THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE NOVEL YOU CAN’T MISS… “A cracking read…Our Little Secret builds to a deliciously dark conclusion.” –Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in Cabin 10 Roz Nay’s Our Little Secret is a twisted tale of love, pain, and revenge that will stay with the reader long after they turn the last page. They say you never forget … reader long after they turn the last page.
They say you never forget your first love. What they don’t say though, is that sometimes your first love won’t forget you…
Angela Petitjean sits in a cold, dull room. The police have been interrogating her for hours, asking about Saskia Parker. She’s the wife of Angela’s high school sweetheart, HP, and the mother of his child. She has vanished. Homicide Detective J. Novak believes Angela knows what happened to Saskia. He wants the truth, and he wants it now.
But Angela has a different story to tell. It began more than a decade ago when she and HP met in high school in Cove, Vermont. She was an awkward, shy teenager. He was a popular athlete. They became friends, fell in love, and dated senior year. Everything changed when Angela went to college. When time and distance separated them. When Saskia entered the picture.
That was eight years ago. HP foolishly married a drama queen and Angela moved on with her life. Whatever marital rift caused Saskia to leave her husband has nothing to do with Angela. Nothing at all. Detective Novak needs to stop asking questions and listen to what Angela is telling him. And once he understands everything, he’ll have the truth he so desperately wants…
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Why This Book
I was either approached by the publisher or received the book, Our Little Secret written by Roz Nay in 2018, through NetGalley. I liked the premise of the story and saw it was getting positive reviews, so I took it on. It was published this week, which meant I needed to read and review it to share my feedback with others. I would give the book 3.5 stars and encourage fans of thrillers and questionable narrators to give it a chance.
Approach & Style
I read the Kindle Reader version on my iPad in about 3 hours over a few days. It has ~30 chapters split across ~225 pages or ~3k lines. It is told in 1st person POV with the perspective on Angela or LJ or Little John (she has many names) where she conveys what she knows about the disappearance of an Australian woman named Saskia.
Plot, Characters & Setting
The book takes place in a small New England American town over a 24-hour period where the main character, Angela tells a story to Detective Novak after being brought in for questioning. We have no idea who Saskia, the missing woman, is or what her connection is to Angela. It’s obvious Angela has either got information she’s hiding (protecting someone?) or has killed Saskia. Novak wants answers and holds her without arrest for maximum time.
We learn of Angela’s relationship as teenager with HP whom she fell in love with. She traces the last decade of how they dated, fell apart, how she dated Freddy, etc. Then we learn how Saskia fits in. We see what happened between everyone. And in the end, we discover what likely happened to Saskia. Add in Angela’s parents, a few other friends, and a couple of trips to Australia and Europe, the plot thickens. The book ends with readers knowing how it happened, but the cop is still uncertain, yet he makes an arrest.
Key Thoughts
There are many parts of this book which I enjoyed reading. The story draws you in. The plot builds in all the right places creating suspenseful moments where as a reader you think you’ve got the answers. Then it changes and you’re back to the drawing board. Nay’s writing style is very strong and clean. It makes you feel part of the action and tension. You want to keep turning the pages to know what’s going on.
At the same time, I struggled a little with character attraction. Each character had a voice, personality, and physical descriptions, but I couldn’t quite find myself supporting Angela or even HP. I liked their romance, wanted them to get together… as kids, they were adorable. As a witness, Angela was evasive in a very good way in the beginning. As the story unfolded, I felt a little less connected to her and couldn’t quite get behind the decisions being made.
When the book ends, you’re left with a few “hmmm… not sure I understand that” moments and sorta think “eh, okay, well, I guess it was obvious in the beginning.” I think with a little more suspense and depth to have a bigger climax scene, this would have been a solid 4 star read. But it was missing a little something for me that either made it stand out because of who the main character was and the secrets being kept, or to give us that jaw-dropping moment. All-in-all, it was a good read and has lots of promise for the author to build an audience.
Summary
This is Nay’s debut, and her writing skills are strong. Her plot development is also impressive. I would chance another novel, but I’d like to see some stronger character development as noted above. Thank you to NetGalley, Roz Nay, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for getting me an early copy (ARC) to review.
This is psychological suspense at its finest; thrilling and well-written with characters that kept me questioning my opinions of them. Very highly recommended.
Woman (Angela) toys with detective (Novak) during questioning about her ex (HP’s) missing wife (Saskia). Is Angela telling the truth when she says she doesn’t know anything about Saskia’s disappearance? If so, then where is Saskia?
Our Little Secret provided an intimate look at the last decade of Angela’s life with her first love, HP. After Saskia disappeared, Angela was brought in for questioning, but instead of simply answering Detective Novak’s questions succinctly, she insisted on sharing her entire history with HP and Saskia. I absolutely loved how she toyed with the detective and found her dark, sarcastic, wry sense of humor extremely amusing, especially since I would never have the gall to speak to a detective the way she did. She admitted thoughts and actions to him that most people wouldn’t admit to their best friend, let alone to the detective who suspected you of foul play.
“But they were thoughts, not actions, and you can’t get in trouble for thinking things. Because if you could, wouldn’t everyone in the world be in jail?”
If I didn’t have a stack of books waiting for me, then I would totally reread this to see if I could pick up on more clues about Saskia’s disappearance. Don’t miss this quick, engrossing read!
Thank you to the author and publisher for an advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own. #ShareOurSecret
Location: Cove, Vermont and The University of Oxford, United Kingdom
This is one of the BEST psychological thrillers that I have ever read! It has teens with the regular teenage hang ups who grow up and continue with these hang ups. Angela Petitjean is a teen with a real love interest—HP. And the good news is that HP shares her infatuation. Then, Angela goes to England for eight months of study abroad and everything changes. She meets new people and so does HP. Saskia, a waif from Australia, inserts herself into their lives. Thus the stage is set for a thriller that is non-stop, want to keep reading to the end kind of book. Saskia disappears, but where is she? Who knows anything about her disappearance? HP? Angela? The story is told from the viewpoint of Angela and she leads the reader into the woods and slowly brings you back to the revelation of the truth. This is an extremely well-written novel, with so many twists that you won’t believe it. The premise seems simple, but it isn’t. The solution seems to be a given, but it isn’t. Five stars and waiting for another book by this incredible author!
#ShareOurSecret
@stmartinspress
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Loved every second, amazing characters, amazing story.
I devoured this book over a weekend. Compulsive reading at its best!
I really enjoyed this book! I read it in one day! It made me think about our perception of ourselves…and what the truth really is. I can’t say more without giving the story away. Roz, I look forward to reading more of your books!
Great book. Entertaining. Quick read. Story was told from viewpoint of one character.
The characters in thus book were so relatable. The twists and turns kept me guessing til the end and left me hoping for a follow-up. Roz Nay hit it out of the park with this one.
You will find yourself changing your mind back and forth as to if you like or dislike Angela Petitjean from when you first meet her in high school until adulthood. Is she the sweet girl you may believe her to be or a sneaky vindictive monster? Angela meets HP in high school after HP rescues her from bullies. From this moment on they are forever joined at the hip. Angela quiet and unassuming and HP the popular guy on campus a friendship that turns into love and then Angela goes away to college in Oxford. This is when the distance from each other starts to unravel their relationship and the future draws them apart but is it for the best or worse? Is Saskia the reason for love now gone or is there still love but other reasons for Angela to be where she is as she tells her story. A gripping read which will have you questioning just who is the responsible for what happens next.
Dive into this interesting look into the core of a person and the secrets they guard. No matter how much we might like to let our pasts remain there can we ever really do just that? My heart raced as I worked my way through to the end, why, because I had to know! You never truly know a person do you? Wildly creative, this exhilarating read weaves its way into your psyche and has you looking at your own secrets. You won’t be able to put it down, I can’t wait to see what this author brings us next, loved it!!!
I really enjoyed this book! Angela and HP were a confusing mix of thoughts and emotions. And when you throw another woman into the mix? Explosive.
This was one of the few books I couldn’t figure out before the end. What a great read!
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.