Addy and Mary Ellen have moved cross country from San Francisco to a small town near Ithaca, NY. They have purchased an historic stone house that Addy hopes to renovate with plans to start her own interior design business. Mary Ellen (M. E.) is working at the local college as a professor. It is a big step down from her position at Stanford. A scandal caused the move and new start for the married couple. Amelia is the local contractor who is hired to renovate the historic home. Addy sees her as a new friend. But she pushes M. E. 's buttons. And nothing is quite as it seems.

The book is gripping and hard to put down once the twists start coming. The story is suspenseful and full of intrigue. To tell more would spoil the story. I enjoyed the plotting and pace. And while I suspected correctly some things I could not anticipate everything. That is what makes a suspense book fun.

Addy and her wife Mary Ellen retreat to rural New York to get away from their lives and to restore a historic stone house.
(Something bad happened in San Fran, related to Mary.)

Complicating things further is gorgeous contractor Amelia, who is possibly a bit TOO helpful.

I would classify this as 'suspense' with a bit of mystery.
(Yes, i got this off NetGalleyvwithout seeing what category it was in. Oops.)

Good, interesting read with well thought out characters. The way events played out kept me interested, and the conclusion surprised me.
3.5 stars out of 5.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

oh what a tangle web we weave when we practise to deceive.... and what a deceit this one was....

the ultimate betrayal and the consequences that follow...

MA and Addy have to leave town and start again through MA infidelity but hopefully they can put it all behind them and concentrate on their marriage and making sure that addy chance of making a go of her business is successful

but once a cheater always a cheater... could MA really being doing it again and then the police come calling

what a storyline and the brilliant twist at the end i didnt even see coming...

will be keeping an eye out for more from this author

Addy and Mary Ellen are compelled to relocate from San Francisco to a town near Ithaca, New York, because of Mary Ellen's affair with a student. When the student vanishes, the police start searching for Mary Ellen. The book is a tale of revenge that only becomes apparent at the conclusion. With numerous twists and turns, the plot is incredibly suspenseful. I would recommend this book to fans of crime thrillers.

Stone Cold Secrets begins on a drive from San Francisco to a small town in upstate New York just outside the college town of Ithaca. On the last leg of that drive we are introduced to Mary Ellen (M.E.) Montgomery and her wife, Addalynn (Addy) Pious. M.E. was a professor for Stanford University in San Francisco, but lost that job when she was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Therefore, M.E. and Addy were forced to give up their careers, their townhome, their luxury vehicles, and their friends, and they moved to the only college that would offer M.E. another position. Addy is not happy for a multitude of reasons, one of which includes giving up her interior decorator/design career in SF. However, she forges ahead and finds a historic stone house in upstate New York to purchase and renovate into their home as well as her design studio. Now she just needs to hire a contractor to help her with the renovation once they arrive.

Magically a green-eyed, red-headed contractor named Amelia appears on Addy's doorstep once she and M.E. arrive in upstate New York. Amelia offers her services to help Addy renovate the old stone house since this would be a labor of love for Amelia. Addy finally accepts Amelia's offer.

What ensues is a story about M.E., Addy, Amelia, and someone named Raeann who winds up suspiciously murdered in SF and just happens to be the student that M.E. was involved with at Stanford.

Newman weaves a gripping tale of the four women, incorporating suspense, suspicion, adultery, and revenge into a cohesive storyline. I never knew who was going to come out the "winner" in this story with all of the plot twists and admissions. I did have to suspend some disbelief with one or two of the plot twists, but I'd still highly recommend this book to other readers. 4.75 stars

I received an ARC from Bella Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.