Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra.
To keep little secrets, they tell big lies…
I am not sick.
I just like the little dolls…
I think I’ll break one soon.’
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. A tiny porcelain doll appearing on your doorstep. Bright blonde hair, rosy cheeks, even a little blue dress. A perfect replica of your six-year-old daughter.
A brilliant read. Great story and characters. Twisty and tense. On the edge of the Vampires. Wow didn't see that coming. 5*.

What happens when ambition trumps the truth?
Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra unfortunately for me was too slow with unrealistic characters.

An ok novel if a little slow. Set in Australia but not really my thing.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A tad predictable, but an enjoyable read I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting a thriller! 3.5/4 stars

Three and a half star rating.
A small run down Australian town with an arsonist running loose and someone leaving dolls on the doorsteps where young girls live. Remind me never to visit, let alone live there as it seems to have far more than it’s fair share of weirdos and selfish, nasty people - so many in such a small place! Safe to say it’s very much on the creepy side. This story took quite a while to get going, so much so I almost gave up on it, but am glad I did persevere, to see that at least some of the characters got what they deserved. Very descriptive and you could almost feel the stickiness, the heat and paranoia coming through the pages.

Colmstock is a small Australian town that nothing happens in. Recently however there has been a spate of arson attacks, the latest resulting in the death of a young boy and the destruction of the local courthouse. As the town reels from that and sinks into paranoia regarding who the arsonist is little porcelain dolls begin to show up on the porches of some town residents, dolls made to look just like those residents daughters. And then disturbing notes begin to arrive too. Rose Blakey, barmaid and journalist wannabe sees her opportunity to get a great story to launch her career, but first she has to work out how far she is willing to go to get the inside scoop.

You know all those mystery and detective novels where there's an manipulative and unlikable journalist getting in the way of the hero police detective? Well this is one of those but told from the viewpoint of the unlikable journalist....oh but the detectives are also really very unpleasant. There really is no one in the town of Colmstock to like. Not even the kids. Even they are horrible. But strangely this is still an enjoyable book to read. It's darkly atmospheric and at times quite creepy and definitely a fresh take of a well trodden genre.

Little secrets

Having spent some time in Australia several
Years ago, I was able to visualise some of the small towns I passed through while travelling and create a picture in my head. Sadly that’s about as interesting as it got for me. I’m not going to lie, I did not like this book, I am not in anyway a prude but some parts of this book made me uncomfortable, I did finish it, well skimmed through to the end, but only because I wanted to give a truthful review.

Little secrets is totally different to the other daughter that I read last year and can't say I enjoyed it as much as that novel, although I love reading psychological thrillers this just didn't do it for me unfortunately. Little secrets is set in Australia and mainly centres around Rose who is young and has dreams of escaping Colmstock through journalism. Colmstock through things that happen and the way of life gives you the impression that it is a rundown town where people just do the same thing on the same day every week of the year. Rose works at the local bar and dreams of escaping and decides to get cracking. Weird little dolls have been left on some young girls doorsteps causing terror in the neighbourhood as these dolls are spitting images of the young girls they have been left for. The local police are baffled..... This is where Rose comes in and through listening in to the police in the bar writes a piece for the local paper hoping it will be printed and start her career.
This had all the qualities for a fab novel but for some reason I couldn't get into it and although I finished it, it did take me a while.
I would like to thank netgalley and HQ for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I don't really know how to review this book.

It was interesting enough to make me want to finish it but the plot is slow, many of the sub plots which showed promise were just left hanging with no outcomes, and I had too many questions unanswered in the end.

3 stars

This book centres around the town of colmstock and in particular through the eyes of rose. I felt it was a little slow but it did keep me reading. I found it a little unbelievable the scenes really jumped out at you especially the police brutality the author really had you there in the moment.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Well written book set in an Australia small town. I loved it.

I really enjoyed this book and it is the first time I have heard of this author. I read this in two days as I just couldn’t put it down and wanted to read it at every opportunity I had. Would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

How far are you willing to go to fulfill your dreams, to get out of (what you refer to as) the hell hole of town you live in. Rose is not willing to spend the rest of her life in the small town she grew up in. And when the opportunity arises she takes advantage of the situation and makes sure that this is her ticket out. Even if she has to bend the truth a little. A story about friendship, moral and small town dynamics. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and HQ!

With many twists, mysteries and surprises, this book held my interest most of the time. The plot lines and characters were unrealistic however.

An enjoyable book with plenty to entertain, however for me it was missing the 'wow' factor that would have made it 4 stars.

For some reason I seem to like Australian writers I like their writing style, it always seems relaxed and easy to read.I don't know if its possible to have a generic writing style it seems unlikely but I really do think the ones I have read have a lovely flowing style and this author is no exception. I also like small town settings with all the characters there are to be found in small towns, so this was a perfect fit for me.I liked the main character Rose, I was on her side straight away .Rose was trying to make it as a journalist but in reality was working as a barmaid in a pub frequented by cops and dealing with a traumatic home life.Throw in some weird little dolls being left around town and some interesting characters and you have yourself a story.I thought it was great, I had several ideas most of them were not correct and I was kept page turning to the end.I really enjoyed this book and would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for an arc in return for an honest review.

Omg seriously when you actually find out who was sending the dolls it will hit you like a brick and you’ll never guess who it was as it’s so out there I didn’t!

It was actually a pretty creepy book in parts, and I was kinda shocked it made me feel so uncomfortable (this is difficult to achieve).

There are plenty of things going on in the little town, an arsomist, creepy gang of kids, someone sending dolls to kids and threading to harm them, along with a few others thrown in for good measure!

It’s a really good book it was easy going and fast paced so I finished it in no time; I’d read more by the author I found the book quite unique and well written and I enjoyed it a lot

Actually 3.5 Stars, rounded up.
Well, this was a little bit different to what I was expecting. Rose is a young woman who has outstayed her welcome at her parents. She aspires to be a journalist but hasn't managed to get the break she needs to progress in the profession. Instead, together with best friend, Mia she spends her time as a waitress at the local cop bar, fending off unwanted advances.
The town in which she lives and works has recently been troubled by a spate of arson attacks, the last being rather more than just mindless vandalism as it claimed the life of a young boy and is currently unsolved. And then something else strange starts to happen. Dolls keep appearing on families' doorsteps. Dolls that resemble the children of the family. Rose's own sister also gets one and, shocked and scared by this, she does the only thing she thinks to do... she writes about it. But not in a mature, proper paper, grown up way. No, not Rose, she goes down the tabloid sensationalism route which leads her into a bit of a pickle. Throw into the mix the fact that Rose is currently homeless and dossing down in one of the rooms at the tavern where she works, dodging both her boss and the occupant of the other room; a stranger who keeps his cards close to his chest.
As more and more dolls turn up, is there something really sinister going on in town? When a child goes missing things really heat up and certain members of the community take matters into their own hands, with devastating results.
Well, as I said, this book took me on a rather strange journey. It is more than just the story of the people in the town, it is the story of the town itself and how the small-town, claustrophobic nature of which affects all those who cross its path. In fact, as I got to the end and turn the final page I was still a bit unsure about what I had just read and how I thought about it. There were some parts that were downright bizarre; the paper plate kids for example.
I am also, several days later, still unsure about what I think of Rose. yes she did some silly things; some really dumb actually but she is just trying to do her best to get away from the small town which she hates. Like a trapped creature, she will do anything to escape its clutches. Even if she has to bend (smash) the rules to achieve her goal. Oh and sell people out too. But it's all a means to an end for her. Even her best friend is not safe in the maelstrom she creates. And as for her love life...
The ending, well, again I am not sure how I feel. But I guess the fact that I got there at all shows the power of the author's writing. There were some things that I figured out myself, albeit partly rather than wholly. Others that I never saw coming and a few things I'd really rather not have known.
All in all a rather uncomfortable claustrophobic read that probably gripped me for all the wrong reasons but one which I couldn't put down but can't really think why. The fact that I finished it over a week ago and am still pondering it speaks for the hold it had over me. Not sure I like that, but not going to analyse it either.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Rose is an aspiring journalist desperate to escape the small town she lives in Australia. When porcelain dolls start randomly appearing on doorsteps she grabs the opportunity to try and get a news article published, despite the local police warning her not to. Meanwhile a stranger appears in town and the sense of paranoia and suspicion grows.

I loved this book. It was my first by this author and I just couldn't put it down. The characters were all really interesting and all played a part while the sense of unease built wonderfully throughout the story. Evocative, tense and thrilling - just what I like in a book!

A town reeling in the wake of tragedy

An arsonist is on the loose in Colmstock, Australia, most recently burning down the town's courthouse and killing a young boy who was trapped inside..

An aspiring journalist desperate for a story

The clock is ticking for Rose Blakey. With nothing but rejections from newspapers piling up, her job pulling beers for cops at the local tavern isn't nearly enough to cover rent. Rose needs a story-a big one.

Little dolls full of secrets

In the weeks after the courthouse fire, precise porcelain replicas of Colmstock's daughters begin turning up on doorsteps, terrifying parents and testing the limits of the town's already fractured police force.

Rose may have finally found her story. But as her articles gain traction and the boundaries of her investigation blur, Colmstock is seized by a seething paranoia. Soon, no one is safe from suspicion. And when Rose's attention turns to the mysterious stranger living in the rooms behind the tavern, neighbour turns on neighbour and the darkest side of self-preservation is revealed.

I'm not sure what to say about this book without giving spoilers, so I'm not going to say anything. Except I will say this book is a really enjoyable and unexpected read. 4*