Cate - a popular village primary school teacher and wife of the equally popular headteacher, Oliver - has disappeared, along with her eight year old son Archie. Supply teacher Lexi is hired to cover her absence. Police are investigating; the whole village is hoping for the safe return of Cate and Archie, though hopes begin to fade as time passes. Of course, everyone has secrets, including Lexi, Oliver, fellow teacher Gemma, local woman Jeanie, and Cate herself. (Not Archie, though. He's just a random kid.)

I've been on a bit of a run lately of books in which there just seems to be too much going on, and this is no exception. We have multiple viewpoints (though mainly Lexi's), which is a bit confusing, and ultimately it was all a little far fetched. I was left unsure about what certain people's motivations had really been, although that may be my fault for not reading carefully enough.

I'm not sure who the (unoriginal) title and tagline ("You trust her... But should you?") is meant to relate to. Lexi certainly has her secrets, but she's new and nobody particularly trusts her, especially not Oliver. Cate is largely trusted but mostly absent. Oliver's a bloke, so it's not him, though his level of trustworthiness is certainly debatable.

An OK but not mind-blowing read. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

*3.5 stars*

It’s just a normal Friday afternoon at the local primary school in the little village of Leedham. The parents are waiting to pick up their offspring, excited children looking forward to the weekend, but for teacher Cate Walker and her eight year old son Archie, it’s the day that they leave school as usual, but never reach home - they disappear after leaving school and no one has any idea what has happened to them.

The school headmaster, Oliver, is Cate’s husband, and Archie’s father, and at first he’s not under any suspicion, everyone feeling sorry for him, but as the weeks pass, rumours begin to spread that he may, after all, have had something to do with their disappearance.

Lexi is the new substitute teacher for Cate Walker’s class, and she takes it upon herself to investigate Oliver - she suspects that he definitely knows more than he’s letting on. Lexi herself is a mysterious character though, and is actually harbouring a big secret herself, and then she begins to receive anonymous threats!

A storyline that uses smoke and mirrors to full effect, so that the reader never quite knows which way it’s going, and I changed my mind on numerous occasions!

The Teacher’s Secret by Lauren North had me reading well into the night. The Teacher's Secret is a gripping story with so many good twists and red herrings. My stomach hurt after reading this book. There were so many lies, deceit, and twists with head-spinning elements.

Cate and her eight-year-old son, Archie, wave goodbye to their friends in the school playground. But they never make it home. Could her husband be involved in their disappearance?

The story is told from different perspectives and points of view, which kept me on my toes about what was happening and how each character was involved or weaved into the storyline.

The story had all the right elements of a good mystery: red herrings, suspicious characters, intrigue, atmosphere, and tension. The cover is also pretty cool.

I would recommend this book.

#TheTeachersSecret #NetGalley @bookouture

3.5 stars rounded up. It's just an ordinary Friday when teacher Cate Walker leaves school with her son Archie to walk home. However, they never make it home. Cate's husband, Oliver, who is also the headmaster of the school, is worried.

In comes Lexi, a substitute teacher to take over Cate's class until she is found. Lexi is harboring some secrets herself. Oliver, the husband, has a boat load of secrets he's hiding. There are a lot of characters in this book, and they're all hiding something. It takes a bit to get up to speed on who they are and what purpose they serve.

The author did a good job with the twists and smoke and mirrors to have to reader wondering who did what. I'm not sure I liked that everyone is this village had a secret. It got kind of confusing and when I looked back, I really couldn't figure out why that character was even in the book.

I like this author's style of writing. Easy to read. I finished it quickly as I wanted to see who did what. I've read one of her previous books and enjoyed it. Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it and I would recommend this book.

Another brilliant thriller from Lauren North. This one was so tense and captivating, full of secrets and shocks, and it really keeps you guessing until the end. Really loved this one!

3⭐️

Well this was interesting...👀

THE PLOT:

Cate and her son, Archie, are reported missing by her husband, Oliver. This book is told in several POV's, the main one being Lexi, the substitute teacher to take over Cate's class. Nobody is who they seem and everyone holds secrets all related to Cate's disappearance. Lexi is determined to find Cate and Archie for reasons she holds close to her heart. Oliver is suspected of murdering his wife and his son. He is determined to prove himself innocent no matter the cost. Jeanie, a neighbor who misses nothing, holds secrets of her own who will do anything to keep her secrets safe. Gemma, the schools receptionist, hates her life and thinks Cate is getting what she deserves. Everyone has skeletons in their closet...it is just a matter of how far they will go to protect them.

MY THOUGHTS:

I enjoyed this book but it was definitely far from a favorite. There was so much going on through the beginning of the book is was very confusing. It was hard to keep up with everyone's POV as everything is all over the place for about 80% of the book. I felt like there was just a lot of filler that didn't advance the plot even a little bit. I really couldn't connect with any of the characters. I felt they were fairly shallow and I just couldn't get attached. This book felt like it was filled with more questions than answers (literally). Lexi was receiving threats to stay away from looking into the disappearance of Cate and the reason for it was so stupid. 😭 It truly was so dumb.

I didn't get chills reading this book and my skin wasn't crawling so it was pretty disappointing in that aspect. However, it was interesting enough to want to keep reading. I definitely didn't expect the ending and I like that! I loved coming up with different theories while reading this, I just didn't like how we got no plot advancement until 80% through it. This book was mediocre in my opinion, but it wasn't bad! Overall, it was an okay thriller. If you're looking for something more slow-paced thriller with some big plot twists, this would be for you! Otherwise, it would not be a recommendation for something quick-paced and gripping. I just wasn't getting into it. However, that's just me. ☺️

Thank you Bookoture, Lauren North, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. I absolutely loved this book as a teacher I felt a connection to the book the first book I’ve read from Lauren North and it was brilliant. There were many twists and turns that made me gasp whilst reading it and it made me read well into the night! The publication date is the 23rd Feb 2024.

The story is told from different perspectives and each character is very unique my favourite one was Lexi as there was so many curveballs for her in the story I was wondering what would happen next and as soon as I thought I figured it out another twist was thrown in it really did keep me on the edge of my seat!

Overall, a fantastic book with many suspenseful moments throughout that will have you gripped from the very first page! I would highly recommend everyone to purchase a copy of this book it is definitely a must- read! 5/5 stars! 😊

I wanted to like this more than I actually did. Slightly confused at times with all the characters. That said, it was a twisty rollercoaster of a read that I’m glad I stuck with.

The Teacher's Secret by Lauren North is a fast-paced juggernaut that will make your head spin with a multitude of twists and turns. If you have not yet discovered this fabulous author, you are missing out.

Cate and her young son Archie have gone missing, and the school community of which they are a part, as a teacher and student respectively, are feeling the loss. Cate's husband, Oliver, is a headmaster at the school, and continues to turn up to work during the police investigation into his family's disappearance. Taking Cate's place at the school is substitute teacher Lexi, who may or may not know more about the case than she is letting on as she seems to be unnaturally invested. And why is Lexi, a newcomer, suddenly receiving threatening notes from an anonymous source?

There are plenty of red herrings placed strategically throughout, and you will be kept guessing until the final page.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

3.5 out of 5 stars. While I really liked the premise of this book, I got a little lost in all the characters. As I was reading, I was trying to figure out who I could trust and what everyones secrets were. I can usually figure out the ending or some part of it, but this ending was one I didn't predict or see coming.

In The Teacher's Secret, we meet a cast of characters and all of them have past secrets. Cate and her son Archie go missing after walking home one Friday after school. We meet a few of the staff members at the school Cate worked at as well as her husband Oliver who is the Head Teacher at the prestigious private school. The books is told in multiple POV's and I often had to go back and see who's POV I was in. I did like the multiple POV aspect though.

I always like a good mystery/thriller that ties up the loose ends and doesn't leave me with questions or wondering about certain aspects of the book or characters and this book did just that. This book was my first book by Lauren North and I since I liked the short chapters and her writing style, I would look into reading more books by her.

This book was set in London and I was unfamiliar with some of the vocabulary which didn't hinder me from understanding the book, but I did have to look word meanings up in order to make sure I knew what things were.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this book that will be released on February 23, 2024. I voluntarily read it and gave an honest review.

Amazing book! The twists are the best! Several times i thought i had it figured out but then something else happened ! Such a good read !

I've loved Lauren North's previous books and this one is no different.i felt immediately hooked and drawn into the story.

Once again, I was taken in by a premise that didn't exactly pan out the way I had hoped. Beloved teacher Cate Walker and her eight year old son Archie are missing. The rumor going around is unthinkable, and it's that Cate's husband Oliver, the Head Teacher at the school, may be responsible.

Enter Lexi, the substitute teacher who was hired to step in for Cate. But Lexi too is harboring a secret, and it's not just chance that she stepped into Cate's shoes.

My main issue with the book was the plot. It meandered in so many different directions, and there were just too many players to make it plausible. The final reveal was somewhat satisfying, and I did enjoy the author's writing style. I'll be trying another book by her. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the early copy. This book will publish February 23, 2024.

Another gripping thriller from this author. Well written characters which are really believable. Plenty of red herrings which kept me guessing until the end. This is a must read, a huge five stars from me. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Cate and her son Archie have disappeared on the way home from the school where her husband, Oliver, is headmaster.
Lexi is a substitute teacher with a secret in her past. When she takes an interest in the case, her life is threatened.
Lexi takes it upon herself to investigate what happened to Cate and Archie. Is Oliver responsible? Is that why he stares at her?

The author plants enough red herrings in the book to lead the reader to different conclusions. It is a well crafted story, and the reader will be intrigued and entertained.

I really enjoyed the book, and enjoyed the suspense throughout the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

I have loved all this very talented authors books and this one was no exception. It was full of twits and turns which had me gripped from start to finish. I didn’t know who to trust and how it was going to end and wow what an ending it was I didn’t not see it coming.

Beloved teacher Cate Walker and her eight year old son Archie are missing. Substitute Teacher Lexi is brought into take over Cate class. Lexi can’t help but investigate why a much liked teacher and her son have went missing so Lexi can’t help but investigate. Then Lexi receives a threatening note and with her own secrets to hide Lexi has to decide if pursuing the truth is worth it.

Absolutely loved this book! I will recommend it to everyone.it was such a gripping thriller which will have you up late into the reading. I loved the writing style told from different perspectives it threw so many red herrings I didn’t know who to trust fantastic. Thanks to netgallery and the publisher for my advanced copy.

This book was fascinating! I love a good thriller and this had lots of twists and turns. I read it in a day. Highly recommend for thriller lovers.
Thanks!

Beloved teacher Cate Walker and her eight year old son Archie are missing. There are rumours that Cate's husband Oliver, the Head Teacher at the school, may know more than he is letting on...

But how can that be true? And would Oliver really be involved in disappearing a child?!

There is someone in the school who is determined to find out the truth about what happened to Cate and Archie. But what if pursuing the truth means having a target on your back?

This was an entertaining story, and Lauren North is a very talented author. I have read one of her other books and loved it, so was excited to have the opportunity to read this.

It is an engrossing story, and with the number of red herrings she throws your way, and the expert fashion in which she takes you along for the ride, you are left in no doubt that you are in the hands of a skilled writer.

This talented author has written a cannot put down mystery. Red herrings and secrets…family and friends…even the title is intriguing. Realistic characters keep the story moving quickly. A page turner…mysterious happenings…likable characters and some not so much. Do not try to discern the ending too soon. It is not easy. Surprises…thanks Netgalley.

Wow, just wow! How can a written review do any justice to this book?

North is a brilliant author and one of the best of our time. This is a book that kept me awake, far later than planned. I devoured this in just one sitting with no regrets.

Cate and son Archie are missing. This really starts off this one for us as a reader. North has given us a number of perspectives which has really helped get to know the characters.

This is another masterpiece from North. Everything about this book is brilliant. From the very first page, I devoured this gem in one sitting. I was hooked, feeling completely engaged and unwilling to put this down.

The characters are fascinating, I found that at different points they all had me suspicious. I do love that about North- you can never predict degree the plot may go.

Everything about this book has been brilliant. There are no negatives about this book. I’ve read all of North’s books and can hand on heart say, this is a book which pulls you in and is impossible to down.

North has written another masterpiece and I can’t wait to tell everyone to read this. The Teacher’s Secret has been everything I wanted and so much more. This book is genius and the work of one of the best.

It would be a crime to miss out on this book. It’s brilliant from beginning to end. Nothing negative can be said about this one.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book.