I don’t usually like past/present timelines but this time I did! The past timeline kept me more engaged than the present one, although I did figure out who did it in the first half of the book the plot was still interesting even though the main character was frustrating and at some points slightly annoying because she couldn’t see what was right in front of her.

Every action has a consequence and we can clearly read it this in slow mystery/thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for a digital ARC copy.

#HerBestFriendSecret #NetGalley

This book was average nothing special but still a nice palette cleanser. I thought the characters were a little cliche and we're running there own little movie with their dialogue sounded. I would try another book by this author for sure but I do think she needs a little improvement.

This book had some interesting parts but for me it didn’t connect. I couldn’t really get into this one but encourage others to read it and come to their own conclusions.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.


Her Best Friend's Secret takes place in the UK in both the late 80s and 2022. It toggles back and forth through time from the point of view of the FMC, Briony. The 80s' portions cover her life as a sixteen year old living in her godmother Alice's home, with her and her detestable son, Jeremy. During that time, Briony had two best friends, and one day, one of them seems to disappear. When reading the synopsis, I though that disappearance was going to be nefarious, but when reading the actual story, it quickly becomes evident that that is not the case at all. During the 2022 portions, Briony has been given Alice's home in her will, and her daughter has convinced her to open a Bed and Breakfast there. There really isn't much action in this novel, and it moves along quite slowly. (As an American, a lot of the slang and terminology in this book didn't make much sense to me, as they aren't used here. Even words we have in common do not mean the same things in this text as they do in the US. Just something to keep in mind if you're not a reader in the UK.) The main thing I wanted but didn't get was I really wish the author would have given me a bit more mystery and suspense throughout.

Briony has inherited a beautiful Cotswolds house from her godmother, Alice. Having spent some time there in her teens, Briony really has no wish to return, but on visiting the property with her grown up daughter Faye, she considers that just maybe she could make a go of running a B & B from the house, as it is in a lovely location and she feels ready for a change. Neither of the women have any idea how their lives will be affected by making such a rash decision.

Told across two time lines, in 1986 we have the story of a 16 years old Briony living with Alice whilst her widowed father forges his career in Australia. Also in the house is Jeremy, Alice’s son.

In the here and now of 2022 we have a divorced supply teacher, Briony, who along with Faye move from Brighton and London respectively to the Cotswolds.

An easy read, with the inevitable outcome. Much more could have been made of the Molly mystery and Jeremy’s darkness needed to be more sinister. A slow burn with a shallow plot. A lot of ‘as if’ moments for me.

2.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

such a great thriller/mystery. her best friend's secret kept me fully entertained and on my toes the entire time!!!!

Years ago, Molly, Samantha and
Briony were best friends. Supporting Briony and helping her avoid Jeremy, her godmother's son, Samantha and Molly were stalwarts. Until the point when Molly disappeared that summer, the mystery of which has yet to be satisfactorily explained.

Now it's all in the past, a cold case that has no possibility of being resolved. Or does it?

Because when Briony moves to claim her inheritance, her godmother's house, she discovers links to that long-ago event that may hint at what *really* happened to Molly...

While the story is not entirely original, it is engaging in that the readers are given plenty of opportunities to figure out who did what. I would have liked to see greater depth in the portrayal of that youthful friendship though.

The consequences of bad choices and the reverberations that linger in people's lives are made clear in the book, and the writer manages the dual timelines well.

Thank you to Deirdre Palmer, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

On the hottest day of the summer, we wait for Molly on the riverbank, desperate to slip into the cool water. But as the sun starts to fade, it’s clear she isn’t coming. We’ll never see our friend again…

Years later, after an unexpected inheritance, Briony returns to her godmother’s grand countryside home where she spent her teenage years. Despite its idyllic appearance, the old stone house carries memories Briony would rather forget. To escape the controlling behavior of her godmother’s son, Jeremy, Briony spent every possible moment with her best friends, Molly and Samantha, until the day Molly vanished without a trace.

Briony is certain Molly was keeping a secret in those final days. Why else was she acting so strangely? And why did Briony constantly feel like they were being watched? When Briony discovers Molly’s decades-old bathing suit in a locked part of the house, she begins to piece together what happened to her friend. But, as more skeletons come to light, is Briony ready to uncover the truth after so many years?



I thought overall this story was well written and I am always a fan of dual timelines. This story is not just about childhood friendships, but how those circumstances and choices we make when we're young, affect us in the later years of life. As a child, Briony spent most of her time with Molly and Samantha, but Molly vanished, never to be seen again. It's not until Briony returned to her godmother's house to claim an inheritance, many years later, that she finds Molly's old swimsuit locked in a part of the house, which gets her wheels turning about what really happened to Molly. We come to learn of the horrors that took place in her godmother's house and the secrets involved in the disappearance of Molly. We also get to meet a host of characters who have a mix or good and bad intentions. A great reminder to always trust your gut. I found it to be more of a mystery than a true thriller, but it was still very enjoyable and I am interested to dive into more from this author. This book publishes April 23, 2024 and it's worth the read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. I liked the alternating timelines. It is a slow read about childhood relationships. I like some of the characters, but wish the book would have gotten faster.

It was a hot summer day, and Briony and Samantha waited impatiently for Molly as they sat on the riverbank preparing for their heat-relieving swim. After a long wait, the sun began to go down, and Molly still hadn’t arrived. As the sun started to fade, it was clear she wasn’t coming. It wasn’t like her, and they feared something had happened to her.
Briony lived with her godmother in a magnificent country home under challenging circumstances. Her godmother’s son had been controlling and abusive towards her making her life miserable. She looked forward to her time with her friends to escape it all. Now Molly was missing.
Years later, Briony learns that she has inherited her godmother’s home and she and her grown daughter return to live there. She tries to enjoy the quiet of the beautiful surroundings, but the home has very difficult memories. She missed Molly. She was never able to find out what happened to her. Her family had mysteriously moved from the town, and they were sure something bad had happened to her.
When Briony goes through her inherited house, she discovers evidence of Molly's presence there. Gradually, as more skeletons come to light, Briony not only learns of the horrors that once surrounded the house but she learns the terrible secrets surrounding Molly’s disappearance.
This mind-blowing thriller will keep you going from page one to the end, with an ending that will blow you away. It's a stunning must-read!

Briony, Samantha and Molly are best friends growing up. They drifted apart after the las summer of their teens and Briony hasn't been back to the Cotswold since she left school. When her godmother Alice dies and leaves her the house, Briony moves back, but the house carries memories she would rather forget. When Briony discovers Molly's swimsuit in the house years later does it add up to why she was never seen again after the afternoon they spent by the lake.

This is a slow mystery and at first I forgot that it was though once things started to pick up and the story really took off it was really good. I liked how the years and people were placed in their own chapters that really helped while going through the past and present.

I did enjoy this but I did figure out the story line very quickly. Which made me like it more I felt like a detective.
I loved the characters they were well written and had depth.
I think I would love to run a B&B it seems fun but definitely hard work.
I like how it jumped from 2 different time periods so you get all the information from different sources.
Overall a good thriller which I enjoyed.

Written in dual time lines, we meet 16 year old Briony, who is living with her godmother, and Briony now in her forties, having inherited her godmother's house. One of her best friends, Molly, vanishes at the start of sixth year and no one seems to find out where she went. Adult Briony has a 24 year old daughter, who meets the enigmatic Logan. In both timelines, there is a sense of threat and foreboding. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I hope to read more, as I enjoyed these characters and the story line. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy to read and give an honest review of..

Briony lived with her Godmother, Alice, when she was a teenager. Alice's son, Jeremy was a creep, stalking Briony and her friends, Samantha and Molly.
The three friends spend as much time as possible together, until Molly disappears.
Years later, Briony inherits Alice's house, as Jeremy has passed away, she opens a B & B, and her daughter Faye assists her.
Faye meets Logan, and he seems to want to destroy the close relationship Briony and Faye have.

This is a really slow story, I wouldn't say it is a thriller, and the mystery seems to be easily worked out in the first half of the book.
Told in two timelines, it is the story of friendship, and of course things that people don't talk openly about.

I did enjoy this, but I think it could be classed just as 'fiction with a touch of mystery', not as a thriller.

I would like to read more of this authors work, as the book was well written.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

This is an interesting story told in alternating timelines and follows three best friends until one day, Molly goes missing. I will say that the "twist" was not shocking at all to me and I guessed it early on but that could have just been a good guess. I definitely liked the timeline from the 80's better than the present day timeline narrative. I liked the story but overall was a little underwhelmed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Deirdre Palmer for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Storm Publishing, NetGalley and of course D. Palmer for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the first book I’ve read by Deirdre Plamer and I really enjoyed her writing style and the way it goes back and forth between the two timelines. Her characters are fell formed and the book does keep you keen to find out what is going to happen next. I found myself many times throughout the book asking our heroine Briony why she hadn’t figured it out yet because I had by chapter three. I did become a little exasperated by her not seeing what was right in front of her. I would like to read more from Deirdre and see what she has for us next.

This is a story about childhood friendships but also the pressure and standards we put on ourselves growing up to be like everyone else. It’s about looking back at what felt so huge when we were young but so insignificant now. It’s about secrets and choices that were made as children and the effect it had on others. It’s about finding love in unexpected places and things being too good to me true. It reminds us of what it’s like to be on the cusp of adulthood and how important those years are. Beautifully written,

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Her Best Friend’s Secret by Deirdre Palmer due to be published April 23, 2024.
Briony had been left an inheritance from her godmother, Alice – the house, Summerdene, in which she was raised with Alice’s son, Jeremy. Briony spent her childhood with her best friends Molly and Samantha, until Molly vanished. Now she has returned to her childhood home to turn it into a bed and breakfast along with the help of her daughter, Faye. She discovers an old swimsuit of Molly’s in one of the rooms. Why would it be there, and what happened to Molly when she disappeared?
Her Best Friend’s Secret alternates between the current time of the B & B and when Briony was younger and Molly went missing. Lots of secrets are revealed and some interesting people come out of the woodwork to integrate into the Briony’s life – some good and some not.
This was a new-to-me author – I will definitely look into reading more of her books!
#NetGalley #DeirdrePalmer #StormPublishing #HerBestFriendsSecret