National Bestseller! “Unflinching and unforgettable. Little Secrets has everything you want in a thriller” –Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Lock Every Door Overwhelmed by tragedy, a woman desperately tries to save her marriage in award-winning author Jennifer Hillier’s Little Secrets, a riveting novel of psychological suspense. All it takes to unravel a life is one little … suspense.
All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret…
Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They’re admired in their community and are a loving family–until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken.
A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She’s lost her son; she’s not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.
Permanently.
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Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books and author Jennifer Hillier for giving me a chance to read and review this terrific thriller.
Marin takes her young son to a Christmas market just a few days before Christmas. During the short time she releases his hand to answer a text, he disappears. Thus starts every mother’s worst nightmare. Surveillance videos only show Sebastian walking out to the market with someone dressed as Santa and holding the giant lollipop he wanted.
After sixteen months, the police have put the case on the back burner. It is always on the mind of Marin who fell apart and tried to commit suicide. She has had a difficult time going back to her upscale salon and her marriage to husband Dexter is a mess.
Marin decides to hire a private eye to look deeper for Sebastian. PI Castor doesn’t find the child, but does find out that Derek is having an affair with a young woman who works in a coffee shop.
The plot takes on a fact pace with lots of twists after this. Although the title is LITTLE SECRETS it is a novel of many big secrets that slowly get revealed and keep the reader turning the pages more quickly. I am not usually one of those who says they stayed up late to finish a book, but once I got to a certain point, I stayed up way past my usual bedtime to get to the end. The ending surprised me, but really all the clues were there if you looked close enough. The true talent of a great writer is in having surprise ending that is authentic and not contrived. Jennifer Hillier is definitely in that category. She is a new to me author, but I will be looking to read her previous novel and any future ones.
The author developed the characters fully, flaws and all, and it helped to have the point of view from two sources. It was hard to like most of the characters, but the author did make them relatable. It was clever how social media and its impact on daily life played a big role.
I highly recommend THE SECRETS, but allow yourself enough daytime reading to finish it.
Wow! I did not see that ending coming! Fast paced and unpredictable, Little Secrets hit all the “must-have” buttons for me. This is only my second Jennifer Hillier book but I love how she takes a subject and turns it on its head. You never know how the story is really going to go with her. Absolutely recommend!
Little Secrets starts out strong. It’s a nightmare that no parent wants to imagine: you let go of your child for just a few seconds in a crowded market…and he’s gone!
Sixteen months later, Marin Machado is still living in the void of that moment when she let go of Sebastian to take a phone call. He was last seen on video being driven away by a man in a Santa suit. Now Marin and her husband , Derek, are living lives parallel to one another. Marin consoles herself in work, a monthly support group, and too much alcohol. And then she gets a phone call from the investigator she hired to investigate her son’s disappearance, but the call isn’t about Sebastian. Her husband has been having an affair, and now Marin has a different outlet for her grief.
Little Secrets is told from alternating POVs, Marin’s and Derek’s mistress Kenzie. The grief Marin feels in the opening chapters is heavy and you can feel the weight of it as you get into the story, but there are times when you don’t really know who you’re rooting for—or who you should be! Each of the characters is so clearly motivated by their own sense of right that it’s easy to empathize with their position. But this is also a psychological thriller that will leave you tense and have your mind spinning. It’s a thrilling, page-turning, quick read.
*I received a copy of Little Secrets from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review*
Mystery | Thriller | Suspense
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier is a wild ride with one of the greatest twists I’ve read in a while! I’m not the least bit surprised either because she’s an excellent writer and always manages to write something unique and thrilling. You may wonder why I’m only giving this one four stars then, and the reason is because it was EXTREMELY SLOW. I was hoping to read this one in a day because it’s not a long novel by any means. But the content is extremely depressing and in turn this made for an almost excruciating long read. At one point I thought the story lost its focus, but as I kept reading and things slowly came into place it really picked up. I’m so glad I pushed through and finished this one out!
I don’t want to say much about this one because it’s really best if you go in blind but I will say this: this is an excellent novel that kept me interested, and hanging by the edge of my seat. The content is a bit heart wrenching, okay it’s VERY heart wrenching, and quite depressing, but Hillier writes it so well that you can’t help but be intrigued by everything going on. The characters aren’t the most likeable, but they are very realistic in terms of everything happening, and the ending is fantastic! So yes, I recommend this one!
I almost passed on this book after not really liking several previous books by this author. This book is nothing short of addicting. Excellent writing, wonderful narrator (audio version), and a perfectly paced storyline that is sprinkled with all the emotions. Although this book deals with the terror of a missing child, I love the way the protagonist’s personality includes a sense of humor. An exceptional psychological suspense!
Wow! If you’re looking for a book that will pull you in right away and keep you interested from page one, you’ve landed on the perfect book. It begins with a mother’s worst nightmare. A mother, Marin, is in a busy place with her son. She is on the phone, distracted for only a short time waiting for her husband, Derek, to meet them. Then she notices her son is not with her. He’s been taken. Panic ensues. The story is set for my worst nightmare as a mother. I honestly did not know if it was going to be easy for me to read it and not feel pain and guilt, but Jennifer Hillier took the kidnapping and added some more secrets and twists to this suspense thriller and had me hooked.
This is not only a story of kidnapping, but what happens to families AFTER the child has been taken. What happens to a marriage and friendships? This story centers around Marin and Derek and a couple other characters that play a very significant part in their journey to find out what happened to their son and what is going on around them with their lives. You may not like all the characters, but they will make you feel things and make you question their motives with their lies and deceit.
Great book. Amazing story. Wonderful pacing and Flawed characters that will keep you on your toes. This intriguing story was a true page turner that will keep you thinking about it after you’ve finished. Although I predicted a couple scenarios and wasn’t 100% on board with parts of the ending, I really enjoyed and would thoroughly recommend this book. I debated between a 4 and 5 star because of the couple of minor issues that I had, but this book deserves all the praise and recommendations. It’s well crafted and the twists make it that much more exciting. I know without a doubt, I will definitely read more books by this author.
I got this book through NetGalley.
This book tells the story of Marin and Derek, a wealthy couple with a young son. When their son is kidnapped right under Marin’s nose, their lives are turned upside down. Marin joins a group to help her cope with her missing son and sees a therapist. Eventually, she hires a private investigator to look into the disappearance with no luck. The PI, however, confirms Marin’s suspicions that Derek is having an affair. Then Marin sees a text that makes her wonder if Derek somehow knows what happened to their son….and was he involved in it?
This is the first time I’ve read this author. I liked the storyline and it kept me engaged, even though at times it seemed to drag a bit but then picked right up again.
Suspenseful and compelling ― Hillier is a masterful storyteller.
A horrific account of one mother’s journey after her son is kidnapped. She experiences devastating lows to wanting the ultimate revenge against the young woman having an affair with her husband. Betrayal is theme of this book. So many people with secrets and ulterior motives.
The who/what/why of the betrayals and who took her son were lackluster though. No where near the shock factor that we got in Jar of Hearts. And maybe that was my biggest problem, that I was expecting that level and it didn’t come close.
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier was such a thrilling and suspense filled read. I could not put it down. This is my favorite type of gripping mystery. Marin seems to have the perfect life. A successful career married to a just as successful man and a son they both love. But in one moment, he is kidnapped and everything changes. Now a year later she is barely living, but she wants to find her son. Marin discovers her husband is having an affair and she determines she will not lose him too. Here is where the mystery truly begins and we are taken on a journey full of surprises, twist and turns!
Happy reading!
Marin’s little boy is missing. It’s been over a year and she is struggling to accept it. She has hired a private investigator to keep looking after the police investigation has gone cold. From this investigation, she discovers her husband is having an affair. Marin does something to fix this problem.
Marin is a character which pulls at your heart. You just want to hug her and at the same time…you want to shake her. She makes some questionable decisions. But, you understand why. Marin is definitely an enigma.
There is so much I want to say about this book, talk about wicked! It just keeps twisting till it cannot twist any more. I have never been a fan of books where a child is missing. I will be honest…I am surprised I did not put this story aside. It is just not what I like to read. But, this book just keeps coming at you. It does not stop!
I loved another book by this author called Jar of Hearts. Check it out as well. It is fantastic. Little Secrets is a good story but it does not carry the intensity which Jar of Hearts does. But, you cannot go wrong with either book.
If you are looking for a book which keeps you guessing, THIS IS IT!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
***** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *****
Seriously guys, this audiobook is one of the BEST I’ve listened to in YEARS!!!! LIKE YEARS!! I have no doubt that it will be a best selling book anywhere it can be. First, if you have triggers with child abduction stories than go in cautiously. This will make your heart ache and yearn like nothing I’ve ever experienced in a book. I felt so many emotions that I’m honestly struggling remembering everything I felt. There was so much anger and sadness, some empathy and grief. The anger and betrayal was strong and abundant. I wanted to hit things! I have never fully related to another character like I have Marin. I was totally on her side and she shows some balls and class like MacKenzie can only wish for… yeah, I’ve got some anger issues toward that girl!!
Anyways, Jennifer Hillier is one of the best and a serious up-and-coming author. Be on the lookout for this author. Her storylines are not only insane and compulsive but her writing is spot on. I was LIVING in Marin’s red souled Louis Vuitton’s (OK I might wish I could afford them but I’m not walking in those). The writing was so descriptive and just so heart-wrenching real feeling. Then add in the narration by Kirsten Potter and I was floored!! The way she speaks has you feeling it so fully. I found myself bitterly talking back to her and mumbling at all the things I wanted to do to MacKenzie (Marin was a way better woman than I). I was just impressed with Miss Potter. I’m honestly unable to recall if I’ve listened to her narrate previously but she is one that can hold your attention through an entire book… no other person needed. This is incredibly rare IMO. Most books would benefit from dual or duet narration. Potter owned this book! These characters came to life.
This is a 5 STAR audiobook all around! There is nothing that could have enhanced it!
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
Little Secrets is a riveting novel of psychological suspense set in beautiful PNW Seattle, WA.
This book was such a well written story about what happens to a family when their only son, and their only child Sebastian was taken in broad daylight. After an exhausting year of searching and involving the FBI – making this incident a high profile case because of their influential standing in their community, nothing turned up.
Marin and Derek’s perfect life starts to unravel and Marin refuses to give up even after everyone else has. With the help of a PI, she continues the search and finds more than she bargained for.
This was a great read that once you start will certainly get you hooked and is quite addicting. Writing was razor sharp and had amazing pacing as the mystery was slowly revealed, reeling you into the plots and twists you could not see coming. One of the best psychological reads for me.
Hillier is an author to watch for and I will definitely be reading her entire back list!
Do not miss this.
I highly recommend it!
An exceptional thriller that turns up the heat with every flip of the page. Jennifer Hillier has created characters so real you’ll feel like you’re a member of their dark and twisted world. Little Secrets is one of the best books you’ll read in 2020.
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an Arc of this book. The review and comments are my honest opinion. A thrilling new author for me and her thriller was not disappointing. A Mother’s anguish as she turns away for just a moment and her son is abducted. As you can imagine the impact of this loss is devastating and how the parents handle it is also a revelation. This book is full of secrets, lies and suspense. Everything to like in a twisted thriller.
Marin and Derek are a wealthy couple with a son they finally got through IVF treatments. Now their worst nightmare has come true and their 4-year-old son has been kidnapped.
This is a psychological thriller and I don’t want to give away the story. It is very well done. You’ll hate it and you’ll love it. Read it.
This is my first book by this reader and it certainly won’t be my last.
This psychological thriller was full of unexpected twists and turns.
Chilling, and terrifying this is the story of a parent’s worst nightmare. A family torn apart by one moment in time. What unfolded, was an intriguing and compelling story story that had me hooked!
Emotionally charged and suspenseful, the story unfolded seamlessly.
Overall I enjoyed this story however there were elements of this story that were predictable and didn’t seem realistic.
Little Secrets is another masterpiece from Jennifer Hillier. It’s described as a domestic suspense tale or a psychological thriller, but it’s so much more. As with all of Hillier’s books, it’s a fast-paced, heart-pounding, pulse-racing story that reveals something you didn’t expect on every page, which means you can’t stop turning pages and once you pick it up you can’t put it down.
The worst day of Marin Machado’s life happened almost a year and a half ago. Her four-year old son Sebastian was kidnapped from Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Of course she blames herself: it was the holiday, busy, crowded, Seb was whining for candy, she was harried, looking for gifts and looking at her phone. She and her husband took all measures to try and find Seb, but postings, newspaper ads, offer of rewards, nothing worked and Seb is gone. And the perfect life, perfect marriage, perfect careers, perfect family is gone. Marin can’t move on although everyone, tells her to do so, and she hires a private investigator to pick up where the police left off, gave up in her estimation.
And the investigator has news. But not the news Marin wants or expects. Derek, her beloved husband of 20 years, is having an affair. With a much younger woman. Talk about betrayal, the final straw, the thing she just can’t deal with. But maybe she can. She is impotent to do anything about Seb’s disappearance, but she’s not powerless to do something about this. Despair turns to rage. She will get rid of that woman. She’s not going to lose everything. So she sets things in motion.
And we’re off. To say much more would spoil the story. Nothing, nothing, nothing is certain. Just when you think you’ve found that one person that can be trusted or that one scenario that is true, an aha moment pops up and all those little hints you missed fall into place and you wonder why you didn’t see it. Now you know. But then it happens again – and again. Until you can hardly bear the suspense.
Little Secrets is a wild ride. Strong plot, fast pace, riveting characters, a flood of emotions. You’ll feel Marin’s hurt and betrayal, Derek’s helplessness and hopelessness, Marin’s friend Sal’s frustration and Derek’s lover Kenzie’s ambition and hope.
I received an advance copy of Little Secrets from the author via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. I recommend this and anything author Jennifer Hillier writes with hesitation.
4 Stars
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier touches every parent’s worse nightmare! In the Prologue, a very well-off power couple are ar the downtown open market. Marin Machado is finishing up her shopping and holding on to her four-year-old son Sebastian’s hand. Her husband, Derek arrives at the market and calls his wife. While getting er phone out of her pocket, she lets go of her so so hand. After a minute on the phone, she looks around and her son has disappeared. As a parent and a reader, my heart sunk. This section was really well portrayed by the author. In Part I we move forward sixteen months to find out Sebastian is still missing. As the story is told, there are flashbacks to what happened, and we meet several characters. All of the characters have their secrets. At times the story dragged and I kept asking myself, “What about Sebastian?” As the story progressed, some of the secrets made me not feel empathy for the main characters. There are lots of twists and turns and maybe a few too many coincidences. It was a good, quick read. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review,
4.25-4.5 STARS
With her latest novel, “Little Secrets,” author Jennifer Hillier delivers a multi-layered story spun from an intricate web of lies, secrets and betrayal. Right from the get-go, this story’s compelling premise pulled me in and held me captive right up until the very end.
The main characters—Marin & Derek–are understandably flawed, as they struggle to navigate each day following the tragic disappearance of their 4 year old son. Together, yet alone, grief weighs heavy on them both, causing their once happy marriage to now reside on rocky ground.
Through a series of twists and turns, the mystery turns from intriguing to riveting, as the truth slowly unfolds, leading up to a shocking reveal. It’s a roller-coaster ride of emotions, to be sure. If it weren’t for a certain secondary character that I found annoying and immediately took a dislike to, this book would garner a perfect 5 star rating, rather than falling just a tad bit short.