The more they discover…  The more danger they’re in.

The discovery of human remains on the Blackfeet Reservation brings together forensic anthropologist Kira Redfeather and local lawman Declan Hawthorne.

Though both seek justice for the dead, their personalities and professional methods clash. Both bear long-buried emotional wounds that drive their deep distrust of each other.

But as they strike an uneasy partnership, their pursuit of the truth is rocked by escalating threats and violence…and unexpected closeness.

Are they solving one case…or is a young Indigenous girl’s death just a piece of a bigger, deadly puzzle?

Titles in the Big Sky Justice series include: Danger in Big Sky Country ~ Her K-9 Protector ~ Cold Case Secrets ~ Cold Case Kidnapping ~ Cold Case Reckoning ~ Sacred Secrets ~ Lethal Betrayal ~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Sacred Secrets
Series:  Big Sky Justice #6
Author:  Kimberly Van Meter
Published:  January 27, 2026
Publisher:  Harlequin Romantic Suspense
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Sacred Secrets is the sixth title in the Big Sky Justice series, and this time brings us a fascinating murder to solve, as different agents slowly find not only clues to Nikaya’s murder but also discover it is possible to set aside their very different approaches to this investigation.  Kira has been brought in by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to investigate, and almost immediately, she clashes with local lawman Declan’s approach to finding the truth.  Each has a different way of investigating that works for them, but this case shows they’ll need to find a way to work together beyond the animosity that flared up between them at the beginning.  They’ll soon learn that the only way to discover what really happened, and how deeply this mystery runs, is to stop fighting and pool their knowledge together to solve this case… because it’s looking like far more than one unfortunate woman’s death.

I enjoyed Sacred Secrets very much.  It’s intense, with the sense of time running out as clues increasingly point to something beyond Nikaya’s death.  And that feeling ratchets up the tensions we’ll experience.  Kira and Declan are a couple who slowly realize that their bickering over who has priority or the better knowledge about this case is also driven by their attraction to each other.  Which completely caught them off guard, for they are both fiercely stubborn people.  Their relationship is a slow burn as the focus is on one woman’s death… and what that spells for the community.

Their story is well-written, intense, and dangerous, and it kept me engaged throughout.  Both Kira and Declan have other personal issues happening at the same time as this investigation, which, in some ways, sheds light on why they are… well, as they are.  If you get caught up in a Romantic Suspense that will keep you on edge waiting for the villain to be caught, as two people take a few risks in their personal lives to let love in, then you’d enjoy Sacred Secrets by Kimberly Van Meter.  I’d highly recommend it.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon