The Secrets We Keep

Secrets can be a real killer.

Anna Scavolini thought she'd left Glasgow far behind her. Since quitting her job after her employers failed to back her when she most needed them, she's been enjoying the quiet life in Italy. But when her old boss, Fraser Taggart, asks her to investigate the death of a former university colleague, she reluctantly returns to lay the ghosts of the past to rest.

Officially, Hugh MacLeish died of natural causes. Unofficially, he took his own life shortly after confessing to Fraser that he was being blackmailed. And, as Anna retraces the final months of Hugh's life, she finds herself entangled in a mystery that leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew about her former mentor.

Who was blackmailing Hugh? What leverage did they have over him? As Anna edges closer to the answers she seeks, she must decide whether the truth is what she really wants - or if some secrets are best forgotten.

PRAISE FOR M.R. MACKENZIE

'One of the most consistently accomplished writers on the current scene.' - Financial Times

'Mackenzie has come up with something that defies easy definition and is truly original.' - NB Magazine

'Brings a fresh new voice to the field of Tartan Noir.' - James Oswald

'Writes with precision and passion.' - Caro Ramsay

'An immersive slow burn of a tale, peppered with disquieting fire-crackers of revelation.' - Gordon J. Brown

2025 IngramSpark® Editorial Selection - Mystery/Thriller