The beginning was really slow and confusing with all the different points of views. It was hard to keep up with who was who. Towards the middle it became good, so many twists and turns. Just when you think you know who the "suspect" is the plot changes again. The ending was WILD and not expected at all.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this ARC

The book's plot was intricate, and it consisted of numerous characters, each with their own set of secrets that were partially revealed as the story progressed. The complexity of the plot made it somewhat challenging to follow the novel. However, the ending was satisfying, as it provided a resolution to the story, exposed the main character's secrets, and clarified the purpose of the novel.

Despite the challenges experienced while reading, the book was definitely worth reading. It was a well-written novel that kept me engaged throughout. However, I felt that the plot could have been shorter, and some of the secondary characters and their roles could have been omitted, as they added more complexity to the story without contributing significantly to the plot.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with a free and advanced copy of the novel.

This one kept me guessing until the very end. A really great cast of shady characters, with so many people with things to hide - it was hard to know who to trust.. A brilliant read. 5 stars from me.

It delves straight into the storyline but I found it to be all over the place with alot of POV’s to contend with and it just got confusing. After such a build up and so drawn out for a good portion of the listen the actual storyline when it all came about was just meh and a little too convenient. I can’t say I really cared for any of the characters. This just didn’t work for me and just veered on the edge of unbelievable. The narrator did a good job and it’s one of the reasons I got to the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bolindo Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review #TheTeachersSecret

Narrated by Emma Woods ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
by Lauren North ⭐⭐⭐⭐

YES 🎉🎉
I absolutely loved this!! I loved a good vigilante character. This book had me intently listening and I had to finish it in one hit.

This is my first time trying Lauren North and I desperately need more by her so I'm off to spend some money on her previous books.

Prepare yourself for a story that’s full of twists right until the end. True to form, this small community is filled to the brim with suspicious characters, dark secrets, and plenty of lies. North has skill fully written a suspenseful thriller with multiple POVs.

From the onset, The Teacher’s Secret was absorbing and addictive. A binge able read,
the novel has lots of things to discover and uncover, which keeps the reader hooked.

Emma Woods did a superb job with the narration. She tactfully moved from each characters POV.


Thank you to Lauren North and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed that this book oscillated between four different perspectives and there was a mysterious element in all the perspectives. Each character had me questioning their motives and their involvement in the missing mother and child. I thought this book was a great thriller and really had me guessing from the beginning. This was such an exciting read.

Lexi arrives in a small town as a substitue teacher for Cate who has recently dissappeared along with her young son Archie. This was a bit of a slow burner but by mid novel I was completely hooked. There are a lot of suspicious characters around the village and it appears some with more motive to want Cate gone than others, then there is Lexi herself who as we start to find out more about her character she also has some dark secrets that she wishes to remain hidden.
The teacher's secret was full of suspense, red herrings and plenty of twists, it had me hanging on to every word and continued to keep me guessing on the dissapearance of Cate right up until the end.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. There were too many POVs at the beginning and it was a little confusing until we got to know the characters. There were a few twists, but it wasn’t particularly believable and there were too many coincidences. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

3.5 stars

This one was just okay. Some of it was a bit predictable, and other parts felt a little underwhelming. I didn’t dislike it, but it also just didn’t feel super memorable or noteworthy.

A woman (a teacher at a school) and her child go missing one day after school. A substitute teacher fills in for the mom until she returns. But will she return? Is she missing, dead, or what? Who is responsible?
There may be more going on in this woman’s life…or is something sinister going on with those people around her?
I really enjoyed this book. Lots going on…are there red herrings, or could everything be as it seems? Read or listen to this book to find out! I have a feeling you’ll enjoy it like I did!

Note: I listened to this audiobook for free from NetGalley and the publisher. The narrator was really nice to listen to. I listened to it at 1.5x speed.

So many suspects but what is actually going on!
Questions I asked myself throughout this novel.

A great build of characters and suspense as you work your way through Cate, and Archie’s recent disappearance with the easiest finger being pointed to her husband the head teacher of the school, Oliver.

Everyone in the small town has a secret and I found myself making bets through the novel on who did it.

My only criticism is keeping track of everyone and what their eluded to secret was. At times I found I need to try to remember who each character was and who they were to the main characters.

Solid 4.5 stars - rounded up to 5 stars because I really enjoyed the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookoture, and the author Lauren North for the opportunity to provide an honest review for this ARC.

The story in the book was like a puzzle with lots of pieces, and there were loads of characters, each with their own secrets that came out bit by bit. Even though it was beautifully narrated by Emma Woods, it was kind of tricky to keep track of everything happening, but the ending tied it all up nicely. It revealed what the main character had been hiding and gave a clear sense of what the whole book was about.

Even though it was a bit of a challenge, the book was totally worth diving into. It was written so well, keeping me hooked all the way through. But honestly, I thought the story could've been shorter. Some of the side characters didn't really add much and just made things more complicated without really moving the plot forward.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren North and Bolinda Audio for providing the audiobook in exchange for a review, but all thoughts are my own*

A teacher and her son go missing in a small town and the aftermath is told from multiple points of view, including her husband and the substitute teacher who has replaced her. Everybody has secrets and their are plenty of red herrings to through the reader off the trail. The plot was rather farfetched and contrived.

The writing seems to be all over the place at the beginning but improved through the book. I had head great things about the author but this one fell a little flat for me. The last half was more fast paced and twisty so I will give another book by the author a try. The narrator was great, however the story is told through many perspectives making this a great book for full cast.

I listened to the audiobook version of The Teacher’s Secret. The Teacher’s Secret has multiple points of view. It was very difficult for me to comprehend all of the characters and shifting of the points of view. I was not able to do so mentally and I actually had to open the Notes app on my phone and take notes during the entire book. I read lots of audiobooks - approximately 20 a month or more and I am usually able to listen to an audiobook (many times sped up 1.2 to 1.5x) as well as multitask while still being able to follow along and comprehend what I am listening to. I think that it would have been helpful if there were different narrators for each point of view. I think that would have really helped me follow along easily. I am curious to know how people who read the book version were able to follow the different points of views.
There were a few chapters that I was confused about in the end. Because they didn’t say who they were in the chapter it made me think that their point of view could have been better two characters but it never really elaborated enough for me to put together. I’m particularly referring to the chapters with the hooded person and the chapter where the person is cleaning the van.
I will admit that I did not see the ending coming and I was surprised with how the different points of view were all entwined with murder and their relation to their neighbors.
I appreciate NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Teacher’s Secret audiobook.

"The Teacher's Secret" by Lauren North is a gripping and suspenseful read that had me hooked from the very first page. As someone who's been in the world of education, stepping into the shoes of a substitute teacher in the midst of a chilling mystery felt all too real. From the moment Mrs. Walker and her son disappear, leaving the entire village on edge, I was drawn into a whirlwind of rumors and suspicions.

Navigating through the multiple character perspectives initially felt like a challenge, but as the story unfolded, I found myself engrossed in the lives of each character, eager to uncover the truth. The author expertly weaves together a web of secrets and lies, keeping me guessing at every turn.

The tension builds steadily as the anonymous threats and break-ins escalate, adding layers of suspense to an already compelling narrative. With each new revelation, I found myself on the edge of my seat, eagerly piecing together the puzzle alongside the protagonist.

What truly sets "The Teacher's Secret" apart is its ability to keep you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the story takes an unexpected turn that leaves you reeling. The ending left me both satisfied and contemplative, reminding me that sometimes the truth is far more complex than it seems.

Overall, "The Teacher's Secret" is a thrilling rollercoaster ride of suspense and intrigue that will keep you turning pages long into the night. It's a reminder that beneath the facade of everyday life lies a world of hidden secrets, waiting to be uncovered. If you're a fan of twisty psychological thrillers, this book is a must-read.

I had a tough time getting into this book. It seemed to drag and had a lot of irrelevant details. I didn't really find myself connecting with any of the characters either but I did still feel the need to find out what happened to Kate and her son. I listened to the audio version and while the narrator did a nice job at trying to distinguish all the different view points, I think having different narrators for each would have been a lot less confusing.
With that said the book did finally pick up at about the 65-70 percent mark. I really enjoyed how it all came together and did not see any of it coming at all. I thought the twists and ending were very unique and interesting. If you like very slow burns then you may enjoy this more than I did. Not bad just way too drawn out for me.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Lauren North, and Bolinda Audio for allowing me to listen to an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

It’s not everyday you fall into a small-village, crime thriller that has you distrusting every character until the end.

Cate and her son, Archie, have mysteriously vanished after walking out the school playground. We open with the new substitute teacher Lexi, who seems to be keeping a secret of her own, stepping in while the search is still going, and the husband and headteacher Oliver, is obviously hiding something. We have various POVs and many red herrings. And which teacher’s secret is the title referring to…?
I enjoy crime mysteries, thrillers and the English village, so this seemed straight up my alley. I appreciated the shorter chapters too (an underrated quality!) everyone had an agenda and there was honestly no character I really trusted, especially Oliver.

The present-tense narrative is not my favourite to follow however, especially if it’s not first-person, which seemed peculiar to switch in different chapters.

The narrator was great with switching between POVs and I liked her performance and tone. However, there were enough different character’s chapters (without their names at the beginning) to warrant another narrator or a cast, which would have made it easier to keep track of who was telling the tale at that point. The audiobook production did a nice job of dividing the different sections (how many days missing, etc).

What else can I say? I had a good time! There were enough twists and turns to keep me hooked and I found the conclusion satisfactory.

Thank you to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Cate Walker, a devoted school teacher, and her son Archie have vanished. They disappeared on their way home from school, leaving behind a community desperate for answers. Cate's husband Oliver is the main suspect... it's always the husband, right?

Enter substitute teacher Lexi Mills, who takes over Cate's class and becomes determined to uncover the truth. But someone doesn't want her digging too deep.

While I enjoyed certain aspects of this book, it didn't quite become a favorite of mine. The shifting points of view were initially challenging to keep up with, but the suspense kept me engaged until the satisfying reveal.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.