Another superb novel from Jennifer Hillier....

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I was very excited to learn Jennifer Hillier had written a new novel following her huge success with the award winning “Jar of Hearts”, I loved that book and therefore had very high hopes for this her latest, “Little Secrets”.
The story is based on the after effects, emotionally and physically, when Marin’s four year old son Sebastian, is taken by a stranger during a trip to a Christmas market. Fast forward 485 days and Marin wakes up every day, barely hanging by a thread, to a text from her best friend and ex lover ‘Sal’ asking ‘you alive?’ Although Marin and her husband Derek have the perfect life, successful business, lots of money and everything materialistic they could want, their missing son and the ‘what if’s’ are all Marin thinks about, every hour of every day. Having experienced for myself that few minutes of sheer terror when you think your child has disappeared, I truly felt every emotion Marin endured and understood totally her fears. Thankfully I found my son instantly but Marin and Derek weren’t so lucky and their lives and relationship changed overnight. When she discovers Derek has been having an affair with a much younger woman for the last six months, the fight in Marin returns and she vows to get her husband back at all costs.
After reading a couple of very slow books categorised as thrillers, I was lulled into thinking this too was going to be a slow burn story but I need not have feared, the story soon captures your attention and becomes thoroughly addictive. Although I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, they play their parts perfectly, all the emotions were spot on and even though the denouement was slightly predictable, it was still thrilling and was executed with edge of your seat tension.
Knowing that the author is a mother too, I can only imagine the feelings she had writing the story herself, protecting and guarding your children from harm’s way is a mothers lifelong duty and she captures all the emotions, from attending therapy groups, visiting doctors and even hiring a private detective, perfectly and with compassion.
Twisty, addictive, highly entertaining, I loved “Little Secrets” and can’t wait for more again by Jennifer Hillier in the future.

4 stars