Wired Secret: Vigilante Justice Thriller Series

Wired Secret continues the saga of heroine Sophie Ang, former FBI Agent specializing in computer surveillance, and now working for a private security company. In this novel, writer Toby Neal once again demonstrates her ability to weave a tale so compelling that the reader feels they are a part of the book. I read this book in three days, reading through meals and at every break I had in the day. Neal’s strengths as a writer lie in her ability to create detail in her stories of place and culture, allowing the reader to enter a world that feels real. Characters are not just fully developed, they are imbued with distinct and multi-layered personalities which Neal continues to enhance and grow with each successive book. Readers feel transported in space and time to the world in which these characters reside, where we see, feel, and hear what they do. Wired Secret has (as all the books in Neal’s series do) serious plot twists that leave the reader guessing until the end, although Neal never violates the reader’s trust, and these twists do not strain the boundaries of credibility. In Wired Secret, the plot twists are not just in terms of the crime arc, they involve Sophie’s personal relationships with her lovers and her mother. I was on the edge of my seat until the end of the book, and now am anxiously awaiting the next in the series. Sophie is a highly complex character who has dark secrets in her past that drive her decisions, actions, and relationships, and throughout this series, Neal has stayed true to Sophie’s character while allowing her to grow. We clearly see Neal’s background as a therapist here, and her in-depth knowledge of human behavior, as Sophie struggles with clinical depression. If you’ve suffered with depression or lived with someone who has, this aspect of the story can be difficult to read, but is honest and true. I loved this book, and I’ve said about earlier books that they were the best in the series so far. But the truth is, Toby Neal’s writing keeps getting better and better, even though it was excellent when she started. So as she continues to write, each novel exceeds its predecessors in the quality of the writing, and the plot and character development. Neal is one of my favorite authors, and her writing puts her in company of writers such as Louise Penny, Alan Bradley, Lee Child, and Michael Connelly.

Sophie Ang has to stay alive to act as a witness, but someone wants her out of the way. Her strength and abilities have seen her through some troubled times in her working life AND her personal life. In this book in the series, (without giving anything away) she has to rely on a friend to keep her alive. Her mother has also returned into her life with a proposal which she is undecided about, her boyfriends all want her to be a part of their lives and Sophie herself doesn't know which way to turn, leading to her depression returning with a vengeance. I have read all of Toby's Lei Crime series as well as these Paradise Crime series and one thing I love about them is the author's ability to convey the atmosphere of the Hawaiian Islands. Her characters resonate with a truth and integrity to them all. She obviously knows the locations well and her descriptions allow the reader to feel as if they bask in the sunshine of the islands. I have recommended Toby's books to many friends,s all of whom have also enjoyed them. I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an unbiased review.

WIRED SECRETS by Toby Neal Paradise Crime 7 Chang’s a drug family; private firm Sophie and Jake getting Holly into witness program. Before they leave the cell, a riot, and a jammer used so no signal out. Needing help from Conner, an ex boyfriend, there is a leak in the Hawaiian branch of WITSEC, take the case that’s all. Her personal life, she is too honest Alika, boyfriend of Sophie, as well as Jake her partner, feelings for both, that hurts them. Then her mother has a Proposal, that can’t be good either. Sophie is honest, she wants to right the wrong that is being done. See justice for who ever this mole is. Love and have read all of her books they don’t disappoint the readers. She brings the beauty of the island, the richness in the characters to us. As we wait for the next one. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.