Little Secrets

I absolutely devoured this book in two sittings. What a blast!The story follows Marin who we meet at the beginning of the book when her 4 year old son – Sebastian is lost at a market at Christmas. The investigation has found nothing and Marin is existing only, she is not really living and she has hired a PI to try and find her son. The investigator uncovers that Marin’s husband Derek is having an affair with a much younger woman and it has been going on for a number of months. Marin has lost so much already and she does not want to lose her husband.I was very emotional through the first part of the book as the author laid bare Marin’s feelings and experiences from the loss of Sebastian and the realisation that no-one has any more information which lends itself to find out where he is and if he is still alive. She is existing hour by hour and her mental health is so fragile and so realistic in the authors writing that I just wanted her to have closure and for the pain to go away, but reading on and understanding the impact of loss on a persons life made me change my mind over and over. Marin, on discovery of her husband’s affair sets the wheels in motion to put a permanent end to the woman who she believes is stealing her husband from her.The book switches to the narrative of McKenzie (Kenzie) Li, the young woman who is having an affair with Marin’s husband Derek. I found myself disliking her. She is a young woman with a lot on her shoulders although she has really set her life down a path which will never result in happiness. As more of her backstory is revealed and her feelings for Derek become more intense I became a bit more sympathetic towards her.As the suspense mounts it appears that there a few secrets that people have been keeping from Marin and she needs to be careful who she trusts. It was a thrilling read and left me on the edge of my seat a number of times wondering how the book was going to end.I loved the depth of the characters Hillier has brought to life, Marin’s day to day existence for me was compelling, I felt empathy, sadness, a sense of hopelessness but I could not stop reading. As she took her revenge I willed her to have a change of heart. The ending was stunning, as all the little secrets are revealed the reality of what has happened hits home and left me emotionally drained.I have given this book a 5 star rating.I loved it – the characters have lots of aspects of human society we find appalling, greed, lust, revenge but at the same time love, loss and an emotionally charged understanding of other peoples experiences of loss. For me it was brilliantly plotted and I will be adding her other book Jar of Hearts to my book list to read very soon

Yet again Jennifer Hillier has written a thoroughly entertaining thriller. Never afraid to get dark and gritty, Little Secrets is a tale full of secrets and twisted motives that kept me guessing. Recommended.

Not read as was a prezzie but good quality

Impact. That’s the word I would choose if I had to choose but one word to describe a Jennifer Hillier novel. I just finished reading her book, Little Secrets, and once again I felt the impact. It’s a realization that the world in which you think and live is smaller than you think, and here is a way you probably haven’t looked at things before. A famous quote that covers Hillier’s writing is when Hamlet says to Horatio, “There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” It’s good to have your horizons broadened and challenged, and reading is always a great way to do that. But, some reading has that impact of challenging you and changing your perceptions with a gasp of realization. Little Secrets digs deep inside the human psyche of its characters, which, in turn, causes the reader to dig deep into their own.Marin Machado has it all. Wealth, her own business of three high-end beauty salons, a successful and handsome husband, good friends, and a beautiful four-year-old son named Sebastian. She isn’t impressed with her advantages or with her own good looks and style. She is generous and caring, a good person, someone who has worked hard to be where she is. She and her husband Derek have the respect and admiration of their community in Seattle. Then, the unthinkable happens to shatter their world. Three days before Christmas, Marin and Sebastian are at the crowded local mall as she tries to finish up on the last gift she needs to buy while dealing with a tired little boy who just wants to go to the candy store. Fielding a phone call from her best friend Sal and then a text from her husband, Marin lets go of Sebastian’s hand for just a few seconds. And, he vanishes. Cameras later reveal Sebastian exiting the mall toward the parking garage with someone dressed like Santa. The trail ends there, and after a month of no new leads, the FBI takes the case off its priority list.satisfactory “Wow” after I finished it. Seldom had I been as challenged to see an event from the mind of a participant in a crime and understand it. Now, I’ve finished Jennifer Hillier’s Little Secrets, and I find my understanding once again stretched. And, it’s not just with the major characters. This author brilliantly lets the light shine in the tiny cracks as well as the wide, gaping holes. You will feel like you’ve examined yourself, in a good way, from reading Hillier’s writing. It’s quite possible you will be a more empathetic person. I am, of course, highly recommending Little Secrets to others. Readers don’t want to miss this powerful story.

Twist ending was very surprising, loved it, recommend to anyone.

I liked this book good twist at the end !

For a long time (over 200 pages) I didn't know what to think about this book, I was enjoying reading, wanted to know more but wasn't desperate to know. I suspect that someone was off with someone in the book and was not surprised when I was right. There was more going on in the last 60-40 that's when I really wanted to know but I wasn't super surprised by all of it to be honest I thought it was a bit slow and didn't care a lot for the characters. I had a good time reading it, it just didn't gave a 5 star feeling and I thought a 3 was to low so I gave it a 4.

Was good enough to complete in 3 days.Enjoyed every scene.loved the way it ended. I love thrillers like this.

WOW! Ok, I'm absolutely sure that this book is one of the best psychological suspense novel I've ever read.It's a long time since I've read this genre and I wanted to try it again.What I didn't know was that I chose a brutally emotional one.It's a story that, as a mother, has touched me more emotionally than I thought possible.This book is an avalanche of lies, secrets and betrayal.I don't think I've read a book as fast as I read this one.I couldn't work in peace today because I kept constantly thinking about this book.This book has so many layers and different kind of disturbing topics, it's like a rollercoaster of brutal emotions and constant tension.I swear I felt and understood all emotions Marin went through.I felt and understood her pain and feelings.This is what I look for and love in books.When I can connect with the characters and their emotions move me.This is my first book by this author and I'll definitely read many many more by her.