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.

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I always enjoy K. L. Slater books and was delighted to get a ARC of her new book The Secret. This was a good psychological thriller with many twists and turns.

Her best yet! Review closer to publication date....7/27/18

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.

I have read many recommendations on Facebook for K.L. Slater and was keen to read one of her books being a fan of Psychological Thrillers. I started this yesterday and have just finished it. From beginning to end I empathised with characters. I did spot one twist but I think that this was purely due to the skill of the author in giving just enough information to wet the appetite causing me to read on to see if I would be right. I will be recommending The Secret, and I am sure I will be reading more of K.L.Slater's books.

Thanks to Bookouture for the arc of this book, I found it to be a bit slow to get into, and struggled most of the way through it,had to force myself to finish it.

Wow, what an ending! I didn’t see that one coming.
It’s probably not my favourite KL Slater book but I still really enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers.

The fact is that I'm a huge fan of K.L. Slater's psychological thrillers, so any time I see a new title popping up, my heart skips a beat. The Secret is without doubt another great title to welcome to the family. While not my absolute favorite of the bunch, there is no doubt that this newest psychological thriller is a very strong read with an ending that will leave you gaping at the last page and unable to utter something coherently. Oh yes, you might think you have this story all figured out early on (I'm including myself here), but this is all a smokescreen. The Secret has a couple of masterly incorporated plot twist bombs included that will shake you to the core and will dishevel you. Did I have a very STRONG dislike for Louise? Yes. Did I think Alice was a mayor pushover? Yes. Did those things sometimes frustrate me? Most definitely. But despite the unlikeable characters that made you want to hit something or someone and talk sense into them, you will find yourself completely hooked as you try to figure out what is really going on. And if you like surprises, you will be in for a real treat with the final reveals. Make sure to add The Secret to your wishlist if you are a psychological thriller fan, because this story is one of those rollercoaster rides that starts out slow but will have you breathless by the final page!

"Some secrets are not safe to keep."

Archie, Alice’s 8 year old nephew, has a secret. A secret which could cause irreparable damage if revealed. He has seen something, something awful and the dark shadow of this secret follows him everywhere.
Alice has agreed to take care of Archie while his mother Louise, Alice’s sister, attends early morning or late night meetings. As their relationship develops, Alice notices that Archie is withdrawn, worried and afraid all the time. She resolves to get to the bottom of things and find out what is troubling her young nephew.

The Secret is full of surprises and will keep you on your toes! This was my first book from K.L. Slater and I really enjoyed reading it.

Thanks to K.L.Slater, Bookouture and the NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.

I found the book to be very slow. I had a difficult time finishing it. Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

A book revloving around two sisters, Alice and Louise! Completely gripping psychological thriller! You won’t be able to put it down! This book had me completely engrossed and I will be a forever KL Slater fan! Highly recommend, perfect book club read!

Boy does Kl Slater know how to write psychological thrillers she has a way of creating characters that you just want to know everything about and story lines that keep you hooked the whole way through and The Secret was another fantastic read. The relationship between Alice and her nephew Archie was lovely and Alice goes out of her way to find out what is making him so afraid; This book had a few secrets and twists and kept me intrigued the whole way through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The Secret my review is honest and unbiased.

Wow! What a roller coaster ride! Definitely a psychological thriller! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong!

Alice and Louise are sisters who lead very different lives. Alice has become a recluse due to a tragedy and Louise is a hard working mother trying to keep her home together. They both have secrets and are determined not to let the other learn them. Louise’s son Archie has been spending time with his Auntie Alice. Archie is a troubled boy who also has a secret that keeps him in constant fear. Alice is determined to find out what is keeping Archie from being so afraid. Will she find out? And at what cost?

I was so excited to receive an ARC of “The Secret!” I love reading K.L. Slater books and am never disappointed. I really enjoyed the book. I liked that each sister had their own chapter so I could look at their perspective of their situation.
As always, I look forward to her next one!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARCof this bookin exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge KL Slater fan and I was really excited to see that she had a new book out.

This book starts off seemingly normal but then a series of events start happening and everything starts spiralling. I had some ideas of where the story was going but it took me by surprise. It's fantastic how everything came together eventually. This book really kept me guessing!

I highly recommend this one as well as the author's previous books. They are really good psychological thrillers.

Excellent book! I love the way the author really gets under the skin of her characters, this book focuses on two sisters, Alice and Louise, and the jealousy and resentment between them. When we start the story Louise feels that Alice has always been the favourite child and she has a huge chip on her shoulder because of this. The way she treats Alice is despicable and all she cares about is herself. Her 8 year old son Archie is such a wee soul, Louise portrays him as a difficult child but it soon becomes clear that all he needs is someone to pay attention to him and show him some love. My heart just broke for him! Alice becomes close to Archie and is determined to nurture and care for him.
The twists and turns come thick and fast and I have to admit I read a lot of this genre but I got this one totally wrong! Some truly horrific characters are introduced and when we discover who has been manipulating who all becomes clear! Brilliant book, I loved it!