PARADE OF SECRETS
A Lane Hayes Mystery
By Kimberly Fish
Historical Mystery / Female Sleuth
Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing
Publication Date: October 31, 2025
Pages: 341
*** SYNOPSIS ***
Layers of history, suspense, and emotion.
March, 1948. Lane Mercer Hayes, and her husband, Zeke, have that post-war life that everyone envies. His winning record as a prosecutor and a scratch golfer, teamed with her finesse in a bookshop puts them on the list of up and coming leaders in Longview, Texas. That is, until Lane is exposed by Senate candidate, Lyndon B. Johnson, for the clandestine role she plays in a Black-owned security agency. Forced to face the cracks in her marriage and the boredom in her life, she can no longer be that “teacup of whiskey” that former Big Inch pipeline associates nicknamed her. Though newspaper headlines tout prosperity and development, Lane can’t get past the emptiness in her soul after the adrenaline rush of working for the Office of Strategic Services during the war.
Longview, Texas, is changing—from LeTourneau Incorporated bringing big manufacturing to the construction of Lake Cherokee and even the massively celebrated Gregg County Diamond Jubilee and the return of the popular Founder’s Day parade. So when an unexpected interview with R.G. LeTourneau appears to give Lane the opportunity to dust off her former OSS skills; she grabs it. To end the vandalism turmoil for LeTourneau, Lane steps out as a private investigator and encounters more than one death befalling families with secrets to hide.
With the clock ticking, Lane grows increasingly unconvinced she has the know-how to discover the truth or make peace with the sheriff who questions her every step. Time and pressure work against her in unraveling the mystery and restoring the good name of those who learned too late that they were innocent. Thankfully, in the course of the investigation, she discovers an unlikely ensemble of residents she can rely on, even when the future looks grim.
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*** REVIEW ***
Lately I have been binging on historical novels set in and around world war II, so it was a pleasure to read this one by Kimberly Fish. She addresses those years following the war and what it was like for some people to come home from action and have to adjust to a different way of life.
That is especially true for Lane as she attempts to be simply a bookstore owner after her involvement with some clandestine activity is exposed. But she finds she can’t give up her old ways that easily, which prompts her to take the case of investigating who is doing the vandalism at the airport.
The relationship between Lane and her husband is complicated, but it always appears that Zeke supports her in what she’s doing, enough so that he accompanies her on surveillance missions. It’s obvious that they truly love each other and show it in many small ways, such as her surprising him by bringing his favorite sweets to the courthouse where he’s a prosecutor, and other times when he treats her to an impromptu lunch date. They’re not reticent about showing affection, and it’s an added bonus for this reader that there are no graphic sex scenes. Just true expressions of love and romance.
Lane and Zeke are strong characters and so are many of the supporting cast. I especially liked J. Lassiter, the owner of the haberdashery across the street from the bookshop. He has such a clever wit and is truly a good friend to Lane when she needs one. What a pleasure it was for me to join them for tea in the mornings before their business day started. (And I love the opportunity to use the word haberdashery in a post on the blog.)
Aunt Edith is a terrific character in many ways – funny and a bit eccentric – but I didn’t find her criticisms of Lane endearing. She started out to be a great foil to the relationship between Lane and Zeke – always being in their business so the couple had to endure interference on a weekly basis. But as the story progressed, her little snipes at the way Lane dressed or something about the shop, grated on me.
The mystery of what exactly is going on at the development of the new lake and who is killing people is complicated, and just when Lane thinks she has everything figured out, she’s in for another big surprise, and so is the reader. I was kept guessing through the whole book.
There is much to like in this book when it comes to the story and the people, but as with some of other books by her that I’ve read, the writing can be sometimes uneven. On one hand, there are many nice bits of description like, “Maybe heard the whispering wail of a siren.” This was from a memory Lane was having and the “whisper of the siren” was absolutely perfect. On the other hand, there are minor craft issues that would crop up as I read and jerk me out of the story. Such as missteps on choreography like one scene where J. has already started heading toward the door to leave after their morning tea, and then further on in the same scene he’s shown rising from the table before heading to the door.
I’ve read all the books in the Comfort Series by Ms. Fish and they have the same strengths and weaknesses. With every book I enjoy the story and the characters and the descriptive language in the narrative, but I can’t help but wish that she’d use a good copy editor to smooth out some of the awkwardness. Those little mistakes really detract from the beauty of the rest of her writing.
The historical elements in the story are spot on, so it’s evident Ms. Fish put time and effort into getting that just right. If you like historical fiction with a terrific mystery and a touch of romance, don’t pass up Parade of Secrets.
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*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR ***
Kimberly Fish has been in the writing industry for over 30 years. An amateur historian and fan of cozy mysteries, she weaves history and mystery into her stories of women finding their grit and sweet second chances.
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*** GIVEAWAY ***
Two US winners will receive a signed paperback copy of Parade of Secrets.
Enter before the contest ends November 25th.
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To learn more about the book, look for #LSLLParadeofSecrets on your preferred social media platform.
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