I needed a fast moving book which would get over in a couple of hours. And this book fit the bill. The pages turned so rapidly that I was astonished

The story was routine for a thriller, a mother searching for her child. This had a slightly different delivery. The husband Tom didn't plan to kill her, but got her imprisoned on embezzlement. In the prison, Natalie also made a startling discovery - she was addicted to narcotics.

The debut by Rona Halsall traversed the trails of Natalie from home to prison to freedom. A stronger badass woman emerged from prison to right the wrongs.

But being a thriller, there were bound to be twists. But this twist was predictable as there were only 4 characters, so one of them was bound to be the villain.

The middle of the book which talked about her in the present and in prison was different for me. Rest were pretty much the same as any thriller. I read the book till the very end in one sitting as I wanted to know if my prediction was correct. In this case my niggles were not a very well developed pre-prison Natalie, and husband Tom was a slim-show in the book. He was hardly there in the book, yet he was the mastermind.

Overall a good predictable hence fast thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a fast paced book told from different POV's and alternate timelines. Natalie is released from prison after serving a 4 year sentence for financial crimes she didn't commit. She travels to the Isle of Man to find her ex husband and her son. She is reunited with her old best friend Sasha who joins her in her quest to find her son.

Although I had worked out who the threat was it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book and I was surprised to find out this is a debut. It is a well written psychological thriller with well rounded characters and an engaging plot line.

I had a great time reading this debut novel from author Roan Halsall.  There is a mystery to solve and I enjoyed the timeline that switched from Now to Then (4 years prior).  We also get some narration from a "mystery" stalker who seems to have some kind of devious plan.  Who is it? Can I figure it out? The story highlights how a mother's love of her child surpasses all else in life. 

Natalie is wrongfully convicted and finds herself in jail and separated from her precious little boy, Harry.  I really like Natalie and was rooting for her to be reunited with her son. Tom divorced her and has taken their young son to the Isle of Man (she has no legal rights there).  Does Tom have something to hide? Why would he make a move like this?

When Natalie is released four years later, she is on the hunt for her four year old Harry.  She tells herself to "Get a grip. Focus."  She has "things to do".  Natalie has a plan, but can she possibly pull it off?  How did she even get in this situation? Who is out to get her? And why?  

Read this one to find out if Natalie is re-united with Harry.  Prepare yourself for a stunning end to this mother's intense search for her little boy!

How far would you go to protect your child?
Being forcibly separated from your baby is every mother's nightmare but for Natalie she knows it might well be permanent even though she can't remember commiting the crime she was sent to prison for.
Convinced her son is in danger because of her actions whilst incarcerated, and knowing her ex-husband won't help, Natalie travels to his new home on the Isle of Man after her release to save the 4 year old. She sees threats around every corner but knows she has to keep searching because without her he may not survive.
Thanks to Netgalley I was able to read an advanced copy of this book and found it to be enjoyable and fast paced. The beginning of each chapter was designated 'then' or 'now' although for the most part this wasn't really necessary as it was immediately obvious which part of the story we had moved to.
Although I enjoyed this book I felt the end was a little naive as, without giving too much away, it all seemed a bit contrived, and disregarding of the effects of what happened to all concerned and how they handled it all.

.This is Rona Halsall debut novel and I am quite surprised, as her style of writing is one of a more experience author.
Natalie is just out of prison, from a crime that she didn’t commit. The first thing and only thing on her mind, is to find her son Harry. Harry was only a baby when she went into prison and ex-husband Tom has never brought him to the prison to visit.
Natalie was married to Tom, she had it all, rich husband, good job and then young son Harry. But, when Natalie returned to work she was accused of a crime that she can’t remember doing. Tom then flees and goes and lives on the Isle of man. Soon as she leaves prison, she is off to the Isle of Man in search of her son.
Whilst there, she meets a lot of characters along the way, including old and best friend Sasha. But also she senses that she is in danger and someone is following her.
The story alternates between past when she was married to Tom, what happen in prison and the present and what lengths she goes to in search of her son.
If this is Rona’s first novel, I can’t wait to see what else she has in store. This is fast paced, intense, with lots of twists and turns and you could feel the desperation that a mother has to keep her child safe. This is a very good start for a debut novel.
Thank you Bookoutre, NetGalley and Rona Halsall for a copy of this book.

I try my best to give books a chance and not to give much negative feedback but this one wasn’t really for me. It had potential but I found it unbelievable in lots of parts and I had figured out the plot 30% through the book. I persevered to the end and it was easy to read. I don’t think I’ll be tempted to read the next one in the series.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This had me on the edge of my seat! I was enraged at the injustice, heartsick at the heroine’s plight and utterly engrossed in the unfolding story. I literally could not put it down.

Old friends or new ones. They are there to watch your back, aren't they ...

One of the worst things is not being believed, especially by the people you love. It's hard to fight against a wall of hard evidence. How can you pull through? The best way is to keep your eye on the ball and go for it, no matter what ...

It's Natalie's story we read here. We are taken back to the past to see what went on and follow her in the present. But we also get little chapters where we can see into the mind of someone whose intentions are to be questioned.

It's great to see Natalie's change during the book. I have read it in one go and once again I had put my money on the wrong horse. I will never make it as a DI, but I thoroughly enjoyed trying to figure out who was capable of doing all those things.

I do believe a mother is like a lion when she wants to protect her child, but once you have that little person in your arms again, you can relax, can't you ...

My heart went out to Nathalie and her little boy.

Thank you, Rona Halsall, Bookouture and Netgalley

Guilty Little Secrets is a fantastic psychological thriller. This book is well written with a plot that kept me glued to the book. The story has many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Fans of psychological thrillers will love this books. I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Very interesting and gripping book. It captures your imagination and gets you thinking and wondering if this was to happen to you. Good fast poaced book

I had very high expectations for this novel and thankfully they were met! The story flowed really well and it kept my interest.

I liked the characters and the way the story went and I found myself really enjoying reading this.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I was hoping I would enjoy it, but the writing style just didn't connect with my usually loves. If I pick up at later date and end up enjoying, will redo my review. Will use in a challenge and let members know about its release in Chapter Chatter Pub.

An excellent debut psychological thriller. It's well written and pulled me in from the start. It flashes back to the past and present but it's easy to follow, and I didn't guess the ending which is fine by me!
Look forward to the author's next one.

Amazing story line, didn't guess the end, loved the wrap up, foundation and information and Background excellent. Hats off to Rona!! And thank you to #netgallery for the opportunity to read it. Fully recommended full Stars

I cant believe this authors 1st book its brilliant hope to read more from this author Natalie has it all husband business and a little boy all is taken from her she is sent to prison she meets Katya and they become friends not going to say anymore spoil it very addictive twisty a highly recommended book that you wont want to put down

Enjoyable book, although I did guess the ending, however this did not detract. I enjoyed the setting of the book and the movement between the two time periods providing the context to the story.

Guilty Little Secrets by Rona Halsall is a thriller that is mainly told from the point of view of it’s lead character Natalie. There are chapters in the now and then there are chapters from four years before but there is also an unknown voice in the present that is keeping tabs on Natalie.

Natalie has just been released from prison a bit early and the only thing Natalie wants in the world is to find her son and see him again. You see, Natalie’s son was only a baby when police showed up at her front door and took her away. Natalie had no clue what she would have done to have the police needing to question her but she was having problem with her memory at the time and struggling after having her son.

When the police go her to the station they began to question Natalie about missing money from one of her clients. Natalie worked for her husband in his finance company and right at six months leave being up he expected her to return to work no matter how she was feeling. Well, with money gone missing and all signs pointing to Natalie she is arrested for theft and her husband leaves the country with her son so when released she will do anything to find him.

Looking at my rating one might think I have a ton of issues with this debut novel but I really didn’t. It read rather easily with smooth writing going back and forth from the past and the present. The story was also one that was compelling although I would note it did get a tad slow in the middle but not bad overall. My rating though for me reflects the fact that I solved this one in the opening chapters. I really really hoped I would be wrong and there would be a great twist I didn’t see coming but unfortunately not so it was hard to be overly excited about the story but I would be interested in seeing what the author has up her sleeve in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Natalie was framed for a crime she did not commit and has spent the last four years in jail.

Her husband Tom, divorced her, and took their son Harry to the Isle of Man, never visiting with him, while she was in prison.

Now that she has been released, she is determined to find Harry, and to be a mother to him again. But, she may need some help along the way...

The story is told in the alternating chapters:
Then-Natalie’s time spent in prison
Now -her search for Harry
Mystery narrator-following Natalie Since her release

Usually this style propels a reader forward quickly because each narrative leaves the reader hanging, and wanting to get back to where that narrative left off-but for some reason, it did not work for me this time.

Perhaps, I wasn’t interested in the THEN chapters because I had recently read the excellent “Jar of Hearts” by Jennifer Hillier, which also had a jail narrative and a present tense narrative, and I could not help but compare?

Perhaps, it was just bad timing, as I did not want to read about a woman in jail again so soon, and had no idea half of the book would take place in that setting when I requested it?

But beyond that, I guessed who Natalie’s real enemy was and did not like how she conveniently met all of the people who could help her with her predicament and deliver an ending wrapped up neatly like a package with a bow.

Others readers have enjoyed this, so, if it sounds like a story you might like, you can pick up your copy on Aug 17th, 2018!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for the ARC provided in exchange for my CANDID review.

The only bad thing I can say about this book, is that it ended. I absolutely loved it!

The way each chapter is written, jumping to the 'Then', and back to the 'Now' is genius and works so well for this book. Easy to follow too, when I first saw the method, I was worried I would get confused if I put the book down, but I didn't. Was very easy to pick up and remember exactly where I left off.

The chapters with the unknown voice, I spent the whole book trying to figure out who was talking, intrigued as to who this nasty character was.

I was gripped into the book from the first chapter, Rona really describes the characters in depth, her writing style is so easy to follow.

The book gives you mystery, love, action and suspense, that's just a few to name, it has a mix of everything. Including a twist near the end, that I really did not see coming!

I would like to recommend this to anybody, first book of this genre I have read, and it has exceeded my expectations.
The story finished really nicely, it's tidy, no lose ends, but the possibility for another book, following a different character in the book, which I would love to read more about.

Thank you for the journey you have taken me on with Natalie, Rona, I hope to read more from you in the future.

Natalie is lucky to have her best friend, Sasha. They have always been there for each other. Now that she has been arrested for theft of money from a client, she needs her more than ever. Her baby, Harry has grown to a young child without his mother. The only thing that gets Natalie to be able to tolerate prison life is knowing that she will do anything to see Harry.
I enjoyed reading this book. Lots of drama. The characters are well developed in this story. It has a great storyline. I recommend it.