The Secret by Debbie Howells
Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller, Suspense, Crime thriller
Read: 23rd February 2022
Published: 6th January 2022
★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)
DESCRIPTION:
‘Everyone has secrets. And now, one of mine is yours…’
Best friends Hollie and Niamh tell each other everything. Behind the village of Abingworth’s closed doors, every family has its secrets – and their doors might hide the worst ones of all.
One day Hollie tells Niamh about a devastating discovery, swears her to secrecy, then vanishes. The villagers claim to know nothing. But when Hollie’s body is found, the police know one of their number isn’t just a liar, but a killer…
What did Hollie tell Niamh before she died? And who would kill to keep it hidden?
After all, two can keep a secret – if one of them is dead…
A completely unputdownable suspense thriller that will leave you reeling at the final twist…Perfect for fans of BA Paris and Claire McGowan.
MY REVIEW:
Two can keep a secret – if one of them is dead...
Wow! A multi-faceted thriller that begins as a slow burn with a strong focus on coercive control, amidst other evil secrets, THE SECRET does require a trigger warning for its abuse scenes of domestic violence, suicide and child pornography, which may be uncomfortable for some. The complexities buried deep beneath layers of congeniality and community make for a chilling and somewhat disturbing read. And despite its slow start, I was soon immersed within the secrets that were bubbling just below the surface.
Set in a quaint but affluent English village in Sussex, Abingworth appears to chocolate box and sleepy...but beneath the layers something far more sinister is at play. Elise Buckley is a flight attendant often away for short hauls and is on a return flight when we first meet her. She appears aloof and distant at first but this is just a mask to hide the dismal reality of her life in which she finds herself trapped. Her husband Andrew is a local GP in nearby Chichester who, for all intents and purposes, likes to keep the facade of a perfect image he portrays to all around him. But Andrew is a bully and a serial adulterer, using emotional and psychological abuse to keep his wife exactly where he wants her. He knows she'll never leave him and proudly states that fact whenever she's brave enough to confront him...because Andrew has a hold over her. But is it worth it in the end?
Elise remains in her loveless and abusive marriage for one reason and one reason only - her fourteen year old daughter Niamh. The eyes and ears who remains seemingly unseen holds many a secret of what occurs behind the closed doors of their perfect house. But at her age, Niamh sees and hears far too much...and it is a burden she shouldn't have to bear. Her one consolation and escape from her house of horrors is her friendship with sixteen year old Hollie. But free-spirited Hollie has her own issues some of which she shares with Niamh.
One day Hollie shares a dark secret she has uncovered with Niamh and suddenly the two young girls are having to deal with some very adult things on their own. And then soon after Hollie discloses her secret, she goes missing leaving her father and stepmother frantic with worry.
DS Joanna May is called in by her boss DI Saunders when Hollie is reported missing. Having just returned from extended leave due to the downfall of her own abusive marriage, Jo is at first reluctant before being reminded of the close proximity the village is to another case she had been working on. Operation Rainbow. At once, Jo knows she is best placed within the village on this investigation whilst working parallel on the other more covert operation which is about to be blown wide open with the police presence in the once sleepy village of Abingworth.
When Hollie's body is soon discovered in the grounds of a neighbouring property, the community closes ranks and suddenly no one is giving up anything...leading the police to believe there is something bigger at play. Meanwhile, Hollie's father and stepmother are over-wrought with grief and yet reveal nothing. And then there is the dark secret that Hollie shared with Niamh shortly before her disappearance and subsequent death. What bearing does it have on what happened to her? But as the layers of secrets in this once sleepy village gradually unfold, suddenly there becomes a new and disturbing aspect that sheds a whole different light on Hollie's death. Just exactly what had the young girl stumbled onto?
As the investigation continues, Jo comes up against a wall of secrets she has trouble breaking down...but having come from an abusive marriage herself she believes Elise is scared about the fallout that will surely come should she reveal what she knows. But is that all Elise is hiding? Is it fear or is it something far more calculating?
As Niamh watches in silence, she knows she can never reveal the secret Hollie shared with her. A promise is a promise...even in death.
Layered with plenty of suspense and sinister secrets, THE SECRET is told from the viewpoints of Niamh, Elise and Jo in which we are drip-fed enough information that sheds just enough light on the story as it gradually unfolds. Each of the characters are well-developed as their developing narratives add to the thrill and building suspense of the story. The plot is cleverly crafted and expertly told with the triggering issues within handled sensitively.
Despite the initial focus on Elise and her loveless marriage in the beginning, THE SECRET is an intriguing and addictive read once the pace gets going. All throughout the reader is tantalised as to what this deep dark secret could possibly be, as many possibilities go through our minds. Howells drip-feeds us many as we ponder "is this it? Or is it something else?" Because in all honesty, there are loads of secrets we are left to unravel...but can we unravel the biggest of them all? What was it Hollie told Niamh?
A crime story as well as a domestic thriller, THE SECRET is riddled with so many secrets that are hidden beneath the facade of respectability. There is also a sadness in the tale behind the story which leaves you pondering about the goodness of mankind, or lack thereof. It is, however, an engrossing domestic thriller with several twists throughout and while I did work out the biggest one, I didn't see the ending coming. But it was most certainly the coup de grâce with a sad but fitting end.
I love the short snappy chapters as well as the alternating narratives which keep the pace moving through this easy read that is just bursting with secrets. As my first read by this author, I was pretty impressed with the tangled web Howells wove for us and I look forward to reading more from her.
A disturbing domestic thriller, THE SECRET is perfect for those who enjoy darker and sinister reads.
I would like to thank #DebbieHowells, #Netgalley, #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheSecret in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
It was on my days off that I started writing, self publishing three women’s fiction novels before I wrote The Bones of You, my first psychological thriller. After selling at auction to Pan Macmillan, it went on to become a Sunday Times bestseller and was picked for the Richard and Judy book club. It was followed by The Beauty of The End, The Death of Her and Her Sister’s Lie, all published by Pan Macmillan.
I’ve since written The Vow, an ebook bestseller, published by Avon in 2020, and to be followed by The Secret in January 2022.
Meanwhile, alongside writing thrillers, I’ve returned to women’s fiction and the first of six novels, The Life You Left Behind, will be published by Boldwood in February 2022.
My books are inspired by many things – people, the human experience; the beauty of this ever-changing landscape. Thank you so much for reading them, if you’ve enjoyed them I’d love to hear from you.
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