What can I say about this book? Well, it’s absolutely brilliant! I read this during the Coronavirus lockdown in the UK, whilst we had some sunny weather. I devoured it, sat in the garden, in just over a day. I literally could not put it down. If you love a well written and thought out thriller, then this is definitely the book for you. I didn’t know much about the author prior to reading the book so had no preconceptions about it or the style of her writing but it certainly didn’t disappoint. The characters are well formed, and the author touches on some very difficult situations, but does so with compassion and understanding. I can highly recommend this thriller.

Marin, the main character has a rocky road to travel as she searches for her missing child. She uncovers information she wishes never existed. A gripping story with plenty of unexpected outcomes.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first Jennifer Hillier novel so much so that I stayed up to 2am to finish it.

I was immediately drawn to the story in this book, which keeps you on the edge of your seat and is beautifully written.

It’s strange as I didn’t like any of the characters in this book, even the main character Marin whose child is kidnapped, but despite this I still really enjoyed this book.

The only small negative for me was I managed to pretty much predict who the kidnapper was about half way through the book, but that’s probably more down to the fact I have read a ton of these kind of books before.

This book is definitely worth a read and I am going to check out Jennifer Hiller’s other book Jar of Hearts which is apparently equally as good.

I’d like to thank NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

A perfect couple. with the world at their feet. Marin is a high-class hairdresser who runs a salon for the wealthy and famous. Derek and executive with his own company. A son Sebastian who is adored. But one fateful day while out shopping Marin takes her eyes off her child and he is gone. With Marin and Derek's relationship breaking down and all avenues to find Sebastian at a dead end Marin hires a private invesigator to help find her him but instead of finding Sebastian the PI informs her that Derek is having an affair with a twenty four year old. Marin confides in her best friend Sal who she had a brief fling with when they were in college together. His offering to help leads Marin down a very different path.
Relationships, friendships, adultery, abuse, blackmail, trust, murder. This is a story of love and revenge. It is without doubt a heart-stopper and takes the reader to questions of how far would you go to get what you want.

Wow. What a book! Little Secrets is a shining example of a domestic thriller. It’s been sixteen months since Marin and Derek’s son Sebastian was abducted, and Marin is now faced with another harsh reality - her husband is having an affair with a 24 year old Art student. The saying goes that, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” and this book truly explores the depth of that idiom.

Little Secrets is a painfully realistic take on the sense of loss felt by parents following the disappearance of a child, and albeit it painful to read at times, it solidifies the readers ability to empathize with the main characters. My heart was bleeding for Marin, especially, and I was taken on a whole rollercoaster of emotions with regards to Derek!

Her husband’s affair takes Marin along dark paths, which in a more level-headed headspace (and without a missing child tugging on her soul), she would never have imagined herself capable of such actions. Marin is damned that she’s not going to lose her husband as well as her child, and the book plays out through her need to avenge her fate, and seek a way of erasing the threat of the other woman - permanently.

Interestingly, this story is told from the first-person perspective of both Derek’s wife, and his mistress, but we never see the turn of events from his perspective. Hilliers’ character development is spot-on, and I can feel that I’m going to have a bit of a book hangover with this one!
Little Secrets had me entranced from the off, and it proved to be a thoroughly wonderful addiction, right up until the very last word. A twisty, turny and fantastic thriller - based on elements of real life that we all fear to some degree (infidelity and child abduction), which makes this a story in which we can all ask ourselves, “what would we do in Marin’s situation?”.

In terms of the plot, this storyline contained several unexpected twists, which I did not see coming at all. Yet, looking back over the book in retrospect, we see that Hillier has carefully entwined all the subplots throughout, and we find ourselves having many “lightbulb moments” when the subplots come together towards the end of the book.
I would recommend this book to all readers, as I think we all have something to learn from the underlying moral compass of this story. And given the gravity of the subject matter, I think most people would find this book incredibly thrilling, right from the off.

My book choices have been really good recently,and I'm pleased to say this was one of the best books I have read,I loved it.It was well written, the characters were believable and the plot kept me guessing.I did work out some of the plot, no spoilers from me but didn't know for sure until all was revealed.This was a real page turner and when I wasn't reading it, I wanted to pick it up again.Great book, I would definitely recommend it to other readers.

A very quick read. I was unsure in the middle of the book why the missing child had taken a back seat in the plot, and I found myself losing interest. I'm glad I kept reading though as it all came together. People using different names for the same person confused me but I understood why it was necessary. I'll look forward to reading more by this author.
Thanks Netgalley

Little Secrets is a story about the mother of a missing child in the aftermath of that event, trying to keep her marriage and her sanity together. Secrets are everywhere, life has to go on somehow and it is an emotionally charged narrative with a twisty sense of authenticity. 

I felt for Marin, who is in a lot of ways at a standstill, her peculiar grief causing erratic decision making. The wider cast of characters are all engagingly intriguing and the mystery element is tense and atmospheric. 

As in Jar of Hearts Jennifer Hillier's eye for plot and character is superb, she draws you into this tragic family dynamic and plays with your assumptions throughout. The ending is clever and realistically set within the story as a whole and overall this was an excellent read.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: I have been sent a copy of this book for review purposes. This has not influenced or affected my opinions in this review.

Little Secrets is a novel in which you are immediately thrown into the chaos which ensues throughout this book. I was instantly hooked into this fast-paced thriller and I flew through this book over two days. The main character and their emotions are easy to connect with and continue to resonate with you throughout. I was deeply invested in this book and the multiple storylines which are intertwined in the best way possible. The layers of this book are crammed full of tension and thrills with a final twist you won’t see coming. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially to those who enjoy a fast-paced thriller!

*5 stars*

In these disturbing times I need books to engross me so that I forget, if only for a few hours, all the heartbreak and worry that there is in the world right now. This book hit the spot one hundred percent.

A few days before Christmas, Marin's son Sebastian is kidnapped. Over a year later she and her husband Derek still don't know what happened to him. The FBI have given up and no-one seems interested any more. Marin has hired an private investigator without her husband's knowledge and when she gets a call from her one day, she fears the worst. However what Vanessa has discovered has nothing to do with Sebastian. Derek has been having an affair. Having already lost her son, she is determined not to lose her husband. In her rage, Marin turns to a dangerous course of action.

I was completely engrossed by this book. A missing child is always a hard thing to read about and Marin's grief is terribly real (as is that of the parents in the support group she attends). Yes, it's over the top in places and a bit predictable but it's a real page turner and I thoroughly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Marin and Derek seemingly have everything, they are wealthy, successful and good looking with an adorable son called Sebastian.
A few days before Christmas their world falls apart when Sebastian disappears whilst visiting a Christmas market. No one sees anything, the FBI have no leads and eventually scale down the search. Marin and Derek grow further and further apart, Marin has hired a private investigator to look into Sebastian’s disappearance but all she turns up is that Derek is having an affair - and has been for six months.
Marin is losing control, the only person she feels she can trust is Sal, a very old friend and ex.
Expect the unexpected, a good read that highlights the desperate measures a grieving mother will go to

I got Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier free from NetGalley for an honest review

This book has trigger warnings for Suicide, depression and child abduction

Little Secrets tells the story of Marion, Derek and their son Sebastian, who live the perfect life, until shortly before Christmas, Sebastian his taken by some one dressed as farther Christmas. A year later the FBI have put it on the back burner and Marion life has fallen apart suffering from depression and having attempted suicide. Then all of a sudden Marion gets contacted by a private detective who she hired to find her son, finds out her husband Derek is Having an Affair.

Jennifer Hillier, tells a story that is based on every parents nightmare the abduction of a child, and the description of the Marion and her depression after that event, while building up her character really built her into one of the most rounded individuals I have ever read in a thriller. With the way that her depression was described drew you into her as an individual, which means that her actions later on were within what you expect her to do. In addition all the other individuals in the book are also given enough, individual attributes dripped in to enhance this Thriller.

The plot of this mystery thriller kept me gripped throughout the book and this was raised to fever pitch, in the last 20% of the book, as each revelation is drip fed into the story it builds up the tension to a climatic conclusion.

I loved this book and would recommend it to any one you does not usually read thrillers as part of their normal reading diet, or if you have fallen out of love with them then Jennifer Hillier has written the book for you in Little Secrets.

Loved this book it was so heartbreaking and exciting all at the same time I felt so sad for Marin and how awful to have a child missing and having to go through that trauma it was beautifully written and the story was fabulous and couldn’t put it down the twist at the end was awesome it’s a must read.

An unusual thriller with lots of twists and turns,deception and betrayal. Marin is a strong character.,who battles to survive after her son is abducted.

This is a compelling and unsettling read, full of unexpected twists and turns. Marin is the main character and her young son goes missing while she is Christmas shopping with him. Her relationship with her husband, to whom she has been very happily married, turns sour. Her whole life seems to fall apart. She hires a private investigator to find her son, but her searching takes a new direction when the investigator discovers another problem. In a desperate bid to resolve this, Marin sinks to a new low and makes a critical and criminal decision. Will she regret it? You'll have to read it to find out!
Thank you to Jennifer Hillier, Net Galley and the publisher, Corvus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tensed when I read the first pages of the book. Mother with her child in a crowded marketplace, it's a hot December day, people are Christmas shopping. And the child's hand is slipping away from her hand. I was immediately nervous, stressed that the child will be lost or kidnapped was building inside of me. It's quite a powerful feeling that the author managed to trigger in me withing a few pages.

The powerful feeling stayed with me throughout the whole story. I was completely fooled by the plot and I didn't manage to figure out the ending. The characters were well developed, their feelings read real. I was interested in the story and disguised with the characters decisions. It was a great mystery novel!

As this is a mystery novel, and the less you know the better I won't be writing much more about it. Just know it is a good book.

This is the best book I've read in ages. It is not what it seems! The overarching, sad arc is that the main character's
4 year old son has gone missing, presumed abducted. The story then breaks off into multiple fragments which lead to a variety of unexpected places. It felt a lot like a Chevy Stevens style novel to me, who is one of my favourite authors. I noted at the end that the author cited Chevy as one of her mentors! Yes it's far-fetched, but hey that's what I read for!

Jar of Hearts was such a brilliant book so i was very excited to have the chance to read this and i wasn't disappointed. Little Secrets was amazing. Marin is living in hell after her son is abducted, every part of her life is affected and then she discovers her husband is having an affair. You expect to hate the other woman, after all who would do that to a woman who has lost her son? What kind of man cheats on his wife when they are going through that? But in this book it's never that simple. The twists and turns in this story were unbelievable and you will have the rug pulled out from under you.

Marin and Derek have the perfect life. Marin is a celebrity hairdresser and owns a chain of salons, while Derek runs his own company. They're a loving family... right up until the moment their son Sebastian is taken.

A year after he disappeared on a family trip to the local market, the trail has gone cold. Marin is a shadow of her former self and hires a private investigator to pick up where the police left off.

Instead of finding her son, she discovers Derek is having an affair with a much younger woman. The revelation sparks Marin back to life. She's already lost her son, and she's determined not to lose her husband too. But as she sets a plan in motion, she discovers there might be a link between Derek's lover and what happened to their son...

After seeing many 5-star reviews, I had high hopes for this book. It had a strong start, and I raced through the chapters desperate to find out what happened. Marin wasn't an easy character to like, but I could feel her pain and desperation.

My only negative (and the reason for my 3-star review) is I found it quite predictable. Maybe it's because I read a lot of thrillers, but I guessed the ending pretty early on. There was nothing that really surprised me.

I still enjoyed it overall and would recommend it to those who love fast-paced thrillers.

If I had to pick one word to describe this book it would be 'multi-layered'. If I had to come up with a sentence it would be 'nothing is as it seems'. It's a story about grief, guilt, love, obsession, revenge and betrayal. Marin and Derek's relationship is struggling after the kidnapping of their son as they each deal with the situation in their own way. On the one hand, I kept wishing they would talk to each other. On the other hand, this meant that the events of the book play out as they do. I don't want to give away any of the 'little secrets' of this book, but if you like thrillers that will have you on the edge of your seat, complex characters and a fast-paced plot, then this is the book for you.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.