Why I loved it: Y’all. This book was incredible! It has all the thing I love in a mystery and thriller without the gore. The characters are well developed which really propels this novel into another level. I thought maybe I had this book figured out toward the middle. Let me tell you that in a way I did....but not in a way that I expected and that was so refreshing for me! I found myself sitting on the edge of my chair reading the last couple of chapters. I just had to know what happened. This should definitely be added to your TBR pile!
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Rating: 5/5⭐️

Everyone is hiding something in Little Secrets, but none of their omissions are small- in fact most are enormous and all are shocking. That perhaps is the biggest irony of Little Secrets-for a relatively slim novel it has a boatload of twists-each tied to the other by the thinest of threads but taken together they pack an almost seismic punch. Marin is with her four year old son Sebastian at Pike Place Market in Seattle a few days before Christmas. When Marin is momentarily distracted by her ringing phone Sebastian slips from her grasp and is never seen again. Video shows Sebastian leaving the market with a person dressed like Santa Claus, but no leads develop and the case goes cold within weeks. Over a year later Marin and her husband Derek remain grief stricken and are basically strangers living in the same house. Without telling her husband Marin hires a private detective to help find her son, and while the PI finds nothing new regarding Sebastian's disappearance, she does uncover something else...Derek is having an affair with a much younger woman. This news pushes the already fragile Marin over the edge, and she becomes determined to save what's left of her family, no matter the cost. Little Secrets starts out slow, but the momentum builds with each page, culminating into a barn burner of a thriller. While your head will be spinning from each new revelataion, once you finish Little Secrets you'll look back and think "why did I not see that coming?" Kudos to Miss Hillier for writing an intensely satisfying book that is both gut wrenching and spine tingling-it's predicted to be one of the best selling mysteries of 2020-and there's nothing little about that.

There was nothing little about the secrets this book had. I have been impatiently waiting for Jennifer Hillier’s next book to come out. Jar of Hearts is one top 3 all time favorite books. It was the first book I read my this author and I was blown away with how good she writes. This book did not disappoint. It was different, less graphic, more of a domestic thriller vs. serial killer book.
It starts with a missing child, a husband and wife’s secrets, and a plot and outcome that you will never guess. You will not be able to put this book down. And Jennifer Hillier, please write another book. I will be impatiently waiting.

This was another hit! Loved the story line and the suspense carries through the end! Five stars!!! I love her books

Wow!! That was certainly a twisted page turner!! This was so very good!! It kept me guessing to the end. Definitely add to your list! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

Marin is shopping for last minute Christmas gifts with her 3 year old son, Sebastian. She is looking for that special gift for one of her friends, while Sebastian is pulling g away from her to go get a lollipop. She wrestling with him, looking at her list, and trying to answer a text message from her husband, Derek, who is waiting for them at the food truck. Then she receives a call from her longtime ex-boyfriend, Sal. In the process of trying to juggle all of this, she notices that Sebastian has managed to escape. She becomes very frantic and panics, when she can’t see him anywhere. She calls her husband and tells him she has lost Sebastian. Because both Marin and Derek are well known and somewhat wealthy, their story made the national and international headlines. The couple offered a one million dollar reward for the return of their son. The security tapes show her son walking calmly out the front gate holding the hand of Santa Claus and holding the lollipop that he has been yelling about. A year and a half later, there was still no word on their son. The FBI had basically put this case on the back burner. Marin has been taking pills and drinking to get through the days. She has also been attending a group of parents that have lost their children. Derek has shut down and won’t talk to Marin about their son. Marin owns 3 salons and eventually returns to work. She only cuts VIPS hair and celebrities. She manages to get through her days, but she will not give up hope that her son is still alive. No ransom was ever asked for. Who would be so cruel as to take her small sweet Sebastian? Why did they take him? She just can’t understand it. To top things off, the P.I. that she has hired to look for her son, finds out that her husband had been having an affair with a twenty something pink haired girl. Her friend Sal, who was her former boyfriend from college, encourages her to hire a fixer to take care of the problem. What will Marin do? Will she hire the fixer? Will she pay him a half million dollars to take care of everything? Will she confront her husband? Is this why he has become so distant? Will she ever find her son? What an spine tingling psychological thriller this book is. I loved every minute of reading this book. The plot was definitely genius. I never would have thought of it. The character development was very well thought out, and displayed all the emotions and flaws of each person. The reader could definitely relate to each one. You have to read this book!!

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier was a gripping thriller about Marin, a mother living with the loss of her son, Sebastian who was kidnapped 16 months ago. One day, the Private Investigator Marin had hired shocks her with the news that Marin's husband has been cheating on her with a much younger woman. As Marin discovers more about her husband's affair, and considers solutions to her problem, she begins to uncover more information that may lead to the truth about her son's disappearance.
I became engrossed in this story from the first chapter. I could relate to Marin's loss of her son, as a mother myself, as well as her anger towards her husband. I highly recommend readers clear their schedule for this one, as you will not want to stop once you start! 5 stars!

Marin and her husband were living a perfect life...success, love, and a beautiful little boy... until, in a matter of seconds, he disappears. Marin’s life falls apart. Her every thought is consumed with finding Sebastian. After a failed suicide attempt, she moves through the motions of her life just trying to get through each day. Her best friend calls her every morning to ask “You alive?”
Then one day, when she thought nothing else could go wrong, Marin discovers her husband is cheating on her with someone much younger. This knowledge consumes her and she sets out to save the little bit of family she has left. Little Secrets is an intriguing tale with lots of surprise twists and turns. Five Stars for the thrilling suspense!

I read Creep and Freak by Jennifer Hillier years ago and found them disturbing and page-turning. Hillier is a thriller writer that is willing to “go there” so to speak, meaning scenes could be graphic and disturbing but she didn’t hold back. I found that to be less the case in Little Secrets, it was more of a traditional thriller that plays nice. However, that said, the writing is very good. The dialogue never feels forced and she handles changing who you feel the “bad guy” to be quite deftly without me ever feeling mislead by the main characters. Instead the remain relatively trust worthy narrators despite questionable morals which i don’t think is easy to achieve. This was a very solid thriller with exciting plot twists. I would recommend to anyone who loves this genre.

After Jar of Hearts, I'll read anything Jennifer Hillier writes and Little Secrets was one of my most anticipated titles for 2020. This one lived up to expectations, a dark and gripping twister that I sucked down in one huge gulp. Jennifer is master at creating complicated, flawed characters who feel 100% human and relatable, and Marin was the star of this one. I loved her, I fussed at her, I cried and cheered for her. A riveting, terrifying thriller.

This was a very engaging and entertaining book. It kept me on my toes throughout the novel, eagerly awaiting what would happen next. I definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller!

A five year old boy is kidnapped by Santa in a Mall. His mother blames herself and falls apart to the extent that she attempts suicide. It is now sixteen months later and she, though still fragile, is roughing her way through daily life without her son when she, through the detective she had hired to look into her son’s case, learns that her husband has been having an affair for six months. She looks up the mistress, a 24 year old graduate student with pink hair, and decides she is going to do something about this. I won’t go into details because of spoilers, but will let you know the reader learns more about her, her husband, her best friend and the girlfriend in each chapter of the novel. The secrets don’t come out until the climax. The lies of commission and omission come out then too. It was gripping reading. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur for an ARC for an honest review.

How am I going to read another book after this one?

I love when a book forces me to stop and take a deep breath just to be able to continue. Little Secrets is gripping and heartbreaking. It hooked me from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down. I read it every chance I could get and wow, it did NOT disappoint.

I suggest not reading much about this one before jumping in. The story is worth unfolding as you move through it. I admit, I’m sometimes a wanna-read-spoilers kind of girl but, thankfully I didn’t search out any on this one! Also, this book is full of AMAZING quote-worthy material!

It is certain to remain on my top reads list for a long while.

You know those books that just suck you in, and won’t let you go? Jennifer Hillier’s Little Secrets is that book. Centered around a successful mother whose devastated after her young son goes missing, this sharp domestic thriller also tackles infidelity — and the aftermath. Hillier is a master at storytelling, and this book falls right in line with her others. A must read in 2020!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well, 2019 has been a stellar year for books! I am a HUGE Jennifer Hillier fan since Creep and receiving this ARC from #NetGalley just solidified that opinion! THIS WAS GREAT!!! Probably her best yet! Marin's son was taken from a busy shopping center 16 months ago. She has deteriorated (obviously) since. She finds out her husband, Derek is cheating and it just gets worse. This is told from 2 POV's. One of which I did not expect and that made it even more interesting. Everyone had MAJOR secrets and the ending is a shocker. I love this one and my only disappoint is that it is over and who knows how long I have to wait for another book from this author who just gets better and better!

Thank you so much #NetGalley #JenniferHillier and #StMartinsPress for this much loved ARC!

Review of uncorrected digital galley

When Marin Machado lets go of her four-year-old son’s hand to answer a text, little Sebastian vanishes.

Sixteen months later, her son is still missing, the case has gone cold, and Marin’s attempted suicide --- twice. When the private investigator she’s hired contacts her, the information isn’t about Sebastian, it’s about her husband, Derek.

And the news isn’t good.

Can Marin’s marriage withstand another blow? Will Marin ever have any answers? And will she ever find out what happened to Sebastian?

Although populated with mostly flawed, unlikable characters, this pulse-pounding thriller is certain to keep readers glued to their seats, turning pages as quickly as possible. Several unexpected plot twists keep the story moving in unexpected directions and though Marin is prone to making seriously questionable decisions, it’s easy for readers to empathize with a mother despairing over her missing child.

Marin lives what seems to be the perfect life, but it doesn’t stand up to close inspection. There are secrets, deceptions, lies, and some cringe-worthy moments. But the captivating narrative draws readers in and keeps them spellbound as the suspense deepens. Astute readers will identify the antagonist before the big reveal, but this compelling story expertly weaves its various threads together to create a can’t-put-it-down tale of diabolical surprises.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#LittleSecrets #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Little Secrets!

Wow, what a great book!!! I really enjoyed Jennifer Hillier’s last book, Jar of Hearts, so when I got approved for this book I couldn’t wait to start reading. Marin and Derek are living every parents worst nightmare when their 4 year old son Sebastian disappears one day. The story takes place 16 months after his disappearance and both parents are barely coping. Marin eventually finds out that Derek has a much younger mistress and starts putting all of her energy and time into finding out about McKenzie. What Marin doesn’t know is that McKenzie is some how connected to her sons disappearance and the person responsible is closer than her or Derek could’ve imagined. When I got about 80% through the book and the first big spoiler was revealed I literally said “oh wow!” out loud... That, to me, is what makes a great book! When I can sit back and think “wow I did not see that one coming”, nothing is more exciting!!!

Let me start by saying – I absolutely loved this book. I read Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier earlier this year and felt it was the most exciting thriller I had read in a while. Needless to say, I was thrilled to have the chance to read an ARC of her latest, Little Secrets – and it definitely did not disappoint.

As an avid reader of thrillers, sometimes the themes and plots can feel a little “been there, done that”. This book had tons of twists and turns, and I honestly didn’t see the end coming. I also really enjoyed how this story was told from multiple viewpoints, which added a lot of insight to the book. Something about this author’s writing style feels fresh to me, and while she explores very dark themes, I still ended the book on a high note.

This was a gripping, wild ride of a read and really cements Jennifer Hillier on my must-read list. I can’t recommend this book enough – and if you haven’t read her others yet, go get those immediately after finishing this one! Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur books, and Jennifer Hillier for the ARC of this great book.

Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub. Date: April 21, 2020

Mini-Review

The story is a decent read regarding a young child’s abduction. It could have been a very good read. It is written as a mystery. This makes sense because when the child is kidnapped and there is no ransom note what else can it be other than a mystery? But, the story is written basically as a thriller with all sorts of twists. This is where the author lost me. Other ARC reviewers seem to love this book. I guess I should have paid more attention to the genre. I thought I was reading a family tragedy story, not a twisty tale. Still, the author did a good job regarding the heartbroken parents, especially the mother’s overwhelming pain and guilt. The missing-child support group scenes are very well written. You can feel just how brutal it must be to not know if your child is dead or alive. It is these scenes that I found fascinating, not the mixing of genres. But if you want a Jillian Flynn read then this is the book for you.

I was really excited to read this book since it was endorsed by Riley Sager. However, I could not get past the first few chapters. I did not find myself emotionally invested in the characters and I really struggled to find any common ground or empathy with them and their situation. Another reader would probably love this book, but it was just not for me.