October 20, 2025 - fundinmentalfundinmental

MY REVIEW

The blade slices deeply into her neck, and arterial spray sweeps across her vision.

OMG. With a start like that, there is no way I could pass up a chance to read Her Buried Past by Carolyn Arnold. I wonder how Detective Madison Knight will handle all the blood. Even though she has an aversion to blood, she wanted to be a cop, like her grandfather.

Madison is married to Troy, a SWAT commander for the Stiles police department. She had lost a baby eleven months earlier. She never considered herself as the maternal type, but if she would have had the baby, she would have cared for it, loved it as only a mother can. I can relate to Madison eating cold pizza for breakfast. I do it too. I love when an author includes moments that make the characters come to life.

Her partner, Terry, is married to the love of his life, Annabelle, and has an eighteen months old baby girl, Dani. He is a proud papa.

Sidney is a new age therapist, believing in past life regression. But, she has secrets. As Madison and Terry dig into her life, the secrets are exposed, putting them in danger.

At the end of the book, Carolyn Arnold poses a question:

Did the twists and turns catch you by surprise, as they did Madison, and keep you flipping the pages.

You betcha. But, that’s no surprise to me. I expect that from Carolyn Arnold. She breaks her mysteries down and take us step by step to the conclusion. She does put those twists and turns into her novels, drawing me in, making it hard to put the book down until the last page is read.

My thanks go out to Carolyn Arnold, Hibbert & Stiles Publishing, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review Her Buried Past.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The blade slices deeply into her neck, and arterial spray sweeps across her vision. She puts her hand over the wound, feeling the fight already leaving her. In a moment of surrender, she must believe something marvelous will come after she takes her last breath. Otherwise, she’ll be left with nothing but the blackness that is edging in.

After therapist Sidney Callahan is found dead in her home office, Detective Madison Knight drives out to her remote cabin. Also used as a spiritual retreat to explore past-life regression, the otherwise peaceful property stands out in stark contrast to the messy murder scene. With signs of a struggle but no forced entry, Madison must figure out who would want to harm this woman.

Madison soon discovers that Sidney had planned to release a book featuring her patients’ past lives, and she suspects one of them didn’t want their secrets exposed. But as Madison and her partner, Terry Grant, dig deeper, they make the shocking discovery that the therapist had her own dark past.

As they continue their investigation, Madison and Terry must navigate a web of lies and danger. But just as they are inching closer to the truth, someone tries to stop them with deadly force. Will they be able to bring justice to Sidney? Or will they become the next victims?

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Police Procedural, Suspense, Thriller
282 pages, Paperback
Expected publication October 8, 2025 by Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc
Series: Detective Madison Knight #14

ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from police procedurals, hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.