that of Emma Hale - who has a father with an endless supply of money and many, many connections. As Darby continues to investigate, she will come across a potential third victim which will lead the police on a wild chase to find the third victim before she is killed.

Surprisingly, Darby will get some unwanted help from a very, very important person - who makes a return appearance from Deviant Ways - and I am so thrilled that he is part of the storyline. Mooney made a great move in joining Darby and this character and we now get a tad more info on this character. There is chemistry between the two and from the very beginning, when they meet, you can feel a connection, although Darby refuses to acknowledge it.

What I also loved about this book is the location. Alot of the action takes place in a deserted, spooky mental hospital. Mooney does a great job of describing the hospital and makes it all sound almost supernatural. I thought it really added to the storyline. There is also an interesting twist towards the middle of the book that I was not expecting at all.

All I can say is that I am thrilled to see these two characters in the same book and I think it may be time to bring back someone else from Deviant Ways - please Chris???????

You have to buy this book - its a great read and will make the hair at the back of your neck stand up.