Anna is trying for a fresh start. A new job, a new home and a new village should be all she needs. In the strange rural community of St Abel's Chappel though things seem off. With a yearly Gathering at the church that is kept incredibly private, and a young teenage girl begging Anna for help, something isn't right. Anna knows that the village is full of secrets, but when she starts digging she is more than a little shocked at what she uncovers.

This is a book full of secrets, so much so that I feel it may be difficult to review in detail without giving anything away. Some of the things that I enjoyed most about this were the surprises along the way.

Let's start with the characters. We learn in the opening chapter that Anna is hiding something in her past. Here lies secret number one. This means that whilst Anna seems to be a warm and caring person, as a reader you're never quite sure whether to trust her or not, because you don't know who she is or what happened, and even as things are revealed there is a level of mistrust there.

In terms of our protagonist things are very similar. We learn very little about them until late in the book, including their name or any personal details. All you really get to see is their personality, which I won't lie, isn't exactly endearing. I had a deep dislike of the narrator from very early on, because of the air of superiority laced into everything they say and do.

Another key character is Jago Moore, who is so well written he makes your skin crawl. As the book progressed I found myself questioning my thoughts on just about all of the characters. It's just that sort of novel where you feel you can never fully trust anyone because nobody is being fully honest.

Plot wise this was captivating. I found the idea of a church holding such a Gathering, and the discussions of what happens during the weekend absolutely fascinating. I've always been drawn to those unusual aspects of society, and although this is entirely fictional it was totally believable and realistic. It's not a book that I would label as action packed, more of a slow burn but with some very sinister undertones running through it. There is a feel from the offset that something is deeply wrong, both in the current timeline and the historic one where we learn about Jago.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. I will say that I had a feeling about some of the reveals, but certainly wasn't sure enough to say that I could see what was coming. More just a bit of a feeling. I think that is part and parcel of what makes this such a good read though, the uncertainty and questioning mean you just can't pick what is coming.

If you've never read a book by Sharon Bolton I recommend you start, and this would be a good one to start with.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read by Sharon Bolton so I didn’t know what to expect. At times it was like reading three different stories. I’m still not sure that I actually ‘enjoyed’ it, but it was intriguing, exciting, creepy, full of secrets and lies, and it’s one of those books that you just have to keep reading because you become so confused that you can’t imagine how it will end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a great read.

Ooh what a great book. Love Sharon Bolton's books and loved this. Read in a day. Perfect

Thanks for the opportunity to review

Sarah J. Bolton's latest psychological thriller is likely to leave you feeling discombobulated, where nothing and nobody is as they first appear, so in warning, prepare to be blindsided, anytime you might entertain the idea that you know something or trust anyone, drop those thoughts immediately. You are provided with limited information, which is likely to push you into making assumptions, this is loaded with controlling behaviours, gaslighting individuals, secrets, manipulation, misdirections and I can guarantee that there is hardly anyone in the entire story that will turn out to be likeable. This means I have to tread carefully as the novel places me between a rock and a hard place when it comes to reviewing and avoid revealing spoilers.

Anna Brown is a recent arrival to the small idyllic Lake District place of St Abel's Chapel, she has taken over the local bakery, set to be instantly successful as she is a remarkable talented and imaginative cook and baker. Her next door neighbour develops an obsessive curiosity about Anna, becoming convinced she is harbouring secrets, a neighbour who can see and hear practically everything in her home. In the summer, the place is taken over by a cult church, extremely security conscious, dissuading locals from intruding, with some strangely menacing and scary practices. A frightened teenager becomes close to Anna. 17 year old Jago Morgan is a psychopath who creates fear and mayhem at his private school, resulting in him seeing a psychiatrist whom he believes he can weave around his little finger.

I have been a fan of Bolton for some time, although some of her more recent books, more specifically this, have left me with a odd feeling of unease, as they move more and more into unbelievable territory, so outrageous, that with this on occasions I found myself bursting into laughter as the narrative flirted with becoming a farce. To be fair, this might possibly be viewed as the norm for many writers in the psychological thriller genre, a practice though that has made me wary of the genre. Having said that, I have no doubt many fans of the author and other readers too will love this offering. Overall, an enjoyable read, an intricately plotted puzzle. I can see Bolton having great fun putting the pieces of this together! Recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

A bit of a slow burner with loads of twists that take you where you weren't expecting though a bit unbelievable at times.
This small village has an annual event at a local manor where no villages are invited and three sixteen year old girls have been found dead over the last few years, all said to have died of natural causes but the village's are suspicious especially Anna who is new to the village and her neighbour helps her to find out what's happened.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review

Sharon Bolton is a new author to me and I really enjoyed reading The Neighbours Secret.
It is a tense, well written book with so much misdirection I didn't have a clue what direction the writing was taking me in. With twists and turns galore it will keep you guessing to the end.
Highly recommended!

Okay. I think I'm going to have to try and keep this short. I'm too worried about giving away a spoiler. It's fair to say that I read this book with an open mind, and it's just as well, as nothing in the book is what it seems. And it's not just because of the creepy and cult like commune that sets up camp in town every summer. If there has been a book that better demonstrates the art of misdirection this year, I'm not sure I've read it yet. This book is loaded with mystery, atmosphere, tension ... and a whole host of characters who really are never what they appear to be at face value.

This is, sort of, the story of Anna, a woman who makes a move to a village of St Abel's Chapel, in the lakes, hoping for a brand new start. Opening a bakery in a lakeside community might seem like a really good idea, but not long after opening her doors, Anna sees the locals start to disappear, and a whole trail of 'tourists' arrive; a special Church group who meet for their annual gathering. So far, so normal. Until you meet some of the incoming church folk. If you think of every kind of strange, commune style stereotype you can imagine, there is a hint of that in every interaction that Anna has with them. From a nervous teenager who it is clear is scared of something, to some of the many unusual practices that we learn about over the course of the book, the group are enough to put any sane person on edge. Controlling, misdirecting, and gaslighting behaviour is commonplace ... and that's just from their Pastor.

Now, much of the story is actually told from the point of view of Anna's neighbour, a person who clearly sits in judgement of everything Anna does. Intrigued by the reasons for her upping sticks and starting again, recognising a few tells in her behaviour and intuitive nature, they seem to develop a kind of obsession with Anna, and this is only one of the reasons you might feel a little on edge when reading this book. But it is utterly compelling. There are other elements of the narrative that had me hooked, that made me wonder how they fitted into the main story and whether they had bearing on why Anna started again, clearly far from any friends and family. Those scenes are creepy and skin crawling in their own right, and it certainly set my thoughts bouncing off in all directions.

But ... and this is a really big but, prepare to be schooled by Sharon Bolton. By the end of the book you'll realise just how easy it is to make assumptions, and how quickly we will do so based on what is, when all is said and done, exceedingly limited data. I sure as heck know that I did. Did I miss some very clear clues? Possibly. Did I perhaps just see what I wanted to see based on due to personal perception and prejudgment? Almost certainly, and a round of applause to the author for pulling off a blindingly brilliant twist of fortune and showcasing the real skill of sleight-of-hand. There are shocks a plenty, to come through this book, and maybe the odd moment of violence, although the act is kept off the page and it is only its after effects that are felt in the reading.

This is such a hard book to review. I didn't particularly like any of the characters - they all leave a lot to be desired. You can't trust them - with one potential exception, although even they kept the odd secret to themself. But, in spite of all that, in spite of Sharon Bolton me to be a complete and utter fool - and she did that so, so well - I was completely drawn into the mystery, the madness and the murderous misdirection. If you a story where it is not even slightly clear who the bad guy or gal really is, this could be the book for you. With creeping tension, plenty of atmosphere, rogue characters - and a bakery menu that will make your mouth water - this is a book Sharon Bolton fans are going to love. If you've not read any of her books before, dive on in. The story is as refreshing and enriching as any wild water swimming in the Lakes could ever be. Recommended.

The Neighbours Secret by Sharon Bolton is an absolute belter of a book i LOVED it.
I honestly didn't have a clue where the story was going to take me.
I didn't know where all the characters were going to fit in and it kept me guessing and trying to figure the book out the whole way through.
This book is a huge 5 star book as it was right up my street.
There's many what the? moments but let me tell you there's a HUGE WTF moment that had my mouth wide open.
I cannot wait to read more books from this author.
One of the best books i've read this year

Wow this has some twists and turns to the story . A few i was not expecting . I really enjoyed this book , maybe a bit slow the first half but it was a very interesting read all in all . I would highly recommend this book . I do enjoy reading books by this author, 5 stars from me .

A new neighbour, alongside the annual gathering of an evangelical church with questionable practices, proves alluring to one resident of a small village in the Lake District.

I've been a fan of Sharon Bolton since she burst onto the scene back in 2008 when, writing as S. J. Bolton, Sacrifice was published. I loved her previous novel, The Fake Wife, but freely admit that I didn't like the opening pages and could easily have abandoned it. Her new novel was similar, The Neighbour's Secret is definitely a slow burner. The interaction between the neighbour, while being creepy, didn't hold my attention until a couple of other elements were introduced.

The narrator is a definite nosy parker, someone who knows everything that is going on in the small village. They are intrigued when Anna Brown moves in next door and opens a small bakery. Intrigue probably isn't the correct description, borderline obsession is definitely a better fit, particularly as it's obvious that Anna is hiding a secret.

While the obsession grows we are introduced to members of an evangelical church who descend on the village every year for "The Gathering", a fortnight-long convention that takes place just outside the village. The actual events which take place during the convention are a closely guarded secret but the event itself is tolerated by the villagers as the congregation brings in as much revenue over the two weeks as they make the remainder of the year. I always find the presence of fervent religious groups adds a creepy element to any storyline, particularly when their practises are secret. Rumors surround the events taking place at the gathering, adding a sinister tone to the proceedings.

The malevolent tone is increased rapidly with the introduction of another character and storyline. Seventeen-year-old Jago Morgan ran amuck through his school canteen and attempted to stab one of his teachers. We join him as he is taking part in meetings with a psychiatrist to determine if his mental health was a contributing factor. Initially, it appears to be an unrelated thread, but slowly the storyline begins to merge with the others. Jago is a psychopath, highly manipulative and one of the most terrifying characters I've come across recently.

Author Sharon Bolton has you unsettled from the very beginning of this psychological thriller as you are never really sure who is hiding secrets. There is a strong sense of evil and you begin to wonder who the villain of the story is. Lots of red herrings meant that I found myself holding my breath and constantly on edge, curious as to what was going to happen.

A good read. Starts off better than it ends I think. Loved the way the main character had no idea that they are actually quite strange! Enjoyed the chapters that were written in the first person by that character.
All good a bit manic and rushed nearer the end I thought but still enjoyed the story,

Every year the town of St Alban's Chapel sees a sizeable group of visitors for the Gathering. The visitors keep to themselves. Over the span of 4 years four girls have gone missing and it appears the visitors are practicing sinister rituals. Anna has just moved to the village and curiosity about said visitors gets the better of her. The blow-in gets too close for comfort to the group and events unfold.

Twists and turns galore, that I never would have seen coming, in true Sharon Bolton fashion. Intense, unpredictable and riveting.

Very interesting book. A little slow at the beginning but quickly picks up pace. Suspenseful and twisty

Rating: 4.5/5

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest offering from Sharon Bolton. Aside from the fact that it is predominantly set in the area at the northern tip of the Lake District, which is a part of the world I know and adore, it is a wonderfully twisty and devious piece of work.

I was hooked from the very beginning, when a strangely intriguing opening chapter reaches an even more strangely intriguing conclusion. However, in many respects this is not an easy book to review. When reviewing, I am always conscious of the risk of divulging too much and spoiling the enjoyment of prospective readers - and that is a trap that would be all too easy to fall into in this instance. The plot, with its numerous twists, turns and deliberate misdirection, has been carefully and beautifully constructed by the author, but its impact - and the associated pleasure - does rely on the audience being blindsided by the creator. Therefore I will divulge no more than that. The only further comment I will pass is that this was once of those (relatively rare) occasions when I had the distinct sense that the author gleaned as much satisfaction from the process of constructing the story as I had from reading it.

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

I loved this creepy, twisty, turny thing that it is.

A perfect Halloween read.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Finally! A book I could really sink my teeth into.

This thriller keeps you on your toes, had characters that you want to like but don’t trust. Gives you enough clues to think you’ve got it sussed and then spins on its heel again.
The idea is original and clever and the writing is great. Not wishy washy nonsense, very straight to the point.
The only real downside of this book is the ‘why’ aspect of the ending which was absent, I’d have loved to have a bit more of an in depth conversation between the two characters at the end.
Other than that, I still loved the book and wish the author much success with it.
First time I have read this author so will definitely check out her previous work now too.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC

All Anna wants is a fresh start—a new job, a new home, and a new beginning. But moving to a rural village where the locals hold on to strange traditions and are wary of outsiders quickly proves that not everything is as it seems.

Three teenage girls have already disappeared during the annual Gathering, right after their sixteenth birthdays. No one seems concerned, and there’s no investigation underway. When a fourth girl, terrified she’ll be next, pleads for Anna’s help, things take a darker turn.

Everyone in the village has secrets, and Anna is determined to uncover them. But as she watches them, someone else might be watching her...

I loved this book! It’s dark, twisty, and filled with suspense. The short chapters often end in cliffhangers, making it nearly impossible to put down. The multiple points of view and timelines were skillfully woven together, adding layers to the mystery. While I managed to guess one of the major twists, the story still managed to surprise me with others I didn’t see coming. Perfect for fans of dark, atmospheric thrillers!

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

I'm a student midwife so took me a fee days between shifts to read this book but I was constantly thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. Definitely cannot wait to explore the author more. Fantastic book.

I've loved all of Sharon Bilton's books so far. Unfortunately, this one didn't resonate with me. I found it too drawb out and slow. The writing style is good, as ever. The plot and structure wasn't for me though.

Sharon Bolton does it again! What a fantastic book! The shocks, surprises and twists keep on coming throughout the book. It's difficult to say much more without revealing the plot so I'll just say if you're a thriller fan I seriously doubt you'll be disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.