Secrets to Die For is the second Detective Jackson mystery and like The Sex Club, it is a procedural. Raina Hughes is raped and brutally murdered in a skillfully twisted set of circumstances that appear to make this an open and shut case for Jackson. While dealing with his ex-wife’s addiction issues and the reappearance of Kera’s estranged husband, Jackson musters his team and plows through the evidence to convict a killer.

Social issues populate the pages of this book. From addiction to homelessness to the treatment of gays, every character has a link to someone seeking acceptance. The culture of Eugene is held up as a model of political correctness, tolerance, and acceptance for the world to follow.