Review: The Secrets We Share

Author: Edwin Hill

Started reading: September 22nd 2022

Finished the book: September 30th 2022

Pages: 296 / 8h 54m

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

Published: March 29th 2022

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads score: 3.98

My score:

Synopsis

At first glance, Natalie Cavanaugh and Glenn Abbott hardly look like sisters. Even off-duty, Natalie dresses like a Boston cop, preferring practical clothes and unfussy, pinned-up hair. Her younger sister, Glenn, seems tailor-made for the spotlight, from her signature red mane to her camera-ready smile. Glenn has spent years cultivating her brand through her baking blog, and with the publication of her new book, that hard work seems about to pay off. But her fans have no idea about the nightmare in Glenn and Natalie’s past.

Twenty years ago, their father’s body was discovered in the woods behind their house. A trauma like that doesn’t fit with Glenn’s public image. Yet, maybe someone reading her blog does know something. There have been anonymous online messages, vague yet ominous, hinting that she’s being watched. And with unsettling coincidences hitting ever closer to home, both Glenn and Natalie soon have more pressing matters to worry about, especially when a dead body is found in an abandoned building . . .

My thoughts

I was able to listen to this book pretty quickly. I do think that is because of the narrator. The narrator was really good and pleasant to listen to. The story overall wasn't that convincing to me, so I took off two whole apples for that...

Pros

• Narrator: The narrator was a pleasure to listen to. Really easy to understand what is told, very calm and a lovely telling voice. I've seen reviews for this book; people who did or didn't like the book; they all liked the narrator!
• Characters: The characters in this book were interesting. It was a big cast of characters, but the way they are introduced makes it so you will be able to remember every single one of them. The two I liked most were Natalie and Maeven (no idea if I'm writing it the right way).

Cons

• Story: This was such a chaotic story. I feel like the author had multiple good ideas and wanted to cram them all in the same book. It made for a very unbelievable story which contained money laundering, multiple murders, secrets from the past, kidnapping, stalking and people who are not who they seem to be. Include a ton of secrets and there you go.

Overall

The narrator made this a better book than it would have been if I had read it on my own, I think. If you want to read this one, I'd recommend picking up the audiobook. I was able to listen to the almost 9 hours pretty quickly, thanks to this narrator. The story was definitely messy, but the characters were well written and all the secrets and plot twists made for a fast paced story.

Other opinions on this book

"This suspenseful story will have readers careening from one erroneous conclusion to the next."

- Library Journal Starred Review

"Hill keeps the clock ticking and the twists coming right up to the shocking conclusion."

- Publishers Weekly

Thanks for reading!

I'd love to talk books; please let me know what you think about this book review.