Cover Image: All Her Little Secrets

All Her Little Secrets

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Elise Littlejohn just got the opportunity of her life, promotion to general counsel, something she has dreamed of since she left Chillicothe, Georgia, and all of its secrets behind, it is umfortunate that it has come at the expense of the death of her married lover. His death not withstanding, this could be a chance of a lifetime, all of her sacrifice is being rewarded or is Elise actually the sacrificial lamb. Pick up All Her Little Secrets to find out which one.
Susan Dalian brought this book to life. I cannot compliment her narration enough, her voice was Elise's voice in my mind, you felt everything Elise was feeling because of Dalian's narration, whether she was an adult or child, scared, serious or sassy.

All Her Little Secrets is a well written fast pace thriller replete with thought provoking prose and a flawed yet affable protagonist that you root for even when her sins come to light. I thought the mystery aspect was well done even though the small town girl who made it with secrets trope has been utilized time and again, Morris brought a fresh perspective with her Black protagonist Elise, a perspective which made it a satisfying read. I highly recommend that you pick it up.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Ellice Littlejohn is a corporate attorney in Atlanta. When she finds her white boss/friend/secret lover dead in his office, she leaves and doesn't report it. There are plenty of shady things going on at work and Ellice has never shared her past with anyone at work. Lots of important race issues covered while Ellice works to solve the mysteries at the firm. I look forward to reading more from Wanda Morris in the future.

Excellent narration by Susan Dalian.

Was this review helpful?

I loved so much about this book. The narrative is well-crafted. The story moves at an excellent pace. I loved the main character, her relationships, and the way she tried to take care of her friends and family. I was afraid for her and angry for the losses and injustices that she faced.
In most ways, this was an excellent book that featured a smart Black woman in tough circumstances who emerges victorious. I'm glad I read it and I would recommend it.
-Major spoilers ahead-
I knew who the villain was as soon as he was introduced and I cringed every time he was mentioned. There are so many vivid descriptions of how stereotypically fat, lazy, and slovenly he is. It rips me from the narrative and reminds me all over again that I and my loved ones are percieved as ugly, that we are associated with negative traits just because of our size. Frankly, it's hurtful and so central to this character and his relationship to plot that I can't tune it out.
We can show people as undesirable, slow, and out of shape without exaggerating their fatness or even making them fat at all. It was unnecessary and unkind. The discarded pizza boxes in his office literally made me roll my eyes.
So yes, I did enjoy this book and I think the author is very talented, but I'd suggest a more innovative approach to making an awful character undesirable.

Was this review helpful?

This book was compelling, readable, and interesting. A bit slow paced, so it took me a while to really sink into the story. It was good, but unfortunately I found it a bit predictable (although I didn’t see everything coming). The concept was interesting, and i enjoyed reading (listening) to it. The themes of racism were interesting, and I enjoyed many of the relationship dynamics. I absolutely loved a few of the secondary characters (Rudy and Juice were both so great!) - but had a hard time staying connected to our protagonist. While she referenced race and racism, as well as her personal

experiences in a way that was compelling and relatable - it was done in an interesting way, where she didn’t actually seem vulnerable, and seemed almost removed from them. I didn’t hate it - it more surprised me. I don’t know if this was intentional - as a defence mechanism for the racism she faces, or if it was because I was listening to the book as an audiobook, and already felt a bit removed from the character.

This was a heavy read, for sure, and I would recommend everyone read through the content warnings first. It was interesting and unique, and action-packed - full of twists and turns that leave you wanting to know what happens next.

Small pet peeve: The author used the term “fragile smile” so often that it actually distracted me, and took me out of the book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for an audio-ARC of All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris, narrated by Susan Dalian.
Morris creates a solid mystery with a tight plot that includes enough suspense and twists to keep you actively reading. Dalian's voice is easy to understand and well-paced. Ellice Littlejohn's secrets unravel her world in this mystery that also engages the reader to think about race, gender, and corporate America.

Was this review helpful?

This legal thriller told from the POV of a black woman working in a 99.9% all-white law firm in Atlanta is deceptive but in the best way. You think you're in for a simple tale of a black woman caught in a bad situation and trying to find her way out, what Morris has actually written is an eye-opening social commentary on race relations in the corporate world. Morris is true to the legal format enough to keep readers highly engaged in the "who is the bad guy here" dilemma, but she is extremely skillful in her craft of writing a powerful piece of writing about growing up poor and black. This book gave me so much more than I was prepared for and I am ever grateful for Morris for this. I can only hope that we'll be hearing a lot more from this author.

The narrator had the perfect slight lilt of a southern accent, but nothing over the top. She also manages to audibly display the despair that Ellice endures in this tale without it feeling artificial. It was easy to listen to this narrator and dive into this book right away. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this title.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a spectacular thriller! It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It tackles some really important issues and also made you think about a lot of uncomfortable things. It's a must-read for thriller fans. It was a terrific audiobook!

Was this review helpful?

Ellice Littlejohn escaped her poor, small-town Georgia life at 14 and she rarely looked back as she built a successful life and law career for herself in Atlanta. She did the best she could to help her younger brother, Sam, but his past run ins with the law and her fancy corporate lawyer gig meant that Ellice kept the two parts of her life separate. She was successful at that until the morning she arrived at work to find her boss and lover, Michael, dead in his office. In a whirlwind of events in the aftermath of Michael’s murder Ellice finds herself in the center of a conspiracy that she never saw coming.
This debut novel has it all-secrets, lies, murder, and suspense. Mixed in with all the action and drama are themes of racism, white supremacy, and family secrets. This is a powerful and exhilarating debut.

Was this review helpful?