Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC novel [b: Promise Not to Tell: Cutler, Sutter & Salinas #2] by [a: Jayne Ann Krentz|2387|Jayne Ann Krentz|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1446933865p2/2387.jpg].

Virginia Troy and Cabot Sutter survived leaving a dangerous cult when they were young children, but now they are thrown together and must reveal terrible secrets which have remained buried.

Is the infamous and homicidal cult leader alive? Who can be trusted? Will the nightmare ever be over?

Virginia and Troy suffer from the trauma which took their parents lives and almost burned them alive. Will they keep the dark secrets from their violent past? ( )

This story had a great flow and I really enjoyed the ride. What is really impressive about this one is how it handled the PTSD of both of the characters - I love how that becomes a strength of both because of how they matter-of-fact they both are in dealing with it. Which strikes me as pretty true to life. A solid JAK outing. ( )

This is the second in a series but it worked well as standalone read (though I did enjoy it enough to order the other two in the series after I finished.) I thought Virginia’s struggles with anxiety were well drawn, and found the relationship between Virginia and Cabot was well drawn. The mystery element helped build tension that mirrored the relationship tension, and kept me guessing about the identity of the villain. All in all, a great beach read! ( )

Promise Not to Tell is another intricate mystery that revolves around the survivors of a cult leader’s attempt to murder them over twenty years ago. This latest release from Jayne Ann Krentz is the second installment in the Cutler, Sutter & Salinas series which features three foster brothers who are convinced cult leader Quinton Zane is still alive despite evidence to the contrary.

When gallery owner Virginia Troy learns of Hannah Brewster's death by suicide, she turns to private investigator Anson Salinas to investigate the case. Virginia and Hannah's connection goes beyond a business relationship; both of them were members of Quinton's cult. Hannah's grip on reality was tenuous so she turned to art to work through her demons and although her paintings are absolutely brilliant, no one wants to purchase the disturbing artwork. Deeply troubled by Hannah's last painting depicting the night Zane tried to murder his followers, Virginia teams up with fellow cult survivor and private investigator Cabot Sutter in hopes of uncovering the truth about the artist's death.

Both Virginia and Cabot were rescued by Anson from the barn fire that Zane set in order to kill witnesses and destroy evidence of his illegal doings. Despite the passage of time, neither of them have managed to completely recover from the anxiety and PTSD from that horrific night. Until meeting Hannah, Virginia never suspected Zane faked his own death but once she views Hannah's last painting, she has no doubt that he is, in fact, alive. What she cannot fathom is Quinton's reason for stalking Hannah, but hopefully, with Cabot's assistance, she can figure it out.

The discovery of a murder victim at Virginia's art gallery is quite puzzling, but considering the location of the corpse, Cabot is certain the crime is somehow connected to what happened to Hannah. With Virginia as his trusty sidekick, they begin searching for the link which leads them to a start-up company that is suffering from a few financial hiccups. Going the old-fashioned route, they decide to follow an intriguing money trail that might lead back to Zane. Startling twists and turns expose shocking correlations between past and present but Virginia and Cabot quickly learn that someone will go to any lengths to keep their brazen scheme from being exposed.

Promise Not to Tell is a bit of a slow moving mystery in which readers know the identity of perpetrator early on. However, there is plenty suspense surrounding the motive for the crimes and how exactly everything is connected to cult leader Quinton Zane. Jayne Ann Krentz also sets up the perfect opportunity for romance to brew between Virginia and Cabot in the middle of their efforts to uncover the secret that Hannah was willing to die to protect. The novel's conclusion perfectly sets up the next installment in the Cutler, Sutter & Salinas series which will most likely feature Anton's very enigmatic third foster son, Jack Lancaster. ( )

There were parts of the relationship that didn't quite work (insta-love is not my favourite trope) but the part where they both take care of each other when they both suffer from panic attacks and other issues? That works like a charm.

Virginia Troy is a gallery owner, her past includes escaping from a cult as a child and one of her artists is one of that cult's former members. When they escaped they almost died in a fire and she lost her mother. When the artist dies, apparently of suicide, she doubts the verdict, but she only has intuition to steer her. She turns to a private investigation firm. The firm is headed by the man who rescued all the children he could and adopted three. She was taken by her mother clutching a book that holds the future for them all.

Sometimes it felt like it was lagging and unsure if it was supposed to be a thriller or a romance novel, but overall it kept me reading and by the end I cared for this PTSD with bonus panic attack couple drama with murderous tension in the background. It kept me reading and I did enjoy it. ( )