‘will have you gripped from start to finish, so much so that you really don’t want to stop reading!’ (5 stars) Reader review
‘I was hooked straight in from the first chapter and it really didn’t let up. Fast paced and thrilling.’ (5 stars) Reader review
You know everything about your husband. Don’t you?
He loves you. He loves your children. He’d never put his family in danger.
One of these is … children. He’d never put his family in danger.
One of these is a lie.
It started like any other day at the hairdressers where Sally works as a stylist… until her first client innocently shows her a family photograph; a photograph that causes Sally to collapse in shock.
In one moment, Sally discovers that Tom has been hiding an explosive secret – one that could tear apart the life they’ve built together. Faced with an impossible dilemma – search for the truth, or keep her contented life? – Sally is about to discover that even those closest to us have secrets… and that sometimes the truth is the last thing we want to hear.
A completely gripping, suspenseful psychological thriller that fans of T.M. Logan, My Lovely Wife and K.L. Slater won’t be able to put down.
Readers can’t get enough of The Secrets He Kept:
‘I read this in one sitting, loved it!! Quickly paced, great story!! Kept me guessing to the very end!!’ (5 stars) Reader review
‘I loved, loved this book. It was engaging from the first page and kept me up half the night.’ Reader review
‘Every few chapters provide a new twist in this story,
all ending with a very satisfying conclusion…I could not recommend this book more!’ (5 stars)
‘Wow, this was one gripping read!…A roller coaster of a read that thrills and excites.’ (5 stars) Reader review
‘a fast paced and twisty ride that kept me gripped from start to finish…kept me addicted till the very last page.’ Reader review
‘A fast paced, twisty domestic thriller…an engrossing read with a likable character and a host of thrilling twists and turns, enjoy!’ Reader review
‘I was intrigued by this book from the start… A highly recommended and enjoyable read’ Reader review
‘a very compelling thriller…I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy psychological thrillers.’ Reader review
‘The moment the first jaw-dropping bombshell landed in the first chapter, I was hooked… Clever cliff-hangers…and a twist you couldn’t guess even if you tried. A gripping, hard-hitting read’ (5 stars) Reader review
‘a splendid thriller that will leave you guessing until the end…I would recommend this book to anyone who loves psychological thrillers.’ (5 stars) Reader review
‘What a brilliant fast paced book. I was guessing all the way through.’ (5 stars) Reader review
‘Fantastic read! Great plot that grabs you from the very beginning. A masterful story that keeps you endlessly intrigued…HIGHLY RECOMMEND!’ (5 stars) Reader review
‘A brilliant roller coaster of a read…full of twists and turns and I was gripped from the very first page’ Reader review
‘The characters were well drawn and the story flowed seamlessly. Highly recommended.’ (5 stars) Reader review
‘kept me fully engaged from beginning to end…a riveting and twisty tale that will have you racing to get to the bottom of it all.’ Reader review
‘The story is full of twists and turns and kept me hooked throughout…will have you flying through the chapters to see how it will all unravel.’ Reader review
‘loved all the twists and turns; kept me guessing! I really enjoyed this, read it in one sitting!’ (5 stars) Reader reviewmore
Definitely a great read.
Was expecting so much more.
Makes you think how one secret even an old one could change lives in later years
Tom and Sally Cooper have twin sons, Aaron and Cian, age 3, and a 15-year-old daughter, Amber. Sally is a hairdresser and works several days a week. One day, a client of Sally’s shows her a picture of her boyfriend’s dad. It’s Tom. Sally is shocked and cannot wait to get home to confront Tom.
Sally is already aggravated at Tom for investing their funds, plus money she had saved to open her own salon, in a business that ended up failing. When Sally confronts Tom, he claims that it isn’t true – he doesn’t have another child. But, Sally soon learns that it is true.
It turns out that Tom is the biological father of Kenny whose mother has just been murdered. Kenny has no other family so it now falls to Tom and Sally to provide a home for him. Sally is livid and does not want the boy in her home. Yet, other things occur that make them think that more danger is out there and is targeted at them.
This story had good promise but there were too many things that made it appear forced. For one, Sally appears to be totally selfish and Tom, while being a loving father, seems to lack maturity. The events that wrapped up this story seemed to be somewhat contrived to find an ending. I simply was left unimpressed.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Secrets He Kept
by Jackie Walsh
Sally: mother, wife and hairdresser
Tom: her husband
Cian & Tom: twin sons of Sally & Tom
Amber: 15 year old daughter of Sally & Tom
Charlie: The sharer of a photo that upturns everyone’s lives
Sally had no idea that a photo on a phone would set in motion the search for information that had been hidden from her. As each little piece of information is uncovered I believe she was feeling more and more on the outside of what was happening. Everyone seems to have had secrets and been telling lies.
This is a psychologically twisty tale that has a prologue that indicates a murder took place but who was killed is not evident till around page 100 and then who is she and how does she relate to the story and most important of all…who killed her and why? Finding out who did it was a bit of a surprise so I won’t give that away. I will say that I did want to know so kept reading and sometimes skimmed to find out how it would end.
What I liked:
* Not knowing right away who was killed and who the killer was
* The slow unveiling
* The eventual knowing
* Cian and Aaron
* the threads being woven together
What left me unsettled:
* The lying
* The secrets
* The ending – though it kind of had to end as it did
* Wondering how the pieces would be picked up by those that remained at the end of the book
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley, Hera and BOTBS for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars