Another great psychological thriller by K.L. Slater that pulled me in right from the spine-chilling prologue!

The Secret is about two sisters, Alice and Louise, who could not be more different. Alice suffers horribly from anxiety and rarely leaves her apartment that she used to share with her mother before she passed away. Louise is Alice's very confident older sister, she is the mother of 8-year-old Archie, a wife, and a very busy businesswoman. Alice and Louise used to be very close. But now, Louise just doesn't understand what Alice goes through with her anxiety and criticises her constantly for not having a life or friends. Since Alice doesn't work Louise has been asking her to watch Archie. Now that Archie has been in Alice's care more often, she starts noticing signs that something just isn't right with him, and let me tell you, she is determined to find out! Is Archie hiding a terrible secret that could put his family in danger?

This book definitely lived up to its name! A gripping page-turner about family, love, and a whole lot of secrets - and I loved every minute of it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this book made my head spin, not in an exorcist way so don’t worry! How many secrets can one book hold, in the case of The Secret many!! Just when you thought you had discovered “The Secret” about 5 more turned up!

So we are guided through the story through Alice and her older sister Louise's eyes, not going to lie did not like Louise in the slightest, she was a bit of a bitch really, just putting it out their rather bluntly. She was a horrid sister to Alice! There relationship has detoriated throughout the years, now at a stage where Louise snaps at Alice everytime she pretty much opens her mouth! 

Alice has been carrying the world on her shoulders, as well as living with ME, anxiety and just constant pain every day. Now I don’t know much about ME but my heart went out to Alice (and everyone who suffers) where just the simplest of tasks causes her so much pain and discomfort, things we take for granted.  She is just a shell of a person, just existing in the flat she lived in with her late mother. Then one morning, she spots a man on the tram (I started getting "Girl on a train" vibes here!) and her heart stops. On her thirtieth birthday, she fell in love. It gave her a reason to get up in the morning and then one day he waved! I had a little cheer for Alice, short-lived as it was. She is struggling to move on from the guilt she holds for a past action,.

Louise, her sister, married and has a gorgeous little man Archie (more about this one later) she is busy with “meetings” and “appointments” that she just dumps her son on to Alice and moans at her constantly to move out the flat. She couldn’t imagine Alice for one second understanding her problems as she doesn’t do anything. All the while displaying mannerisms of not being able to cope, things going on at home and she is just rude, cruel (so very cruel) and aggressive all the time. She made me tired with it all!

Finally Archie, the person the who holds all the secrets. This little boy is so unhappy and something has shocked him to the core and he has to keep it a secret or else. Well, when I found one of the secrets out, my first thoughts was that it? But when you read on, my heart went to him, it was so much more. I just wanted to give him a big hug and bring him home to me. Then once we had done the first reveal we found out there was more! How this boy has coped I would never know and I am glad he found a trustworthy companion in Alice.

Whilst living in the present, we are whisked back into the past, to see what has occurred to lead us to where we are. Alice’s story was heartbreaking and for Louise to tell her to get over it made me want to slap her and hope she gets what she deserves.

The author has created a story with so many layers, it kept me going, and it is most definitely a page-turner! So much was going on, without it feeling too manic and it didn’t confuse things or take away from the main story, it showed growth in some of the characters. It showed me that sometimes nature wins over nurture when you are growing up if you let it. I loved Alice and Archie and I am glad I was allowed to step into their world and learn about their history and mistakes. I am hoping now I’ve closed the book that they will be ok, in fact, I am confident they will be.

This is my first encounter with this author, and broken record as I sound, this will NOT be my last one! This is her 6th book, so I have 5 to catch up on.....see you later.... need to cure my book hangover!

This is my sixth read by K.L. Slater, and I'm happy to say it didn't let me down. The Secret only cemented that automatic reaction I have that grabs a new book by her as soon as I see it. At times it moves quite slowly without a lot of action, but we learn so much about the characters and the suspense was definitely enough to keep my attention. This one ended up being hard to predict for me, and I'm very satisfied with the ending. I'm happy that I grabbed it because of the author and didn't read the synopsis too closely, because it actually reveals a couple of things that aren't told to the reader until later in the book when you're actually reading it. That led to a better experience for me, so I'd suggest grabbing this one without looking too closely. I'm keeping my own personal synopsis of the plot purposefully vague.

Alice and Louise are sisters, but they aren't close and couldn't be more different. Louise is a busy career woman and mother to Archie, who her husband adopted from one of her previous relationships. Alice rarely leaves the house, though it's clear she hasn't always been that way. They both have frustrations with each other, which doesn't stop Louise from often dropping Archie off for Alice to care for... and Alice never says no.

Archie seems spoiled at first, and Alice doesn't look forward to his visits. But it isn't too long before they start to connect, and Alice is sure that something big is bothering the boy. She has no idea the secrets he keeps... but as it turns out, everyone in the family is hiding something.

This is a close examination of a very intriguing family, and it's full of surprises. It's rare that I don't guess what's going on before it's revealed, but here we are! I found this to be a really quick read, perfect for fans of psychological thrillers that sneak up on you.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Bookouture, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased

There are a lot of plot strands in K.L. Slater’s new twisty psychological thriller.

Alice, almost housebound due to health issues and with (of course) a mysterious traumatic incident in her past, becomes obsessed with a man she sees daily from her window. In the flat upstairs, something strange is going on. Alice’s sister Louise constantly uses Alice as free childcare for her young son Archie, who is clearly deeply troubled by something. Louise’s marriage doesn’t appear to be all it could be, and where is she really going all the time when she claims to be attending work meetings? No job can be that demanding, can it?

That’s all in the present day but there are also numerous flashbacks to various times in the past; the sisters’ childhood with their late mother, Alice’s previous job and relationship, Louise’s ex boyfriend.

Apart from Archie I didn’t really like any of the characters. Alice has her good points - mainly her care for Archie - but is far too much of a pushover for a sister who treats her with no respect whatsoever, and her fixation on a complete stranger who has occasionally looked up at her window seems bizarre and a bit stalkerish. She makes some pretty silly decisions and misjudgements too. (Asking a random person who works at a solicitor’s office to tell her what a certain client is there for is fairly idiotic.) Louise is pretty horrible and it’s hard to discern any good points. I couldn’t really understand her at all, even though some parts are written from her perspective.

There’s just too much going on and while some things were tied up by the end, I’m not convinced everything was. I also found the flashbacks, which dot around in time (twenty years earlier, three years earlier, ten years earlier, and so on) a bit confusing. A fair bit of it didn’t really seem to lead anywhere either and there are a number of things which don’t add up in retrospect.

While there were a couple of surprises (including a bombshell near the end), the identity of the main villain was not one of them and was apparent well ahead of the reveal.

That said it was an enjoyable and escapist read, and definitely a good choice for holiday reading.

I have enjoyed K L Slater’s previous books and this one was even better. The story is centred around sisters, Alice and Louse who have a troubled relationship. Louise has a great job, husband and an 8year old son Archie. Alice is virtually a recluse following an accident that changed her life. Louise starts to rely on Alice to look after Archie and take him to and from school as her work is busier and she hasp more meetings and appointments. Alice begins to realise that all is not well in Louise’s life when Archie starts revealing secrets he knows.
The chapters are told in the past and the present, revealing events in both the sisters past. This is a gripping, psychological thriller with a clever plot and interesting characters. A brilliant storyline that kept me guessing to the end. A highly recommended read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Excellent, gripped you from the start. You never knew what was really goain’t on which is excellent

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and KL Slater for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - another winner!

Louise and Alice are sisters but very different personalities. Louise is married with a son, Archie, that she raised as a single mom until she married Darren. Alice, who is single, took care of her mom until her death and lives in the apartment they shared. Almost housebound by pain and fear, Louise takes advantage of Alice's position to have her look after Archie.

Told in the voices of the sisters with flashbacks in time to tell the backstory, Alice becomes concerned about Louise and how she is treating Archie. Archie meanwhile, has a secret that he can't tell anyone and is one that could change everything for the family.

Kept me turning the pages into the wee hours! Great read! 4.5 stars!

I do so enjoy Kim Slater’s books. I’ve come to rely on her to always deliver a great twisty and tense psychological thriller that’ll keep me entertained for hours and The Secret did exactly that.

The prologue already sent a chill down my spine when Archie stumbles upon something he wasn’t supposed to see. Eighteen months later, eight year old Archie is still fiercely holding on to the secret but things are starting to take its toll.

For the most part, The Secret is a cleverly constructed and character-driven story centred around two sisters, Louise and Alice. Theirs is a complicated relationship that is seemingly fuelled by jealousy. It was hard not to choose a side and I admit I did so from quite early on. My sympathies were very much with Alice and despite the obvious baggage that Louise is carrying around with her, I disliked her immensely.

Throughout the story, we explore the tumultuous relationship between Louise and Alice in the present and the past. Bit by bit, Alice, who’s quite close to being a recluse, finds her feet again. But will the relationship between the sisters survive?

More than anything though, the character I’m sure you too will be rooting for until the very end is Archie. He’s quite obviously a troubled little boy, doesn’t seem to have any friends and the only place where he really comes to life and shows the kind of boy he is, is when he’s staying with his Auntie Alice. He just really captured my heart.

The Secret is quite a slow-burner. Although there are some twists, I felt the majority weren’t meant to dazzle and leave you wondering what the heck just happened. They feel immensely natural to the story and up to a point even rather realistic and believable. The characters sure are and I became incredibly immersed and invested in their lives. The big mystery about the secret Archie is keeping isn’t revealed until the end and what an utterly shocking ending it is too! Now that one I didn’t see coming at all!

So, intriguing characters, a mystery to solve, suspense and a jaw-dropping ending! What more could you possibly want?

There were some heavy topics in this book. Domestic violence, envy, cheating, murder and a little boy keeping secrets. Revealing more and more of Archie’s home-life it was totally understandable that he started acting out at school. If not for his Aunt Allie, he wouldn’t have had a chance to a more normal life. His mother Louise wasn’t fit to be a mother and his adoptive father was a abuser, so what chance did that boy really have. How can a mother stand by and see her child getting more miserably by the day and do nothing. She even took that creep back, planing a new future with him, after everything he’d done. If not for the boy, I would have loved to see her in prison too. A good story, with emotional up and downs, a lot of heavy stuff happening - so be warned.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture!

What a read! Brilliant. I enjoyed this… It is well written, easy to read, fast paced and contains short chapters.

At first this story makes you like all the characters and sets out the story perfectly… BUT THEN… It turns… I felt sorry for poor little Archie as no child should have to keep secrets, feel scared or feel unsafe especially around their own family. Then… I also started to feel for Alice! What a little star of a character she is. Constantly taking on little Archie and trying to get to the bottom of it all and expressing her concern, she really starts to build a friendship and bond with the little man even with her own illnesses ongoing.

However, I understand that Louise is struggling to cope but as a mother no matter what your child should come first. She really started to annoy me how much she passed her son onto Alice and didn’t even appreciate that Alice was always there. Taking advantage in my eyes.

BUT THINGS GET WORSE…

You will have to read it to find out. A brilliant read. A well deserved five stars. Highoy recommend. I am loving all of K.L. Slaters stories I have read so far and I think the covers are gorgeous and eye catching.

When I saw this book on netgalley for review, I jumped at the chance to read it.
I love a good psychological thriller and this was one of the best I have read in a long time.
The story follows, Louise, Alice and Archie. Louise and Alice are sisters but not very close at all. Archie is Louise's son, who Alice has been looking after quite a lot. And as she spends more time with him she finds out he is keeping a big secret. But how do you get a kid to tell a secret, he has been told to keep. One that would ruin his and his families lives.
This story was gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout it. I got up extra early just so I could finish it off before my kids woke up.
The story revolves around a secret that Archie is keeping. You can see that keeping the sercet is having a big effect on him. He's angry for the smallest if things, he's withdrawn and quite.
The story takes you on twists and turns that half the time we don't see coming. I thought I had the ending figured out, I thought I knew who the person doing bad things to Archie was but it turns out I was wrong.
I've got to say I don't like Louise at all, she was a women that didn't really care about her child. Shes more worried about her relationship and career to see that there was something happening to her son.
This is the first book by this author I have read but it won't be my last, I loved her writing style.

There are certain authors that I can rely on to provide me with a perfect read and KL Slater is one of them. This mystery was her best yet! I was invested in the dysfunctional relationship between Louise and Alice right away. There were a lot of twists and turns, which I loved! I hope that it is not a long wait for the author's next book!

This lives up to KL Slaters previous novels and kept me hooked so I read in a day. The premise is simple someone has a secret to keep. Sisters Alice and Louise have had a fractious relationship all there lives and now Louise is relying on Alice to look after her son Archie. The story is told from the POV of both sisters both now and in the past. Through these flashbacks you learn more about each sisters relationships and disappointments. Archie seems anxious and not comfortable around Alice or his mother.
The story unfolds but you’re not sure what path you’re supposed to follow every time you think you have identified one aspect another is revealed. I did identify one part of the storyline but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely LOVED this book by KL Slater!! This is the first I have read by this author but I will be grabbing others ASAP!!
One of the best psychological thrillers I have read - I was completely engaged throughout the book and the ending was shocking!
Thank you to KL Slater, Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC of this fantastic book!!

Louise and Alice are sisters. Their father was always a hard man who was mean to them and their Mom. When he died, their Mom was relieved. Louise was always jealous of Alice and wanted more than was her share. Now, their Mom has died after years of being ill where Alice was her caregiver. Alice tells Louise that their mother left the flat to both of them. Louise is married to Darren who is the stepdad to her son, Archie, age 8. She works long hours and often asks Alice to care for Archie in the evenings and take him to school in the morning. As Alice does not work, she is fairly agreeable to do this. However, her health is not good and sometimes just getting around is painful for her. Louise wants Alice to sell the flat and move elsewhere as she needs money from the sale.

Alice likes to sit by the window and watch the tram go by outside. Every morning, she sees the same man in the same seat in the same car. He is handsome and she finds she looks forward to seeing him. When he looks up and waves one morning, she thinks he is waving to her. Although she does not like to go out much, she is determined to find a way to meet this man.

Alice becomes concerned about Archie as he seems withdrawn and worried. When he tells her that his mother pushed him making him hit his head followed by a nosebleed, Alice is furious at Louise and needs to talk to her. But Archie tells Alice that he has a secret and that he cannot tell anyone which makes Alice even more concerned.

The story flashes back and forth from the present to past allowing readers to more understand the relationship between Louise and Alice. It weaves lots of characters together that lead us through the sisters’ lives and how they have come to this point in their lives. But when Archie finally tells his secret, the story really peaks to a conclusion no one is expecting.

This is a good book that started off rather slow for me but built to a stunning ending. I know other readers will like it too.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

K.L. Slater never disappoints! She has an amazing talent for character development always making you feel like you know each character personally!
If you were Alice, you would know how it felt to live your life in the shadows of an insanely jealous sister who constantly tried to ruin everything you tried accomplishing! If you were Louise, you would know how it felt to choose one controlling loser after another and constantly put your needs above everyone else you loved. If you were Archie, you would know how very very stressful it is to keep a secret, have no friends, and harbor the feelings of being useless. How do these characters's lives twist together to make one smashing hell of a story? Well, you absolutely must read it!
The way Slater weaves together a story is masterful in the least and genius at best! The plot twists are outstanding and always surprising, leaving the reader with sense of, "crap did that just happen"?
Like Slater's other books, "The Secret" will leave you breathless and wanting to read more! Praise for K.L. Slater and her ability to keep us wanting to read every word she writes on paper! Yay!!!

K.L. Slater never disappoints! She has an amazing talent for character development always making you feel like you know each character personally!
If you were Alice, you would know how it felt to live your life in the shadows of an insanely jealous sister who constantly tried to ruin everything you tried accomplishing! If you were Louise, you would know how it felt to choose one controlling loser after another and constantly put your needs above everyone else you loved. If you were Archie, you would know how very very stressful it is to keep a secret, have no friends, and harbor the feelings of being useless. How do these characters’s lives twist together to make one smashing hell of a story? Well, you absolutely must read it!
The way Slater weaves together a story is masterful in the least and genius at best! The plot twists are outstanding and always surprising, leaving the reader with sense of, “crap did that just happen”?
Like Slater’s other books, “The Secret” will leave you breathless and wanting to read more! Praise for K.L. Slater and her ability to keep us wanting to read every word she writes on paper! Yay!!!

This latest novel by K.L. Slater is a gripping psychological thriller with characters that are engaging if not really likeable. Archie is Louise’s young eight-year-old son who is being left frequently in the care of his Aunt Alice, a woman who lives alone and seems to suffer from agoraphobia. After reading the book, I can conclude that all of the characters have secrets that they are dealing with. My favorite character was innocent little Archie who has the biggest secret and one that is not revealed until the conclusion of the book. The ending is absolutely satisfying and very surprising. Alice’s desire to find out what is happening with Archie seems out of character for her since she starts out as such a recluse, but the reader can see Alice as the strong, independent woman that she once was, before the accident that left her struggling to cope with everyday life. I, personally, did not like or sympathize with Louise at all. She is the overbearing, bossy sister who continually takes advantage of Alice. Nor did I like Darren, her husband and Archie’s stepfather. His character was not very well-developed but what the reader knows about him is not likeable. All in all, the book was a good mystery/psychological thriller and fans of Slater will not be disappointed. Those seeking a book with a lot of twists may be disappointed, but I really enjoyed the pace of the book as well as the way the author told the story from the points of view of both sisters.

Yet another gripping psychological thriller from the ever excellent Kim Slater.Louise and Alice are sisters,Louise appears to have it all ,great job,husband and young son Archie while Alice is a virtual recluse in her flat.Helping Louise out Alice babysits Archie but that is when Alice starts to suspect all is is not as it seems in her sisters life as Archie starts to mention secrets he knows.The Secret had me gripped from page one and it has you hurtling towards the tension filled climax,yet again Kim Slater has delivered another 5 star psychological thriller and just seems to be getting better and better with this genre of book.Excellent !!!

This is the first book that I've read by this author. All through the book there are subtle hints and pieces of background information that will encourage the reader to different conclusions. This is truly a shocking psychological thriller with an ending that readers will not see coming. Highly recommended!