On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, dive into Ivan Arthur’s gripping Secrets and Lies series, where a single act of rejection unleashes a web of betrayal, retribution, and buried truths that refuse to stay hidden across the shadowy streets of London and Brighton.
The Secrets and Lies series by Ivan Arthur delves into the fragile boundaries between trust and betrayal, revealing how hidden truths inevitably surface and demand confrontation. Through interconnected stories rich with psychological depth, the novels illustrate how a single impulsive decision—fueled by pride, anger, or disappointment—can ripple outward, transforming ordinary lives into landscapes of suspicion and danger.
The Gardener: A Rejection That Sparks Retribution
In the first installment, The Gardener (Secrets and Lies Book 1), the story begins with a pivotal moment in London: publisher Mark Finch rejects a crime novel titled The Gardener, submitted by author Jonathan Hope. Feeling misled and enraged, Hope storms out and, in a fit of frustration, tosses a copy of his manuscript into the guitar case of a female busker at the tube station.
This seemingly small act sets off a chain of unforeseen consequences. Finch’s rejection affects a wide circle of people connected to him, including his wife, his personal assistant David, his golfing friend Steven, his gardener, a homeless ex-soldier and Big Issue seller named Tony, Tony’s therapist Nigel, the busker, and even a dog named Chip.
As tensions build, one individual among these acquaintances seeks retribution, leading to a death under suspicious circumstances. Set across London, Kent, and Sussex, this character-driven whodunit explores complex relationships among a group of men and the women in their lives. Themes of love, desire, deceit, and betrayal emerge as commuters at Russell Square tube station experience a day that spirals far beyond the ordinary.
The novel weaves a intricate web of deception, highlighting how initial acts of deceit can ensnare everyone involved.
The Therapist: New Beginnings – Where Old Stories Resurface
The second book, The Therapist: New Beginnings (Secrets and Lies Book 2), continues the narrative with Nigel, the therapist from the first novel, relocating to Brighton to establish a new practice. Readers gain an intimate view into his consulting room as he encounters new clients, offering a realistic glimpse into the therapeutic process.
Tony, the former homeless veteran from The Gardener, has also moved to the area, now working as a security guard with aspirations to join the police force. He has relocated to be closer to his partner and child. Meanwhile, a young woman employed at American Express in Brighton returns home to find her flat burglarized, prompting Detective Inspector Rhea to investigate.
As the plot unfolds, elements of danger, threat, love, shame, rejection, and the lasting impacts of physical and mental trauma intertwine in the characters’ lives. Their choices force confrontations with their best and worst qualities, revealing that forgiveness and understanding are often elusive.
The story follows the criminal investigation led by an eccentric detective, Tony’s personal challenges, and Nigel’s professional world. Adding a meta layer, the book includes the final chapters of Jonathan Hope’s rejected novel, now being read by Nigel himself—tying the series together and suggesting that some stories refuse to end.
Themes That Bind the Series
Across both novels, Ivan Arthur examines how relationships fracture under the weight of dissolved trust, with consequences lingering long after initial actions. Characters grapple with the repercussions of their decisions, attempting to evade truths that persistently demand acknowledgment.
The series underscores that secrets and lies—whether told to shield others or oneself—eventually unravel, exposing hidden vulnerabilities. Even attempts at fresh starts often mark merely the continuation of unresolved narratives from the past.
Ivan Arthur
Ivan Arthur draws from his extensive background as a psychotherapist, teacher, and lecturer to craft authentic, psychologically nuanced characters. A published academic and family man, he pursues diverse interests including singing, songwriting, music, films, and golf.
His varied experiences—ranging from athletics and ballroom dancing to coaching basketball, writing a children’s musical, and directing documentary films—inform his storytelling. Arthur began writing his debut novel during retirement, inspired amid the challenges of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Through the Secrets and Lies series, Arthur invites readers into the shadowed corners of human experience, where deception exacts its toll and truth, unrelenting, comes knocking.
Find more from Ivan Arthur now:
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3YugEM0
The Gardener
Kindle: https://amzn.to/450fMT1
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4qfQ2KX
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-gardener/ivan-arthur/9781089504467
The Therapist
Kindle: https://amzn.to/4qbrd2v
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4aPAU22
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-therapist/ivan-arthur/9798684123214
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