Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a great read! I am a huge true crime and mystery fan and this was right up my alley. The storyline following a podcast was very well done. The characters were greatly drawn. I can't wait for another book from this author. Highly recommend

Actual Rating: 4.5 — Wow. This book had me hooked from the start. I love listening to true crime podcasts and so having a book where the main characters had their own podcast about true crime and how it tied into their own personal lives was so fascinating. I listened to maybe 75% of this as an audiobook and it made my reading experience so much better. I got to listen to the audio chapters as you would a podcast. It felt like the characters, Stevie and Nate, were real people that I was following. So when I switched to reading my digital copy I could still hear their voices in my head. I do think certain things would be confusing if I just read the book without listening because it doesn’t tell you when there is a character switch in POV’s for the chapter.

I loved the pacing of this book and how the plot carried itself well throughout the whole thing. There really wasn’t any time that I was bored or uninterested in what was going on. This is a great book to binge and make guesses during. I enjoyed the twists that kept occurring and it is more of a story where you can make accurate guesses based on some clues that are dropped but not everything I guessed came true which was nice.

I love how the author points out some real feelings we as listeners/lovers of true crime go through taking some type of enjoyment or entertainment from these awful tragedies that took away real lives. As the author states in the acknowledgment “Small Secrets is a love letter to my fascination with crime stories — and the conflicted emotions I’m sure we all feel when we consume them, whether they’re based on a true story or not.” They definitely go into this more in the book with how the original podcast is set up and how certain characters deal with everything when the Mimic appears.

Honestly this had 5 star potential for me all the way throughout but I just couldn’t push it to that after the ending. It was a great twist to a thriller book (and one I was a little bit guessing but not hoping for). But it left me feeling really unsatisfied and kinda angry with it, which are some emotions that are probably supposed to be provoked but I’m just not happy with it. Besides that this book was so amazing and I do think a lot of people will enjoyed all the twists and how the ending was different! I will definitely read other books by her and look forward to where she takes her next story.

I received a digital copy from NetGalley & the author of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Lucy Goacher for this novel!

I found this easy and quite compelling reading. Parts of it were fairly graphic, so it is not for the faint-hearted. But Stevie, Nate, August, Logan, and other characters fairly leap off the page, and I would say it is well worth a read.

While the ending was a bit wonky, it was a great look into the psyche of a true crime podcaster, what sort of person would exploit the trauma of others. Mostly believable characters but that doesn't guarantee they're sympathetic. Would read again. A great candidate for a miniseries adaptation

From ‘All the Gory Details’ to ‘When it Happens Again’, you’ll be ripping through the pages of SMALL SECRETS by Lucy Goacher.

Stevie Knight and Nate Blackwell have been BFF’s since they met at a party seventeen years ago and discovered a shared interest in true crime. That night, there was a young woman found murdered after the party. The two began a popular true crime podcast (All the Gory Details) and blatantly called the victim’s boyfriend the killer, effectively ruining his life. He was eventually cleared of the crime but his reputation was already ruined. And the true killer is never caught. And the current killings continue.

Seventeen years after the first murder, Stevie and Nate began a new podcast (When It Happens Again) after another girl goes missing and is later found murdered. Stevie is convinced it is the same killer but Nate’s not so sure. Teaming up with Curtis Templeton, a walking true crime encyclopedia, they learn that the recent murders mimic crimes of the past.

I loved this book! The writing was very fun; clear and concise. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I could feel myself sneaking around and running toward and away from sure danger. This is my first by this author but will definitely NOT be my last.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas &Mercer for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Great read for anyone that loves true crime or podcast bout true crime. The author literally paints the perfect image in ur mind when your reading her books. Can't wait to read another book from this author.









Remember It's always the boyfriend isn't🤔🤔

Thank you to Netgalley for this read.
It was an interesting premise but to be honest I had a hard time staying focused and engaged. It took me a long time to read this. The story was good, just lacking something for me.
3/5⭐️

Two identical murders. Steven years apart.
Stevie and Nate run a true-crime podcast for four years before they have to take a short hiatus. The hiatus is because of some things they said in their first episode about a murder. When another murder happens, Nate wants to start up the podcast again. But deaths keep happening and the deaths are connected to past episodes they had on their podcast.

This book intrigued me right from the beginning. I liked the podcast aspect of it. I fell off the book a little bit but not much. It might have been my own fault. When I got to the middle of the book, my attention was grabbed again and it stayed grab until the end. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I still can't get this book out of my head and it's been a couple days since I've read it. I've shared it on Facebook in some groups that I'm in.

This Lucy Goacher novel has a very interesting premise. The opening hooks you instantly and the rest of the book holds your attention until the very last page;

Best friends and podcast co-hosts recalling the night their small town was struck terror - the murder of young Lauren. A typical teenage party that took a turn - from missing to murdered. ‘A bloody shoe? And no body? Not a great sign’. Found murdered in a nearby farm house, Lauren was positioned like sleeping beauty with a bunch of dead wild flowers in her hands. ‘Whether it was someone who knew her, or someone who didn’t, they’ve walked free for thirteen years’.

Almost 17 years later , when another young girl goes missing, Stevie and Nate decide to give the podcasting another shot and start to investigate this case. Stevie thinks there’s a link, Nate isn’t convinced. Not until they visit the abandoned farmhouse in Foxbridge.

What once was a hobby could now be vital to stopping a killer.

This book jumps between past and present in a well crafted manner; big reveal -> blast from the past (if I explain this any more it’ll be a spoiler!). Trust me when I say it’ll make sense when you read it, and you’ll love it.

Descriptive, graphic, and eerie writing, what’s not to love! When reading this you should remember 3 things:

1. Keep your lights on
2. Lock your doors
3. Never trust the boyfriend!

It took me a few tries to get into this book. However, I'm glad that I kept picking it up to read. Thirlling and full of suspense.

Lately, I enjoy reading books that incorporate true crime podcasts. This was no exception, I enjoyed reading all the different POVs and tried to figure it out by myself. I liked the narration and even liked the acknowledgment at the end. I will find the previous book by this author and I am looking forward to reading her future ones too.

This is one crazy, dark book about a true crime podcast and its hosts, Nate and Stevie. It begins with a Halloween party at Nate's when friend, Lauren is walking home and is murdered. And nothing will ever be the same! Nate and Stevie are fascinated by both crime and podcasts so this appears to be right up their alley as they get plenty of followers as "juicy details" are always fun to discuss. But then they suspect there's a "copycat" killer as old murders come to the forefront again as recent murders are replicated by someone they call Mimic. It's a great convoluted plot with lots of snarky humor and plenty of blood and darkness, but I loved it!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Small Secrets by Lucy Goacher was a great thriller and murder mystery that worked for me!
Stories about true-crime podcasts always intrigue me. And this book really kept the suspense alive and going.
I thoroughly enjoyed this riveting suspense book.
Small Secrets has the right amount of plot twists, great characters, and a town full of secrets.
It was hard to put this one down because the writing by Goacher was fantastic!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Loved this book from start to finish , such a great story that kept you in tender hooks right to the end , I didn’t want to leave it down , it had great twists and turns and a brilliant physiological thriller . I loved it , great characters and so well written would really highly recommend this book as a must to read.

All the Gory Details is a podcast by Nate and Stevie, two best friends who share a love for all things true crime. When a miscalculation on their part halts the podcast, they think that they will never recover from it. Until, a strangely familiar crime happens 17 years later and brings them back. The twists and turns in this one will have you changing your mind EVERY CHAPTER on whodunit. Now, I did predict this ending early on, but I did switch my mind a few times. The author was very good at leaving the reader wondering until the very last chapter. I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast paced read that kept me on my toes. Thank you to Lucy Goacher and Net Galley for a copy of this ARC for my review.

Wowow this book was a complete rollercoaster from start to finish. I really liked the podcast element it seemed new fresh and relevant. Would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley, Lucy Goacher, and Thomas + Mercer for the advanced ebook!! This was a fast paced thriller which I couldn’t put down! I love a book with a good podcast storyline. 2 best friends start a podcast to discuss their love of true crime. Not everyone is a fan. Their first episode was a hit but almost ended them in the long run. After a hiatus, crimes happening in the area start to seem eerily similar to the crimes they talked about on their podcast. Are the killers striking again or is someone copying the originals or sending the two a message? Things turn sinister fast and the ending I did not see coming!!!

My first Lucy Goacher but definitely not my last. This one was filled with tension, secrets and lies. The perfect storm. Fabulous characters and great storyline kept me flipping pages long into the night. Thank you NetGalley and Lucy Goacher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow! What an amazing book!
I have just finished this incredible thriller and it was brilliant! So many twists and plot turns. The main characters, Nate and Stevie,truly come to life through the writing. I was racing through the pages as the tension built to the dramatic and heart pounding ending.
Superb and an amazing author!

Nate & Stevie, besties since high school, now run a true-crime podcast together. Their podcast, "All the Gory Secrets", comes under scrutiny when they falsely blame the boyfriend in an unsolved murder case in their hometown. Forced to take a break from the podcast, Stevie begins to notice that murders taking place in towns nearby begin to feel as though she is living in one of the episodes of her podcast. Nate insists they should restart the podcast, but Stevie is hesitant...As they investigate these new crimes, Stevie realizes she may not know as much about the hometown murder & about Nate as she thinks she does...

If you enjoy true crime Netflix series or podcasts, I highly recommend you read this book! It seems to be a popular trend this year to incorporate podcasts/Netflix series into books & I am here for it! I loved how some chapters were podcasts from the book. The story took place from multiple POVs, which left me wondering who I should trust! Although I am not a fan of unreliable narrators, this book slowly revealed different secrets (one might say "Small Secrets" ) that allowed me to figure out who the killer was! I will say that I predicted the ending, but none-the-less enjoyed the journey to the end of the book.

Lastly, be sure to read the acknowledgement at the end! This crime fiction novel held an underlying concept of reflecting on respect when it comes to true-crime, as well as being conscious of how we process real-life events vs. stories. I loved this deep underlying concept & it truly made the book enjoyable for me. Lucy Goacher also has another thriller, The Edge, that was published in 2022 that I will for sure be adding to my list!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my (as always) honest review!

Out October 17th, 2023!