An engrossing domestic thriller that shows appearances can be deceptive.

The synopsis is easily available so as usual I'll not be copying it here.

I enjoyed this book. It was easy to put yourself into the various characters positions and wonder how you would react in certain situations.

It kept my attention and I was eager to see what came next as the story progressed.

For me the book felt better without the epilogue as it felt slightly contrived, almost as if it was a 'twist' added for effect but that is obviously a subjective opinion.

I'd certainly add this to your autumn reading pile as it is published on 21st October 2024.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was much appreciated.

Thank you to AJ McDine and Bookouture for the ARC and ALC!

How well do you really know the people you love? When Eve is called home to a party her teenage son is having, to find her best friend’s daughter unconscious, everything she thought she knew comes into question. And the entire neighborhood is looking to her family for answers. Just what happened at that party? Who is responsible for what happened to that young girl, and is someone in her family hiding the truth?

I was drawn into this story immediately - as a boy mom myself, I could relate to Eve as she tried to give her son space, and to make the right decisions. And then when the unthinkable happened, I knew I would have the same protective response as Eve - after all, hell hath no fury like a mama bear who thinks her cub is in danger. But as Eve dug deeper to get to the truth, I really didn’t know what to think. The unexpected twists had me on the edge of my seat and I was hoping I was wrong at one of my predictions. The final twist got me good!

AJ McDine never disappoints with her domestic suspense novels! Thank you for allowing me to read this one!

”Everyone Has Secrets” releases October 22, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Everyone Has Secrets’ written by A J McDine in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Eve and Noah are spending the evening with their friend Lisa while their son Joe has friends over to celebrate his 16th birthday. During the evening Eve gets a phone call from Joe begging her to return home as something has happened to Lisa’s daughter Annie who they find lying unconscious on the floor. Apart from Annie there were another five present at Joe’s house and one of them has to know what happened to Annie that night, and Eve intends speaking to them until she finds out.

‘Everyone Has Secrets’ is an amazing psychological thriller that’s had me hooked from page one with a final page that I expected to end quietly but goes out with a bang! There’s so much drama and jaw-dropping twists that I was in a constant state of suspense desperate to know what was going to happen next. The characters were realistic and perfectly described, and I was so enthralled I was glued to my Kindle unable to stop reading. This is an exceptionally good thriller, brilliantly-written, with a storyline so intricately woven that I congratulate Ms McDine for writing such a compelling and completely absorbing thriller. I loved it!

AJ McDine’s domestic thrillers are always so believable, and Everyone Has Secrets is no different. When Eve allows her sixteen-year-old son Noah to have a small party at home alone, she feels a sense of dread. And that fear comes to fruition in every mother’s worst nightmare – young Annie is found unconscious after taking drugs. The book centres around the moral dilemma of how far a mother will go to protect her child.

I raced through this book, finishing it in a couple of sessions. It’s a very easy read, superbly written with compelling characters that draw you in. Don’t miss this one!

Thank you to A J McDine, Bookouture and Netgalley for my advance copy.

A J has easily become an auto-read author for me. The writing pulls me in so quickly, and it's like once I start I can't stop. I feel like an investigator trying to connect the dots and figure out who did it. Of course, as usual, I was wrong, which just makes the reveal so much more intriguing.
Maybe I wouldn't call this one a thriller, more of a psychological family drama. The characters and their secrets were very relatable. The epilogue has me biting my nails, wondering if more is to come. Looking forward to many more reading from this author for sure.

This book was really great. It had me guessing the entire way and kept hitting me with surprises. As a parent myself, I found the characters to be really relatable and felt deeply for them all. This was my first book by this author but I'll definitely be looking to read more. A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

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.