We All Keep Secrets by Sheryl Browne
Genre: Domestic suspense, Psychological thriller
Read: 23rd November 2023
Amazon
Published: 6th November 2023
★★★ 3 stars
DESCRIPTION:
I look into baby Fern’s crib, and my heart pounds. I’m her nanny, I was supposed to keep her safe. I hear the police downstairs, and the next words I hear make my legs buckle underneath me. ‘It was the nanny. She’s guilty’.
When I first walked into Jake and Megan’s immaculate home, I felt totally at ease. Sitting in the crisp white living room, they held hands and talked lovingly about their baby girl, Fern.
As the weeks passed, I began to think I’d made a mistake in taking the job. Jake was overly friendly from the start, watching my every move and always offering to drop me home, even though it was out of his way. And Megan seemed to take pleasure in telling me off in front of her husband, blaming me for things I hadn’t done.
The first time I heard the Haringtons arguing behind the door to their bedroom, I heard my name mentioned, and then they went silent. I should have left right there and then.
Now, as I stand accused of something terrible, my whole past is revealed and the Haringtons admit to knowing every detail about why I was sacked from my last job. We all have secrets, but little do they realise, I know theirs too…
With twist after twist, this is perfect for fans of The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and The Girl on the Train. A gripping thriller you don’t want to miss!
MY THOUGHTS:
We all keep secrets...do we? Except in Jake and Megan's case they really didn't. They shouted them from the rooftops in a bid to outwit the other. This entire domestic debacle is a shouting match from start to finish. I don't know who's worse as they are both as bad as each other. And Ellie? She's a deluded fool. There were warning bells and red flags flashing all about that house and still she stayed. I would have run a mile.
It is hard to like any of the handful of characters in this very messy tale. Because none of them are likeable. And none of them are completely believable either. So who is telling the biggest whoppers of them all?
And then there are the children. Six year old Ollie and three month olf Fern, who becomes a tragic victim at the centre of this nightmare. Both who completely deserved better. And still Jake and Megan scream at other. In front of their children, in front of Ellie, in front of dinner guests. Have they no shame?
It's clear the marriage is in tatters and it's beyond me why either of them stayed. And yet it's a secret that keeps them bound to each other. That and the kids. But really? And was it all worth it? For one of them, probably; for the other, definitely not. The entire book was a cat and mouse game between them that I just wanted to bang their heads together and couldn't wait to escape their presence altogether. The pair of them were clearly toxic.
The first half of the book is told from unsuspecting Ellie's perspective before we move into the second half which alternates between Jake and Megan's inflammatory narratives, most of which retells the first half but from their perspective. And then we get a different insight into what was actually happening when Ellie opened the door to find Jake there or when she was walking down the stairs as Megan came storming in. While it did provide a few insights it wasn't all that enlightening because it was clear they were both nutters anyway.
And then there was the ending. I was disappointed in that and unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. I was hoping for a twist that was bound to shock or surprise (as Sheryl has been known to do) but none materialised and the epilogue simply left me frustrated and unsatisifed. I mean, what? After the build up and that's what happened?
The writing was skilful and it was was well-plotted. I just didn't warm to any of the characters and was left disappointed for an ending I stuck around for expecting better. Not a bad read but not one of her best either. But never fear...Sheryl is a skilled writer with a fantabulous library of thrillers under her belt so I know that while I may not enjoy every book, her next one will probably leave me breathless.
I would like to thank #SherylBrowne, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #WeAllKeepSecrets in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
When she's not writing Sheryl can usually be found messing about on the water in her little narrowboat, Aquaduck, which she says she can generally be found falling off and she admits to being a bit accident prone.
Sheryl lives in Worcestershire with her partner and a variety of disabled dogs, of whom she says "my furry-friends give me back much more than I could ever give them. I really wouldn’t be me without them." According to readers of her thrillers, she also apparently makes an excellent psychopath.
PUBLISHER:
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Thanks so much for reading and sharing, Stina. So appreciated as I know you've had a few things going on. Much love. x
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