The Secret by K. L. Slater

I was given my digital copy by Net Galley, K. L. Slater and Bookouture in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a book I was looking forward to reading as I have read one other book by K.L. Slater and thoroughly enjoyed it. K. L. Slater has a way of engaging you on the first page and keeps you addicted to want to keep reading until you have finished. This book is no exception. She has a way of developing character's you really care about and also those that you don't, but all are nevertheless interesting.

Alice is an agoraphobic that we know suffers from back pain. She sits looking out her front three story window looking for the same man sitting in the same seat in the tram that stops in front of her apartment. Alice doesn't like to leave her house and when her younger, arrogant sister Louise drops by with her son Archie for Alice to walk to school, Alice reluctantly agrees. Louise says that she has important business meetings, that she can't get out of. Louise is always well dressed with perfect hair and make up every morning and she sort of looks down at her sister Alice.

The story goes back in forth in time and we learn that Alice was once working at an art gallery and had some kind of accident she feels guilty from involving Jack. Alice and her nephew Archie grow closer as Louise is dropping Archie off for Alice to care from more and more. Alice was their mother's favorite and has left the three bedroom apartment to Alice. Louise is somewhat of a mysterious character as we wonder why she frequently works late or has early morning meetings.

The writing delves further into Louise's back story as we turn the pages and read on. Alice is very likable and she increasingly worries about her nephew Archie. Alice often hears banging upstairs late at night in the apartment directly above her's. One day after Alice drops Archie at school she runs into the man in the tram in a coffee shop and when she approaches him he seems distracted and Alice doesn't understand why he is acting as if he doesn't know her since he smiles and waves up to her every morning.

Louise has secrets, Archie has secrets and Louise's husband Darren has secrets. Darren is Louise's second husband and adoptive father of Archie. Jenny who lives upstairs from Alice also has secrets. The way these secrets are revealed make for one blockbusting ending that I didn't see coming. I never even came close to figuring out what is revealed but it is satisfying. This is the kind of writing where there is a lot going on to keep you enthralled while not wanting the story to end.

I have read many recommendations on Facebook for K.L. Slater and was keen to read one of her books being a fan of Psychological Thrillers. I started this yesterday and have just finished it. From beginning to end I empathised with characters. I did spot one twist but I think that this was purely due to the skill of the author in giving just enough information to wet the appetite causing me to read on to see if I would be right. I will be recommending The Secret, and I am sure I will be reading more of K.L.Slater's books.

Thanks to Bookouture for the arc of this book, I found it to be a bit slow to get into, and struggled most of the way through it,had to force myself to finish it.

Wow, what an ending! I didn’t see that one coming.
It’s probably not my favourite KL Slater book but I still really enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers.

The fact is that I'm a huge fan of K.L. Slater's psychological thrillers, so any time I see a new title popping up, my heart skips a beat. The Secret is without doubt another great title to welcome to the family. While not my absolute favorite of the bunch, there is no doubt that this newest psychological thriller is a very strong read with an ending that will leave you gaping at the last page and unable to utter something coherently. Oh yes, you might think you have this story all figured out early on (I'm including myself here), but this is all a smokescreen. The Secret has a couple of masterly incorporated plot twist bombs included that will shake you to the core and will dishevel you. Did I have a very STRONG dislike for Louise? Yes. Did I think Alice was a mayor pushover? Yes. Did those things sometimes frustrate me? Most definitely. But despite the unlikeable characters that made you want to hit something or someone and talk sense into them, you will find yourself completely hooked as you try to figure out what is really going on. And if you like surprises, you will be in for a real treat with the final reveals. Make sure to add The Secret to your wishlist if you are a psychological thriller fan, because this story is one of those rollercoaster rides that starts out slow but will have you breathless by the final page!

"Some secrets are not safe to keep."

Archie, Alice’s 8 year old nephew, has a secret. A secret which could cause irreparable damage if revealed. He has seen something, something awful and the dark shadow of this secret follows him everywhere.
Alice has agreed to take care of Archie while his mother Louise, Alice’s sister, attends early morning or late night meetings. As their relationship develops, Alice notices that Archie is withdrawn, worried and afraid all the time. She resolves to get to the bottom of things and find out what is troubling her young nephew.

The Secret is full of surprises and will keep you on your toes! This was my first book from K.L. Slater and I really enjoyed reading it.

Thanks to K.L.Slater, Bookouture and the NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.

I found the book to be very slow. I had a difficult time finishing it. Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

A book revloving around two sisters, Alice and Louise! Completely gripping psychological thriller! You won’t be able to put it down! This book had me completely engrossed and I will be a forever KL Slater fan! Highly recommend, perfect book club read!

Boy does Kl Slater know how to write psychological thrillers she has a way of creating characters that you just want to know everything about and story lines that keep you hooked the whole way through and The Secret was another fantastic read. The relationship between Alice and her nephew Archie was lovely and Alice goes out of her way to find out what is making him so afraid; This book had a few secrets and twists and kept me intrigued the whole way through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The Secret my review is honest and unbiased.

Wow! What a roller coaster ride! Definitely a psychological thriller! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong!

Alice and Louise are sisters who lead very different lives. Alice has become a recluse due to a tragedy and Louise is a hard working mother trying to keep her home together. They both have secrets and are determined not to let the other learn them. Louise’s son Archie has been spending time with his Auntie Alice. Archie is a troubled boy who also has a secret that keeps him in constant fear. Alice is determined to find out what is keeping Archie from being so afraid. Will she find out? And at what cost?

I was so excited to receive an ARC of “The Secret!” I love reading K.L. Slater books and am never disappointed. I really enjoyed the book. I liked that each sister had their own chapter so I could look at their perspective of their situation.
As always, I look forward to her next one!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARCof this bookin exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge KL Slater fan and I was really excited to see that she had a new book out.

This book starts off seemingly normal but then a series of events start happening and everything starts spiralling. I had some ideas of where the story was going but it took me by surprise. It's fantastic how everything came together eventually. This book really kept me guessing!

I highly recommend this one as well as the author's previous books. They are really good psychological thrillers.

Excellent book! I love the way the author really gets under the skin of her characters, this book focuses on two sisters, Alice and Louise, and the jealousy and resentment between them. When we start the story Louise feels that Alice has always been the favourite child and she has a huge chip on her shoulder because of this. The way she treats Alice is despicable and all she cares about is herself. Her 8 year old son Archie is such a wee soul, Louise portrays him as a difficult child but it soon becomes clear that all he needs is someone to pay attention to him and show him some love. My heart just broke for him! Alice becomes close to Archie and is determined to nurture and care for him.
The twists and turns come thick and fast and I have to admit I read a lot of this genre but I got this one totally wrong! Some truly horrific characters are introduced and when we discover who has been manipulating who all becomes clear! Brilliant book, I loved it!

Omg, The Secret, what an amazing, addictive thriller, I was utterly hooked all the way through, it was amazing!!

I have read all of K.L. Slaters books and she really does not disappoint. The Secret has more than one secret in it and I really did not see any of them coming! The chapters go back and forth in time but this is not an issue, as each chapter tells you how far back it’s going or if it’s present day. This is a great psychological thriller, with many twists and turns along the way. I could not put this book down, I was completely sucked into the plot. K.L. Slater has yet another hit on her hands. I would highly recommend this book.

The story revolves around two sisters, Louise and Alice.
Louise is picture perfect - elegant, confident and determined to achieve something in life.
Whereas Alice is a nervous wreck - following an incident which has changed her life (both physical and mental) for the worse.
Being superbly busy at work, Louise often leaves her 8-year old son, Archie, with Alice and the two of them form a lovely bond. So much so that Alice starts venturing out in public - something she has been hesitant of doing since THE incident and the sudden demise of her mother.

At the outset it seems like a simple story being told, about the daily lives of Louise, Alice and Archie - and the people they run into.
Told alternatively between incidents that have happened in the two sister’s lives and how their past has moulded them to be what they are today, this was a great read.
The sheer excellence of it comes at the end - when there’s an amalgamation of all the characters towards one pivotal ending.
And the revelation of the secrets Archie has been holding to his heart - for fear.

Superbly written, unpredictable, and with a fantastic finish...
This is what story-telling should be like.
Not for once will one be able to guess what’s going to happen.

4.5 for me.

Having recently started reading psychological thrillers I jumped at the chance to read ‘The Secret’. The book did not disappoint, the two main characters - Alice and her nephew Archie are extremely well written and quite lovable characters. The story kept me gripped from the beginning to the end, I literally couldn’t put it down and read it in a day. Secrets and devastating truths come to light! I can’t wait to read another book from this author.

I’m already a big fan of KL Slater so I was delighted to read any early copy of her latest release.
I was immediately taken in by the cover of the book but as soon as I read the description on the back, I was keen to get started.
KL Slater has written another fantastic story that I could not tear my eyes from, I was hooked from the start and quickly drawn in to the story.
The Secret is a truly gripping and addictive story that you won’t be able to put down. Superbly written characters with many secrets to be uncovered, as well as a few fantastic twists and turns.
This is a brilliant novel from KL Slater and I’m already looking forward to her next release. Highly recommended!

Archie is eight years old. A highly intelligent child. Left to his own devices he could sit in front of the TV all day playing video games. At school he is bright articulate child, but shy to make friends. At he's auntie's home, he is bored and sometimes out of control. With her love and patience, he starts to feel comfortable. In fact when mum comes to pick him up to go home, he always asks if he can stay there at his auntie's. The answer is always "no". Archie is finding, love, acceptance, comfort, and especially trust at his auntie's. Maybe someday he will tell her the secret. The secret that haunts his very existence. Maybe after that, he'll be able to tell her something else...the biggest and worst secret of all. I enjoyed this book immensely. It has a lot of twist and turns. It will definitely keep you interested all the way to the very end.

One of my favourite authors so was really looking forward to this one. And I was not left disappointed! Wish I could have given it more than 5 stars as has made it into my list of best books of this year so far.

I loved getting to know these characters and I found the story very intriguing and mysterious. I really liked not knowing where this story was going until each and every twist was revealed. I was hooked from the start and I highly recommend!