This Secret Thing by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

☆☆☆☆
ebook, 266 pages
Expected publication: October 1st 2020 by Lake Union Publishing
About the Book:
Out of love. Out of protection. Out of fear. Everyone has a reason to lie. Everyone in Raleigh, North Carolina, is talking about Norah Ramsey, the single mother accused of being a suburban madam. But Norah’s not the only one keeping secrets. After her mother’s arrest, Norah’s teenage daughter, Violet, is devastated and alone. She has no one to turn to until her grandmother Polly arrives. Polly, long estranged from Norah, is running from her own troubles. Down the street, Bess, once Norah’s best friend, desperately tries to hide secrets while Casey, Bess’s daughter, flees college after a traumatic event, only to find that home isn’t the safe haven she expected. And Nico, the detective who has doggedly pursued Norah Ramsey in hopes that she will lead him to his missing brother, is drawn further into these women’s lives while facing his own domestic disturbance. Scandal has brought each of them to a crossroads. Now, as they delve into Norah’s secrets, they must come to terms with secrets of their own—ones that still have the power to hurt or to heal.

I really enjoyed this book because it kept me interested all the way through and the ending was not predictable or tied in a pretty bow. I loved how the characters were believable as were the events. Family drama is an enjoyable genre for me and this had all the perfect elements. I love how the two surprising items really were shocking to me and it blew me away.

This book was extremely enjoyable and can go under many genres, coming of age, women's fiction, crime...to name but a few. I loved the cover as well. Add in some wonderful writing and you have a book I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

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