Nine Hidden Lives
Robert Gold
370 pages
Bookouture
published April 10, 2025
About the book
A town bursting with secrets. One last chance to find my mother’s killer…
Thirty years ago, my mother was found murdered. I remember holding my teddy bear close, listening as the police told my father they couldn’t find her killer. She was only two miles from home when she was brutally attacked and left for dead in her car by the forest-lined highway. They said they interviewed everyone in our small town, but no one saw a thing…
Every year, on the anniversary of her death, I dive back into the case, hoping to uncover something new. But this year, I receive a note that turns my blood to ice:
Stop asking questions while you still can. Don’t make the same mistake as your mother.
I think back to my mother’s last moments. She was a journalist, and before she died, she bravely uncovered terrible accusations of abuse. My hands shake, but now I know I must dig deeper. This threat confirms someone killed her to keep their secrets safe.
But when I find my first lead, a young woman who comes to my workplace, wild-eyed, demanding to speak with me, the police arrive and force her out. Does she know something about what happened in the fog the night my mother was killed? Are the police silencing her too? Are they protecting someone?
People can only keep their secrets for so long, and this town has spent the last thirty years hiding in the shadows. I must bring the truth to light. Even if everyone threatens me. Even if it costs me my life…
A heart-pounding, brilliantly twisty crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Kendra Elliot.
My Review
I love a book that is structured like a police procedural but involves someone other than the police. In this one Ben is an investigative journalist and investigating a case that is close to home. The close to home paired with his job makes him very much a relentless seeker of information.
I was so drawn in and captivated by the first book in the series and found Ben and his back story so relatable. While this is book four, it is easily read as a stand alone, you’ll just miss out on the growth of the recurring characters. It is nice to see Ben and Dani happy and planning for the birth of their child. He also has some other growth in his personal life, but I’ll let you discover that as you read.
The case is complex and there are a lot of characters. Even having read the books in the series, I found the first time I started this, there was a lot going on in my life and I wasn’t committed to following the layered plot and started over and was much more invested in the book and following the cast of characters.
This is definitely for those that loves to unravel the story to get to the most important facts. It allows the reader to step into Ben’s shoes and investigate too.
About Robert Gold:
Robert Gold co-wrote three James Patterson titles in 2016 for his Bookshot series. Robert started his career as an intern for CNN in Washington DC, before he moved into the publishing world, where he was the nationwide book buyer for Asda/Wal-Mart. He now works in sales for a UK publishing company.
Living in Putney, London, you often might find him running along the riverbank or back through the woods from Barnes. Putney and Barnes are the real-life towns, fictionalised as Haddley and St Marnham in Twelve Secrets. Many of the places in the books can be found in Robert’s hometown.
Twelve Secrets was a top ten Sunday Times bestseller and was published by Sphere in the UK in March 2022. It is the first in a new crime series following journalist Ben Harper as he seeks to uncover the truth surrounding his brother’s gruesome childhood murder. Robert’s own career in journalism serves as an inspiration for his character, Ben Harper.
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