I'm not sure this is a thriller. Maybe a mystery, but from the first few chapters I figured out what had probably happened here. 

Adding to the blurb was the tag if you liked Girl on a Train. I did not care for that book or the movie. So I probably should have left this one alone.

It just wasn't for me. But give it a try! I loved another one of her books. Just not this one.

November 9, 2017 Release     Netgalley/Bookouture

I’ve read all of Shalini’s previous books and this one didn’t disappoint. I love the portrayal of the characters and the storyline. I had an inclining about who the boy was and can’t believe that the main character hadn’t realised. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Tessa Markham has been living alone since she and her husband had split up after the loss of their son. When Tessa arrives home from work one night to what should be an empty house only to find a little boy in her kitchen she has no clue what she should do. When the little boy ask Tessa if she is to be his new mother Tessa knows she must find out just who this boy is and where he’s come from.

Once the police arrive at Tessa’s home she finds herself answering their questions over and over again. No one seems to believe that Tessa just found the boy in her home and it quickly turns into suspicion of her snatching the boy herself. Tessa even begins to question her own sanity knowing she’d been battling depression since the loss of her child but she is determined to find out just what is going on.

The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland is a highly addictive psychological thriller with just the perfect combination of a flawed main character and engaging story to keep the pages turning. Tessa pulled me into her world rather quickly and made me want her to find out just what had happened and how the child had come into her life.

The reason I’m not giving The Secret Mother a full five stars is due to the fact that fairly early on in the story I had my suspicions as to how it would work out which were pretty spot on. There was one little detail in the wrap up I wasn’t a huge fan of but the fact that I still found myself completely engrossed in the book and not wanting to put it down regardless shows just how great the writing was in this book. I’d definitely recommend checking this one out to the fans of a good thriller.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

‘Are you my mummy?’

Tessa Markham comes home to find a child in her kitchen. He thinks she’s his mother. But Tessa doesn’t have any children.

Not anymore.

She doesn’t know who the little boy is or how he got there.

After contacting the police, Tessa comes under suspicion for snatching the child. She must fight to prove her innocence. But how can she convince everyone she’s not guilty when even those closest to her are questioning the truth? And when Tessa doesn’t even trust herself…

Well,after reading some of the other reviews for this book,I think I can definitely say that I am in the minority here,I liked this book but I didn't love it as much as the other readers have.It started off really well but as the story unfolded,I found it to be rather predictable.When I start reading a thriller I hope that I am going to find myself caught up in a world of suspense and intrigue,one which hopefully contains one or two OMG moments but to me this story contained none of those elements.There where no unexpected qualities to the characters personalities,there was our heroine Tessa,who was so frustrating at times I felt like grabbing her round the shoulders and giving her a good shaking.The unbelieving ex husband,the feisty,nosy neighbour who just happened to be a journalist,Tessa`s handsome boss who just happened to have the hots for Tessa and the predictably useless police force.We all know the media don't care about reporting the truth and whether what they are reporting is ruining someone else's life,just as long as the story sells,who cares..right.The bits about the media where realistic but the rest of the story including the ending was all a bit Lifetime Tv movieish.I worked out what was going on quite early in the story but carried on reading hoping that maybe something unexpected would happen like a omg moment that would throw all my theories out the window.But unfortunately when I got to the end I was left feeling underwhelmed and a bit disappointed.

Oh yes, yes yes yes yes, this was my kind of read, I really have taken this and added it to my top 10 this year, its a screaming from the rooftops fantastic read, if you love a good thriller, if you love to guess what happens next, if you love to stay up all night reading because you simply can't switch your mind off from a book, this is it, you found it, don't look any further.

This is so fast paced it leaves your breathless. One of the best psychological thrillers that I have read that has shocked me, left me dribbling for me and wanting more from this author.


Tessa comes home and finds an angel has delivered a young boy to her home whilst she was out, hes sat there, yes sat there in her kitchen drawing and colouring in.
There is an ex husband, she calls him, but there are mitigating circumstances surrounding her past with her husband that puts Tessa in danger of being accused of abduction.

Is Tessa going mad, some would think so, even her readers aren't sure.

I have just come across this author and I need to catch up on her other books, I will most certainly be doing that.

My thanks to the author, to Bookoutour and to Net galley for my copy.

A grieving mother finds an unknown little boy colouring at her kitchen table after returning from her weekly visit to see her twins’ graves at the cemetery. She doesn't know who the child is or how he entered her locked house.
What follows is a nightmare for her as she is accused of abducting the child and even comes to doubt herself.
I enjoyed the story although there were some niggling inconsistencies in behaviour and motivation.

I sat and read this in one afternoon. I can usually see the twist coming, but this one hit me for six. I did not see it coming.

This is the first Shalini Boland novel I have read, but it won’t be the last.

Well-earned five stars.

When Tessa Markham arrives home after visiting the graves of her twins, she finds a little boy in her kitchen who asks he "are you my Mummy"? She does not know the child and she has no idea how he got in her house. After contacting the police., Tessa comes under suspicion for snatching the boy. She has to fight to prove her innocence but even the people closest to her are questioning the truth.

It took me a while to see where this story was going but it did not spoil the book for me as it is an edge of your seat plot line. None of us like to hear when children go missing and we all hope for a happy outcome from it, and that's what keeps us turning the pages in this book., we need to find out the answers. This book is well written and thought out. I just loved it.

I absolutely loved this book, it is a nail biting stomach churning read but that's what psychological thrillers are all about. I loved Tess she was in a mess after losing two children but she felt as if she was gradually getting her life back bit by bit even though she certainly wasn't ready to give up going to the cemetery to visit the graves of the children every week, her estranged husband thought it was a bad idea but it didn't make any difference she needed to do this one thing for them. This is where the book starts as Tess returns from the cemetery on a cold wet winters day, she is not prepared for what awaits and the chain of events that follow. Thank you for the ARC

Oh, this book was brilliant from start to finish. It grabbed me right from page one, held me tightly throughout and didn't let me go even after I had turned the last page.
Tessa returns home to find a small boy in her kitchen. He asks he a simple question, "are you my mummy?" She's shocked to say the least but also very much drawn to the little lad, having lost both her own children, one quite recently, and subsequently her husband since their marriage couldn't survive the tragedy. Eventually though, clarity follows and she calls her ex and asks him to come over. When he does, he is shocked that she hasn't yet called the police. He is also suspect of her story as she hasn't been completely emotionally well for a little while and he fears that she is becoming unwell again. Eventually the police do come and take the boy away. They also are suspicious of Tessa's story, especially when she demands to be kept updated of who the boy actually is. Unluckily for Tessa, she lives next to a reporter who witnesses the whole removal process. In the days that follow, Tessa is hounded by the press and public alike as more of her own personal tragedy comes to light. A tragedy that is compounded when her ex and his new girlfriend spill some news of their own. Her only port in the storm is the garden centre where she works. Her only ally appears to be her boss, Ben. Tessa eventually breaks down and tells him the whole story, how the boy told her that he was taken to be with her, he believes her and encourages her to try and find the person responsible. A simple task that takes her on a rather emotional journey to uncover the really rather shocking truth.
Oh My Goodness. I am so glad that I started this book with nothing else urgent that needed done in my life. I was completely under its spell throughout, so much so that I actually gave over my precious TV rights to my brother for a whole evening whilst I finished it. I got so emotionally involved in Tessa and what was going on that everything else faded into insignificance around it.
The characters in this book really made the story come alive. The differences between Tessa's ex Scott and her boss Ben were perfectly played out. Scott having left Tessa to set up home with his new girlfriend because that path was easier than staying and coping with the emotions after the loss of their child. Compare that with Ben who is literally thrown into the deep end with all that is going on and who takes it all completely within his stride even though he has no real reason why he has to. A lesser man would have walked away from it. But he really is a rock, especially with all his support, belief and encouragement, even though he only has face value to take.
I do admit to working the ending out a little ahead of the final reveal but, I was so caught up in it all that that hardly seemed to matter. As the questions started stacking up, it made little difference that I had some of the answers early, there was still plenty going on that had not yet been resolved to keep me going.
This is my first book by this author, she has only really come on my radar since being picked up by one of my favourite publishers, Bookouture. But on investigation, she has a pretty impressive back catalogue and, as I really loved her style of writing here, along with her interesting characters and compelling plot, I would have no hesitation in picking out a few more of her books to read.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

After Tess finds a young boy in her house all kinds of things unfold before we find out how and why! A gripping good book and which tells an excellent story.

Wow, wow and wow! What a read! Gripping from start to end and a very clever plot that keeps you guessing all the way. Tess arrives home from her weekly trip to the graveyard to find a little boy in her kitchen saying that she is his Mummy. She is living apart from her husband after losing their own children. How did Harry get there and where are his family? Tess is accused by the media of abducting him and her life is turned upside down, not helped by the fact that her now ex has a new partner just when she was hoping that they would get back together. As ever Shalini has again found the perfect recipe; Intriguing to keep you guessing, characters that are believable and likeable, a touch of humour, a pinch of romance and short snappy chapters that keep you turning wanting to find out more. I loved this book from start to end and in fact didn’t want it to finish. A brilliantly written story and I very much look forward to the next one.I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
(rest of links on publication day)

Imagine coming home to find a strange child in your kitchen, a child that calls you Mommy. You don't know how the child got into the house and nobody believes you. This is what happened to Tessa. Tessa has a lot that she has to cope with and this happens as she starts coping. I loved the characters and the story line, it gripped me from the start though halfway through I figured out the plot, this however did not stop me from completing the book. Loved Shalini Boland's writing style .

If you are a fan of Psychological Thrillers then you must read this book, it will not disappoint.
Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for the copy.

This book had me gripped. It was full of suspense and intrigue. I didn’t see the twist until it happened and I was drawn to keep reading. Excellent book and I shall be highly recommending it to my book groups and friends! Thank you for the chance to read this !

I enjoyed this book. It had likeable characters and held my attention from the start. Will definitely
read more from this writer.

This is a brilliant psychological thriller which are my favourite genre of book at the moment. You could really relate to the main character Tessa. I was hooked from the first page and you could almost feel the emotions with her. I wanted to keep reading as it was that good but I also didn’t want the book to end!!This is the first book I have read by Shalini Boland but I will look to read some more as I was really impressed.

Another five star winner from this author who never fails to deliver.
Kept me gripped from the very first page and never let go. An absolute must read for any fan of this genre. Wish I could have given it more than just 5 stars!

Tessa Markham comes home to find a little boy in her kitchen. He thinks she’s his mother. But Tessa doesn’t have any children.

Not anymore.

She doesn’t know who the child is or how he got there.

After contacting the police, Tessa comes under suspicion for snatching the boy. She must fight to prove her innocence. But how can she convince everyone she’s not guilty when even those closest to her are questioning the truth? And when Tessa doesn’t even trust herself…

A chilling, unputdownable thriller with a dark twist that will take your breath away and make you wonder if you can ever trust anyone again.

Wow I never expected that! I’m not sure what I did expect, but it definitely wasn’t that.

There is a lot I would like to say about this book but I don’t want to give spoilers. I really, really enjoyed this book. 5*

This is a book I received via NetGalley and completed in exactly one sitting.The first thing to note would probably the fact that the tension in multiple situations was escalated and let to fall a couple of times in that short a time.

The ending reveals itself to you in phases so it does not come as a surprise when all is revealed.This particular reason is why I rated it only four stars instead of five.Despite that I think the tag of 'thriller' is a closer fit than that of a mystery.

The story begins by introducing us to an unbalanced Tessa Markham. How unbalanced she is , is a point for speculation and people around her do just that on multiple times during the course of the story. She comes home to the presence of a small boy in her kitchen, engrossed in drawing something. She immediately makes two phone calls and then then chaos ensues. Her life is turned upside down, her sanity questioned and relationships forged and broken. As mentioned earlier , it is a short book and I was impressed by the (good) amount packed into that space.