A Secret in the Family is a gripping domestic drama that had me hooked from the very start. I just love when I start a book and get that brilliant feeling that I am really going to enjoy the read. This one is told in two timelines we have Sam in 1986 and her story and Rachel in current day. This is an emotional read at times. This was a fast paced read wirh a couple of twists thrown in, wirh one in particular I never saw coming. I recommend this book for fans of domestic drama books.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘A Secret In The Family’ by Leah Mercer in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Rachel’s sister Victoria rings her to say that their mother is terminally ill and hasn’t long to live. Rachel realises this may be her last opportunity to form any closeness to her mother that’s been missing since their father died many years ago. During her sister’s absence Rachel moves into their childhood home to care for her mother but as she’s in the cellar she’s in for a shock. She knows that what she finds could destroy her mother but she can’t forget what she’s seen and is determined to discover the truth.

I don’t need to read the description of any novel by Leah Mercer as I already know I’m going to enjoy it and ‘A Secret In The Family’ is no exception. It’s a compulsive family drama of secrets and lies kept hidden within a family and the two threads running through it are Rachel as she leaves her family to care for her mother and Samantha Hughes, a barmaid back in 1985 when she meets Sean, a good-looking customer who she falls in love with. A soon as I started reading I was gripped by the storyline and characters and despite realising halfway through where the story was heading it didn’t make any difference to my enjoyment and I had to keep reading. I loved the suspense and intrigue as it gathered momentum and I read all through the day finishing in it in practically one sitting. A great novel, thoroughly enjoyable, thank you Leah.

I love this author so I was excited for this new book. I was not at all disappointed, the writing is always stellar! Highly recommend all of her books if you enjoy good writing, intriguing mysteries and lots of twists!

A family mystery and a gruesome discovery that turns Rachel's life upside down. I liked the dual time line and the way the backstory slowly revealed what happened the night a young mother died. But I did think the story was a bit over stretched, taking a long time to reach its conclusions, and that some of the secrets were easily guessed.

Rachel has been plagued with guilt for years over the death of her father. She has always believed that his death was her fault, and her guilt became so overwhelming, and her mother's grief was so devastating, that the two became completely alienated. However, Rachel receives a phone call from her sister informing her that her mother's health is rapidly declining and she needs constant care. Rachel agrees to leave her husband and children to give her mother the care she needs. Rachel's loving husband encourages Rachel to take all of the time she needs.

If Rachel's mum has very little time, she will do what she can to make amends by taking care of her to the best of her ability. Perhaps the time Rachel will be spending with her mother will help the two repair the rift that is between them.

This will be no easy task for Rachel, as happy memories of her past clash with very sad memories. In fact, her father's death apparently changed everything between her and her mother. Not only does Rachel become her mother's nurse, she also works to get the house in order, making or arranging for any repairs to be done. By so doing, Rachel stumbles upon an old photograph and also a necklace. She feels these two items are clues to a secret. A secret that will destroy her family beyond repair.

A Secret in the Family is a taut, emotional read. One that pulls at your heartstrings, especially as revelations are revealed one-by-one. It was impossible not to feel the burden of Rachel's pain as she dealt with her feelings of guilt. While she no doubt hoped to repair the past, her realization that the items she found might make that impossible. The twists in this book were utterly shocking, and along with excellent pacing, this book proved to be a truly enjoyable read, one that led to a stunning conclusion.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Heartbreaking tale of a daughter in search of a mother's love. Many twists keep you glued to the page as you race through to find the truth. Wonderful read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

A Secret in the Family by Leah Mercer was a well written story that keeps the reader guessing until the end.
This story is about Rachel and her hopes to build a bond with her family. An unexpected twist intervenes with Rachel’s wishes.
This story was faster paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat guessing what could have happened.

Very good read highly recommended. I totally recommend this book to friends and family it does not disappoint. Hope to read more books by this author in the near future.

I have read Leah Mercer before and so was looking forward to this. It didn't disappoint and I really enjoyed this story. It was poignant and drew me in. Well thought out and well written - thank you.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the copy of A Secret In The Family. This was a quick read. There were no real surprises and it was easy to see where the story was going early on. If you’re looking for an easy read this book is for you.

I loved this one! Rachel is called home because her mother is ill but little did she know she would be uncovering a web of secrets! Family secrets will unravel and every truth Rachel knows about her family will be up upended.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lies on top of lies and deceit round every corner drives this novel of relationships that bind.
Rachel felt responsible for her father’s death and her mother’s subsequent remoteness. More lies under the surface and it all begins to unravel when she discovers a horrifying secret. A definite seat of your pants thriller.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another excellent novel by Leah Mercer. It did not disappoint. Full of twists and turns, intrigue and family secrets.
A must read. .

Having read this author before, I was really looking forward to reading A secret in the family.
What I can say about this? Well, it’s a solid read, a quick read. It didn’t, unfortunately, live up to my expectations.
The story was a little slow to get going and was quite predictable as it unfolded. The characters were a little flat, they didn’t have the depth that I expected from this author.
On the whole it was an easy, enjoyable read.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.
3.5/5 stars. Rounded up to 4.

This book is a solid 3 stars. It was an enjoyable quick read. It was very predictable and the character development was poor. I felt like I needed more background to really connect with the characters. I would have enjoyed to get more background from the Mother and Fathers perspective from the 1980s. I think a better background on the two sisters would be good also. I felt as if Victoria was just kind of randomly written into the book. Sam was the best character build and a lot of the book was based on her experience.
If you are looking for a quick read but not a lot of suspense or character development, this one fits the bill.

Can we talk about great characterization:??? The story grabs hold in the first chapter and just takes you on a journey. There are several twists and turns that may be predictable but honestly, just enjoy the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Slow Burn That Becomes Explosive. This is one of those books that starts out quite slow - we don't even really get a hint of the overall mystery until around the 25 - 33% mark - but then builds out to become quite explosive indeed. And when you think you have it all figured out... well, you might have most of the general idea... but there are still some shocking particulars to come. Overall a decent book of this author's style, it could potentially be argued that others of her books are stronger, but this one was still completely enjoyable and a great distracting read. A perfect escape for when it seems like political ads or debate are all you see or hear across the media spectrum. Very much recommended.

A read full of suspense and intrigue! Family secrets, with shocking effects, thought provoking and chilling at the same time!
Rachel has never had a great relationship with her mother unlike her younger sister Victoria,but is keen to change that as her mother has terminal cancer so time is of the essence! Moving in with her mother to care for her was supposed to be a time of reconnecting forgiveness and love whilst rekindling their relationship! However events following a grim discovery in the house lead them on a totally different trajectory culminating in a shocking discovery that totally upends everything they knew!
Emotional and heartbreaking at times yet powerful and redemptive too!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

A Secret in the Family
by Leah Mercer

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Bookouture, and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
The book also follows the story of Samantha Hughes a barmaid in 80s London. A series of events links Samantha and Rachel but it's a tangled web of lies and family secrets. While the book is well written the plot is quite easy to predict. An easy reading, family mystery. I had it figured halfway, but I did finish. It No spoilers here, but I didn't find anyone too likable.

Some secrets set you free. Some destroy your world.

For Rachel Verma, a family emergency meant she rushed to her childhood home to help her sister look after their mom. Rachel was hoping it was an opportunity to fix her estranged relationship with them both. She certainly wasn’t planning on another secret to edge its way between them. Yet, it’s too big to brush under the carpet or ignore this time.

Can she heal old wounds before it’s too late or will the ‘skeletons in the closet’ mean more heartache for Rachel?

At every turn I had no idea what direction this story was going to take! My iced American became a lukewarm mess, the ice long melted. My to-do list was ignored. BUT I devoured one of the best books in a long time. A win in my view.

Mercer will remind you that sometimes when you think you know someone or have a situation all figured out, life will throw a curveball and upend all you thought you knew.

I was gifted this advance copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.