Seven for a Secret

by Mary E. Roach

No one cares about the girls in Sister’s Place, a group home in Avan Island, Maryland. Five years ago, eight girls from Sister’s Place disappeared, one by one.

Only one ever returned.

Now, Nev has done her best to leave everything that happened in the forest on Avan Island behind. But when the men who ran her group home start turning up dead, Nev realizes this might be her only chance for answers about what happened to her sisters.

As Nev is pulled deeper into Avan’s secrets—and more bodies pile up—Nev must unravel the mysteries locked in her own mind as she hunts down a killer who is willing to do anything to make sure the past stays buried.

Lost sisters, female rage, and the determination to survive drive Nev on her propulsive journey to find answers and peace—and maybe even revenge.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, LGBT, Queer

320 pages, Hardcover

Published September 30, 2025

About the author

Mary E. Roach is a former teacher who now writes across genres and age categories, most recently thrillers for the young adult audience and romances for the adult audience.

When she is not writing stories for and about powerful women, Mary enjoys running, teaching martial arts, and disappearing into the wilderness. Mary lives in St. Paul with her wife and their very disagreeable cat.

She can be found on Instagram at @maryeroachauthor, or online at maryeroach.com.

She also writes fantasy for all ages as Máire Roche.

Reviews

[Jillian B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five years ago, eight girls went missing from a group home, one after another. Only one of them came back: 12-year-old Nev. Authorities believed the girls had run away and no one listened to Nev’s protestations that someone was murdering them. Now 17, she’s an emancipated minor who has left the past long behind…until it catches up with her. Dead bodies have been turning up, and they’re all men associated with the group home. Now long-buried secrets are about to be uncovered.

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. This might be because it’s YA, but I feel like we were really hit over the head with the fact that no one cared about these girls because they were foster kids. It’s an important point, but I wish it had been shown in a more subtle way. By the tenth time it’s being explicitly explained to the reader, I was like, “yes, we know.” This book also used the recovered memory trope, which I dislike because it reinforces misinformation about the way memory works.

There were some strong points though. There were several parts of this book that were genuinely emotionally stirring, creepy, or funny. Some of the twists were surprising to me, and I do think the book’s message is an important one.

This book wasn’t a hit for me but I think there are readers out there who will really enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a dark, emotional, hard read. I needed to take small pauses sometimes in between chapters and just breathe for these very broken girls who just called to me. They needed hugs, they needed comfort, they needed revenge. Most of all, they needed to be heard and seen and loved.

This was such a fantastic read that was every bit as hard to put down and sometimes unbearable, as it was dark.

I absolutely loved this and can't recommend it enough.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I mostly enjoyed this. It is atmospheric with good characters and pacing, but the end is completely unbelievable and I’m too pragmatic to let things go.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the arc.

[Izzys_Internet_Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5

I’m going to start this off by saying, these trigger warnings were something to take note in before reading because, dang. The plot was really good and I did enjoy a majority of the book, plus it was really fast paced. My biggest qualm with the book though was Nev, specifically because of how much she cursed. Not that I’m opposed to cursing, but damn she was overusing words like a middle school finding out about them.

[Raz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it was a me-thing, but I was rather confused from the off (which never really cleared up), and I struggled to connect with the protagonist.

Full review to come.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Girls like that, they lie.”

Seven girls went missing, but were written off as runaways. All their investigations dropped. Seven girls, all from the same group home, Sister’s Place. Nev believes she should be one of the missing, but she escaped. Five years later, she finds herself returning to where it all happened as the detective who was also one of the board members of the group home is found unalive and with the word “sorrow” carved into him. Here we go on a dark angst filled journey as Nev revisits each girl that went missing, as secrets are revealed as she searches for the truth with the help of a few other girls who once lived at Sister’s Place too.

This is a YA book, but the subject is pretty dark without being graphic. Incidents with a powerful man are implied and covered by even more powerful men.
This book is heavy in nature while it tells the story of girls being assaulted (again implied without being graphic), and the people around them that don’t believe them when they seek help. This is a story of vengeance for those without a voice as everyone who seemed to have covered up the missing girls shows up dead. The question is who is doing it?
In one part, I gasped as Nev returns to the group home that is now closed in a forest, but it still remains standing. As she entered, she found their old bedding and even some of their clothes still there. There is a moment where she lays down on the bed with the dusty blanket, and oh how my heart ached for her. This is a very powerful read that will evoke a lot of different emotions in you. Please read the trigger warnings because even though none of the events go into great detail, they are implied, and some may find it hard to read.

Thank you, Disney Hyperion, for the gifted physical advanced copy.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

[Sarah Andrade · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was confusing. The writing style/sentence structures were really distracting, which led to me skimming, so that might be why I felt like I wasn’t always sure where the characters were and what they were doing.

The ending really confused me. I don’t get how much Nev knew and when she knew about the men being murdered. Like, she killed Charles Aisley, which was the first body. But then she said she should have known that Roan carved the words into the bodies. Is she saying she didn’t know the other girls were killing the men?

I also find it a little hard to believe that the disappearance of 7 minor girls was so easily swept under the rug. Even if they were running away, the foster home would have been held responsible in making sure the home was safe.

It was also too long, repetitive and formulaic- a body is found, they go to the body, someone tells Nev to stay in the car, she leaves to see the body, they’re all surprised and like “nev, what are you doing here” as if it wasn’t obvious she was going to be there, they walk around for awhile and go to bed. Repeat.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven for a Secret by Mary E. Roach follows Nev, who is the only survivor of 7 girls from a group home where the girls were claimed to have run away, but Nev knows something different and believes they were all murdered. Five years later, as each of the men from town who were involved in the group home begin to die one by one, Nev and some of the other girls are drawn back to town to try to solve what's going on.

The dialogue is a little stilted and repetitive at times. I get that Roan and Nev were at the home together and Roan is older, but the believability was a little hard to follow with her just being a few years older, the idea of a "journalist" getting a free pass on all the information as well as the convenience of some of the other girls working in the business in the area. Through this, Nev was able to follow along and get information despite her young age and seeming lack of direction, even pushing adults to speak to her on their own. These become plot points later (no spoilers), but it did hurt the readability along the way for me.

That being said, I'm not sure teens would mind these inconsistencies as a teen detective story. The reader is given just enough information to let the story unfold without being too confused. The mock news stories are a nice touch. Nev is an interesting character who teens will like, and the story will be a fitting thriller for a teen audience that wraps up in a way that teens will definitely enjoy. It's a secondary purchase for most high school libraries.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this book completely destroyed me. It is raw, a gut-punch, and GORGEOUSLY written. It's the kind of book I wanted to swallow whole, because it melds the rage held by girls who have been hurt and the utter love they can hold for each other. I fell completely in love.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️4.5 highly recommend, read trigger warnings going into it but it reads YA and has scenes insinuating situations without much detail.

[Samantha Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel.

If you dream of a novel that is the epitome of feminine rage, this is for you. The story follows Nev and her sisters as they return to Avan Island, the place where they grew up together in a group home called Sister's Place. The sisters return to investigate a murder, but when more bodies start piling up darker secrets are revealed. This book will keep you on the edge of you seat, and by the end you'll be screaming for righteous justice.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 3 out of 5]

The quality of Mary E Roach’s writing reminded me of E Lockhart. Expertly narrated by Kira Fixx, I lost myself in the pitch perfect voice and gorgeous sentences of SEVEN FOR A SECRET. Trauma oozes from every word, I could practically feel Neve’s pain.

The premise of SEVEN FOR A SECRET was better than the execution with a slow moving, repetitive plot.

I’m looking forward to see what Roach writes next.

[rachel x]

"No one cares about the girls in Sister’s Place, a group home in Avan Island, Maryland. Five years ago, eight girls from Sister’s Place disappeared, one by one. Only one ever returned."

and it explores female rage? sold

[Jennifer Ashburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC in return for an honest review.

The premise of this book is gripping, and the story definitely had me hooked from the start. Nev is the girl who got away, the girl that lived. The mystery surrounding the missing girls and Nev's return is compelling. The foreshadowing of what memory could be buried so deeply that Nev can’t remember until she’s pulled back home lays just underneath each chapter, making your heart pound with the anticipation of knowing.
However, the writing style is a bit distracting. The author relies heavily on certain phrases and sentence structures, which become repetitive and take away from the overall impact of the story. While the plot is strong with thrills and gut wrenching twists, the lack of variation in the writing makes it a somewhat uneven read. It's a decent thriller

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mary E. Roach’s “Seven for a Secret” is a haunting, gut-punch of a story that explores mystery, survival, and raw emotional power and becomes a dark and unforgettable read. It begins with a very interesting and unique opening where eight girls vanish from Sisters’ Place, a group home for “throwaway” teens; except it isn’t eight, because one came back. Nev, the youngest of the girls and the sole survivor, has carried the weight of that night for five long years. She knows the others didn’t run away, despite what the town insists. They were murdered.

Now, as the men who once controlled their fates begin to die one by one, Nev is pulled back to her hometown to confront the past and uncover the truth. Alongside Roan, an older girl from the home, and a few of the other survivors, she must face not only the monsters in their community but also her own fractured memories.

This is not an easy book to read. I definitely recommend looking into the content warnings before reading. It is dark, emotionally charged, and unflinching in its portrayal of girls who were abused, silenced, and discarded but who burn with rage, love, and the desperate need to be seen. The writing is often breathtakingly raw, though at times repetitive in its mantras and rhythms, but always deliberate in hammering home the ache of trauma and survival. Nev herself is sometimes an unlikable character as she is unreliable, often unsympathetic, and at times stretches believability. Yet that messiness also feels intentional, reflecting the damage she carries. Roan and the other survivors, though less fleshed out, provide balance and grounding to Nev’s volatility.

The story’s strength lies in its emotional core. It is both a mystery thriller and a reckoning, a story of broken girls who refuse to stay silent, who transform pain into solidarity and vengeance. It calls to mind the works of Mindy McGinnis and EK Arnold but brings its own fresh, furious voice. While the dialogue and structure can sometimes stumble, the overall effect is devastatingly powerful.

Overall, “Seven for a Secret” is not just about solving a mystery; it’s about the weight of being the girl who lived when no one was supposed to, and the rage and love that bind survivors together. Dark, heartbreaking, and impossible to forget, this is a story that demands to be heard.

[Bugs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely FANTASTIC audio performance by Kira Fixx with a crackin' plot by Mary E. Roach! Especially the twist and the ending! YAAAAS!!! I love the build-up, the narrative style. I don't think I've read any book where one of the narrators in the story is what is depicted in Roach's story! I was overjoyed esp when this book is read as a crime/ghost story!

The narrative style where the progress of the story is through a narration, it's especially more visceral and affecting when your listen to the written words come to life when the vocal artist performs the narration with conviction, emotionally, mentally, psychologically, instead of just reading/narrating it.

And Kira Fixx always hits it out of the park with her immaculate conviction and commitment in voicing the story, characters, like she's performing for the screen with the book being her script/screenplay! Her astute knowledge and understanding of the story and its characters, the author's intent make Fixx a force to be reckoned with in the world of audiobook performers. She always (based on the number of her ABs I've listened to, thusfar) brings the book to life.

Again, listening to Fixx perform the story from the book is like watching her perform on-screen, playing multiple characters... with zeal!

I won't comment on the story and plot here because it needs to be read and listened to so that you get to ride that thrilling story from the beginning until the epilogue. This story by Roach, I feel, is a true crime/horror one. And Fixx's impeccable performance elevates it to a whole new level of remarkable effect! The build-up of emotions and consequences from the start until the very end is portrayed with such authentic vigour that you feel every bit of it in each affected character viscerally.

A MUST-LISTEN!! Fixx has outdone herself yet again!! I absolutely LOVE it! Mary E. Roach's exquisite story is bold and devilishly satisfying. Oh, revenge is a dish best served sub-zero COLD! And Kira Fixx brings that visceral feel right In. Your. Face. Ahhh...perfection!

I can't wait to listen to her next crime/thriller/suspense/horror/mystery audiobook performance! Well done!!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story begins with one of the most absorbing passages I think I’ve read in YA – the reader is quickly intrigued by the storyline about 8 missing girls from Sisters’ Place. Except it isn’t 8…because one made it back.

The plot and the characters are engaging and the story propels forward easily. Nev, the main character, is the youngest of the girls at Sisters' Place, and should act as the driving protagonist. Nev is not a sympathetic character, nor is she a reliable narrator - though it's easy to understand why. Unfortunately, the character goes too far and crosses over a few times into downright unlikeable and also throws the plot off-balance into "unbelievable" territory. Because of this, Roan becomes the character that ends up driving most of the plot and balancing out Nev. The other characters are not nearly as fleshed out, but I wish they were, since they are so much more compelling than Nev.

The writing is quick and smart and the plot is strong despite being, at some times, unrealistic. The author does rely very heavily on the repetition of certain mantras, both in Nev's own belief system and in the general writing. However, the book is overall enjoyable and offers a great mystery that teens will find very intriguing. Many will also find connections to the secondary characters, who drive the plot (arguably) in a more sensical direction than the main character.

[Amber’s Bookish Journal]

*ARC Review*
Seven for a Secret by Mary E. Roach
Available Now
Please check trigger warnings before reading!

I am living for the feminine rage era that young adult thrillers seem to be in right now. Mary E. Roach is a name to watch when it comes to thrillers and after reading this I am highly anticipating her next release.

This was such a perfect Fall thriller. The atmosphere of the forest and the small island helped capture the eeriness of the events that surround Nev and her “sisters” from the group home Sister’s Place. The men in power brushed off the missing girls as runaways but Nev knows the truth.

When the men of the board for the now defunct group home start showing up dead, Nev and her “sisters” work together to prove what truly happened to their “sisters” that disappeared years ago.

I found this novel to be extremely suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I listened to it. The characters were well developed and I did not see a lot of the plot twists coming.

I highly recommend this for anyone who loves a good thriller, loves stories featuring feminine rage or young adult novels.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading for a panel moderation and whewf... right from the start I was sucked in. Couldn't have a more powerful opening few lines. It's the blurred dark lines of mystery and throwaway girls and the one that won't give up on this island.

The language is deliciously dark as the story unfolds about just how it got to the point where these girls have had everything taken from them and the people who were willing to lie, cover up, and look the other way. Bodies are piling up. But the rage inside still burns hot with the neglected, thrown away, and abused girls who were manipulated and told they were nothing. They'll have the last laugh.

I love it the way I've loved Mindy McGinnis's and EK Arnold's. I like that this one brings a new and fresh anger and rage to the table to set it apart from the dime-a-dozen mystery/thrillers that have been widely marketed for the last few years.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Seven for a Secret by Mary E. Roach introduces us to the character of Nev, an emancipated foster child, who came from a group home that housed girls no one cared about, girls who had nothing and no one but each other. Over a period of time eight girls disappeared never to return, only Nev returned. She returns to the town five years later searching for the answers of what happened to her ’sisters’.

This book deals with tough and realistic subjects that face individuals in foster care or in at-risk situations. If you are a fan of mystery, thriller, suspense, you should give this a try.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: September 30, 2025


#SevenforaSecret #NetGalley

[Rachael Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was dark, emotional, and gripping. Seven girls disappear from a group home, written off as runaways — because “girls like that, they lie.” Except Nev. Nev survived.

Five years later, she returns home to Avan Island and finds herself caught up in multiple murder investigations — and reunited with some of her sisters from the group home. Determined to uncover the truth, Nev sets out to finally find out what happened to the others.

I really enjoyed this book and loved Mary Roach’s writing style. The story tackles some heavy topics (including implied assault, though not graphically described), and I felt deeply connected to Nev’s emotions throughout. It’s a powerful, haunting read that stays with you.

One for sorrow...

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is dumb. i'm sorry, but it is. it was dumb and pointless. this book had no message or just greater POINT except maybe to say that foster girls should be taken seriously and not murdered? it was so boring- maybe 50 pages of actual content and the rest is just prose-y yapping. and it was confusing, and the characterization made no sense. so nev is supposed to be way grown up and an adult now and it comments on how she's so big and mature and powerful, yada yada, but then she's always running away and cowering and her sisters call her things like "sweetheart" "baby girl" "kid sister" so which is it? also, i couldn't tell whether or not we were LITERALLY supposed to think nev was seeing her sisters' ghosts or if it was just a coping mechanism. and either way, i did not care.

[Wil Fish Fishyfish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the ARC, thanks to Spoke and Word Books for this copy!

I frequently found myself wishing for a highlighter to underline my favorite lines.

At first I was a little let down at the reveal, thinking there had been a supernatural explanation for the deaths. But as soon as I thought about it, I changed my mind. Feminine anger is rarely depicted as cold and methodical. The sisters didn't fly into an uncontrollable rage and righteously murder the man who'd harmed them.
They spent five years accumulating the skills they'd need to utterly destroy him and everyone complicit. Not just physically, but rewriting the story so that they could finally have justice.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of free ARC from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

An interesting mystery read, with a pretty interesting plotline. This book definitely keeps you trying to figure out what's going on, but sometimes it's due to trying to decipher the writing.

As others have mentioned, the writing is very repetitive and also fragmented at the same time. It made the book not make sense at times and took much longer to get through than it should have. The ending is interesting; and while some pieces can be guessed, some qre also a surprise. Overall, it's a good book that just needs a little work on the delivery.

[Lyana S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting premise ruined by writing bloat, bad pacing and aggravating repetition. This book sorely needed a heavier editing hand. A good chunk of it is just other characters calling the protagonist's name, and her going over the same thoughts ad nauseam. I'm not even going to comment on the incredible odds of the sisters all growing up to secure jobs related to one criminal investigation, or the dangerous act of encouraging someone with a head injury to go to sleep.

P.S. I don't understand the choice not to change tense for flashbacks, which added unnecessary confusion and frustration.

[Rebekah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still absolutely reeling from this heartfelt, fast-paced, horrifying, and beautifully written book. This is the first book I have read by Mary E. roach, and I am so happy I was selected to be an advanced reader! I was hooked from the very first sentence, I fell in love with each and every one of these beautiful, relatable girls, and I thought the representation for both POC characters and LGBT+ characters was both respectful and realistic. I finished this book in less than two days, and it quickly found its way to my favorites shelf immediately after I shut the cover :)

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit.

I struggled at first to get into this. The writing style is unusual, and the constant timeline shifts are also done in a way I’ve never seen before and are a little confusing at times. But once I got the hang of it, I loved it. It was poetic and hauntingly beautiful. Dark. Disturbing. I love an unreliable narrator, and I absolutely did not see that ending coming.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise of this book, people who ignored the disappearances of teenage girls 5 years previously are now being killed off.  Nev wasn't my favorite narrator and a lot of what she said or did didn't feel like she was 17 years old.  But after everything the character went through she would have to act older.  The ending really got me, I had an idea of what was going to happen and then it threw me for a loop.  

[Jackie Sommers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely gorgeous, pure, and devastating thriller from Mary E. Roach. The characters are multidimensional, the plot is perfectly paced, and the threatening atmosphere is intense. I read this book cover to cover in one sitting because the plot is so compelling and writing is stunning. Provocative and unsettling in the best way. A must read.