Book Review - Her Last Secret by Barbara Copperthwaite

Amazon UK

Title: Her Last Secret

Author: Barbara Copperthwaite

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 13th October 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Some secrets you can never tell.

Everyone thinks the Thomases are the perfect family: grand London house, gorgeous kids.

They don’t know wife Dominique is a paranoid wreck.

They don’t know husband Ben is trapped in a web of deceit.

They don’t know daughter Ruby lives in fear of the next abusive text.

But someone knows all their secrets.

Can the lies that bind them destroy them all? 

This dark, gripping psychological thriller will have you holding your breath until the very last page. Fans of Behind Closed Doors, Sometimes I Lie, and The Girl on the Train will be captivated. 

In a moment I may be able to catch my breath and exclaim properly how brilliant it Her Last Secret is... 

.. I may be able to exclaim over how twisty this is, and how I had absolutely no idea how everything was going to turn out, despite being completely sure...until it was clear I could be wrong. 

.. I may be able to to tell you how much I loved all the characters, but that would actually be a lie, I didn't really connect with any of them properly, but at the same time, I felt a bit sorry for them, and still wanted to see where the book was going, which is testament to the author. 

.. I may be able to give you a hint as to how I feel at the moment, but frankly I'm still opened mouthed at the finale. It was so cleverly crafted throughout, with just hints of what the outcome could be. 

.. I may be able to tell you about the characters and explain why I hated them, but to do that would be giving away spoilers. Suffice to say apart from Mouse who is 8 the rest as all caught up in their own lives. 

.. I may be able to tell you about the strength and depth of the various themes running through this story, the incredibly large topics and in the case of Ruby's situation something very relevant to teeangers today. 

.. however that is only if I can catch my breath. What I will do instead is tell you this book is compelling, unputdownable at times, and as the book progresses takes such a hold over you, that you have to continue reading.  Last of all I will say that if you are a fan of books that surprise you, then this is the book for you. 

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

Book Review - The Darkest Lies by Barbara Copperthwaite #AroundTheUKIn144Books #Lincolnshire

Amazon UK

Title: The Darkest Lies

Author: Barbara Copperthwaite

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 12th May 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

A mother desperate for the truth. A daughter hiding a terrible secret.

Melanie Oak appeared to have the perfect life. Married to her childhood sweetheart, Jacob, the couple live with their beautiful, loving, teenage daughter, Beth, in a pretty village.

Nothing can shake her happiness - until the day that Beth goes missing and is discovered beaten almost to the point of death, her broken body lying in a freezing creek on the marshes near their home.

Consumed with grief, Melanie is determined to find her daughter’s attacker. Someone in the village must have seen something. Why won’t they talk? 

As Melanie tries to piece together what happened to Beth, she discovers that her innocent teenager has been harbouring some dark secrets of her own. The truth may lie closer to home and put Melanie’s life in terrible danger…

A completely gripping psychological thriller with a twist you won’t see coming. Fans of The Girl on the Train, The Sister and Before I Let You In will be captivated.

Gripping and shocking with its many layers of deceit. I loved how I was kept guessing and second guessing myself as I tried to unravel what was happening in front of me, ahead of the characters. 

There are a couple of perspectives in this story, Beth who is clearly up to something, but it isn't really clear initially what, there is a voice that appears every now and then who is clearly a person you wouldn't want to ever meet, as they are dastardly. And then there is Melanie's voice, who is the main character and yet the hardest one to describe. 

For Melanie is going through a living nightmare, which leads her to question everything and everyone she has ever known on the search for the truth. At times I wonder if she is on the verge of a breakdown, and others I found myself really sympathizing with her situation. 

I was hooked from the first few pages, where I had the feeling that something big was about to happen, but wasn't really sure which direction the story would go. From there my interest and addictive nature were drawn in further and further, until I lost track of time. I intended at one point that I was just going to read "one more chapter" but half an hour later, I realised I had read about another 20% of the story, and reluctantly had to leave the book until the following day, for fear of an incredibly late night. 

I was very impressed by just how well this book had been crafted, with  every time a new piece of evidence appears, or a new theory comes out, a whole bunch of other questions come to mind, and I found myself wondering just who if anyone was even telling the truth. 

This is the first book I've read by Barbara Copperthwaite, and it certainly won;t be the last. The Darkest Lies captured my imagination and had me completely enthralled in the action. I found it to be very well written and a story that got under my skin while I was trying to figure everything out. 

Thank you so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.