Book Description
A buried secret. A guilty conscience. And an old friend who could destroy everything.
Twenty years ago on a midnight drive along a country lane, Rob’s life was almost destroyed.
Since then, he's fought hard to get things back on track. Now he runs his own high-end restaurant, has a loving wife and daughter. And a newborn baby only adds to the joy.
But when an old friend, Dan, shows up, Rob realises the life he’s carved out for himself is under threat.
Because Dan was there that night. He knows Rob’s dark secret. And now it seems he’s going to use what he knows to push his own sinister agenda.
Rob is desperate to keep the past hidden from his wife, Jessie, but his secretive behaviour is driving a wedge between them, threatening their marriage. Things are going from bad to worse - and then the police come knocking, asking questions about that fateful night.
Rob must battle with his own demons, as well as the ghosts from his past, to protect himself and those he loves. But who can he trust when he can’t even trust himself?
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Secrets We Keep' by M.I. Hattersley.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for M.I. Hattersley, Inkubator and Zooloos Book Tours .
Publication date 23rd May 2023
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that ''The Secrets We Keep is a riveting and enthralling read that’s perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Daniel Hurst and K. L. Slater.' I am a MASSIVE fan of all three of these amazing authors so am looking forward to seeing if it lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Inkubator. I have yet to read a book published by Inkubator books that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book.
This novel consists of 23 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Glossop, Derbyshire, England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and holidayed in Chester on many occasions including this year and next year again so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Rob. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
Absolutely loved this fast paced, gritty and unputdownable psychological thriller filled with emotions and secrets!!!
This book is fantastically written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all making your heart pound and you constantly second guessing.
A huge success by M.I. Hattersley!!! This may be the first book I have read by this fantastic author but it most certainly wil not be my last and I've already added all the rest of his books to my Amazon wish list. This book had me hook, line and sinker from the first page and I could not put it down!!! Every time I said one more chapter it ended on a cliffhanger and I just had to know what was going on!!! This kept on happened over and over until before I knew it I had devoured the whole book in one sitting!! If you are going to read this then clear your day because it is truly unputdownable. I started this this morning and finished it at approx 2pm, reading it in one sitting. Rob is working as a chef in his restaurant 'Fire and Ice' and his wife Jess has just given birth to their son Noah and his suffering from postpartum depression. They also have a 4 year old daughter called Fern. Rob is struggling to make ends meet after the pandemic and Jess is certain that Rob is cheating on her. Rob's old friend Dan turns up and a secret they have kept hidden for 20 years is at threat of being revealed when climate change sucks the local reservoir dry and reveals its own secrets. Rob is feeling the pressure from his business, his wife and now his past. Will his past be discovered? Will their marriage survive? What will happen to Rob and Dan? Grab your copy of this absolutely addictive page turner today and find out the answers for yourself!!! M.I Hattersley has created a multilayered psychological thriller that dives into the complexities of human behaviour and emotions and weaves it all together perfectly with a storyline filled with guilt, love, Crime, mystery, stress, turmoil, suspense!!! He takes us on a journey from present to past telling us Rob's past and what led him on the path he is on today. M.I Hattersley's evocative writing ensures you are whisked away to Derbyshire feeling your heart pounding and the hair on your arms raise. This book is rammed with suspense and tension and will keep you biting your nails, on the edge of your seat with your heart pounding while your flipping the pages because you just cant stop. I loved the fantastic ending that left me wanting to pick up more of Hattersley's books and get stuck straight in.
This may be the first book I have read by this very talented author but it most certainly won't be the last and I cannot wait to get stuck into more of his previous and future books!!!
The authors evocative writing skills brings each of the characters to life and leaves you feeling that you are standing next to Rob as his story unfolds and his life starts to tumble around him. Each of the characters were realistic, well rounded and strong characters which makes it a realistic read. All the characters were strong and realistic as well as hiding their own secrets. I was completely invested in each and every one of them. My heart went out to Jess as I could see how much she was struggling and how Rob's freedom to be able to just pop out for a run or nip in and out of the house as he wishes would upset and annoy her when she is struggling at home with two young children at home while also suffering with postpartum depression. I also felt sorry for Rob who was under alot of pressure but at the same time he wasn't an innocent man. I couldn't stand Dan from the moment I met him and is attitude and just the way he was just annoyed me. I don't want to risk saying more about how I felt about the characters as I don't want to give anything away to future readers but I will say that I was annoyed, angry, upset, disappointed at the different ones for many different reasons!! Regardless of whether you love them or hate them they each played their parts perfectly!!!
Overall an addictive and gripping emotional rollercoaster of secrets, family, suspense, tension and everything you could want in a gripping thriller!!
Genres covered in this novel include Women's Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Literary Fiction, Suspense Thriller, Psychological Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Noir Fiction, Womens Psychological, Domestic Thriller, Thriller, Mystery ,Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Domestic Thriller and Thriller amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl', 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Woman in the Window', 'The Girl on the Train' ,Lisa Jewell, ,Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn , Freida McFadden, K.L Slater, Daniel Hurst. Shari Lapeni, 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Housemaid' and anyone who loves a book filled with suspense and tension!!
216 pages.
This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.24 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Author Bio
M. I. Hattersley was born in Yorkshire. Over the last twenty years he has toured Europe in a rock n roll band, trained as a professional actor and founded a theatre and media company. He’s also had many incredibly boring jobs to help sustain his creative endeavours.
Now he writes psychological and domestic thrillers and, as Matthew Hattersley, is a bestselling author of action thrillers.
He lives with his wife and daughter in Derbyshire and is not too comfortable writing about himself in third person.
This is his first psychological thriller with Inkubator Books.
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MIHattersleyBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/matt_hattersley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mihattersley_books/
Website - www.mihattersley.com
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/145623975-the-secrets-we-keep
Buy Link
Thank you so much for closing the tour with your fab review x