🌟🌟🌟1/2 Stars
I wasn't expecting much when I picked up Our little secret By Darren O'Sullivan, not sure why that was but I got a very pleasant surprise indeed as Our little secret is quite the sparkling gem.
From the moment I started this, I felt such a compulsion to read on, the way it's written it gripped me in its Talon's making me a part of the story from the onset and I was just so motivated to find out the outcome for all involved.
It forged such an emotional connection with me with its flawed but so understandable characters and I found it such addictive reading indeed.
I must admit I did guess quite early on what the twist was but that really didn't affect my overall enjoyment factor at all.
So Our Little Secret tells the story of the night, Sarah happens across Chris at the train station, setting into motion a chain of events after she unexpectedly saves his life.
In return, Chris himself becomes just as determined to keep Sarah safe from the secrets he holds.
As I said earlier I quickly twigged what was occurring but I still really enjoyed this splendidly told mystery.
So Our little Secret quickly drew me in, the writing was fabulous, it had intrigue and mystery in bundles, was really well thought out with multi dimensional characters, that you believed easily and an overall overcast of doom that really got to you.
So would I recommend this?
Well Hell yeah!! Course I would.
Our Little Secret By Darren O'Sullivan doesn't overcomplicate things and as a result, it works
It shows the intricacies of human behaviour lying just beneath the surface and the everyday masks we conceal ourselves behind.
It was a fascinating read I really enjoyed.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an arc of Our Little Secret. This is my own unbiased and honest opinion

This novel is well written and the characterization of both characters comes alive on the pages.

A good read but I guessed the ending. I would still recommend it though

Our Little Secret’s premise is what drew me to this book as it sounded rather intriguing, and it is definitely an interesting read.

I enjoyed that fact that it has the elements of a thriller mixed in with a more character-driven narrative. Part of the story is set in Peterborough, which I always find interesting to read novels about (I’m originally from Peterborough) and so I recognised a lot of the places featured.

The writing itself isn’t what I’d call amazing; it’s engaging enough and an easy read but the writing style didn’t strike me as anything special. That said, the story itself is an easy read and it touches upon some important issues in a sensitive and interesting way.

I have to say that I worked out part the twist from quite near the beginning of the story, which barely ever happens, but I still quite enjoyed it - it was a good twist - and I would read other novels by Darren O’Sullivan in the future.

When Sarah, already emotionally exhausted from a toxic relationship, see a man swaying close to the track at her train station her initial thought is that he is drunk. But she realises something isn't right. The man, Chris has been preparing for months for this moment. He's ready to join his wife. But Sarah is determined to 'save' him. But in doing so she's involved herself in something darker and more disturbing than she could have imagined. Now Chris needs to protect her but also prevent her from discovering the truth.

This had a great premise but unfortunately just didn't live up to the promise of that fab sounding plot or its first few chapters. To give an idea of how it was when I began to read this I was shocked to see I was 20% in when it felt like I'd been reading for mere minutes. But then it became blatantly obvious where this was headed. And it just didn't hold my interest enough from that point. The main characters just weren't strong enough to care about. A shame but just sadly not my cup of tea.

Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for digital copy for an unbiased review.

I thought I would never get to the end of this book. I skipped pages after pages and it still seemed to take forever.

I found the characters very boring and not really worth spending my time. Chris was certainly a boring character. He came off to me as having no redeeming qualities whatsoever as a human. He was boring and his obsession and depression were not even entertaining in the least. The endless pages and pages of him just walking around, depressed, were, for me, very cumbersome. I guessed at the very beginning what had happened to Chris's wife, Julia, and I was correct. I only skipped through to see if it did get better. Which it did I am glad to say at around 81% of the book being read. Much, much too long of a wait for a reader to get intrigued with this book.

I think this would make a great short story with about 75% of the boring stuff cut out.

Thanks to HQ Digital and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I LOVED this book! I couldn't put it down from start to finish. An excellent well written read!

This book requires a bit of patience and understanding. It's a slow burn. The characters both confused and frustrated me at times. Despite the relatively slow pace through most of it, I had a hard time putting it down. 4.5 out of 5. Sarah is unlike any character I've ever met and I just wanted to shake her sometimes... others I wanted to help her, protect her... not unlike her little sister.

Chris has a plan. He's going to jump under the train. Under, so the driver doesn't have to see him. He will jump under the train that doesn't stop, the train that doesn't carry passengers. He will jump at a time where the station is deserted, so no one will be scarred for life after seeing his final moments and the gore that follows. He will jump on a certain day, one that's important to him and his wife. It's all come down to this. It's time to join his wife.

Until Sarah appears, a stranger that ruins everything. Having left the home of her cheating ex for what she hopes is the last time, she's early to the station. Without money to grab a drink and sit at a bar or cafe, she just plans to wait for her train. This means she's there to witness Chris sway on the platform. At first she's alarmed to be alone with a man she assumes is drunk and maybe unstable, but she sees something good in him. When he eventually notices her, he tries to get her to leave... but something makes her stay. She ruins everything.

After she realizes that she definitely stopped this mysterious man from ending his own life, Sarah becomes a woman obsessed. He will try again, won't he? She can't have that. She feels connected to him somehow. She cannot get him out of her head. She has to find him, has to help him.

Chris doesn't want to be found. He doesn't want to be seen with anyone. The murderer that took his wife from him warned him that he'd be around... watching and waiting. Don't tell, or I'll kill again, someone else important to you. Keep our little secret, or more will die. He lives in fear, slowly becoming more paranoid and pushing everyone away, lying to everyone. But Sarah won't leave him be.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and HarperCollinsUK/HQ Digital, thank you! My opinion is honest and unbiased.

A tense story which i read quickly. A great writing style. I guessed the main twist very early on but still enjoyed the book and needed to finish to find out the full story. A good, satisfying ending.

Omg! How to do this book justice it will have your heart in your mouth until the very last line. What a story? I will be reviewing but how I will ever do this justice.

PSA: Don't jump in front of a train to kill yourself. The train driver has to live with the guilt even if it isn't their fault.

Chris, the protagonist of this story feels the same way. That is why he spent so much time determining when and how to kill himself by train. No witnesses and jumping farther back in the train so the conductor doesn't have to see it happen. What he didn't take into consideration was a brokenhearted Sarah showing up early for her own train. After this, the reader follows Chris trying to determine when he can kill himself while staying true to his macho heroic love of his deceased wife because he can't just die, it has to be on a memorable day that has some importance. At the same time the reader follows Sarah obsessing over Chris and feeling responsible to save his life because he is obviously unlike all the other men who have treated her bad in her life. For me, this book quickly went from being intriguing to being trite and predictable. About half way through, I figured there was only one way for the ending to save the book. So, while there was no big twist for me, it means I gave the book 3 instead of 2 stars.

Wow! This book took me round the block a few times before giving up all its secrets.
We first meet Chris on a remote train platform. He is waiting to join his wife and it soon becomes apparent that she is not arriving by train, instead, he intends to join her... in death. That is, until Sarah happens. Having left her on/off boyfriend's bed in tears, she arrives at the station in the nick of time. Initially she thinks Chris is just drunk but then it dawns on her what he is planning, even more so when she finds his note and stone. This event sparks a connection between the two characters, Sarah feels for Chris and obsessively stalks him until eventually they meet and, despite Chris's reluctance, start a relationship. A reluctance, the reason for which, starts to become clear as we learn more about Chris in flashback. It appears that the death of his wife was somewhat violent and he is desperate to keep everyone safe...
Although I knew there was something fishy going on in this book quite early, there were too many questions going round in my head as to various things I can't discuss here due to spoilers, I wasn't quite ready for what actually happened. The author spun enough of a good yarn along the way, giving me a few possible and credible scenarios, without going over the top with trying to distract from the truth. I did cotton on a bit before the reveal but that didn't ruin anything for me.
Sarah was a quite annoying character for me. Some of her behaviour was, to say the least, questionable. But, I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt along the way as, never having saved a stranger's life, how do I know that I wouldn't do similar or likewise.
The whole book is like watching a car crash. You know what is going to happen, you see what is wrong, you are powerless to intervene, you should walk away but, You Just Can't. It's tense and gripping and it really got under my skin and held me hostage from the opening countdown right until the final sentence. It's not the paciest of books initially, but that slow burn just added layer upon layer of confusion and intrigue for me. The ending is completely polar opposite and, once that cat is out of the bag so to speak, it really gets cracking and it becomes a veritable race to the end.
On finishing, I was looking at the author, as I always do, to check out what else they have written and was very surprised to find out that it is another debut book. That made me a little sad I was looking forward to having a delve into his back catalogue! I guess I'll just have to be patient and wait to see what he serves up for next time.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I. Devoured. This. Book.

The premise is one that draws you in almost immediately, and I just had to keep reading until I found out what happened, and once that picture became clear, I had to know how it turned out.

The book follows two people: Chris, who goes to a train station to kill himself while in a deep depression about his wife, who was killed 10 months before; and Sarah, who happens to run into Chris at the platform and interrupts his plans. Both are then forced to deal with the aftermath and face their personal demons.

The pacing is very quick in this novel – you’re thrown right into the situation at the train platform. When I began reading the novel, before I knew it, I had read 10 percent of it! The rest of the novel goes equally as fast as you see both people struggle in the aftermath of their initial meeting.

I liked that it’s easy to put yourself in the middle of the story and wonder what would happen if you were there. It’s such an average thing – sitting, waiting for a train – that you can’t help but think after you read this: what are the others on this platform thinking? You never know, apparently.

The ending is a doozy, and as it becomes clear, it’s great. It just grips you.

Highly recommended.

After the murder of his beloved wife Julia, Chris has lost all joy and hope for a better future and has decided to end his life by jumping in front of a train. He has planned it all right down to the last detail: a deserted platform in the middle of the night, a fast moving freight train, no witnesses, no trauma to anyone. Noone would miss him, and no one would have to bear witness to his final desperate act. Except that on the night, things don’t go to plan. A woman arrives on the platform just minutes before the train is due to arrive. And even though Chris tries his best to get rid of her, she refuses to leave. What should he do? Should he still jump and know that the traumatic images of his suicide will haunt this stranger forever?

Sarah’s face is tear-stained as she arrives on the platform late at night. She has just broken up with her boyfriend and her life is a mess. She doesn’t even have enough change for the train ticket, let alone a cup of coffee, so waiting on the dark, windswept platform is her only option. She spots a lone, barefoot stranger standing on the platform, too close to the edge, swaying in the breeze, and recognises in him the same hopeless desperation she feels herself. Tentatively she tries to make contact – and changes both their lives with a simple act of kindness to a stranger.

Apparently, there is an old Chinese proverb that states if you save someone’s life, you become responsible for that person and their actions forever. It’s an interesting premise, and one which would make for a lively discussion after reading Our Little Secret. Sarah is certainly taking her responsibility seriously, tracking down the stranger whose life she unwittingly saved, stalking him, trying to worm her way into his life. I really liked the way O’Sullivan portrayed this damaged woman, whose choice in men is reflected in her own lack of self-worth and despair. Told in alternating chapters from both Sarah’s and Chris’ POV, the story explores the dark places of the human psyche, which would drive a man to seek death as his only option and a woman to seek solace in trying to “fix” the life of a total stranger, whether he wants it or not. Underlying it all is the mystery surrounding Chris’ wife’s death, which has driven him to despair and adds an element of menace and danger underlying the storyline.

Although I had worked out some of the answers fairly early on, I really enjoyed O’Sullivan’s portrayal of his two damaged protagonists and their journey towards the inevitable finale. I really liked the author’s writing style, and his way of introducing little snapshots of his characters’ pasts, which added a constant undercurrent of darkness to the story. Perhaps some clues could have been withheld a bit longer to prolong the mystery for me, but it still kept me interested to the end.

Our Little Secret is a slow-burning psychological thriller exploring the deep dark corners of the human psyche – and how a simple act of kindness to a stranger can change two people’s lives forever. An enjoyable, character-driven debut novel – I look forward to reading more from this author in future.

3.75 stars

This was a suspenseful story offering a large dose of flashback scenes, reminiscing moments, very detailed diary excerpts, paranoid characters, and the perfect ending! The grand countdown leading to the final twenty-four hours of this story was the most thrilling!

So why not five stars?
I've read other books with that same twist, so that revelation wasn't twisted or shocking enough for me, but the execution leading up to it all was a great ride.

The upside? I enjoyed this author's writing style and this story's ability to keep me engaged. The content was depressing at times (the synopsis hinted at this), but I loved how the characters remained consistent to the end: Natalie remained intutive, Sarah proved that her man radar was defective for life, and Chris?

Chris earned that ending and so much more!

I enjoyed this read but felt the book didn’t deliver on its initial promise of being outstanding. There’s a great, gripping opening, but as the story unfolded some of the characters didn’t quite ring true for me. Having said that, I was drawn into the drama – and keen to see whether my guess as to identity of the murderer was correct. (It was.) Our Little Secret was refreshingly different to a number of books in the same genre (murder mystery/psychological thriller) that I’ve read recently, and that’s quite some achievement. It kept me engaged. (Just as an aside, this is the third book I’ve read this month featuring ‘secret’ in its title!) I felt the book was a little repetitive, and would have benefitted from a strict edit, cutting it down and leaving a bit more to the reader’s imagination. Also, being a little anal, I didn’t like the colloquial English that slipped in every now and then (“he was stood on the pavement”, for example). Overall, however, this was great for a debut novel, and I will definitely look out for O’Sullivan’s next novel.

Over the past year, I have really come to love suspense/thrillers. It’s truly become my favorite genre of novels, which is hard to admit since I have always been a women’s fiction kind of girl. Anyway, I’m not sure where to begin with this wonderfully insane roller-coaster ride of a novel, Our Little Secret. This upcoming novel by author Darren O’Sullivan is crazy, tense, creepy, sad – but absolutely outstanding!

Let me begin by saying I think that this will be a fairly brief review for fear of giving spoilers. Chris wants to kill himself so that he can be with his wife. He has carefully researched and planned how, where, and when he will end his life. The problem? the night he is bringing his plan to fruition, Sarah just happens to stroll up to the station after leaving her ex-boyfriend’s house. Chris’ plans are ruined and he heads home, but Sarah is unable to forget him and that night, so persistently she tracks him down and basically forces herself into his life.

One of the first things that came to mind after reading this novel is a note to self: tell my daughter that if she ever disrupts a suicide, please don’t go looking for the dude, this is just not a good idea. Chris is sad, lonely, and broken after losing his wife. He wants to kill himself. He also wants to kill himself in a way that others won’t have to see or witness it. So when Sarah appears, he chickens out. It doesn’t take long to realize that things are a little freaky, but they get even weirder after Sarah starts trying to find Chris.

This novel is told from varying points of view, including the diary of Chris’ wife, Julia. I loved the different voices in the novel, feeling as if it just added that much more suspense. Similar to another novel I read this weekend, I have to admit that this one was a little slow to start for me. However, it quickly jumped from “just so-so” to “oh my God, what the hell is going on??”

Darren O’Sullivan’s vivid imagery really brought this one to life for me. At times, a bit too much, but I truly felt as if I were a part of the story. Not only do we meet a man on the edge of suicide and paralyzed with grief, we get to see a variety of complex characters that are all fighting their own battles. I loved and hated Sarah at the same time. She was caring and sweet and thoughtful, but at the same time, I kept thinking about how closely she resembled women I have seen in horror movies or on Forensic Files. You know what I’m talking about when you’re reading or watching something and you want to scream, “for the love of God, don’t do that!”

Our Little Secret is a creepy, edge-of-your-seat thriller and if you are a fan of such novels, this is one you shouldn’t miss. I cannot wait to read more from this amazingly talented author in the future.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 Stars* (rounded up)

A thrilling ride that starts with a jumper, and the woman who stops him.

Chris Hayes' life has fallen apart. His wife Julia is gone and he can't live without her. Therefore, he came up with what he thought was a well thought out plan - to be with his wife. He was going to jump in front of a late night train. One with no passengers. One no one ever waited for. He planned it perfectly. But minutes before he was to jump, someone else showed up at the station and she ruined everything.

Sarah is a mess. She spent the night with a man who could care less about her. She leaves his place with a few dollars on both her train pass and on her debit card, having now idea if she can actually make it home. They had dated for five (5) years and he cheated on her for most of it. At this point, her self worth is down the loo. When she arrives at the train station, she spots a man, wavering at the edge of the platform, kissing a picture of a woman and is immediately entranced. She doesn't hesitate - she speaks. Life is altered. For both of them.

Chris Hayes wishes Sarah never spoke to him. Never made contact. Sarah however, can't get Chris out of her mind. She wants to help him. Wants to make a difference. Her sister Nat is against it. Sarah doesn't listen. Chris' long time friend Steve tries to be there and help him through the rough times. Chris refuses. Chris and Sarah become bound together and both are keeping secrets. If you want to know what they are, you'll have to read this one for yourself.

"Our Little Secret" by Darren O'Sullivan was an enjoyable psychological thriller that built slowly and kept that slow burn throughout. It kept my interest with characters that were interesting yet pained. That said, this wasn't an intense quick read (at least for me). In addition, though I had storyline figured out fairly early on, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, and Darren O'Sullivan for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published in NetGalley and Goodreads on 7.5.17.

*Will be published on Amazon on 7.28.17.

An extremely and mesmerizing psychological drama entering into the mind and thoughts of a man that has experienced the sight of his wife being murdered. We are introduced to Chris a year after the death of his wife at a train station while he is waiting to kill himself by jumping in front of the next train to run through the depot. Chris's thoughts are about the man that he witnessed murdering his wife. The man told him that if he went to the police he would kill Chris' next of kin and his closest friend. Chris himself has all the guilt built in from not going to his wife's aid at the time of the killing and that he must forestall the murderer's plans by killing himself.
Unfortunately it is true that the best laid plans of man and mice oft go astray. And it is fate that brings Sarah to the station at the late hour coinciding with Chris's plans. She sees Chris looking sad,obviously contemplating suicide and attempts to talk him out of it. This action stops the attempted suicide and opens the new sequence of events. Sarah begins a campaign to find Chris and help him handle the pain that he is obviously experiencing. Chris, on his part, works against Sarah and looks to protect her from the murderer that killed his wife.
The strength of the book is the extremely precise description of the mind sets and thoughts of the characters. It is one of the best novels I've read in a long time that exposes the psychology motivating the protagonists. A very well done story by Mr. O'Sullivan indeed.

I really couldn't get into this. It was hard to follow.