My Rating ~ Four and a half stars
RELEASE DATE: 9 July 2019
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Format: E-ARC
Pages: 320
Blurb
Everyone has a secret. For some, it’s worth dying to protect. For others, it’s worth killing.
The glass beach house was supposed to be the getaway that Susan needed. Eager to help her transplanted family set down roots in their new town – and desperate for some kid-free conversation – she invites her new neighbors to join in on a week-long sublet with her and her workaholic husband.
Over the course of the first evening, liquor loosens inhibitions and lips. The three couples begin picking up on the others’ marital tensions and work frustrations, as well as revealing their own. But someone says too much. And the next morning one of the women is discovered dead on the private beach.
Town detective Gabby Watkins must figure out who permanently silenced the deceased. As she investigates, she learns that everyone in the glass house was hiding something that could tie them to the murder, and that the biggest secrets of all are often in plain sight for anyone willing to look.
A taut, locked room mystery with an unforgettable cast of characters, One Little Secret promises to keep readers eyes glued to the pages and debating the blinders that we all put on in the service of politeness.
Review
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of One Little Secret in exchange for an honest review.
You know what I LOVE? Murder mysteries that have me absolutely certain I know who the killer is … but then no, it’s that guy! No, hang on, that woman! Actually THAT PERSON THERE, FOR SURE! Oh, no I was wrong about them too…. And do you know what this book was? EXACTLY THAT.
A group of neighbours have dropped their kids off at camp and headed to the Hamptons to share a beach house, relax, have a few drinks and some fun. Except, that fun is shattered fairly early on when one of them ends up dead. As the story progresses, alternating timelines between the day of the murder and the day after the murder, it seems almost everyone has a secret, and maybe a motive.
At the beginning of the book I found it hard to keep straight who was married to who and which kids belonged to each family. Just as I finally got it sorted out, the twists and turns made things even harder 😀 But it didn’t take away any enjoyment from the book, I’m just terrible at remembering names when books have a few characters. I’m sure that same issue doesn’t plague everyone! The writing was so engaging and the twists and turns just kept coming the whole way through. The slow release of information made guessing the outcome much harder and there was even a seemingly irrelevant storyline that flawlessly joined the main one halfway through. I highly enjoyed this book and absolutely loved the way it all tied together in the end!
Photo via my Instagram account @Bookbookowl
BookBookOwl 
I have just finished this book and thought you gave such an accurate review! I totally agree with your point about the characters being hard to discern at first especially in the first couple of chapters with working out who’s kids were who’s and was Jenny married to Ben or Louis to Susy haha. Just curious to know if you have read any more of Holahan’s novels?
I thought the climax scene with Jenny and Louis was so brilliantly written it had me literally wincing! What u think?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thankyou! Yes, that scene with Jenny and Louis had my eyes glued to the page! I haven’t read any more of Holahan’s books yet, but I definitely want to give some a try.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah I would love to as well!!
LikeLike