Book Review - The Secret Within by Lucy Dawson

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Title: The Secret Within

Author: Lucy Dawson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 26th January 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

I need the two men sitting on the other side of the interview table to trust me. My family’s happiness is riding on my getting this job. I smile, knowing that first impressions are key. There’s no link between having a friendly face and being trustworthy, but humans are built to think there is. Even us doctors, who should know better.

If only I could keep my past secret from these men, but they’ll have read about me in the papers – the court case, the threats, the lies that were told. But what’s important now are my son and daughter: a new house, new school, a new start away from the city. Away from my ex, my old job… and the scandal that nearly ruined me.

What I don’t know yet is that if I convince them to hire me, I’ll be putting my children in terrible danger. I’m trying to make things right, but this is when it starts to go wrong.

And when one of my precious children goes missing, I’ll realise that the nightmare is far from over. In spite of everything I’ve gone through, I will fail to recognise the evils a friendly face can hide. Sometimes it’s the people who want to be closest to you that you should be most afraid of. They’re the ones who know your secrets. Who want to make you pay.

Utterly twisty and completely unputdownable. This insanely gripping page-turner from bestselling author Lucy Dawson is perfect for anyone who tore through Friend Request, Gone Girl or My Lovely Wife.

Starting off rather slow, with a lot of character building, hints and wrong doings and just getting to know all the key players, but then by around just after the half way point, it becomes rather unputdownable.  

There was so many shocks and moments which leave you scratching your head.  And that ending is rather intriguing. 

This though is a hard book to describe, as all the best bits would definitely be spoilers, and the rest although great, won't do the book any justice. 

I did though love Julia's character, and also that of her family, while here colleagues in her new job felt off rather early on.  But we do get chapters from both Hamish and Nathan's points of view too so we get to know three characters rather intimately. 

The characters even the dastardly ones were really well described and in the second half I just couldn't wait to see what would happen next. 

It was a fascinating setting, the world of plastic surgery, breast augmentation and mastectomies for breast cancer patients. As they are all surgeons, we often get rather graphic descriptions of the procedures, which I believe to be really well researched. 

I've read quite a few of Lucy Dawson's books now, and I'm always struck with how well they are written and how at some point during them, I just don't want to put them down, and just need to binge read to finish, as I need to know what is happening and have no desire to wait.  And this was no exception, and I was really happy to spot this on the release schedules. 

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.