Eve hesitantly agrees to allow Joe invite friends over for his 16th Birthday. Noah is more relaxed and even agrees to letting the kids have beer at the party. Eve and Joe go across the street to Lisa’s house for the evening. The three are having a great time until Eve receives a panicked phone call from Joe asking them to call home right away. When they arrive Annie, Lisa’s daughter, is on the kitchen floor after taking an ecstasy pill.

Annie is in ICU and Lisa is determined to find out who gave Annie the pill.

Fast paced, likeable characters and a storyline that hooked me from the first chapter. Oh, so good. Finished in one sitting!

RECOMMEND

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #EveryoneHasSecrets in exchange for an honest review.

When you think you know your family only to find out you don’t know them at all. Eve walks into a mess and tries to unravel it all. She was sure she knew her husband and son, but she didn’t. This is a fascinating twisted read. Loved everything abouT this book!

Eve is a teacher, husband Noah runs his own Recruitment Agency and son Joe has reached his 16th birthday. Life is just perfect. They live in a gorgeous house in the quiet village of South Langley. But then, despite misgivings, Lisa and Noah leave Joe on his own to celebrate his birthday with his friends whilst they go over the road to Eve’s best friend Lisa. What can possibly go wrong? Told from Eve’s POV this is a compelling read.

Briefly, Joe rings Eve in a panic. Lisa’s daughter Annie is unconscious in the kitchen and struggling to breathe. With Annie rushed off in an ambulance and her life in the balance everyone in the village blames Joe and his parents and they are virtually shunned. Not only has the worst thing Eve can imagine happened but in her desire to find out why she uncovers secrets which she would have been better off not knowing!

A very good fast paced family drama with some excellent twists and turns - it’s very hard to know who to trust. A fascinating plot and a wealth of interesting, if not particularly likeable characters. The story deals with drugs, relationships and the effect of one devastating event on lifelong friendships. A strongly emotional and highly enjoyable read.

A leafy English village is the setting. Eve Griffiths’ world is about to be turned upside down when one of her son’s friends end up in a coma at his sixteenth birthday party.

I’ve been a fan of AJ McDine’s thrillers since first discovering her with The Baby. Everyone Has Secrets has more of a domestic drama feel but we know to expect the unexpected from McDine who once again turns up the heat.

It’s really quite moving in places and well worth a read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture

Name :- Everyone Has Secrets
Author :- A J McDine
Genre :- Psychological Thriller
Everyone Has Secrets is a tense, gripping thriller that explores the dark undercurrents running through seemingly perfect lives. Set in the picturesque village of South Langley, where everything appears idyllic on the surface, the novel quickly shatters this peaceful façade with a shocking incident that leaves the community in turmoil. At the center of the story is Eve Griffiths, a loving wife and mother who enjoys an enviable life with her husband and their teenage son. Her best friend Lisa and Lisa’s daughter Annie live right across the street, creating the image of a close-knit community where everything seems ideal. But when Annie is found on the floor of Eve’s kitchen, barely clinging to life, the peace of South Langley is shattered. What follows is a whirlwind of suspicion, as the Griffiths family becomes the focus of an investigation, and Eve’s world starts to crumble. Determined to uncover the truth behind Annie’s collapse, Eve embarks on a quest for answers, but the deeper she digs, the more she realizes how little she truly knows about the people she loves. The mounting tension between friends and family members, as well as the secrets everyone harbors, makes for a compelling psychological thriller.
Likes and Dislikes :-
Likes:
1. Well-Developed Characters: The characters in Everyone Has Secrets are intricately crafted, with complex relationships and hidden motives. Eve’s determination to uncover the truth and her growing distrust of those closest to her adds depth and makes her a relatable protagonist.
2. Suspenseful Atmosphere: The book excels at building tension, particularly as Eve unravels the layers of deception around her. The idyllic village setting contrasts well with the darkness of the secrets, making the unraveling of the plot more dramatic.
3. Twists and Turns: The narrative is full of unexpected surprises, keeping the reader guessing. McDine expertly weaves in multiple red herrings and reveals, ensuring the mystery remains compelling throughout.
4. Exploration of Trust and Betrayal: The book poignantly explores how fragile trust can be in relationships, especially within families and close-knit communities. It taps into the fear of not knowing the truth about the people you’re closest to.
Dislikes:
1. Slow Start: Some readers may find the first few chapters a bit slow as the tension builds gradually. The real suspense doesn’t pick up until Annie is found, and it takes a while for the main plot to get into full swing.
Overall Impression:- The book is a captivating domestic thriller with strong psychological depth, but a quicker start and deeper development of secondary characters could have enhanced the experience even more.
My rating :- 5/5.

We are following Eve who is a wife and mother to a 16 y/o son, who wants to have a small house party without his parents present. Eve has her reservations but allows it. Soon after, Eve gets the devastating call that something’s terrible has happened at the party. Now Eve and her family finds themselves under extreme scrutiny by their community and is now under investigation due to one of the partygoers being given ecstasy and is now in a coma. Eve is now on a mission to clear her family’s name and prove her son’s innocence. However, secrets begin to come out that Eve was not prepared for.

I love domestic thrillers and this one did not disappoint. I felt the need to know exactly what happened at the party. This story also made me cry at certain points. As a mother, the need to protect your child/ren is fierce and was definitely displayed by Eve.

My first read by this author and I am now going to read all her others. I was gripped by this book from the first page and I didn’t want the story to end. The characters were very relatable and the storyline held my interest all the way to the end. Definitely five stars. I will be recommending this book to all my friends.

A J McDine has quickly became one of my favourite authors. This book was amazing, such a sad story but absolutely gripping. Highly recommended, I give this one an easy 5 stars.

Everyone Has Secrets by A J McDine is a highly recommended domestic mystery.

Noah and Eve Griffiths live with their sixteen-year-old son Joe in the village of South Langley. For his birthday, Joe is having a few friends over to play video games. Noah and Eve are going across the street to her best friend Lisa's house while Lisa's teenage daughter Annie heads across the street to the party at the Griffiths house. All is fine until Joe calls his mom to say Annie is unconscious on the kitchen floor and struggling to breath. Annie is rushed to the hospital and now the police and Eve want to figure out what happened.

Reasons to recommend the novel include a fast-paced, an intriguing plot, an ongoing sense of apprehension, plenty of people with secrets, some interesting twists, and the focus on a drug overdose from MDMA (Ecstasy or Molly). It really isn't a gripping psychological thriller. It is more a domestic mystery or drama with a very engaging plot.

The main problem with the novel for me was Eve. She was a very annoying character and became more unlikable with every page. In fact, the only truly likable character in the whole novel is a child, Bobbi Jo. This is a novel best appreciated for the plot development rather than the characters. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

As a parent to a teen this book had me on the edge of my seat, with my heart in my mouth at times!! A J McDine is a skillful author who really knows how to get under your skin as a reader. This is a fantastic psychological thriller.

Joe wants a sixteenth birthday party, his mum, Eve, doesn’t really want him to, but his dad, Noah, feels he’s old enough to have the responsibility of having friends over and a few beers, without his parents looking on.

Eve and Noah are nearby at Eve’s best friend, Lisa’s house. Lisa’s daughter, Annie, is Eve’s goddaughter, and she is going to the party.

Everything is turned on its head when Eve receives a frantic phone call from Joe … there is something wrong with Annie.

This turned out to be a fantastic psychological thriller, I was on the edge of my seat throughout.

I did not want to put this book down, the story was gripping from the start to the end.

There were some twists along the way, which made me doubt everything I thought I had worked out.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was pure MAGIC! I loved this book. I went in blindly and was shocked by the twists, it was a very well woven together story. I loved the premise of the book. It was slightly a bit too relatable as I have kids the same ages. A J McDine is a brilliant story teller and I can't wait to binge more from her.

This story is a cautionary tale for parents. As Joe is about to turn sixteen, he asks his parents it he can have a small party, no parents allowed. They reluctantly agree and five friends arrive as the parents leave. They are visiting with the mother of one of the guests, Annie. Noah and Annie have been friends forever. The phone call to Joe's parents about a devastating incident brings them back home and an ambulance is called. None of the kids will talk about what happened. The community blames Joe and his parents. There are wonderfully placed twists and turns until finally the truth comes out. It's a shocker and great characterization as a promise has been made and the truth is finally disclosed. And from the sound of it there may be a follow-up soon to come. I loved the story and would highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book! There was some parts that were dry and i debated on putting it in a DNF pile, im glad i kept going though, the twists and turns this book had were really good. There was parts you expected to happen, and some were surprisingly. I had part of it figured out because it made it seem that way.
But overall i really did enjoy it.

A J McDine is an author who is fairly new to U.S. markets-and I recently became acquainted with her work when I listened to her highly original, and surprising book, “The Photo”. So, when another of her books became available here, I did not hesitate to request it!

ONE PHONE CALL CAN COMPLETELY CHANGE YOUR LIFE

I love stories revolving around neighbors with juicy secrets, and this story takes place in a village of South Langley. Noah and Eve, and their 15 year old son, Joe live in a sprawling home which once served as a vicarage. And, Eve’s best friend, Lisa and her 15 year old daughter, Annie, live in a charming cottage across the street.

Joe will be turning 16 in a few days time, and he would like to have a few friends over to play Xbox. Eve isn’t keen on the idea, worried about cigarette burns on the sofa and vomit in potted plants, but she and Noah will be camped out at Lisa’s house, just a stone’s throw away, so at least they can make sure there aren’t gate crashers and that things don’t get out of control. They provide some beer and cider (* see my footnote) and head over to Lisa’s but Eve can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen.

A few hours later, she receives a frantic phone call from Joe.

They race across the street to find Annie lying on the kitchen floor, struggling to breathe.

This book was not at all what I expected as it delves much deeper than a neighborhood with juicy secrets. In fact, most of the secrets revealed aren’t any that I haven’t read before in other similar books.

Instead, it mostly deals with a drug overdose from MDMA (Ecstasy, Molly) which unlike Opioid overdoses from heroin, methadone or fentanyl cannot be reversed with naloxone. And, it deals with the fractured relationships and the fallout as Annie’s life hangs in the balance and Eve searches for the truth.

Always engaging but not always easy to read.

DO read the Prologue again, AFTER you finish the book. 😉

3.5 rounded up

* In the UK, 16 year olds can drink beer, wine or cider with a meal at licensed premises if accompanied by an adult. They cannot buy alcohol or drink Spirits.

AVAILABLE October 21, 2024

Thank You to Bookouture for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

Fast paced, full of twists and turns and a real page turner! I couldn’t put this book down! Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

I've listened to a few AJ McDine audiobooks over the last couple of years and this was my first time reading one in print. I could not put it down! The author's writing style is sharp and snappy and I was constantly reading 'just one more chapter'. The story of how Eve's idyllic life starts to unravel after an incident with drugs at her son's 16th birthday keeps you guessing throughout and is heartbreaking in places. I did guess a few things that were going to happen but the last chapter surprised me. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast paced thriller.

I always love this author's books, and this was no exception! I think her writing style is so lovely to read - Just enough description to make me feel immersed in the book, without being overly literary and long-winded.

I really enjoy books where there are lots of secrets to uncover, and as the title suggests, there were an abundance of them here. There were quite a few characters, but they were all distinct and well written so I never got confused with who was who.

The story held my interest right up until the end, I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend it.

This is my fourth read from A J McDine and as usual, it did not disappoint. I felt that this one was a lot more realistic than her usual psychological thrillers, with relatable characters and situations. The themes in the book are very relevant and as a parent of teens, really hit home. I could imagine myself in the main character’s shoes and felt the roller coaster of emotions right along side her. Everyone Has Secrets is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2024!

This was a nice easy read. It had a good premise, and the first half way really good, but then it fell a little flat due to predictability. I'd still recommend it as a good read if you want a popcorn thriller :)