It’s a normal Friday afternoon in Leedham as parents pick up their kids from school. What they don’t know it this will be the last time beloved teacher Cate Walker and her son, Archie, will be seen. They never make it home that day, leaving the town on edge. Cate’s husband and headmaster of their school, Oliver, is left to find his family while trying to hold together an understandably unnerved faculty.

In desperate need of a new start, Lexi takes the job as Cate’s substitute. During her stay she begins to question what really happened to Cate and Archie. As she stumbles upon information her suspicious lead her to believe Olive may know more about the disappearance of his family than he has led on.

I was lucky to snag a AudioARC of The Teacher’s Secret from Net Galley and Bolinda Audio. Firstly, Emma Wood’s narration was great. There are times when narration can take away from the story but that was definitely not the case here. I thoroughly enjoyed my time listening.

Lauren North did a wonderful job of keeping the reader guessing as well as invested in what happened to Cate and Archie. It was easy to follow clues and train of thought but still get those fun twists.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audiobook ARC. I couldn't get into this one. It felt slow for me, and I fell short. I guess I didn't care for the characters much.

The story felt a little repetitive and done, so perhaps I need a break from similar plot lines. It had a little bit of a Gone Girl feel, which has high expectations. I thought the characters could have had more depth- I didn’t really feel invested in any of them. It was paced slowly and then the ending felt way too convenient.

Wow, this is a brilliant thriller. Filled with lots of red herrings, twists and turns and characters who are just written in a way to make you second guess them and their motives.

Set in a sleepy village where everyone knows everyone else (and their business), the Teacher's Secret drops us straight into the drama which the village experiences when beloved teacher Kate Walker and her 8 year old son go missing after school one Friday.

Following Oliver - father and husband of the missing (and also the school headmaster), Gemma - reception teacher and daughter of district council leaders who, while relatively new to teaching has her sights set on a brighter future, Jeanie - reclusive busybody who tends to remain in the shadows, though she's always aware what's going on and Lexi - substitute teacher, drafted in to cover Kate's class, and outsider of the group. We see how each of them contend with the lengthening absence of Kate and increasing uncertainty regarding what has become of her and her son.

Quite early in the novel, it becomes clear that each of the main characters has a secret which, in some way is connected with the missing Kate. The test is to see if you can work the truth out or, like me, end up distrusting everyone.

Lauren weaves a gripping tale which leaves you second guessing what the connections are between Kate and the main characters, and even when some answers are given, she has written the story in such a way that more rabbit holes are offered to keep the reader suspicious and distrustful.

Spooky, thrilling and containing a twist I only saw just before it was revealed. The Teacher's Secret made me question myself numerous times as I became engrossed in trying to work out what exactly was going on.

Fast paced and brilliantly read in the audiobook version I had access to. I was gripped from start to finish and am eager to see what Lauren delivers next.

A pacy thriller with a great hook and a brilliantly untrustworthy cast of characters. I really enjoyed listening to this - the audio narration was excellent and the high-stakes story kept me guessing right to the end.

Fast paced thriller and it kept me hooked from the beginning. The story was about a teacher and her son went disappeared when walking back home. The husband was the prime suspect.

The suspicious characters thickened the plot. The twists just could not lead you to guess what was going to happen. The narrator did a great job to bring the characters alive!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: Feb 23, 2024

Lexie is called in a supply teacher in sleepy village school after teacher, Kate and her son disappeared after walking home the previous week. Kates husband, Oliver is still working despite Kates disappearance. There is an alternative motive for Lexie desperately wanting to keep this posting, but holds this reason secret. Lexie starts her own investigation into Kates disappearance and causes a stirring within the community and starts getting threatening notes.
A clever plot, which evolves as the layers are removed into the characters backgrounds and true self. This fast paced book will keep you hooked, wanting to know more about Lexie’s motives and the truth about what happened to Kate.

Whaaaaat. No really, what the what. This one had me saying that quite often. I started to see somewhat of where it was going but a lot of it felt a little too over the top, too. It did keep me guessing for some of it but I didn’t like how it dealt with the guy who “took” them. That whole piece just felt creepy and weird, even when finding out the truth of it.

A fast-moving suspense with a lot of suspicious characters in a small English town where a mother and child go missing. This wasn’t my favorite by Lauren North but it was definitely worth the listen. The narrator was good.

The Teacher's Secret by Lauren North. WOW! This was a GOOD thriller! This is a book for all of the Freida McFadden fans (like me!). I really enjoyed this book. There were so many twists and turns and I had no idea where this book was going. The narrator was amazing and the book kept me hooked from the very first page! READ THIS BOOK!

A popular teacher and her son suddenly go missing and the substitute teacher tries to unravel the mystery . . . .

When it comes to audiobooks this description truly checked all the boxes for my usual go-to type of 'read' and I have to say
I really enjoyed this one - plenty of twists and turns along the way and kept me guessing right to the end. As a teacher myself I was immediately drawn to the concept of the story and often enjoy a story in a school setting.

There were a few rare moments where I lost some of the story (due to my own easily distracted mind) however over all the narration was excellent and the story was well put together.

Thank you to Netgalley and author Lauren North for the opportunity to hear this one! I look forward to reading more releases in the future.

Wow! That was a wild ride! There were a few twists that I did not see coming and I love that! Lexi was not letting anything get in the way of her vengeance! This was my 1st book by Lauren North but will not be my last! I am adding all of her books to my ever-expanding TBR! I can't wait to see what she puts out next!


#TheTeachersSecret
#NetGalley

Talk about keeping you on the edge of your seat…this book did NOT disappoint!! I never did figure out the ending and I’m usually really good at predicting these kinds of books. I LOVED IT!!

Loved the audio version of this story! At first it was hard to keep names & stories straight, but as book progressed & you got to know characters, it was great! Just when I thought I had it figured out, there’d be another twist to the story. Would recommend!

A teacher and her son disappear when they are walking home together and the investigation begins.  There are ahri lot of twists and turns in this book, which is just what I like in a thriller.  While it started out slow, it quickly picked up and the character development was great. This is my first book by this author and I will definitely be looking for more!
Thank you to Bookouture & NetGalley for the audio ARC of this book!

I was instantly gripped by the concept of a substitute teacher arriving in a school - and filling in for a teacher who has gone missing. Naturally she is digging, it's a mystery that anyone in that situation would easily be drawn into. Yet all is not as it seems and the past is catching up with the present.

It had me intrigued and I didn't forsee what would happen as it all unravelled. I enjoy books that keep me questioning and this had me thinking - the red flags aren't always where they seem.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

The Teacher’s Secret by Lauren North
Solid 3 stars
I listened to the audiobook. Great narration, kept me wanting to listen.
A beloved teacher Cate Walker, and her son, Archie vanish one Friday afternoon. What the heck happened? Are they alive or dead? Everyone in the story act guilty in some way or another. Especially that husband of hers…And why is the substitute that was hired to replace Ms Walker sticking her nose where she shouldn’t? Is anyone who they seem to be?
I enjoyed listening to this book and want to read more from Lauren North. Great premise and a fun time.
Thank you to Lauren Nort, Bookouture Audio and Netgalley for this intriguing advance reader copy of The Teachers Secret audiobook. This is my honest opinion.

This is such a great cat and mouse thriller. As many suspicions as you have and as many times as you think you have it figured out, you most certainly do not. I went back and forth and round and round chasing the villain in this story Lol. I think you will enjoy!

This story was told from multiple perspectives. I listened to the audiobook version. There was only one narrator. She did a good, but I think the audiobook version would’ve benefited from a full cast.

The first half of the story was a lot of character build, that I found very slow. The second half really picked up and the book legitimately became a thriller or at the very least more interesting.

There are plenty of secrets to go around from a number of teachers, but I didn’t find any of them to be that extreme or exciting.

I would give this book more of a 2.5. I do appreciate the opportunity from the author and NetGalley for this ARC.

Only first five chapters played then froze and despite restarting it would olay .so unfortunately can't review. Will buy it to finish as what i listened to had me interested