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I'd like to shake K.L. Slater's hand on this one. She really did it in this one. Brava! I really loved all of the characters in this book so much. They all "played" their part so, so well. First, we have Alice. Alice is a recluse, however all through the book, you can tell she's a good person. Louise, Alice's sister, is married and has one son, Archie. Louise has been working hard lately and seems to hardly spend any time with her son. She calls on Alice to watch Archie and bring him to and from school more and more as the story carries on. The whole time I thought how lucky Archie was to have an auntie who cares about him so much. Archie and Alice develop a wonderful bond. Instead of plopping him in front of the XBox, she plans fun board games to play when he's over and finds science shows that he would like to watch with her. Alice acts like more of a mum to Archie than Louise does. There are secrets each character in this book holds. The biggest two secrets (without giving anything away) are given to the reader towards the end of the story. They are sloooowly fed to us for a jaw-popping reaction. Well done K.L. Slater.

Thank you to Netgalley, K.L. Slater, and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Is it ok to keep a secret if revealing it would only hurt those you love? What if the secret is hurting you though?
8 yo Archie is often dropped off at his aunt Alice's place while his mother Louise is busy with her meetings and appointments. Alice has become a virtual shut-in after a tragedy three years ago. Her sister doesn't care much for her anxiety and pain, believing her to be much favoured and also an escapist.
As the story alternates from their childhood to the decisions they made in their own lives to their present struggles, it is clear there are too many secrets they are coping with.
But which of those will prove to be their undoing?
I liked the protagonist Alice.. She tries to be the person her sister and nephew need though she has no motivation or support to be so. Her attempts to win over the child are very sweet.
There is an element of 'what happens next' throughout and that made it a 4.5 * read for me.

A superb book by KL Slater. I was drawn straight into the story from the first few pages and it held my interest right up until the end. The book is called The Secret...however there is more than one secret! The reader gets drawn into the lives of Alice, her sister Louise and Louise's son Archie. All of them have secrets!

I really enjoyed the short chapters in this book, told from different POV and going back in time so that we find out how the past has moulded the sisters into what they are today, I love the way the characters develop, especially Alice & Archie's relationship. All in all a thought provoking read, brilliant plot, believable characters and plenty of twists and turns to build up the suspense. Thoroughly recommended and I will definitely be reading more books by this author.

Many thanks to Netgalley & Bookouture for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this cover to cover in one day. Absolutely gripped from the get go. You need to know what happens next, you need to keep going waiting for each puzzle piece to fall into place until you see the full picture.

The characters are believable if not a little unlikable at times but watching the relationships develop and the lives affected by the events that take place is gripping. Its like being a fly on the wall of a family pretending its ordinary and pleasant when a lot of the facade is just that. Secrets and lies are what separate families but also what tie them together.

This is the first of KL Slater books I have read and it won't be the last, its written very well and comprehensively. I thoroughly enjoyed being sucked into each characters world and seeing and hear their lives revolve around them.

Thank you for this early copy!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a well-written thriller. I will be checking out more from this author in the future!

This book kept me going from start to finish. I started this book on July 11 and just finished today July 14 that’s how fast paced and gripping it was.
So many secrets kept by everyone including Archie who was actually holding the ultimate secret of all that could tear two sisters apart. You have Louise with her greed that would do anything for money to satisfy the issues she created for herself. You have have Darren betraying his family and committed an unthinkable act. Both Archie and Alice caught in the wrath of Louise and suffer sever consequences.
Just so many secrets kept trying to protect or hurt the ones they love. What would one do and how far would one person go for greed? Such a page turner.

Having read and loved all of K.L. Slaters other books, I was excited to see that she had a new book out and I wasn’t disappointed.
The Secret is about sisters Louise and Alice. Louise is the big career woman, who’s in loads of debt and has a son called Archie. Alice who is housebound and because of what happened in the past and she doesn’t have the confidence to go out. She spends the day watching this guy in a tram from her living room window. Then one day she followed him to a coffee shop but, he doesn’t recognise her. Louise dumps all her problems on Alice and criticises her for not going out. Louise thinks she has it easy and keeps on at Alice to sell her flat that was left to her by her mother. Louise starts dumping Archie around the flat, asking Alice to bring Archie to school as she has an early meeting and then also after school too. At first, Archie is a disruptive child and all he wants to do is play is Xbox, but after a while Alice and Archie develop a bond with each other. Alice find out that Archie is being bullied
This is another excellent novel from K.L Slater. I loved how she didn’t give anything much away until the very end. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the rivalry between the two sisters. There was so much packed into this story, mystery, jealousy, rivalry and sadly bullying and more what else could you want. Well done Ms Slater can’t wait for the next one.

Another enjoyable K. L. Slater book. I have read them all and am a fan of this author! So thrilled to receive an early copy of this book!

This was another good psychological thriller that added some nice twists and turns throughout. I really enjoyed Alice and Archie's characters. Alice comes off a bit unusual at the beginning and older than her years but an accident has rendered her a bit of a nervous nelly and slower in day to day movements and activities. Louise's story is revealed the further you read. She prefers staying indoors but not necessarily agoraphobic. Louise, Alice's sister and Archie's mom asks Alice to look after Archie and becomes a bit too dependent on her while she is off doing god knows what. Needless to say, I didn't care for Louise. Archie starts to open up to Alice the more time they spend together. Why is Archie so nervous? What are the bruises on his skin? Alice decides to get to the bottom of it and find out what secrets Archie may be hiding.

I will eagerly be waiting for this author's next book and can't wait to see what she comes up with next! A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this book!!!

Another excellent read from Kim Slater, I have read them all and they just get better.

I cannot fault the skill of this author and I love the way she writes and draws you into the storyline straight away, full of twists and I particularly liked the short chapters and how it went back in time.

As for the ending I never guessed 'The Secret', well done Kim and I look forward to your next masterpiece.

This psychological thriller is centred around Alice, an almost recluse whose life went badly off track three years ago and who hasn’t quite managed to pull herself together yet. However, when her sister Louise starts asking for more and more help caring for her son Archie, Alice slowly but surely starts to piece her life back together. Caring for Archie has given her a new purpose but she senses there’s something not quite right with her nephew. He’s hiding a devastating secret.

This novel is well written. It jumps backwards in time and between different POV seamlessly, which helps build interest and intrigue. It also gives a well-rounded view of the characters, they are very well developed. As you’d expect from any psychological thriller there are quite a few twists and turns and I admit there were two biggies that I just didn’t see coming. It is also an easy and quick read – I managed to read great big chunks of it in one sitting and had finished within a few days.

Despite all these positives, I just didn’t really enjoy this book. I didn’t hate it, it was a nice read but it wasn’t as exciting as other psychological thrillers I’ve read, in my opinion. In fact it all felt a bit flat until about 80% into the book and just as it was starting to get really interesting, the conclusion was reached and the story was over. However, due to the good writing and the lead characters likeability I will definitely give other books by this author a go.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Secret’ written by K L Slater in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Alice and Louise are sisters. Louise has been promoted at work, she struggles with her high-powered job and looking after her eight-year-old son Archie. Alice struggles with pain in her lower back brought on by M E and finds it difficult to leave her apartment. Archie has seen something he shouldn’t have and has a big secret he’s been told not to tell.
‘The Secret’ is a thought-provoking psychological thriller, easy to read and impossible to put down. It has a clever plot, interesting characters, a gripping storyline that kept me guessing and an ending that I wasn’t expecting. An enjoyable read!

Excellent book. It kept me guessing the storyline right to the very last page. It had a thrilling and exciting plot, which had me hooked from the very start. Five stars from me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and KL Slater for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

In “The Secret” by K.L. Slater, we are thrown into the life of Alice, Louise and eight-year-old Archie. Louise relies on her sister Alice to help with Archie; taking him to school and watching him at night.

Alice starts to see a change in her sister and her nephew - as she searches for answers it seems all she gets are more questions. But she knows something is bothering Archie – then one day he mentions a secret he is keeping. Little does she know that there is more than one secret among them.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley and this is my honest review.

K.L. Slater is an author whose books are a must read as soon as I hear of them coming out. I know I am guaranteed a dark and gripping read and The Secret was certainly that. In fact I would go as far as saying that this book is my favourite out of the authors so far. 

The story is mainly told from Alice's point of view with brief flick backs to the past. There is something in Alice's past that has made her become a bit of a recluse and I was very intrigued to know why. Louise is the total opposite of her sister and at times I wanted to giver a good slap, though saying that, it is obvious that not all is right in her world either.

I loved Archie. The relationship that builds between him and his Auntie Alice was really sweet to read. If anything I think that is what really makes this story as you become so invested in the characters and in finding out especially what his secret is. 

The Secret is a tense read that grabs hold and doesn't let go. There are plenty of surprises in store that just added to the enjoyment of this book making for an entertaining and thrilling read. Be warned, once you pick this book up, you wont be able to put it down!

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

K L Slater is such a remarkable writer I knew that I was in for a treat when I saw I had been approved for an advance copy.

Alice is agrophobic, hiding in her flat watching the world go by after making a mistake some years earlier. She finds her injuries and grief difficult to bear and it’s easier to hide at home. Alice’s sister Louise uses Alice as an unpaid babysitter for her nephew who is a difficult child, with some behavioural issues.

Alice and Archie’s story is only one part of it though. Alice has fallen in love with a regular commuter on a tram, who seems to be reciprocating. She was sure that he waved to her one morning. Slowly Alice fights her fear and comes out of the flat, to buy new clothes and get a haircut.

The novel takes off in a completely different direction to what you think. Everyone has secrets. Alice is hiding hers, Louise seems to be hiding something, and Archie defiantly has a ‘secret’, and what is going on with the bruising.

Superbly written and completely unpredictable I came racing to the end and was left with my jaw hanging.

Definitely recommend

I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review this as I have loved all K L Slater’s previous novels. This one didn’t disappoint and has echoes of The Girl on the Train. That being said, it still manages to stand on its own as a twisty thriller that I really enjoyed.

This novel felt like it was trying way too hard to cash in on Girl on the Train. The book description is very misleading. Louise is not the main character but instead the novel is really from the POV of her sister Alice. Early on we learn about Alice’s fixation with a man on a train. This sets up a lot of the future plot. While it is very different from that novel it is also way too derivative which may be why it was left out of the description. The POV also bounces around to Louise and briefly other characters. There is a lot of unnecessary flashbacks between the sister’s pasts which is just not that interesting. There is a lot of whiny family dynamics that would have been better cut out. Louise carries the story well and it may have been better if it had stayed that way. But the agoraphobic character is much better done by A.J. Finn’s The Girl in the Window. Obviously I have no way of knowing if the main character in this book was also lifted from that book but it pales in comparison. The whole book includes too many elements from other more famous and successful novels without anything new to recommend it.

I have read all of K L Slater’s previous novels and have enjoyed them all including this one, ‘The Secret’.

Her development of characters is brilliant and, once again, I found myself warming to some and disliking others but her ability to throw in a curve ball in terms of characterisation was well thought through and carefully plotted.

The story revolves around two sisters: Alice, who is bordering on being agoraphobic and Louise, who is married and comes across as arrogant and uncaring. Louise seeks out Alice’s help with taking her son, Archie, to school which means Alice gets out more and starts to rebuild her life.

The storyline goes back and forth in time so that we understand why the two sisters are in their current predicaments. Alice begins to develop a warm relationship with her nephew and the reader knows from the start of the novel that he has a secret.

There are twists and turns throughout and just when you think everything has been revealed another one comes along. I loved the ending.

An excellent read and highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and KL Slater for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Another superb book by KL Slater, it drew me in from the beginning and kept me guessing right to the end. It is called The Secret but there are more than one, and the way the story unfolds is brilliant.

The Secret by K. L. Slater

I was given my digital copy by Net Galley, K. L. Slater and Bookouture in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a book I was looking forward to reading as I have read one other book by K.L. Slater and thoroughly enjoyed it. K. L. Slater has a way of engaging you on the first page and keeps you addicted to want to keep reading until you have finished. This book is no exception. She has a way of developing character's you really care about and also those that you don't, but all are nevertheless interesting.

Alice is an agoraphobic that we know suffers from back pain. She sits looking out her front three story window looking for the same man sitting in the same seat in the tram that stops in front of her apartment. Alice doesn't like to leave her house and when her younger, arrogant sister Louise drops by with her son Archie for Alice to walk to school, Alice reluctantly agrees. Louise says that she has important business meetings, that she can't get out of. Louise is always well dressed with perfect hair and make up every morning and she sort of looks down at her sister Alice.

The story goes back in forth in time and we learn that Alice was once working at an art gallery and had some kind of accident she feels guilty from involving Jack. Alice and her nephew Archie grow closer as Louise is dropping Archie off for Alice to care from more and more. Alice was their mother's favorite and has left the three bedroom apartment to Alice. Louise is somewhat of a mysterious character as we wonder why she frequently works late or has early morning meetings.

The writing delves further into Louise's back story as we turn the pages and read on. Alice is very likable and she increasingly worries about her nephew Archie. Alice often hears banging upstairs late at night in the apartment directly above her's. One day after Alice drops Archie at school she runs into the man in the tram in a coffee shop and when she approaches him he seems distracted and Alice doesn't understand why he is acting as if he doesn't know her since he smiles and waves up to her every morning.

Louise has secrets, Archie has secrets and Louise's husband Darren has secrets. Darren is Louise's second husband and adoptive father of Archie. Jenny who lives upstairs from Alice also has secrets. The way these secrets are revealed make for one blockbusting ending that I didn't see coming. I never even came close to figuring out what is revealed but it is satisfying. This is the kind of writing where there is a lot going on to keep you enthralled while not wanting the story to end.