Written by 
Shafted (Serenity Acres: Where Secrets Barely Stay Hidden #2)
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: 15 October 2025
Format read: Paperback
Source of book: A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest, paid review
My Thoughts
Previously on Crokes, I reviewed Dinked, the first instalment of the Serenity Acres: Where Secrets Barely Stay Hidden series. The good news is that I was able to mentally live within the town of Serenity Acres for a bit longer, so I can now share my thoughts on the sequel, Shafted.
The twisty-turny Dinked leaves the reader pondering, and so Shafted immediately continues on telling the story of the dramatic social network of Serenity Acres. While the events of the previous book leave lasting consequences and impressions over the town, there is also a new looming threat: a big, flashy commercial property development that every person in the town is connected to in some way.
Moving away from the quaint-seeming courtside dramas of pickleball, we are now approaching darker subject matter: big financial investments (including illegal ones) and scams. This makes the tone of the events of this entry more serious.
Similar to my Dinked review, I am keeping this review free of spoilers so as not to ruin the insane number of corners that get turned in this series’ plot.
Storyline & Plot
The Serenity Acres series is billed as a series of standalone novels. If you come to this book having not read Dinked, you will be caught up on the key points as we do get flashbacks and exposition regarding the previous events. This means you will not be left entirely in the dark. However, I believe reading Dinked (before ideally) in addition to Shafted is best, because this ongoing story is best enjoyed as a whole. Each book is an individual story that is contributing to a broader narrative, which I expect to be expanded on in subsequent entries. And I think this broader story is worth stick around for, based on what I’ve seen.
Shafted continues the plot threads left over from Dinked and introduces new intriguing secrets and layers of deception. While town gossip and interpersonal drama still play a major factor, Quast also has bigger fish to fry in this story: insider trading, scammy property developments, manifestation and the paranormal, just to name a few.
Dinked’s ending left me shocked, and I was not expecting that to be replicated. The last proper chapter of Shafted, however? Left me reeling in abject horror – because the last moment was incredibly foreboding for where this tale goes next.
Characters
The last third of the book delivered some comeuppances that I was eagerly looking forward to. Quite a few characters are established as being real pieces of work, and they are taken down a peg in satisfying ways. Even for those who don’t receive their due justice yet, there are some satisfying karma moments. As one example, a certain character finally gets with the forbidden person they’ve been lusting over for decades and sacrificed everything for. When they realise the object of their desire was lacking in the bedroom? I cackled! There are many such funny moments dotted throughout.
I’m going to focus my character discussion on the same characters as my Dinked review for consistency and to prevent any spoilers from the previous book.
Margot – The Pickleball Crusader
Margot is not the protagonist this time around, as the plot shifts to focus primarily on Clara. However, Margot is central to the plot events and appears in key, high-impact scenes. Her presence was a welcome, if unexpected, inclusion.
Clara, Daphne & Eve – The Girl Squad
Clara becomes the de facto protagonist for this instalment, as we dive deeper into her motivations and machinations. She is 100% a villain protagonist this time around, whereby you’re not supposed to be on her side, and yet every so often, she surprises you. Daphne is also given increased prominence, whereas Eve is pushed to the back this time around.
Brock – The Poster Boy
Brock’s role as investigator continues; however, the previously exuberant realtor is now riddled with grief and guilt. Brock has the most interesting character arc across the two books, as he changes the most in his attitude and outlook on life. He is the most affected by the events of Dinked.
Ilonka – The Stone-Faced
Sadly, my favourite character does not make much of an appearance this time; however, I did appreciate a tender scene that follows on from her previous story arc.
The Other Characters
The colourful and broad cast of Serenity Acres make a return. Like how Clara has become the key focus, different townsfolk move in and out of the limelight. One thing I appreciate in this story is that even for those characters who are not featured prominently at the time, we do know that they are living their lives. Even if its not “on-screen”, so to speak. I’m reminded of open-world video games. Because the aim is for the NPCs (non-player characters) to look as if they are still doing things when the player is not around to see them. This is the vibe I get with this series. All the characters are in motion, and we are just a camera moving in between them. At certain times we get little glimpses at what they are up to.
We do have one totally new character enter the picture, property development representative John Eden. He becomes a key figure in the story as he schmoozes his way around town. But just like the people he’s interacting with, he has his own skeletons in the closet.
Writing
My comments regarding Dinked’s writing style generally apply here, as Quast maintains a consistent style in her series. Shafted features the same shifting perspectives, tense narrative buildup, and calculated chaos. It continues to play with the timelines of character backstories and introduce details with flashbacks. This includes flashbacks to the events of Dinked, but also of events prior. I don’t want to be too repetitive. So, I will focus on what is different in this instalment.
Comparatively, this title is more restrained in the first half with fewer crazy twists and revelations. But it retains the build of tension and anticipation as all the pieces start fitting together like a puzzle. I would compare this to being more of a winding path than Dinked’s continuously rising rollercoaster.
However, I did notice a new thing that didn’t occur last time. I suspect this was due to the fact that I was reading an earlier pre-publication version of the novel, but I did catch a few typos and punctuation errors that affected the interpretation of some sentences. This is likely already fixed in the final version, which will be published – but in the copy I received, thisdid affect the reading experience, particularly when I had to reread a sentence to confirm I understood it correctly.
I am waiting, in anticipation, to see what happens next in Serenity Acres.
TL;DR: Perfect for anyone who loves a layered mystery that tells not just the crimes but the downfalls of the people behind them.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
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