Another grim grim book. I am trying to race through my review backlog of books that I found too depressing to review so that I can cut through to the books that I can actually enjoy. Agatha works at a supermarket and idolises Meghan who is a customer. Agatha is ghastly and creepy because she is a stalker. Meghan is ghastly because she is an arrogant self-centred narcissist who is having an affair on the side. I really do wonder about this trend for books where none of the characters are remotely palatable. Yet another book where I just wanted to put all the characters in a cardboard box and shove it to the back of the attic.

Total insanity and quite sad. My heart was racing the whole way. It took me a couple chapters to get into it but that is just me. I read it in two days. This should be made into a movie!!!!

I absolutely love the books created by Michael Robotham featuring Cyrus Haven. This book is a standalone (yet weirdly we do see Cyrus as a cameo role). Agatha and Meghan are the lead characters in this book and they are both seemingly in the same boat as expectant mothers. However their worlds couldn't be further apart. Meghan already has two children and is a 'Mummy' vlogger alongside her dashing tv sports presenter husband. Agatha on the other hand is a loner who has a supermarket job and a boyfriend in the Navy.


The chapters are told from both Agatha and Meghan's viewpoints making the story flow well and give you a real idea of each person's story. Agatha is a strange woman and that is clear from the outset, although it also becomes just as clear before long that both women are sitting on huge secrets. The book is pretty well paced and there was certainly enough going on to keep you interested. However for me, this book just wasn't as good as others of his I have read.


The characters although readable, just left no impression on me either way and I couldn't care less what happened to them. It's such a shame as this book by Robotham seems such a departure from the norm which can sometimes be exciting but for me it just didn't leave any lasting impression. It certainly isn't a 'bad' book it just wasn't one from this author I particularly loved.

Michael Robotham definitely knows how to paint a picture and provide characters that are hard to trust. The book kept me guessing as to how it was all going to end, especially once all the secrets started to unravel. I can handle these kind of psych thrillers because it's a situation I would never find myself in and they aren't usually gory so I don't have bad dreams. All in all, it was a captivating story but nothing stood out to me as outstanding so 3 out of 5 stars.

This was a very well crafted thriller. I especially loved the way this author crafted two different females realistically and with vulnerabilities. I enjoyed the alternating chapters between Aggie and Meg and loved that this was a thriller that lacked the "whodunit mystery" aspect as I was more invested in the outcome than the "whodunit." I read this novel very quickly and found it to be lacking in a lot of the formulaic details and plot devices that many novels of this genre are riddled with. With that being said, I found it trite that Meg's secrets involved infidelity, because there is absolutely nothing new with that angle. It seems like every single domestic thriller out there has some kind of infidelity angle and I just expected more from this author. There were also a couple of plot holes that never really got resolved and I also didn't like the fact that Meg kind of got a "free pass" at the end for her indiscretions. Minor gripes, but kept this from being a five star read.

I enjoyed this novel immensely but not quite as much as I enjoyed his thriller When She Was Good that I read earlier this year. But I am definitely interested in reading more of his novels in the future.

My full goodreads review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2049685532

Agatha works part time at a local supermarket and she tries to befriend Meg because she has it all the perfect husband, the perfect kids and the perfect live. Meg’s life isn’t as perfect as everyone thinks. The two women are both pregnant and are due very close to one another. Agatha and Meg end up becoming friends and they both have secrets that no one knows about.

I really liked this book I found myself reading it very quickly. The twists start very early in the book so it’s hard to talk about without spoiling it. I found the twists pretty predictable and I guessed them before they happened. However, I still really enjoyed the book!!

The Secrets She Keeps was told in alternating POV’s by two pregnant women - Agatha and Meghan. Agatha works part time in a grocery store and Meghan is a stay at home mom of two with a baby on the way. Agatha has admired Meghan’s life from afar and when a chance meeting reveals the two have similar due dates. What happens next is a roller coaster ride!

I love how each chapter alternated between the two women and how they both had secrets. I literally could not put this book down once I reached the second half. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

This book was really twisted! I could wait to find out what happens! Full of twists and turns.....definitely a page turner!

Agatha watches Meg from the windows of the grocery store where she works. She sees Meg meeting girlfriends for lunches, she sees her looking chic and she imagines what a lovely life Meg must have.

When she finally meets Meg one day when she comes into the store, Agatha, who is also pregnant, is only too happy to have found a way to speak with her and before you know it she is finding herself getting to know Meg. The women are further connected once they learn that their due dates are just days apart.

Told in alternating chapters from Meg’s and Agatha’s viewpoint, this is a character-driven drama that explores how we envision other’s lives and the secrets we all keep. Agatha may have illusions that Meg has it all as her life seems to be so lacking. Her job isn’t exciting, her boyfriend seems to have dumped her but she doesn’t really envy Meg. At least not all of Meg’s life.

Meg’s life is unraveling just as is Agatha’s but for different reasons. Her marriage to Jack is under stress due to the unplanned pregnancy. It seems that all they do lately is fight but she hopes once the baby arrives and Jack gets his promotion all will fall back into place.

I really enjoyed the two narratives and getting to know both characters who are both far from perfect. There were some developments I fully expected and others I did not see coming so this novel definitely kept me engaged. I think my least favorite part was the ending because I wasn’t quite satisfied on the resolution for one of the characters but overall this was a winner for me.

This is a truly thrilling book that depicts every parent's nightmare. This is the story of two pregnant women, who lead very different lives. The story takes you through many twists the closer these women get to their due dates.

The Secrets She Keeps sucked me in from the beginning and I remained hooked throughout the book. I am a bit of a sucker for books set in England and I found the build up of two strong and unique female characters enjoyable. I didn’t realize until now that this book was written by a male, which I am actually pretty impressed by. There are a few big secrets for both Agatha and Meghan… some you may see coming, some you surely will not. The writing was fantastic and I will be on the lookout for what’s next by Michael Robotham!

Thank you to Netgalley for my Arc of this book. All opinions are my own!

4.5 stars

What a ride! The Secrets She Keeps has a clever plot, is full of twists and turn, and was difficult to put down. This story is full of secrets, lies, and obsession, which in my opinion makes for a great read. I loved this addictive thriller and will definitely check out Robotham’s other books.

Thank you NetGalley, Michael Robotham, and Scribner for the opportunity to read The Secrets She Keeps. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

A very interesting tale that held my attention all the way through. Great plot, twists and turns & the writing kept me hopping! Thanks for the opportunity with this ARC!

Two pregnant women. One seemingly a single mother, a low paid job of stacking shelves in a small supermarket. The other her third baby unexpected, but welcomed by her at least, Husband handsome, well employed, financially stable. A stay at home mum who has her inner circle of friends, the other a loner.



Hidden like in every situation are secrets, most of which should not see the light of day. Agatha our single mum is a mixed up woman who watches and plots and plans with deep envy Meghan's life. Meghan on the other hand has her own worries. A one off one night stand with her husband's best friend - could this pregnancy be the result. Who is the father of this child. Her troubles start when Simon wants to know definitely whether he is the father. DNA testing will prove this of course but it would also break up her marriage and her life.



Agatha;s machinations are Machiavellian - we do not know or realise what they are till well into the story. Her pregnancy, the eventual birth are meticulous in the planning and execution and the subsequent drama which involves Meghan's baby son can never be traced back to Agatha.



Police work detailed, backbreaking and laborious unravel the story step by step.



This was a real psychological thriller. Not a murder mystery but a look into the mind of a sad and twisted woman for whom no holds were barred to achieve her goal. Anyone who fell by the side was a victim to her needs.

Goodreads and Amazon reviews posted on 23/1/2018. Review on my blog 27/1/2018

Scribner and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Secrets She Keeps. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Told in a dual perspective format, The Secrets She Keeps surrounds two women with aspects of their lives that they are desperate to keep hidden. Meghan seems to have everything going for her: a successful husband, two kids with another on the way, and a great home. Agatha, pregnant herself, dreams of the type of life that Meghan is living. When desperation causes one of them to do something drastic, will they both suffer the consequences?

I am a big fan of psychological thrillers normally, but this book did not spark my interest. I was not really all that enamored with the characters and thought the story itself was a bit transparent. With too much repetition in the plot, the book lagged in the middle. The final few pages seemed like an afterthought, as though the author just wanted some way to finish. Although The Secrets She Keeps was a miss for me, other readers who like psychological thrillers might find this novel interesting.

This BOOK… oh this book! When I first started this book I thought it was going to be a ho-hum story about two pregnant women, ahem… boring. But once I started getting into it and reading more and more it was far from boring.
The story is not a new one, it’s been written many times. The writing by Michael Robotham is top-notch psychological thriller, and filled with suspense and mystery. The story is so good I didn’t want put it down once I was a third into it. Sadly I can’t read books in a day or two so I decided to purchase the audible version so I could listen while I was working at home, driving etc. The narrator Lucy Price-Lewis was perfect for this book, so while I couldn’t sit and read I listened.

The story was complex and the build-up was slow and unfolded things about each character bit by it. There were lies, deceit, tension, suspense. Everything I love in a book. The writer made each person realistic and flawed. You wanted to dislike even hate each character but couldn’t because there was also empathy thrown into the story. So many twists and turns in this story right up to the very end. Did I mention deceit? (Smiley face here). Michael Robotham’s writing is superb as usual. I’ve read four of his other books in the Joseph O’Loughlin series and enjoyed his writing so much. I loved this stand-alone book and I can’t wait to pick up more of his writing. He is one of my go-to author for a good mystery/suspense thriller.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading top-notch psychological thriller/suspense/mystery.

*A very special thank you to Scribner via NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review*

This book took me way too long to pick up! From the moment I opened up to the first page, I could not put this book down. I found myself sneaking in snippets while I was at work, and reading it late into the night on my kindle. I'm pretty gullible when it comes to mysteries, so I was surprised with all of the twists and turns and it was a ton of fun! Thankful I was given the chance to review!

I am new to Michael Robotham's novels, but after reading this I will go to his back catalog. This was a well crafted crime thriller and the characters were well developed. I felt like I got a peek inside the characters' minds, which I enjoy. They also had their own voices. The ending did leave me hanging, but I'm more of a person who prefers an ending to be clearly spelled out, so those that don't mind ambiguity might find this a 5 star read.

See goodreads link below

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for the Advanced Reader Copy of this novel. Unfortunately, I did not finish. I could not relate to the stalker plot, found it too unbelievable and just couldn't continue.