3.5 Stars

I'd like to start by thanking NetGalley for the ARC and for giving me the chance to review this book.

The title says it all: "Everyone Has Secrets" is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat thriller.
I wasn't sure what to make of the book at first. The story begins with a picture-perfect family, where the son, Joe, celebrates his 16th birthday with a small group of friends.

So, when Joe calls, begging his mum Eve to come home, saying something has happened, they rush back to find out that Lisa's daughter Annie has taken drugs and is unconscious. Unfortunately, Annie is in a coma, and Eve is determined to find out what happened to Annie. But when she starts asking questions, she finds out that someone close to her has been lying to her.

I had some issues with the main character, Eve. I found her annoying and childish. Furthermore, I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit, which is not ideal in a psychological thriller. Typical overbearing parent (aka helicopter mum).

After a strong start, the middle section, around 30-40%, felt a bit drawn out with filler content that wasn't particularly engaging or suspenseful. I came close to stopping reading it a few times. The final pages are where it all comes together. From about 70% onwards, all the secrets of Joe and his circle of friends come out. And not only that, but her husband and her own son have also been hiding something from Eve. In the end, it all comes to a climax, and we find out the whole background (including what Billy has to do with it). I wasn't expecting that last twist in the epilogue, but it still didn't do enough justice for me.

I feel this plot had so much potential and the author could have taken it further. It could have been a 5-star read. I'd suggest adding more character development and probing further into a real investigation. I feel that Billy's character could have been developed so much more!

#EveryoneHasSecrets #NetGalley

Everyone Has Secrets by A J McDine

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

- Great prologue
- Fast paced, addictive chapters
- Jaw-dropping twists!

How well do you really know the people you love the most?

The Griffiths family has the best home of all. You can always spot Eve laughing with her husband and their sixteen-year-old-son. Eve’s best friend Lisa and her teenage daughter Annie live in a charming cottage just across the street. Everything is perfect… Until one night something unthinkable turns the peaceful neighbourhood upside down. Annie is found on the tiled floor of Eve’s kitchen struggling to breathe, and Eve is determined to find out what happened. But someone is lying to her- is it her best friend, her husband or her son?

We all have secrets. But how many of us would kill to keep them?

Well they certainly didn’t lie about the title… literally EVERY character in this book was keeping secrets and you couldn’t trust anyone! Paired with short and fast-paced chapters that ended on cliff-hangers, it meant it was impossible to put down!

I loved the opening prologue too. I thought it did a fantastic job of bringing the reader into this story and setting the scene- it really grabbed my attention in wanting to find out more!

Throughout the book, there were a couple of twists that made my jaw drop! 😯 There was one twist where I thought I had it figured out, but then the epilogue at the end changed that so I was wrong- it caught me off guard!
The last line of the book left me wanting more too! 😍

One little niggle I have is that it started to feel a little repetitive at times. It was secret after secret revealed, and it would have been good to have more of a plot maybe? I have had a slow reading month though so could just be me!

Overall though I quite enjoyed this one, and I will definitely be checking out more of this authors work.

Thank you so much to the author, Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC copy.

#NetGalley #EveryoneHasSecrets

Everyone Has Secrets by AJ Mcdine, in this book Eve thought she had the perfect marriage to Noah but lately he has been acting strange and when they let their son Joe throw his self a 16th birthday party Eve is worried about leaving the kids despite they’ll only be across the green at her best friend Lisa’s house. So when Joe calls begging her to come home saying something has happened they rush back to learn Lisa’s daughter Annie, has taken drugs and is now in a coma. When it starts looking as if not only their friends and neighbors think Joe is guilty but the police do as well Eve tries to investigate the case herself. I will not get into all it here because you really should read the book but Eve has more going on than her God child being in a coma her best friend not speaking to her and her son being accused of dealing drugs soon everything will come out and it will color eves life is shade she couldn’t fathom it being before. I just want to say I thought Eve handed everything bravely because after what her husband did and then when Lisa abruptly stopped talking to her and blamed her in Joe most people would’ve crumbled but Eve stood up and tried to fix it all and basically did. I also want to say I thought Eve baby Joe too much especially paying $10,000 a term for a son who doesn’t even make good grades but to each his own and it’s just a thought but I’m sure it mirrors someone’s life. Having said that I gave this book only three stars because I have come to expect so much more from this author, she has written some great books and although this one was pretty good I just expect her books to be astounding and this one was only OK. I didn’t like Noah and his snarky attitude nor did I like his son Billy that much but Billy‘s barely in the book having said that I do recommend it is AJ McDine is an author you really want to read her book she’s a great writer and even when she write something like this which is only Soso it’s still better than most books out there. #NetGalley,#Bookoucher,#AJMcdine, #EveryoneHasSecrets,

Wow another brilliant read from AJ McDine. I'm obsessed with her writing and each book is more gripping than the last.

This book is heartbreaking and Eve faces some hard challenges both as a mum and a friend and as with all of her other books, they keep you gripped from page 1 and don't let go.

I can't wait for the next book to come ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eve, Noah, and their teenage son, Joe, have what seems to be the perfect life. To top off the good fortune, Eve’s best friend Lisa, and her daughter, Annie, live right across the street. One day, everything comes crashing down on both households, but not everything can be fixed; some things are just too bad.

From the prologue forward, this story moves along quite fast. There is not a lot of suspense, but more of an investigation that zigzags its way through to an answer for the terrible things that have occurred. Eve is a strong character and shows that a mother’s love has no boundaries. I really liked Eve. I feel that McDine created her with such authenticity as to how a mother thinks, as well as the things one would do in this circumstance.

The frustrating character is Joe and his reactions to things. However, as I read further, I could see why. And Noah; I just don’t know how to feel about him, but he is just “there”. Lisa is a nice friend and I do like the friendship between Eve and Lisa. There are a few other minor characters that actually have a bigger influence on the story as it progresses.

This story encompasses a heavy and quite prevalent topic in today’s society, but it’s not so much that it takes over each chapter of the book. McDine’s books are realistic, although fiction, and really interesting to me. I stayed up late to finish this one. It will keep your interest, for sure! She is one of my favorite psychological thriller authors. This book will bring out emotions you didn’t know you had or forgot that you had! Wow! A 2024 favorite for me!

Thanks to NetGalley, AJ McDine and Bookouture for the ARC of this book.

Eve and Noah Griffiths’ son, Joe, is turning 16 and desperate to have a few friends round their house one evening to celebrate his birthday. His mum reluctantly agrees but makes sure that her and Noah are close by, at her best friend Lisa’s cottage on the other side of the village green. Lisa’s sensible daughter, Annie, will also be attending the party but Eve still has misgivings and feels uneasy; she’s very protective of her only son and also worried that gate crashers will turn up!

A few hours later, Eve gets a distressed phone call from Joe to say that something has happened to Annie, her goddaughter, and the three of them race over to discover her pale, with a faint pulse and struggling to breathe. An ambulance is called and Annie is rushed straight to hospital, desperately unwell, with her life hanging in the balance.

The fallout from the awful incident is immediate, with Lisa blaming Joe and refusing to allow Eve to go to the hospital with them. Also, the rest of the people in the village are looking for someone to blame and they turn on the family and some even tell them to go back to London, despite the fact they’ve lived in South Langley for over 16 years!

Noah, Eve, Joe and the teenagers who were at the party are all questioned by the police and Eve ends up carrying out her own investigations in a bid to clear her family’s names and uncover the truth about what happened that night. Eve has always been really protective of Joe but slowly begins to realise that he has been keeping things from her and she doesn’t know her son as well as she thought. She’s also worried about what her husband has been getting up to as well!

Noah runs his own education recruitment consultancy agency, while Eve is head of maths at the local girls’ grammar school and her headteacher is not impressed to learn about what has happened.

It’s a gripping and twisty storyline and there’s definitely more to everyone than meets the eye. Eve uncovers some disturbing secrets as she talks to various people and she puts herself in danger too. There are some big shocks along the way and I raced through the book in less than a day, desperate to find out the truth and see how everything was resolved!

This was an emotional and tense read and the characters were relatable and well drawn. I felt all kinds of emotions and frustrations as the compelling story progressed and things went from bad to worse for all concerned!

Overall, I really enjoyed this fast-paced, well-plotted domestic thriller and will definitely be checking out the author’s other books very soon!

Something terrible happens at a house party that threatens to disrupt the lives of the residents of a peaceful village neighborhood.

Someone is keeping secrets, and Eve is determined to uncover them, but is she ready for the truth?

This book helped me break out of a reading slump, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story kept me engaged from start to finish, and the ending was incredibly satisfying. The storytelling was excellent, and the pace was just right.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free copy of the book.

A J McDine is one of my absolute favourite authors, whom I always recommend & I'm always so excited to read her new releases.

Everyone Has Secrets is another gripping & compelling domestic drama with family secrets bursting at the seams. McDine writes domestic & twisted family drama so so well, from the very beginning when we learned Eve & Noah's son Joe was having an unsupervised 16th birthday at home I just knew this was not going to end well & they would regret giving Joe that little bit of freedom & trust. What follows is every parents worst nightmare and I think that is what makes this such an engrossing & compelling read as this could literally happen to any family no matter how well you think you know your child.

As Eve sets out to uncover exactly what happened in her house that night we are taken on a fast-paced journey with more & more secrets being unveiled and a number of motives coming to light. The author created layers of mystery & uncertainty that leaves you questioning everyone & everything.

I had a love/hate relationship with Eve, it's very clear she cares deeply and only wants the best for her son Joe & Annie but I also wanted to scream at her to trust her gut & stop letting others railroad her. All of the characters are deeply flawed which just adds to the uncertainty.

I found this a fast-paced read throughout, but the last few chapters just went at lightening pace with truth bombs & twists thrown from every direction & I loved it, oh and that epilogue.....it was brilliant & so unexpected, a genius way to end this story.

Another absolute thrilling, edge of your seat page turner from the queen of domestic dramas.

Great plot. Not your typical easily guessed “whodunnit” or basic thriller.
Twisted family/friend/neighborhood drama surrounding a 16 year old's birthday party. When an incident happens, you're left to figure out what happened and if it was an accident or intentional.
Everyone is holding secrets and you don't know who to trust. This book puts boundaries to the test and relationships

Everyone Has Secrets and boy does everyone have secrets in this book. The title of the book becomes clear as the story develops, and we unfurl the characters hidden secrets.

OK I think I've said secrets enough for now. The story is told from Eve's point of view. Joe's mother. Joe is her only son and he has turned sixteen. Eve and Noah, her husband have decided it will be fine to let Joe have some friends over for a party. What could go wrong?

Eve is a classic helicopter parent, despite Joe being sixteen she still does everything for him and worries way too much. How will she deal with the aftermath of the party? I kept putting my self in her shoes, it was very easy to relate especially as the secrets start to get uncovered. It's a worry that every parent has in this day and age.

A J Mcdine is a great author. She doesn't have to have all the twists, bells and whistles to make a good story. She takes an idea and moulds it with realistic people, realistic opinions and scenarios. Her writing is effortless. Everyone Has Secrets is a domestic noir story, and the themes of relationship issues, blended families and general trust is key.

There is a lot of focus on how society perceives others. Does that person in a big house with a swanky car compare to that kid who lives in the council estate? I really liked how this was portrayed in the storyline

Everyone has secrets? THAT'S an understatement.

After the disastrous not-so-sweet sixteen party at her home for son Joe, Eve is determined to find out how Ecstasy ended up crashing said party. She tracks down each attendee and each one reveals a new secret. None of them are able or willing to reveal the culprit. Meanwhile, Eve's goddaughter and her best friend's only child lies in a coma. Will Annie ever wake up from her party mistake?

This was a compelling yet frustrating read. It seemed like too many of the parents were ready and willing to help cover up the mistakes the kids were making. And there were adults making plenty of dumb decisions as well. Case in point, Eve's husband Noah.

The ending was quite satisfying. Definitely not a classic HEA, but this is a suspense title. Did not enjoy it as much as I did The Photo, but I am up for another A.J. McDine read.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I can't get enough of.domestic thrillers. And this one is added to the list of successes.
You can't help but being pulled in.
You question who did what. Who is lying. And who is lying to protect.
As we all know things we'd do for family aren't things we ever foresee and often think wed ever be able to do! It can make you both super human but also at times that can come with super irrational or the need to do anything to protect those we love. It can lead one way or the other. But is this good or bad or neither...just love.
I love Eve quest for the truth. And the mystery and tension in this book was built just right.

Everyone Has Secrets by A J McDinewas and narrated by Tamsin Kennardan was an excellent addictive audiobook/book, a great nail-biting psychological thriller which was very addictive, It was a gripping throughout with lots of twists and turns throughout that had you sitting on the edge of your seat!!!.

WoW this was so good, I found it hard to put it down, so glad I had the audiobook to listen to whilst I was renovating. I loved it.

A superb book I can not recommend it enough.......The narrator Tamsin Kennardan was excellent she drew you into the story.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture audio and bookouture for my ARC's.

First of all, I don't have high expectations for this book because I'm not really into domestic thriller or mystery. But the cover and the title makes me really want to read this book. Surprisingly, this is good. I really enjoy it.

I like Eve's roles in this book as a responsible mother. Her character was strong and it makes me dive into her character.

Fast-paced thriller, nice storyline and strongly emotional.

You hear people say one moment can change your life, in this case it is one phonecall.
On one hand its a typical teenage scenario, a party, party drugs and something going wrong, but on the other hand
its a case of who knows what, who's telling the truth and other than gut instinct can you really trust anyone.
You get drawn into as it is a situation most people can identify with, whether it's through having children or just teenagers in the family.

This book was a very intense read right away, it had the perfect about of tension and kept me hooked all the way through.

This is the second book I have read from AJ McDine--after reading her books, I actually grew to love her books and so glad that I got another chance to read her new release--Everyone Has Secrets.

Eve Griffith and her next door neighbor Lisa are best friends. Eve saw Lisa's daughter Annie growing up and Annie and Eve's son Joe are also close to each other. When Joe is holding a party, Annie goes to the party while Eve and Lisa enjoy the night at Lisa's house. But soon, Eve receives a panic call from Joe--Annie had fainted and is unconscious. When taken to the hospital, Annie is induced into coma and it was later found out that she had taken ecstasy. Now Joe becomes the main suspect--Eve's relationship with Lisa becomes strained and soon the whole village turns against Eve and her family. Determined to prove Joe's innocence, Eve start investigating the other people who attended the party, to find out which of then brought ecstasy and gave to Annie.

This was an emotional and at the same time fast paced thriller. The whole story is told in Eve's POV and I like how Eve as a mother deals with all the drama surrounding in the village and at the same time her quest to prove her son's innocence. The story is realistic, what with Eve is suspended from the school she was teaching, and her suspicion that her husband Noah might be having an affair with someone. The ending was quiet unexpected and shocking but all the same, Eve and her family ended up leaving the village and moving to a different place to start a new life. The small cliffhanger at the end, was quiet unexpected.

Overall, this psychological thriller is fast paced, unputdownable and page turning that will keep you up all night. Worth five stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Eve her husband Noah and their sone Joe are living a very happy life in a great neighbourhood. Joe goes to private school and is the apple of Eve’s eye. Joe’s sixteenth birthday is just a few days away and Eve and Noah allow Joe to invite some friends over for the evening to celebrate. Eve has always wrapped Joe in cotton wool and is worried something is going to go wrong, Noah believes all will be fine and they agree the kids can have the house until midnight and they will just be a few streets at Eve’s best friend’s house.

But a couple of hours into the evening Eve gets a call from Joe that will change everyone’s lives. Friendships and loyalties will be tested as the repercussions of this night become clearer. A mother’s love is like no other and after what occurs Eve and Noah are in for the fight of their lives to protect their son. Eve then begins her own investigations as to what has happened and who is responsible.

This was a very enjoyable domestic thriller that will make you not want to put the book down. Shocks and surprises keep the story moving along at a fast pace until answers begin to be provided. Another very good book by this author that I highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

This book definitely had a storyline that kept me interested. However, I guessed what was going on pretty early on in the book. The epilogue threw me off as I was not expecting that last twist but it still didn’t do enough twist justice for me.

Thank you to everyone for this ARC copy of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was full of so many twists and turns. I really enjoyed how layered this story was and how all the secrets made more twists and turns. This was a great thriller and was so gripping.