Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Full Disclosure

SERIES: Veiled Intentions #4

AUTHOR: Elle Keaton

PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press

LENGTH: 202 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 29, 2024

BLURB:

Niall didn’t want to know.

He thought he didn’t care what had happened to his mother after she disappeared all those years ago. But, the past has a way of rising from the, er, dead when least expected.

Niall regrets answering that mid-morning phone call.

In the past few years, Niall’s learned to open up his heart an inch or two. He doesn’t like it one bit, but it’s proving impossible to slam it shut again.

Of course, his beloved husband, Mat, and the few people he thinks of as friends rally around him after he learns Ana’s remains have been found–but will they be enough? Will the discovery bring him closure, or will it open a whole new can of worms?

Niall’s guess is worms, but he’s a glass-half-full guy.

Full Disclosure is a Veiled Intentions novella set a few years after Black Moon. It is book four in the series and cannot be read as a standalone.

REVIEW:

While working on several cases for West Coast Forensics, Niall receives a call with news of his long-lost mother. While Niall chases answers and looks up relatives, Mat’s responsibilities keep him on the island, investigating the discovery of a body that has him chasing clues while wishing he was with Niall.

When I saw this book come up for review, I had a fangirl moment – squeal, clapping hands, and all.

Welcome back to the world of Hamarsson and Dempsey. This incredible world has had an extra novella added to the mix. The series is now called Veiled Intensions, and according to Amazon, this book is number four of seven. Do they have this right?? The author’s note at the end makes me wonder. Whether the answer is yes or no – I can yell a big WUHOOOO because I fell in love with the world created by Elle Keaton, and I felt a little cheated at the end of book three as there were a few loose ends. I’m still waiting to see if what Fenrir found has any bearing on a particular cold case. Either way, I am thankful for this extra novella and can say that 2024 looks a iddy-bit brighter.

The tale is told in the third person, with chapters from three viewpoints. As with the other books, World Building is detailed in a way that made me feel like I was a deputy helping with the investigation. It’s very fly on the wall. It was so easy to slip back into their world. It was like wearing that well-worn jumper that makes you want to curl up with a pack of biscuits and your favorite movie, thinking of home. I don’t know if I scored this well because of my love for the world, and I’m chuffed that the series continues. Then again, the world is just that good, and I didn’t put it down until the end when I was sorely disappointed that the next novel wasn’t available.

Damn, if I say too much, I’ll give secrets away – gahhhhh – toys out of the cot moment from me. I want to tell you this and that and, and, and…

Anyhoo.

Seeing a slightly thawed Niall without losing his more stoic side was lovely. Proof of his husband’s influence. Their marriage is tightly unshakable, and their bond shines like a beacon. The wariness of the early days is replaced by total trust. Fenrir and Hel ensure their humans are doing the right thing, too – adding a few scenes that make this series so wonderful.

Niall is following a highly personal cold case, and Mat has a live one with a dead body. Both provide revelations, action, and serious detective work alongside the red tape and hoops law enforcement officers must jump through to get information. Also, at a particularly poignant moment, a few of the island’s character residents make a brief appearance. It was a scene that had me welling up.

Whether there are more in this series or not, this is one loose end that is tied up with a bow. Although, with new characters in the mix, the door is left ajar. Hopefully, Elle Keaton’s demanding public will ask more questions like, what happened to… that encourages this talented (and then some) author to, reach for inspiration and write more.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon