New Romantic Suspense Novel an Easy, Enjoyable (Enough) Read

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

As a big city reporter, Kate Beaumont doesn't stop asking questions until she gets answers.  The question haunting the 30-year-old now is, why did her brother kill himself?  What would make a young man with a bright future take his own life?  Why did Jason, who had been clean for three years, ingest a toxic cocktail of drugs and alcohol, committing suicide in a lonely spot in the local graveyard?  None of it makes any sense.  Furious at herself for not being there when Jason needed her most, Kate vows to find out exactly what happened to the beloved sibling she has always protected.  

Kate travels to Laurel Ridge, Pennsylvania, the tiny town where Jason had been interning for an investment group.  Her presence immediately attracts attention in a village where newcomers are rare.  McKinley "Mac" Whiting, an ex-Marine who serves as Laurel Ridge's police chief, takes a special interest in the pretty reporter.  Wary of anyone who might stir up trouble in his town, he keeps a close eye on her.  It doesn't take long for her questions about Jason to attract the wrong kind of attention.  Someone is trying to stop her from digging into her brother's death.  But who?  Was Mac wrong in labeling Jason's death a suicide?

As Kate and Mac pair up to investigate Jason's death, the two grow closer together.  A relationship between them can never work, despite the sparks that crackle between them.  Still, Kate relies on the solid police chief to help find answers.  Desperate to keep Kate safe, Mac is torn between forcing her to leave Laurel Ridge and begging her to stay.  Can he protect her from the enemies she's making, one of whom may be a cold blooded killer?  And what about his heart?  Can he keep it safe?  

Marta Perry has authored many romance and romantic suspense books set in her native Pennsylvania.  Her newest, How Secrets Die (available June 28, 2016), is no exception.  The novel introduces a warm-hearted little town in the middle of Amish country—one that hides some sinister secrets.  These types of settings are my favorite.  Still, Laurel Ridge definitely needed more color to make it come alive.  Its residents felt more like caricatures than real people.  The same can be said of Kate and Mac, neither one of whom hadHow Secrets Die is an easy, entertaining read, just not one that really stands out from the crowd.
enough complexity to be really intriguing.  Their insta-love relationship likewise felt forced.  While I appreciated Perry's ability to write a clean romantic suspense novel with enough conflict to keep me reading, I would have liked more from it—more depth, more originality, more surprises.  As is,

(Readalikes:  I'm not much of a romantic suspense reader, so nothing's coming to mind.  Ideas?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence, references to illegal drugs, and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished e-copy of How Secrets Die from the generous folks at Harlequin via those at TLC Book Tours.  Thank you!