Adele Parks is a new Author for me and after reading this book, I can't help feeling like I have been missing out. I absolutely loved this book and the writing is superb - there is tension and suspense throughout and you will find it difficult to put this book down once started. This is a suspense thriller which will keep you guessing until the very end. As an aside, whilst the last chapter is enjoyable, it's a little confusing at first (as to who this character actually is) and I'm not sure it is entirely necessary. Many thanks to NetGallery and HQ Publishers for allowing me to get a copy of this book - HIghly recommended.

It is trademark "Parks" in it's narrative style and scene building. Dora is a woman who has undergone several reinventions of herself as her mistakes in life necessitate. She is now a sex worker in London. The narrative is told by Dora with a "take it or leave it attitude'. These are the facts she says, they may change what you feel about me but nevertheless here they are.

We spend quite a long time getting to know Dora before the story line moves onto the main events. Once we get there Adele Parks moves the narrative at pace and is certainly able to up the tension for the reader. Some of the events seem almost too far fetched to be believable and there were times when we moved away from the main event to go back in time. For me the ending was a little tame and the last reveal seems pointless unless this is going to lead to a follow up novel.

I enjoyed where the book took me in the main but it lacked something to take it into the heights of thriller writing

Dora is a high class escort but has decided to pack it in after one last job. She has found someone who loves her even though he knows her past.
She is spending one week at a chateau pretending to be the girlfriend of Daniel. She has worked with Daniel before and feels this will be a good way to leave the business and its a role she has played before.
However, when she arrives at the chateau all is not as it seems and Dora is forced to face her past and this is one role she cannot lose.

Rating: 4.3/5

Adele Parks has a very fluent, engaging style of writing that invariably makes for entertaining reading. Her latest offering, "One Last Secret" is no exception. This is now her 22nd novel and it has been noticeable that in recent years the content has tended to have a slightly darker tinge to it at times. That is, once again, the case here as we are introduced to a lead character in the form of Dora, who plies her trade as a high-end escort who also offers extra services to her well-heeled clients.

The author's use of characterisation is, as I have come to expect, top notch and the portrayal of Dora is particularly impressive. This is perhaps just as well, as Dora is primarily responsible for conveying the narrative, although there are also brief interjections from the viewpoints of four other characters at various points. It wasn't long before I had found myself fully drawn into Dora's world and was feeling both sympathetic and empathetic towards her.

The pace of the novel is excellent. I barely felt as though I had sat down to start the book before I found that I was already halfway through the 384 pages. It has to be said that there is a little bit of a gear change when the story shifts back to a point eleven years earlier in order to provide some essential background information. However, these sections are also well-handled and give insights into Dora's personal history that is quite moving.

It would be highly unusual if there weren't plenty of twists and turns in a novel by Adele Parks and so it will come as no surprise that "One Last Secret" has its fair share of them too. Some require disbelief to be suspended a touch, but on the whole the author stays within the boundaries of acceptable fictional parameters. Adele Parks also has a way of almost casually dropping unexpected developments into the narrative - almost like an aside - but it is a mechanic that works wonderfully well and has tremendous impact.

If you have read and enjoyed Adele Parks' work previously, then I have little doubt that you will be more than satisfied with her efforts this time around too.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

I always found it interesting why women chose to be an escort and this novel really gave some good insights on the history behind the person and the clientele. The writing was tantalizing and I really liked the main character Dora as she seemed genuine and loveable even though she had a rough life. One last secret is a stunning, pensive and pulse quickening summer read.

Thank you NetGalley / HQ for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This novel goes off to a flying start with an opening that compels the reader to continue reading. The direct address is like having a conversation with the protagonist, Dora, an 'escort' or as she puts it a 'sex worker'. The plot is a good one, though you have to get through some cliches first - like Dora having a BFF called Evan who asks her to marry him, and it's all lovely and there's a ring and he loves her etc. But it's when Dora takes one last gig for a regular client (again, in a rather cliched setting of a beautiful chateau with guffawing upper-middle class couples celebrating a massive promotion for one of them) that things start to get weird. And I mean 'weird'. Dora is told she's done or said things and people she can't remember doing, she often loses track of time, she thinks she sees someone who has abused her, and she's constantly told she's not thinking straight. I loved that bit. In fact, it was that bit that I thought was highly readable and made the novel captivating. Although right from the off, as a reader, you can guess that final foray into escorting isn't going to go well, the writing style is adept and entertaining. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I have had read quite a few Adele Parks books now and have to say this is probably one of my favourites if not the favourite.
One thing I would say is that when I first started reading I was so confused as it’s not like any other Adele Parks book I have read. I had to double check who the author was! The first character you meet is an escort which completely threw me! Just not what I expected but in a good way because this one has me hooked.
From the beginning I was invested in Dora’s story and where it was going and trying to work out how the other characters fit into the story. I thought the pace of the story was fast but well suited to the narrative and the sense of heading towards a big reveal (which ultimately it did). I was glad that things worked out well for Dora and felt she deserved something good to happen to her. Although the epilogue was a bit of a twist at the end which I did not see coming! I felt really bad for Dora at that point and hope she did find Dottie again!
Overall I really enjoyed this one and will definitely keep adding Adele’s books to my TBR pile!

Gripping, compelling and clever and so full of twists and turns that it's impossible to know what's going to happen next. Definitely one to set your heart racing.

Wow
Story very well written, the mystery kept me on the edge, a lot of twists & unexpected plot. I couldn’t put it down till the end.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received free via NetGalley.

I love a book that hooks you from the beginning, I was invested from the first couple of pages and thought about it when not reading it. Mainly told from one characters perspective, it is honest and intimate, and doesn’t let go as the story twists and turns. I cared about Dora and her life, I wanted her to find happiness and to find a way to be free!

Dora is a discreet, smart, high-class escort in London. She becomes engaged so decides to give up her job for good after taking one last booking. One of her regular clients takes her to a chateau in France for a week but, whilst there, Dora comes face-to-face with someone from her past.

A gripping read with many twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

A strong, powerful read. The author pulls absolutely no punches with a dark story. At the centre of the story is a young woman, who endures some horrific things, as she pushed through life. As a man with daughters, I found myself both racing through this to find out what happened and if she was ok, but I also found myself hoping that she would be ok and rooting for her. There's some insightful social insight throughout also, which I found to be very entertaining.

I am grateful to both Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this early, as it's certainly a strong, strong book that I hope is enjoyed by many. Personally I couldn't rate it higher as I think I endured the plot rather than enjoy it, but I absolutely appreciate the skill and strength on display here.

This was a book of two halves for me. The first part was great, I really took to the main character, and when she accepted the invitation, even though I couldn't understand her logic, I eagerly followed her on her journey. However as well as not liking any of the characters, with good reason, I started to not like her any more. I just couldn't understand her decision making, and thought it didn't ring true for some one who you would expect to be street smart.it all went down hill for me after that, and I ended up being disappointed.

It took me awhile to get engrossed in this book, but by the end I was hooked. Doro was a lovely character but this book had lots of twist and turns.

Dora is a high-class escort. Having met Evan, she accepts his marriage proposal and pledges to abandon this sordid way of life, but there is an ex-client who wants her to do one last gig - no strings attached. Dora agrees and as events unfold her life begins to unravel.

I was completely gripped at the start of this book. It wasn’t an easy read as it is full of tension and I found myself hanging on the edge of my seat for the first half of the book. Dora’s character was likeable and I found myself rooting for her.

The second half of the book took a bit of a downturn for me. I couldn’t quite comprehend some of the decisions Dora made in light of the events that took place. In my mind the book then began to lose credibility. The inclusion of the last chapter was a little bit of a mystery and I didn’t quite see what it added to the book.

I did, however, really enjoy Adele Parks’ writing and would certainly suggest giving this book a go.

What a ride! Another great book by Adele.

I was glued to it from the start, I was so invested that it was hard to put down. An unusual topic for this book, about escorts, but well researched. I was glad that Dora's back story was included.

Lots of twists and turns, I wasn't expecting most of them!

Dora is an escort, who is doing one last job before she stops for good. She is heading to France to pose as the girlfriend of a regular client for a celebration weekend - but once she is there, nothing is as it seems ...

The first few chapters of this book felt like a how to manual on being an escort, and I was starting to wonder whether we would ever get to the meat of the story. However, once the plot picked up and the action moved to France, it became a gripping edge of your seat thriller with so many twists my head was spinning. Absolutely loved it!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A really intriguing thriller which is full of secrets. I was really drawn in from the first page and powered through it as I just needed to know what was going to happen

Adele Parks can do no wrong! As always Parks writes extremely well and your attention is not only gripped but demanded from the very first page. Dora is a fun character and when she went to France I really wanted to go there and see the beautiful French sunshine. Doras world is dark and twisty and one that you cannot help getting caught up in. Excellent again from Adele!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

We meet Dora. Dora is an escort, and she suddenly finds herself engaged and ready to give up the escort lifestyle. Except one of her clients has offered her a trip away. The last one she’ll ever do, and then she’s done. She puts measures and requirements in place so this trip goes her way. But the trip doesn’t really go exactly how she thinks it will.

This is another great book from this author. The storyline centres around an escort, and it was quite an eye opener as the author really did her research into what the reality is for this line of work, and she added a dash of humour, so it wasn’t all doom and gloom, it was quite funny in places. I really liked Dora, she was an honest, yet vulnerable character. She just wanted a worry free life. And when we read her back story through the book, she did deserve the worry free life. Her best friend, Evan, is also a great character. Really genuinely nice and kind and wanting the best for her. The story flowed really well, and it was excellent writing seeing how Dora got to where she was, and the choices she had to make. There were a few twists and turns along the way. I would recommend.