Damaging Secrets

Rachel Ryder, Book 1

By: Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

Narrated by: Anne Marie Damman

Best-selling author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson is back, this time with a scrappy heroine whose bold detective work and well-timed one-liners will leave you riveted - and entertained - at every turn.

Damaging Secrets, the first book of her newest crime thriller series, is an engaging story of corruption and cover-up that you won’t soon forget.

New to town and a little rough around the edges, Detective Rachel Ryder finds herself on the receiving end of a suspicious person’s call in Hamby, Georgia. When the call turns out to be a dead body, the medical examiner is quick to rule the death a suicide. But was it something more sinister?

Everyone in the small department believes the case is closed - except for Rachel. The sudden passing of a local politician during the mayor’s run for Congress strikes her as a little too coincidental, and Rachel is eager to follow her instincts. Her partner, Rob, a 30-year veteran, isn’t the type to disobey his boss or ruffle any feathers, but he can’t convince strong-willed Rachel to let it go.

Obsessed with finding out the truth, Rachel begins to examine the evidence and drags her reluctant partner along for the ride. But the clues are confusing. Nothing is adding up.

Puzzled and running out of time, Rachel and Rob rush to work every angle and bring the elusive killer to justice before someone else ends up dead.

©2020 Carolyn Ridder Aspenson (P)2025 Severn River Publishing

4+ stars

This book kept my attention from the outset. The characters and writing are very good and the pace and events kept the story moving. Looking forward to reading more of the series.

Listened to the audiobook:
Well done.

The new cop in town

The newest detective in a small town has a past….one that she isn’t willing to share. When her new case is proving to be more than a suicide, she bucks up against a wall. Turns out that the victim is a high profile man with political connections. Those connections don’t want it known that there’s an escort service run by one of their own. The story starts off a bit dull but gets interesting about midway.

Riveting

Totally enjoy the first book in this series can’t wait to get the second in the series started

Excellent

An excellent start to the series love books with strong women characters and this book delivers on that front. It is fast paced and has great characters. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Great Mystery

Rachel Ryder is a detective in Hamby, GA. A politician turns up dead in his underwear. I like Rachel, the men are all as*hats. I'd love to see Rachel shove that Ma'am up they're as*es. I like that she has her say when possible. This book had my attention from the beginning of the audio. It's an interesting story to listen to. I like Carolyn Ridder Aspenson's witch cozies and this book is just as good, hope book 2 in the series is good too. Well done Mrs. Aspenson, great writing.

Great start to the Rachel Ryder series!!

If you enjoy a good murder thriller that doesn’t fit all the norms for this type of story, grab a copy and settle in for a story that will keep you engaged with characters who are well developed and a story line that has enough twists to keep you guessing. Rachel Ryder’s detective skills aren’t hampered in the least by her personal damage and her being an EOC hire by her current department. When you throw in a partner, Rob, with as much personal baggage you have the ingredients for an interesting series. While reading Damaging Secrets introduced me to a new favorite series and a character who is filled with snarky comments and the skills to back up the snark, listening to the Anne Marie Damman bring Rachel Ryder to life made me realize I needed to listen to the rest of these books. Thanks to Severn River Publishing providing me review copies of the Rachael Ryder audiobooks this was a reality easily realized. If you have read these books, you really need to listen to Anne Marie Damman bring the stories to life. Once you listen to this book, I’ll bet you will be as hooked as I am on this series.

Great Read!

Interesting Storylines and I enjoyed listening to the storylines very much. Would recommend this to my friends.

Couldn't stop listening

When I begin a new series I often fast forward thru the first book, but not this time. The story started fast and kept moving, adding twists and a few flips. Rachel feels real and quickly gets you to root for her and even for her beloved beta fish. She tackles every challenge thrown at her as she fights to end the corruption in her new home town, while she also learns who she can trust. Her partner Bishop is exacerbated by her determination to keep moving ahead on the investigation that everyone else has insisted is closed, but he's also awed by her refusal to go along to get along. Hamby Georgia will never be the same and that is a very good thing.

A Little Too Slow

Overall I enjoyed this book. I felt it was too drawn out, some of the information could’ve been left out without damaging the plot. I’m not really fond of the narrator (I’m hesitant to get the audio because of that) but I read a lot of it and hopefully I’ll get accustomed to the narrator. I will get book 2 as some reviews said it was better and, like I mentioned, it was a good read! Here’s to 5 stars next time!!

I get drawn into the book

I always want more when it is a good book and do not like when it ends.