Having loved The Reunion I couldn’t wait to read the next psychological thriller from Samantha Hayes. Tell Me a Secret is a rollercoaster ride of a read that completely played with my emotions, consistently made me second guess everything that I read and left me in a state of shock by the end of the story. Everything that I want from a psychological thriller.

I find it hard to review these type of books because so much of what I want to talk about is mostly about the characters and the plot. As the blurb says the story centres around Lorna who is a psychotherapist who one day takes on a new client, only for that client to be Andrew, the man she has spent the past year trying to forget. Now if you haven’t read the blurb - DON’T DO IT. I’ve just read it myself and it gives away a MAJOR plot twist. All I knew about the story going into it was what I’ve just wrote about meeting Andrew and to be honest that’s all you should know before reading this story.

Lorna is a complicated character and if I’m honest I don’t think I ever actually liked her. What Samantha does a fantastic job of here is making the characters believable. From the minute Lorna meets Andrew again it becomes such uncomfortable reading because it felt like I was in the room with them. Their scenes are so intense and feel so private that it almost felt wrong to be spying on them almost. The writing really drew me in and it became a truly addictive read. And then seeing Lorna’s life start to fall apart around her was in one way annoying because I wanted to scream at her but on the other hand it was completely compulsive reading. There’s other characters I want to talk about such as her husband Mark but honestly given where this story goes and how certain characters behave this really is a story you just need to go into without knowing too much about the characters.

My overall enjoyment and overall rating of a psychological thriller is based on the ending. That’s what I read them for, the shocking ending, the ‘twist you won’t see coming’ and hopefully an ending that sets the story apart in an incredibly saturated genre. The ending here in Tell Me a Secret was a satisfying one. I worked out a couple of things but Samantha Hayes certainly kept a few things back that I didn’t see coming and the last chapter in particular is one that will stay with me. Overall this was a hugely enjoyable thriller that I was gripped to as I read, one of those books I had on my Kindle and Kindle for iPhone app so I could keep reading it whilst I was away from my Kindle. Tell Me a Secret is a story I highly recommend and is one of the better psychological thrillers that I have read this year.

Shit. Wholly shit! Ok, sorry for the cursing but wholly F$(&!!! This is and I mean this when I say it - this is the absolute BEST book I’ve read this year! I’m reeling! Wow. Ok.... breathe.... deep breaths.... so where the heck do I begin?

The book begins with a nine years old little girl finding her father hanging from the rafters. He’s committed suicide and it’s all her fault. You see, he killed himself after the little girl caught Daddy piddling the “lodger” while Mommy was at work. And, so kind of him, Daddy dearest left a note for her:

“This is what happens when you watch people, when you tell secrets. It’s your shame now.....”

But, what poor Daddy never realized is that watching is what she does. But telling dirty little secrets? Never.

Tell Me A Secret is just... well... bloody brilliant- it’s breathtaking. Hayes toys with you, she taunts you up the ladder, and just when you find yourself so taken aback with what you’re reading mesmerized by her words - Bam! It’s too late my friends, when you weren’t paying attention Hayes slipped the noose around your neck and kicked the ladder out from under you! And you’re left hanging, gulping, clawing through the pages until the end. Wow. Again, wow. 500+stars for this must must read!

When i picked out this book to read i literally had no clue what it was about, i couldnt remember the synopsis nor could i recall what drew me to it in the first place but within a few pages non of those things seemed to matter because as a reader i was hooked.

Lornas life is run to a schedule, her life is hectic and busy but its a combination of family life, work and socialising. Its pretty average, but it wasn't going to stay that way, not with Andrew. She has spent the last year trying to forgot him, she has moved on - but he hasnt and Lorna hasn't not really, so when she has chance to contact him again, she does. She needs answers.

However, whilst all this is going on Lornas family life is changing around her, and whilst she needs to focus on that, she can't she is consumed by so much more. Tell Me A Secret is not just a story of an affair, oh boy - its anything but, it all goes so much deeper and darker, there is so many layers to this that i did not see coming from any direction.

Lorna was in parts likeable but i was also frustrated by her, however i also felt her - she was dealing with bigger things than we was shown as a reader, a love that was all consuming and trying to juggle a job that would effect even the strongest person at times.

For a book that gripped me so much i am finding this review hard to write, and so short because i don't want to spoil this. I loved the fact went into this blind and i feel that is half of what it made it so good. Honestly, i have been trying to find the best thriller ever, and this is certainly up there for me. IT WAS FANTASTIC.

Thank you #NetGalley for a copy of #TellMeASecret!

I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately the first half of the book was incredibly slow for me. There just wasn’t anything interesting or suspenseful going on until I was about 70% done... and when I go to 70% done, oh boy the twist of all twists! I totally didn’t see the ending coming and did find the rest of the book a quick read because I was dying to know HOW it was going to end! The overall ending was a little predictable but the “why” was a surprise!

***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity.***

This was a great book. The story was captivating and kept me interested throughout. Can’t wait for more from this author.

This is a modern thriller. It was ok. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it didn't. The character's were dreadful and I would not recommend this story.

I was disappointed with this, unfortunately it failed to grab me! I lacked any empathy with the main character.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of another brilliant book by this gifted author. The book was brilliantly written, gripping from the beginning and doesn't leave you until the very end. Highly recommended!!

A wonderfully gripping and tense read. Real edge of your seat stuff which reels you in from the very first page and keeps you guessing right up until the end. One to recommend. 4.5*. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Tell Me A Secret by Samantha Hayes
Publisher: Bookouture

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bookouture for the ebook ARC of Tell Me A Secret by Samantha Hayes in exchange for an honest review.

Tell her your secret and she’ll tell you all her lies…

Everything in Lorna’s life runs like a clockwork, from her 6 a.m. morning run to her strict 60 - minute counselling sessions she gives. It’s the only way she can deal with the terrible secret she carries.

When a new client arrives for his first appointment, Lorna feels her perfect life will unravel in a matter of seconds. It’s Andrew, the man she spent the last year so desperately trying to forget. But it seems, that he can’t forget her either.

Against her better judgement, she anonymously contacts him on a dating site. Even though messaging him could be the end of her marriage and her career, but she needs to know that his motives are genuine.

When Andrew is found dead in his home, grief quickly turns to fear when messages from him continue to arrive on Lorna’s phone. Somebody knows her secret and wants to use it to destroy everything she has.

Will she risk her family and her sanity to keep her secret? Will she risk her life…?

I give this book a rating of 4 stars and I recommend reading this book. I found this book kept my attention even though it seemed kind of long. There were many twists and turns. And wow that ending, I did not see it coming!! This was the first book I have read by Samantha Hayes, and it definitely won’t be the last!

Samantha Hayes is fast becoming one of my "go to" authors as I am virtually guaranteed a fantastic read. "Tell me a Secret" didn't let me down. This book, whilst slightly slow to start, absolutely blew me away in the last quarter. The twists and turns coming thicker and faster than I could at times keep up with. As usual, highly recommended.

A gripping book about a therapist and her extra curricular activities with dramatic consequences. It is a gripping book but slightly silly....I didn’t really love the characters but it was a decent read. Thanks to the publisher!!

Holy freaking cow! This book took a while to get started and to pull me in. It was confusing at times and I had to go back and reread...but that was all part of its brilliance, I realized when I finished. This is in my top 10 books of all time. I LOVED this story. It’s full of so many twists my head is still reeling. If you like dark suspense, you need this book! I highly recommend it.

I’m a big fan of Samantha Hayes’ books, and this one did not disappoint. Twisty and turny, I thought I knew where this was going., but I was definitely wrong. With great characters, an exciting storyline, and a twist that blew me out of the water (but still made sense), I would put this book firmly in my “unputdownable” category.

I absolutely love Samantha Hayes’ writing so it pains me to put this book on my unfinished shelf ... sadly it didn’t work for me. How different from The Reunion which led me to dive into this book without a second glance.

I know that they are unlikeable characters, I expect that it will all unravel and there will be a ‘pow’ moment but it just wasn’t for me. There was unease as I was reading it, but not unease that spurred me on to read more (as with many dark thrillers) but that meant I was dreading reading it.

Such a shame - if I was to award it a rating it would be 2*. Just not feeling it, wrong place wrong time for me...

A book that will keep you guessing until the very end. That is Tell Me A Secret in a nutshell!

While this one had a slow start for me, a quarter of the way through I was hooked. Lorna is a therapist living with secrets. When her former lover books an appointment with her, old feelings (were they ever old though?) come rushing back. Now she is faced with dealing with her past and the obsessiveness that overcomes her.

This book kept me guessing to the very end. There were some aspects that I thought figured out, only to be proved wrong at the end! While I felt the story dragged on at times, it didn’t deter me from wanting to know what happened…and who was Nicki!?!?!

Bookouture has once again published a great psychological thriller!

A large web of lies and a tangled one at that. Not my cup of tea this one, i just couldn't connect with the characters and the wishy washy back at forth.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had to give up on this book too slow for me. Might go back to it but 34% in 3 weeks no. I am intrigued to find out how it ends so don’t let it put you off

This was my least favorite book by Sam Hayes. I've loved all of them but this one didn't grab me like the others. After The Reunion, which was excellent, I felt like this one wasn't as good and mainly because the main character was super unlikable. By the time the twist came, I didn't care much for it. It's a pity because this is one of my favorite authors.

I really struggled with this and had to go back a couple of times to pick it up! Not my favourite around at the moment, and as spoilt for choice as I am at the moment - it just didn’t cut it for me.