The Secrets We Keep: Domestic Suspense

by C.A. Wittman

A Loving Mother. A Devastating Secret.

Samantha Jackson has a devastating secret that threatens to unravel when she moves to an affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood. As she integrates into the community, she finds herself on the wrong side of an explosive lawsuit over gender identity at the local elementary school.

Across the street, troubled teen Iris Hammond can't escape the tragedy she witnessed a decade ago—a trauma that's poisoned her relationship with her mother and left her isolated from her peers. Meanwhile, local boy Rio Greer is trapped in a dangerous web of burglary and blackmail that threatens to destroy his twin brother's future..

When Samantha's wayward sister arrives uninvited, disrupting her carefully constructed life, tension among the neighbors escalates to a boiling point that will lead to murder.

395 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2024

Reviews

[Sheri Corriero · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title itself was enough to attract my attention. I love stories about secrets. The story starts off with a bang. Giana is murdered. We don’t know who it is but she knew him and let him in the house. There was a connection to her sister Samantha. The story then shifts to Samantha who is a wife and mother. They have moved into a neighborhood that sort of seems okay at first but then a few things happen. There is a bunch of burglaries happening recently. Samantha actually catches the person and chases him from her house. It seems the only thing missing is her good jewelry. So there’s that going on and then there is Iris. She’s a teen who has gone though some sort of trauma so she’s a bit …odd. What seems to be nice (the neighborhood), slowly starts showing its cracks, and Samantha has her own secret. The tension just builds from there as each side story comes out, threatening everyone involved. It was a good read and kept my interest all the way through. I received an ARC copy from the author and this is my honest review.

[Marcelle Kaskawits]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This novel deals with domestic suspense , it delves into the hidden lives of people within a seemingly affluent neighborhood. It deals with the complexities of community and neighborly relationships. The pages are filled with psychological tension and suspense. I was riveted from the first page,

There were many concurrent themes running through this story. Hot topics such as gender identity, and the problems that come with those issues make up a portion of the story, as well as the complexities of community and neighborly relationships.

This was a well written book, written from many of the different characters point of view.

I would recommend this to my reader friends and am looking forward to any further books written by this author.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC of this book and I am leaving an honest and voluntary review. Dark secrets threaten a small, affluent suburb where appearance is paramount but everyone has something to hide. This was a complex, multi stranded story that kept me guessing. I'm not 100% sold that Rio's storyline was necessary and may have just added too much narrative. Also there are some sensitive issues discussed that may not suit all readers

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Titles and covers are what lure me into a book and this one has both that appealed to me. The story starts off with a murder and then gets into the "back" story. This book kept me guessing all the way to the end who committed the opening murder and why. Really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who likes to be kept guessing.

[Rock Chick Fee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very good read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The story is multi-layered and complex, I really got drawn into the story. Things become clearer the more you read into the book.

I received a free ARC & I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Shelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to read an ARC of this book. OMG it was so good!! There are so many twist and the book sucks you in! Does every family in this neighborhood have secrets? Are these secrets all connected? This is a must read!

[Liz Rewolinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up.

A LOT of characters to keep track of, many (most) of them super unlikeable. Very vague ending, I wanted more details as to how a few of the situations turned out (don't want to write any spoilers)

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very dark and complex and a good read. I just wanted to know why the murder happened and what link the other characters had. There are some sensitive issues discussed.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The story built slowly with quite a large number of characters which at first seemed a bit difficult to track. As the story progressed, the characters weaved together more and more. The story explored themes of guilt, trust, betrayal, and the depths people will go to the protect the secrets they keep