A SMALL TOWN. A SHOCKING CRIME.
YOU'LL SUSPECT EVERY CHARACTER. BUT YOU'LL NEVER GUESS THE ENDING.
Ben Harper's life changed for ever the day his older brother Nick was murdered by two classmates. It was a crime that shocked the nation and catapulted Ben's family and their idyllic hometown, Haddley, into the spotlight.
Twenty years on, Ben is one of the best investigative journalists in the country and settled back in Haddley, thanks to the support of its close-knit community. But then a fresh murder case shines new light on his brother's death and throws suspicion on those closest to him.
Ben is about to discover that in Haddley no one is as they seem. Everyone has something to hide.
And someone will do anything to keep the truth buried . . .

What a belter! Great thriller, pacy, twisty and very engrossing. A real page-turner. Ben's older brother and his pal were murdered by two girls from school when they were teenagers. It was front page news and the whole country knows the story and how the girls were imprisoned then released with new identities. The close-knit community rallies around Ben and supports him, he lives in the same place surrounded by friends and neighbours who look out for him. Now a journalist, a recent murder case changes how he looks back on the events of the past and where suspicions might lie. Whilst Ben is the man protagonist, we are also given insights into other characters lives and their pasts. Just when you think you know what's going on,more is revealved. Great plot, all the secrets held together really well and the ending didn't disappoint. The claustrophobia of keeping secrets within a small community was tangible as well as the expolsive after effects. Highly recommend!

Loved this! I found myself completely gripped and could not put it down. Just brilliantly written and plotted. A truly fabulous debut!

I've been excited to read this book ever since my shiny gold proof arrived in an amazing package of a black wooden box. I wasn't disappointed. This is my favourite thriller of the year so far!

The story is centered around renoowned journalist Ben as he faces the 10 year anniversary of his mum's death and plans to write a personal article about his family. Ben has had a traumatic family history as his 9 year old brother Nick was brutally murdered by classmates twenty years ago.

When a new murder shines fresh light on his brother's case he begins to suspect the people close to him. In the close knit village of Haddley it seems that everyone has secrets to hide.

I was completely gripped by this book right from the start. I found it compulsive reading with the short pacy chapters. The characters were well written and believable. I loved trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together as more secrets are gradually revealed and the reader got to know more about each character. The story is written from multiple perspectives. I didnt see the ending coming at all. Very clever!

I can't wait for the next book in this fantastic new series!

For some reason this novel reminded me somewhat of an episode of the television drama “Unforgotten“. There were a LOT of characters and at first you cannot figure out how they are connected. As the story evolves you discover that they are indeed connected and it all makes sense.

“So many killed to protect a secret.”

Secrets are always fascinating fodder for a novel. They can bind people together, they can destroy dreams, they can damage lives. Twelve secrets here as the title suggests. Twelve secrets that have impacted Ben Harper’s life in the most profound way.

Yes, this is an entertaining crime thriller. It speaks to the arrogance, entitlement, and hubris of the very wealthy who think other people are pawns in their own personal game. It also speaks to parenting, both by birth and by adoption.

The multi-layered plot brings all the myriad characters together in a believable way, and it has enough twists and red herrings to satisfy the most ardent of thriller fans.

Ben Harper was engaging and sympathetic. As this is touted to be the first in a series featuring Ben Harper, I am confident that I will try to follow this series to its conclusion. After reading an interview with the author, I understand that PC Dani Cash will have more of a presence in the second novel in the series. – I am anxious to find out more about her character.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold
This was a great read, the author writes a fantastic story of drama, murder, with twists and turns throughout, the characters are well described and introduced, there are a lot of characters to keep track of, so pay attention from the beginning. As the story unfolds we can slowly see the relationships unfold that go back to childhood days.
Ben is the main character, he is a journalist, and is mourning the loss of his mom as the 10-year anniversary of her death approaches, his editor has asked him to write an article about it. He also lost his brother years ago, when 2 boys were murdered by 2 teenage girls. Something is wrong and he starts to dig, his mom's death couldn't have been an accident.
I'm really hoping for book #2

A SMALL TOWN. A SHOCKING CRIME.
YOU'LL SUSPECT EVERY CHARACTER. BUT YOU'LL NEVER GUESS THE ENDING.
Ben Harper's life changed for ever the day his older brother Nick was murdered by two classmates. It was a crime that shocked the nation and catapulted Ben's family and their idyllic hometown, Haddley, into the spotlight.
Twenty years on, Ben is one of the best investigative journalists in the country and settled back in Haddley, thanks to the support of its close-knit community. But then a fresh murder case shines new light on his brother's death and throws suspicion on those closest to him.
Ben is about to discover that in Haddley no one is as they seem. Everyone has something to hide.
And someone will do anything to keep the truth buried . . .

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this. It did however surprise me.. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I began a cozy murder mystery? Hell no! 20 years ago Ben Harper‘s older brother was brutally murdered by two classmates years later his mother committed suicide. Benz boss is now encouraging him to write an article from his side. Ben really doesn’t want to and he’s adamant he won’t however when a murder happens miles away it raises question This debut novel have me gripped from the start and then I was intrigued to know more quickly, very quickly. I felt sorry for Ben he was certainly going through it as he relived his past again. there were a lot of characters sometimes it was hard to follow but as we discover the secrets of the small town of characters that grown up together and I willing to commit murder we begin to understand why and how. everyone has secrets. with thanks to the publisher
for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A debut thriller set in a small English town on the edge of London..There were many twists and turns but I was overwhelmed with the large cast of characters. Three stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. The character Ben Harper was well drawn and very interesting. The story was told from a number of points of view and was engrossing and held my attention from the beginning. A very good read!

I have mixed feelings about this book. Although the start was confusing with so many characters, it was a very easy read for the first 50%. After that, it dragged somewhat and I found myself getting quite bored. The actual ending was ok although a bit obvious. Now sure of I'd read another by this author

Twelve Secrets is Robert Gold’s debut thriller and what a riveting thriller it is!
In short, Ben Harper’s life changed the day his older brother was murdered by two classmates in his hometown Haddley. Twenty years later Ben is about to discover that in Haddley no one is as they seem…everyone has something to hide.
Loved this book, it’s a clever page turner which successfully drips revelations throughout the story yet still keeps the reader guessing right up until the last pages. Secrets are indeed a dangerous thing!
I am so looking forward to reading more featuring Ben Harper, in fact anything written by Robert! I highly recommend, it’s an easy 5 stars from me.
Big thanks to Robert Gold, Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

Journalist Ben Harper is the younger brother of someone who was brutally murdered. The twentieth anniversary of Nick Harper's killing is looming. Nick and his best friend, Simon Woakes were both fourteen when they were found in Haddley woods, murdered by two girls, Abigail Langdon and Josie Fairchild; Ben was only eight. Twelve years later, when Ben was 20, his mum, Clare apparently killed herself, and his boss, Madeline wants him to write an article about it called Remembering Clare Harper for their news website. Ben is reluctant but when one of Nick and Simon's then-teenage killers is found dead, Ben reconsiders and he chases a big crime exclusive, his own life story. In a complex narrative, close attention is required as the vast array of characters that form the Haddley and St Marnham community and their lives weave an intricate web of connections to Ben and the tragedy all those years ago. Most harbour secrets in this fascinating tale.

The first of a series, the creation of the central protagonist, Ben Harper, is an achievement by Robert Gold. There is suspense and tension galore in this wonderfully plotted story with its terrific cast of characters. Dark and captivating I found Twelve Secrets an enthralling début and I intend to follow this promising series.

A special thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Sphere, Robert Gold, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.

So much to take in here. I enjoyed the narrative voice and the suspenseful story overall.
I must say though that I’ve got so lost in all the multiple pov and timelines because you can’t really understand why we get them until the end even if we already know that they were connected years ago.
There’s a lot of suspense and maybe some unbelievable moments or twists but they are all building up to a good thriller and a great start of a new series.
While this one wasn’t so wow for me, I’m looking forward to read the next books in the series because I really enjoyed the main character and I want to see where the author is taking him next, Ben Harper has such a complex personality and finding more of his background is something to look up in the future.

Yes, Ben Harper #1, as the book is labelled, is the start of a great new series. Ben is quite a complicated character, but the authors has given him all the right traits. Ben is intelligent, curious but not nosey, a good journalist and a very empathic man. At the start of the storey he refuses his boss Madeline to write a piece about the 10 year anniversary of his mother’s death. She just wants it to attract more readers to her website and he doesn’t want to explore his mother’s life and especially not her death. But when he learns about certain circumstances he delves deeper in his mother’s past and of course his own and that of his murdered brother. He finally finds a lot of secrets but also a lot of truths and in the end he discovers how the lives of his family and other families in the village are intertwined. Some in a good way, some in a bad way.
Not only Ben is a great character, the other people we get to know in this story are also painted with real depth, whether they are good or bad. This book was a real pleasure to read because the story flowed as it should. It is not easy to delve into your past and find out things about yourself that you may not like.
I hope to see another book with Ben Harper very soon.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown for this review copy.

📖BOOK REVIEW📖

TITLE: #TwelveSecrets

AUTHOR: #RobertGold

SR:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BEST PART: Characters / Plot

RECOMMEND: Yes 👍

RELEASE DATE: March 3rd (OUT NOW)

***

FULL REVIEW:

⏩for synopsis

What a great read this was! I loved it from page one! It kept up a wicked pace, weaved it’s tangled webs deliciously and kept tension sky high. I loved the lead character Ben and enjoyed discovering his story.

I found the plot to have a quick pace with the use of chopping and changing narrators but everything seemed to be discovered at the perfect time. The author wrote such empathic characters that even with the ‘baddies’ you felt something for them which worked really well within the plot.

I found Golds writing easy, smart and uncomplicated. I’m hoping this is only the beginning of a great series!

With thanks the author, @netgalley and #spherepublishing for allowing us to read this one early!

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

Ben Harper's life changed for ever the day his older brother Nick was murdered by two classmates. It was a crime that shocked the nation and catapulted Ben's family and their idyllic hometown, Haddley, into the spotlight.

Twenty years on, Ben is one of the best investigative journalists in the country and settled back in Haddley, thanks to the support of its close-knit community. But then a fresh murder case shines new light on his brother's death and throws suspicion on those closest to him.

Brilliant and very convoluted thriller which starts and ends in a complete whirlwind.
Ben Harper is an investigative journalist who just happens to be the brother of a boy killed by two girls in the local community when he was young. The girls are given new identities and yet serving time and Ben and his family live with their grief.
Ben finds himself back in his childhood home where a series of events occur including the apparent suicide of his mother and his journalist spirit and want to find the truth make him take dark turns to discover the twisted truths.
Great writing and complex characters which keep the book racing towards a conclusion I didn’t see coming.
Thoroughly recommend this and a 5 star read.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A thrilling storyline with twists and turns. I gasped “Oh, no!” at one point.
Interesting characters that kept me engaged
A pacy read

Twelve Secrets tells the story of what really happened when Ben’s brother was murdered by two of his friends. An intense, exciting and shocking read, which cost me a nights sleep! I because absorbed into this book and just HAD to know how all the characters were entwined into this storyline.

The writing is fast paced and full of drama, as you would expect with this genre. I did not see the conclusion coming at all, making this a huge success in my opinion.

Perfect for character analysis, fans of “who-done-its” and for anyone looking for a classic page turner. I can not recommend this enough, definitely a high standard debut. I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store for us. This is a must read for March!

This is a great thriller, told through a range of characters all with their own secrets. Ben's brother and his friend were brutally killed by two teenage girls twenty years ago. Many of the other teenagers and teachers at the time are still living locally. Ben's mother has also quite unexpectedly taken her own life which has compounded his trauma. As an investigative journalist himself he tries to find out the truth about what happened before someone else tells his story. The novel twists and turns full of both unlikeable and sympathetic characters. The end is a shocking surprise.