The Recommended Reading Order for Secrets and Lies
When it comes to Sharon Sala’s gripping Secrets and Lies trilogy, there is only one way to experience the suspense: in strict publication (and chronological) order. Unlike some romance series where books can easily be read out of order as standalones, this trilogy relies on a continuous, multi-layered mystery that builds from the very first page of the first book and reaches its final resolution only in the climax of the third.
Here is the recommended reading path for the trilogy:
- Wild Hearts (Published in 2015)
- Cold Hearts (Published in 2015)
- Dark Hearts (Published in 2016)
Why the Reading Order is Essential
The entire trilogy is set in the small, tight-knit town of Mystic, West Virginia, and revolves around a single, decades-old mystery. Thirty-five years before the events of the first book, a tragic car accident involving a group of teenagers left one young girl dead and the survivors with selective, repressed memories of what actually transpired that night in the mountains.
As the series begins, someone has decided that the past must remain buried at all costs—and they are willing to murder every surviving witness to ensure their secrets stay safe. Because the investigation into these modern-day murders and the historical cover-up progresses across all three books, reading them out of order will spoil the identity of the victims, reveal key clues prematurely, and ruin the suspense of the overarching plot. The final book, Dark Hearts, acts as the ultimate resolution to the serial killer storyline that ties all three romances together.
Deep Dive into the Books
1. Wild Hearts (2015)
The series opens with Wild Hearts, centering on Dallas Phillips. Following her father's suspicious death—officially ruled a suicide, though she refuses to believe he would take his own life—Dallas returns to her family's struggling farm in Mystic. Her suspicions are confirmed when she realizes someone is watching the farm from the shadows of the surrounding mountains.
To find answers, Dallas teams up with her former high school sweetheart, Trey Jakes, who is now the local police chief. As their romance reignites, their investigation uncovers ties between her father's death and the tragic car accident from thirty-five years ago. Dallas soon finds herself in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer determined to silence her.
2. Cold Hearts (2015)
The tension escalates in Cold Hearts. The story shifts focus to Mack Jackson, who is pulled back to Mystic after his father is brutally murdered at his auto repair shop. The tragedy becomes even more tangled when the vehicle used as the murder weapon is identified as belonging to Lissa Sherman—Mack's high school love.
Lissa has already been dealing with a terrifying stalker, and as she and Mack reconnect to clear her name and find his father's killer, they realize the murders are expanding. The killer is systematically targeting the people connected to the long-ago car crash. Mack and Lissa must work together to survive a lethal predator who is closing in fast.
3. Dark Hearts (2016)
The trilogy reaches its dramatic conclusion in Dark Hearts. Betsy Jakes, mother to Trey and Sam Jakes, has begun having nightmares that threaten to unlock the remaining memories of the fatal accident decades ago. Before she can fully piece together the truth, she is murdered.
Her death brings her son Sam Jakes, a wounded military veteran, back to Mystic to help his brother Trey investigate. Sam is forced to confront both a serial killer and Lainey Pickett, the woman he walked away from years earlier without explanation. As the killer prepares to strike again to eliminate the remaining witnesses, Sam and Lainey must face their past traumas to survive the final, explosive confrontation.
What to Know Before You Start
Sharon Sala is a highly acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of over a hundred novels, and her expertise in blending high-stakes mystery with deeply emotional romance is on full display here. In 2011, she was honored with the prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award by the Romance Writers of America, demonstrating her impact on the genre.
The Secrets and Lies trilogy, published by Harlequin MIRA, showcases classic romantic suspense tropes: second-chance romance, small-town secrets, and close family bonds. While each book spotlights a different couple overcoming personal hurdles—such as Lainey's recovery from breast cancer or Sam's physical and emotional wounds from his service—the background mystery remains front and center. Expect a dark, gritty tone balanced by the warmth of a community pulling together in the face of danger.