All the Secret Places: A Gin Sullivan Mystery

All the Secret Places by Anna Carlisle is the second tale in A Gin Sullivan Mystery series. Gin Sullivan is living back in Trumball, Pennsylvania with her boyfriend, Jake Crosby. In the early morning hours, Jake receives a phone call that the house is in building for Leon Archer is in on fire. While digging a fire break around the property, the fire fighters find a buried body. When Jake is suspected of torching the home, Gin sets out to prove his innocence once again. Gin gets hired to consult on the body which was found wearing an old military uniform. Who is this person and how long have they been deceased? Gin works with the abrasive Detective Bruce Stillman and the newly appointed Chief of Police Tuck Baxter to solve the crimes. All the Secret Places can be a standalone novel. The author rehashes Gin’s background (growing up in Trumball, her parents, what happened to her sister, her career, love life) and what occurred in Dark Road Home (in detail). The two mysteries have different levels of complexity. Readers will find one mystery easier to solve than the other (one might even surprise some people). I kept hoping there would be a twist to astonish me. Gin’s personal issues dominated the storyline (relationship drama). I quickly tired of Jake’s attitude and kept hoping Gin would ditch him for Tuck Baxter (I liked him). For a smart woman, Gin makes poor choices especially regarding her safety. I am amazed at how often she puts herself in perilous situations. I am giving All the Secret Places 3 out of 5 stars. I found All the Secret Places to be slow going in the beginning and a little long. It could have used some editing to increase the pace and tighten up the story. I wish there had been less repetition of the details surrounding the crimes (they kept repeating the same things over and over).