Secrets of the Dead by Simbi Feyisara was a well crafted story!
The writing was very well done and I found the characters to be intriguing and so interesting.
A cleverly written thriller that sucked me in from the very beginning.

Thank You NetGalley and BlackEcho Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book had me hooked right away, all of the characters were full of secrets and lies, a thrilling read overall.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a prequel novella for a new series. It is a YA mystery/thriller about a bunch of secrets.

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I found all of the characters super unlikeable. That is a pet peeve of mine when reading a book. I need at least one character to like.

This book was a quick read and i don’t think the writing was bad. I just didn’t like the characters and didn’t connect with them.

DNF @ 22%

There was too many characters introduced too quickly for such a short book and every single one of them was really unlikeable, especially the main character!

This was a strong prequel novella for the Secrets series, I enjoyed the concept of this book and that the characters felt like they were supposed to. It had that feel that I wanted and enjoyed the suspenseful element and thought the universe was a great start to the series. I was invested in what was happening to the characters and thought Simbi Feyisara wrote this perfectly.

Secrets of the Dead is a fast paced, atmospheric, novella full of secrets, lies, betrayals, jealousy, and danger. Simbi Feyisaraani pulls you in fast and keeps you hooked. I see a lot of people not liking Dani, but I found her character intriguing. Probably the best character to enter this group through. They all have secrets and she likes collecting them. Now it’s time for a Girls Trip. Nothing could possibly go wrong; Until it does. She and her college roommates pack up and head to Brittles Cove to spend time at Vivienne’s family cabin. No one is happy that Dani is on this trip. No one is shy about letting her know.


Things get tense when Dani starts revealing some secrets. Tempers flare. Will everyone survive trip? Be warned this book leaves some unanswered questions. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I need to know where it goes.


Thank you to BlackEcho Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I need the next book yesterday! Really enjoyed this because I could see myself in the Dani character of finding out anything about anybody. I don't personally use the information to my advantage lol but I am my own personal detective. Read this book!

I liked this short story even if Dani was positively awful, she was really unlikeable but minus Vivi and Jamie there was actually no likeable characters.

No one really came out on top in this story and the reason this all occurred seemed petty, I wish it was explained why they were all desperate for the money and business to work.

Secrets of the Dead is a fast paced, atmospheric, novella full of secrets, lies, betrayals, jealousy, and danger. Dani is an interesting character. She is not likeable and enjoys holding secrets over others. She and her college roommates pack up and head to Brittles Cove to spend time at Vivienne Marks' family's rustic vacation home. Tension is high as the other roommates are not happy that Dani will be coming. She is not liked or trusted, and the other women make this known to her.

How well do you know those in your life? How well do they know you? Those are the questions that this book presents to readers. It also examines toxic friendships, deception, and secrets.

Things seem fine, tense, but fine at first, but soon revelations will be made, and the roommates become aware that this is not going to be the fun and happy weekend they envisioned. Soon the group begin to show their true colors, intentions and motivations.

This was an enjoyable read but at times I wanted to know more of Dani's backstory and relationships with her roommates. This is a short quick read which can easily be read in one sitting so I realize that I was given just enough information to enjoy the story.

Fast paced, entertaining, enjoyable, atmospheric, and dark.

I usually enjoy a fast paced YA mystery thriller but I just couldn’t connect with this one.
The story is told from the point of view of Dani and her character was well established as being unreliable, holding many secrets and choosing her moment to use them against someone. But for me there were too many under-developed characters without a back story or any idea as to their motivations. It can be difficult to build tension and explore the plot in such a short story so it was hard sometimes to work out why the girls were behaving in that way and the total absence of likeable characters meant there was no-one to get behind.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

2.5 stars ✨⭐️.

I think that the author did a great job establishing the main character as superficial and unreliable from the beginning and building her relationships with the other characters.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get through half of this book, even though it was supposed to be a quick read. In this first chapter (which was twelve pages), I noticed there were about five characters, and I didn't feel like that was necessary if the book was so short. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC e-book.

Secrets of The Dead is a fast-paced thriller novella that follows a group of college girls and their lies and deceits as they leave for a weekend in a secluded cabin. All of this is told from the point of view of Dani, the insolent and unlikable main character. While that premise sounded too interesting to pass up on, the story left me feeling confused and underwhelmed.

I would’ve loved the fighting, stealing, obsession, murdering, and all the girly things if they made any sense. But they just didn’t. Characters’ motivations made no sense, their backgrounds lacked any semblance of depth, and it was all just very shallow - like an out-of-context episode of Pretty Little Liars.

All of this for a failing fashion brand? No way.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dani is not liked by the other girls from our college dorm but still she decides to go with them to spend the weekend at a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods. She knows everybody's dirty littles secrets so what could go wrong?

I asked for the ARC of the novella because I wanted a quick fun read and boy did I get exactly what I was asking for. The pace is breakneck and you fly from one scene to the other and yet I was never lost or confused. At the beginning I was afraid that the side characters would be too similar to one another but their differences are emphasized just enough that you can tell them apart with ease. This novella is just the right length and leaves you satisfied and wanting for more at the same time. I'm excited about reading the next one in the series.

Where the book shines is truly through its main character Dani. She is extremely unlikable and her actions are never justified because things are from her POV. She just does what she does and it is never good. I loved being inside her head and seeing her being so mean and selfish but at the same time quite human. I love me some well rounded characters.
I would say that the other main character is Vivi and it was very interesting to get to know her through the other characters because we never get into her head. We just have her actions and words to judge her. And she is judged indeed.

Overall I think this novella executed perfectly what The Things We Do to Our Friends failed at : rich toxic friend group gone bad. You could even sprinkle some female rage on top.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book. I will definitely tune in for the next one in the series !

You can find my review on Goodreads and on The StoryGraph

Title: Secrets of the Dead by Simbi Feyisara
Release Date: June, 27th, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

The night eighteen-year-old Dani Bishop went to Brittles Cove, she knew one of her roommates was going to die.

Dani couldn’t be trusted, and everyone at Stedmond College knew it. She held secrets for sport, testing their owners and the limits they would go to hide their truths. So when she packed her bag to spend the weekend at Brittles Cove, known for its idyllic, secluded beach, she knew there was a target on her back.

But with the support of Vivienne Marks—the girl with the perfect looks, perfect friends, perfect life—Dani assumes she’s safe. But not everything is as it seems, and when she starts to let secrets slip, she finds they only matter when the owner has something to lose.

Now Dani is stuck in Brittles Cove, with the very people whose lives she’s ruined, and they won’t stop until she has paid in blood. Filled with betrayal, mystery, and secrets.

This book hooked me from the first page, so much so that I devoured it in one sitting! The twists and turns were engaging and enjoyable, even if not entirely surprising. Dani's journey to uncover the truth was compelling, and both her character and the overall story were exceptionally well-crafted—a pleasant surprise for a short thriller.

The plot was fast-paced, keeping me guessing until the very end. Dani isn't your typical badass female lead; instead, she's portrayed as human, scared, and not particularly likeable, yet she has a strong character.

The story realistically explores how jealousy can transform a person.

I'm eagerly anticipating the next instalment, especially after the intriguing extra chapters!


Thank you to The Publisher BlackEcho Press,The Author Simbi Feyisara & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

This book hooked me from the first page, I was so entertained that I read it in one sitting.

In this book we have Dani, a college student with a strange personality who tends not to get along with anyone because she sees people as means to an end. She lives in "The Bells" and has several housemates who all have secrets they are desperate to keep. Vivi, Dani's roommate is the main focus of the story, as she is a very rich and kind girl used by everyone.

The atmospheric cabin in the woods also worked great as a setting, it's not the most original but it did contribute to the vibe of the story.

The twists and turns were great! I wasn't entirely surprised, but I enjoyed them and I think Dani's journey to discover everything that was going on was very well crafted. Dani's character and the story in general were also well written, which is always a pleasant surprise in thriller books.
I definitely want to read the second installment!

Pub date: 27 june
*Thanks to NetGalley uk, the publishers and the author for the ARC*

When I requested this book I didn't realise it was a young adult book. The Young Adult genre is not my type of genre so much of what I'll say is with this caveat.

"Secret of the Dead" is a good story that keeps the momentum going with a velocity that doesn't let up. With this Feyisara has written a good, fun story.

There are some minor squabbles I have with the story regarding character reasoning and the willingness of the audience to accept the dislike of characters without established reasoning.

While I'm not the audience for this book I can imagine my teenage niece really enjoying this book and being interested in the others in the "Secret" series.

Beyond amazing! Was such a good prequel to our secrets die with her! Was super quick passed, so many twists and turns and incredibly intresting throughout! Can’t wait to read our secrets die with her!!! Amazing writing!

Secrets of the Dead by Simbi Feyisara
Rating: 4.5/5
Release Date: 27 June 2024

At Stedmond College, Dani was notorious for her untrustworthiness. She collected secrets for sport, pushing their owners to the brink to see how far they’d go to keep their truths hidden. Heading to Brittles Cove—a picturesque, secluded beach—for the weekend, Dani knew she was a walking target. But with the backing of Vivienne Marks, the girl with the perfect looks, perfect friends, and perfect life, Dani believed she was safe.

However, appearances can be deceiving. As Dani begins to reveal secrets, she realises their true weight when the owners have something to lose. Now, trapped in Brittles Cove with those whose lives she's upended, Dani faces a vengeful reckoning. They won't rest until she has paid in blood.

This quick read by Simbi Feyisara took me by surprise, but I absolutely loved it. The author masterfully packed a wealth of detail into just a few pages. The characters, especially Dani and Vivi, were exceptionally well-developed and crafted to perfection. The cliffhanger at the end has left me eagerly anticipating the next instalment.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Black Echo Press, and the author, Simbi Feyisara, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

OK so wow. Where to begin. The thought process of Dani and how she could find out anything about anyone and use it against them was impressive. It's especially easy when all of the girls have so many secrets. Then the ending of her once again spinning things to her advantage. So sad with the cliff hanger and the next book not being released. Added it to my TBR!!