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The Secrets She Keeps
I should have known it was too good to be true.
I have everything I ever wanted.
The perfect husband. The perfect family. The perfect home.
And now someone is hell bent on destroying it all.
It was so long ago and we were so young. That Scottish summer I met Niamh. We had a blast, the best of friends.
Until it all went wrong. And someone died.
We buried the secret together and moved on with our lives.
But now the body has been found and she is threatening to blame it all on me.
I am not going down without a fight. I will do anything to save my perfect life.
It's her or me.
I have everything I ever wanted.
The perfect husband. The perfect family. The perfect home.
And now someone is hell bent on destroying it all.
It was so long ago and we were so young. That Scottish summer I met Niamh. We had a blast, the best of friends.
Until it all went wrong. And someone died.
We buried the secret together and moved on with our lives.
But now the body has been found and she is threatening to blame it all on me.
I am not going down without a fight. I will do anything to save my perfect life.
It's her or me.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 7, 2026
I’m honestly torn on this one because I’m not sure if it was the book or just **me and my mood** while reading it. But either way, it just didn’t grab me.
The beginning felt **really slow**, and I didn’t feel like the story truly started moving until around the 60–70% mark. I kept waiting for that moment where everything would click and I’d suddenly be invested in the secrets, the old friendship, the body being discovered, and the whole “it’s her or me” situation. When things finally got going, though, I still didn’t find it all that compelling.
There was definitely a story here that *should* have worked for me, but unfortunately I spent too much of the book waiting for it to grab me, and it never quite did. 🤷♀️ Maybe it was just a me problem this time, but this one was a **meh** for me.
The beginning felt **really slow**, and I didn’t feel like the story truly started moving until around the 60–70% mark. I kept waiting for that moment where everything would click and I’d suddenly be invested in the secrets, the old friendship, the body being discovered, and the whole “it’s her or me” situation. When things finally got going, though, I still didn’t find it all that compelling.
There was definitely a story here that *should* have worked for me, but unfortunately I spent too much of the book waiting for it to grab me, and it never quite did. 🤷♀️ Maybe it was just a me problem this time, but this one was a **meh** for me.
September 4, 2026
I liked the writing style but the pacing felt very slow, with very little happening towards the main plot in the first half. I enjoyed the dual timeline, and the past journey to reveal how “someone died”, but I was expecting so much more activity with the person “hell bent on destroying it all” in the present. For such a slow build, the twist and ending felt rushed and underwhelming.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Secrets She Keeps is one of those thrillers that lures you in with a sheen of domestic perfection and then quietly, expertly begins to prise it apart. From the opening pages, there’s a sense of brittle calm around her life—beautiful home, devoted husband, everything arranged just so. You can feel how hard she’s worked to build it, and how terrified she is of losing even a single piece.
The return of her past doesn’t arrive with fanfare; it creeps in through memory. That long‑ago Scottish summer has the hazy glow of youth—sunlight, laughter, the intoxicating closeness of her friendship with Niamh. But threaded through it is something darker, something they both chose to bury. When the body is discovered, the past stops being a memory and becomes a threat with teeth.
The tension between the two women is the beating heart of the novel. Niamh’s reappearance feels like a storm rolling in, slow but unstoppable, and the narrator’s panic is wonderfully understated—more a tightening of breath, a sharpening of her thoughts, a growing willingness to do whatever it takes to keep her life intact. The moral lines blur quickly, and that’s where the book becomes truly gripping. You’re never entirely sure who is telling the truth, who is manipulating whom, or how far either of them will go.
What I enjoyed most is the way the story balances glossy domestic suspense with a darker, more psychological undercurrent. It’s not just about a secret resurfacing; it’s about the lengths someone will go to protect the version of themselves they’ve worked so hard to create. The final stretch is tense, twisty, and satisfyingly ruthless.
A sleek, absorbing thriller with a sharp emotional edge—perfect for readers who enjoy stories where the past refuses to stay politely hidden and the present begins to crack under its weight
With thanks to Penny Batchelor, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
The return of her past doesn’t arrive with fanfare; it creeps in through memory. That long‑ago Scottish summer has the hazy glow of youth—sunlight, laughter, the intoxicating closeness of her friendship with Niamh. But threaded through it is something darker, something they both chose to bury. When the body is discovered, the past stops being a memory and becomes a threat with teeth.
The tension between the two women is the beating heart of the novel. Niamh’s reappearance feels like a storm rolling in, slow but unstoppable, and the narrator’s panic is wonderfully understated—more a tightening of breath, a sharpening of her thoughts, a growing willingness to do whatever it takes to keep her life intact. The moral lines blur quickly, and that’s where the book becomes truly gripping. You’re never entirely sure who is telling the truth, who is manipulating whom, or how far either of them will go.
What I enjoyed most is the way the story balances glossy domestic suspense with a darker, more psychological undercurrent. It’s not just about a secret resurfacing; it’s about the lengths someone will go to protect the version of themselves they’ve worked so hard to create. The final stretch is tense, twisty, and satisfyingly ruthless.
A sleek, absorbing thriller with a sharp emotional edge—perfect for readers who enjoy stories where the past refuses to stay politely hidden and the present begins to crack under its weight
With thanks to Penny Batchelor, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Twenty years ago, Liz was a rebellious teenager who felt trapped by school and had no desire to go to college. She couldn't wait to leave her parents behind and start a new life in a warm, foreign place full of hope and promise. Instead, she settles for a gap year working at a guesthouse in Scotland owned by a family friend.
There, she meets Niamh, who persuades her to move to another establishment in a different town, where she joins an eclectic group of workers, including the handsome but dangerous Donny and his anxious sister, Mairead. But something happens during that gap year, culminating in the death of one of the hotel's employees. Liz and Niamh bury their secret and go their separate ways.
Fast forward twenty years, and Liz is now Laura—a happily married mother of two who volunteers for a charity that once helped her own son, Rory. Her carefully built life is shattered when Niamh suddenly reappears, threatening to expose the past they left behind after a body is discovered in Scotland. How far will Laura go to stop her past from destroying her future?
This is a gripping, fast-paced thriller told through alternating timelines that gradually reveals the truth behind the events of that fateful gap year. It highlights the vulnerability of young people in desperate situations and explores the extraordinary lengths someone will go to in order to protect the people they love. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
There, she meets Niamh, who persuades her to move to another establishment in a different town, where she joins an eclectic group of workers, including the handsome but dangerous Donny and his anxious sister, Mairead. But something happens during that gap year, culminating in the death of one of the hotel's employees. Liz and Niamh bury their secret and go their separate ways.
Fast forward twenty years, and Liz is now Laura—a happily married mother of two who volunteers for a charity that once helped her own son, Rory. Her carefully built life is shattered when Niamh suddenly reappears, threatening to expose the past they left behind after a body is discovered in Scotland. How far will Laura go to stop her past from destroying her future?
This is a gripping, fast-paced thriller told through alternating timelines that gradually reveals the truth behind the events of that fateful gap year. It highlights the vulnerability of young people in desperate situations and explores the extraordinary lengths someone will go to in order to protect the people they love. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
September 7, 2026
I found this as gripping and page-turning as each of the author’s previous novels. Once again, an agonising situation arises from the long-term consequences of one thoughtless mistake made decades before; in this case, Laura who is now a happily married mother and pillar of the community.
Penny Batchelor handles suspense extremely well through the meticulous carefully rationed supply of information to the reader. The story is chilling, especially as it is told in the first person in two timelines, and in the first timeline particularly, the seventeen-year old main protagonist (then known as Liz) is very unlikeable. Then the reader may think back to what they were like at that age, and recognise aspects of their own selfish, superficial, callous behaviour described in the book… Perhaps we can be thankful the mistakes we made then were not as dire as the ones our main protagonist made!
I always find Penny Batchelor’s novels compulsive reading but at the same time what they reveal of human nature is truly horrific and often tragic. So if you want a feel-good novel, these are not for you! However if you have an appetite for challenging and thought-provoking psychological thrillers, these are perfect. Penny’s characters and their dilemmas will haunt you long after the book is finished, and you may be disturbed by the thought, ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ and start feeling anxious and over-protective about the young people you know, about to depart on an adventurous gap year…
Penny Batchelor handles suspense extremely well through the meticulous carefully rationed supply of information to the reader. The story is chilling, especially as it is told in the first person in two timelines, and in the first timeline particularly, the seventeen-year old main protagonist (then known as Liz) is very unlikeable. Then the reader may think back to what they were like at that age, and recognise aspects of their own selfish, superficial, callous behaviour described in the book… Perhaps we can be thankful the mistakes we made then were not as dire as the ones our main protagonist made!
I always find Penny Batchelor’s novels compulsive reading but at the same time what they reveal of human nature is truly horrific and often tragic. So if you want a feel-good novel, these are not for you! However if you have an appetite for challenging and thought-provoking psychological thrillers, these are perfect. Penny’s characters and their dilemmas will haunt you long after the book is finished, and you may be disturbed by the thought, ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ and start feeling anxious and over-protective about the young people you know, about to depart on an adventurous gap year…
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is my first time reading a book by this author and I did enjoy the story.
The Secrets She Keeps the story is about an event that occurs in the past that doesn't stay buried and what we will do for those that we love. Twenty years earlier, Liz being young and rebellious decides to take a gap year off from school and takes a job working for a guesthouse. She meets Niamh there, but Niamh talks her into taking another job at a different place. Working at the hotel, she meets some additional people involved in the story. Due to a case of mistaken identity, something happens that results in a tragedy and they decide that they need to cover this event up. The story is told with alternating timelines which eventually reveal what happened that gap year long ago.
Liz changes her identity to Laura to escape the past, she in the current timeline, has a family, home, and job, but we all know secrets don't stay buried. A body is discovered, then Niamh comes in threatening to expose the secret but blame Liz/Laura for it all. What will happen now? I don't want to say anything else as to give away spoilers. I will just say there are some surprise twists and turns and a theme of what family may do to protect those that they love.
Thank you Netgalley and Embla Books for the complimentary copy of the story.
The Secrets She Keeps the story is about an event that occurs in the past that doesn't stay buried and what we will do for those that we love. Twenty years earlier, Liz being young and rebellious decides to take a gap year off from school and takes a job working for a guesthouse. She meets Niamh there, but Niamh talks her into taking another job at a different place. Working at the hotel, she meets some additional people involved in the story. Due to a case of mistaken identity, something happens that results in a tragedy and they decide that they need to cover this event up. The story is told with alternating timelines which eventually reveal what happened that gap year long ago.
Liz changes her identity to Laura to escape the past, she in the current timeline, has a family, home, and job, but we all know secrets don't stay buried. A body is discovered, then Niamh comes in threatening to expose the secret but blame Liz/Laura for it all. What will happen now? I don't want to say anything else as to give away spoilers. I will just say there are some surprise twists and turns and a theme of what family may do to protect those that they love.
Thank you Netgalley and Embla Books for the complimentary copy of the story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When the past comes knocking, it doesn't just ask questions, it threatens to destroy everything you’ve built.
The Secrets She Keeps by Penny Batchelor is a fantastic read bursting with domestic suspense.
On the surface, Laura enjoys a picture-perfect life with a loving family and a stunning home, a facade concealing a dark secret buried during a fateful Scottish summer with her former friend, Niamh.
When a body is discovered years later, that long-hidden past resurfaces as a direct threat, forcing both women into a desperate, high-stakes battle for self-preservation.
The story deftly balances sleek domestic tension with a dark, psychological tug-of-war where trust is nonexistent and moral lines quickly blur. Tense, twisty, and deliciously ruthless, it's an utterly absorbing read perfect for fans of psychological thrillers.
My thanks to Netgalley and Embla books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
The Secrets She Keeps by Penny Batchelor is a fantastic read bursting with domestic suspense.
On the surface, Laura enjoys a picture-perfect life with a loving family and a stunning home, a facade concealing a dark secret buried during a fateful Scottish summer with her former friend, Niamh.
When a body is discovered years later, that long-hidden past resurfaces as a direct threat, forcing both women into a desperate, high-stakes battle for self-preservation.
The story deftly balances sleek domestic tension with a dark, psychological tug-of-war where trust is nonexistent and moral lines quickly blur. Tense, twisty, and deliciously ruthless, it's an utterly absorbing read perfect for fans of psychological thrillers.
My thanks to Netgalley and Embla books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
September 3, 2026
3.5 stars
Laura has built a seemingly perfect life, but twenty years ago, a night in Scotland ended in death. She and her best friend Niamh made a pact to keep what happened a secret, but when a body is discovered and Niamh re-enters Laura’s life, the secrets they buried threaten to come back to the surface.
I was admittedly hooked from the opening chapter, with the story getting straight into the action and immediately making me want to know what had happened. I also enjoyed the way the past and present timelines gradually revealed more of the story, with plenty of secrets and questionable decisions along the way.
However, for me, it was the lack of anything particularly unique that kept this at 3.5 stars. It felt a little more run-of-the-mill than remarkable - very much a popcorn thriller that was entertaining while I was reading it, but probably won’t stick with me for too long.
Still, sometimes a fun, easy-to-read thriller is exactly what you need, and I definitely enjoyed the ride.
Laura has built a seemingly perfect life, but twenty years ago, a night in Scotland ended in death. She and her best friend Niamh made a pact to keep what happened a secret, but when a body is discovered and Niamh re-enters Laura’s life, the secrets they buried threaten to come back to the surface.
I was admittedly hooked from the opening chapter, with the story getting straight into the action and immediately making me want to know what had happened. I also enjoyed the way the past and present timelines gradually revealed more of the story, with plenty of secrets and questionable decisions along the way.
However, for me, it was the lack of anything particularly unique that kept this at 3.5 stars. It felt a little more run-of-the-mill than remarkable - very much a popcorn thriller that was entertaining while I was reading it, but probably won’t stick with me for too long.
Still, sometimes a fun, easy-to-read thriller is exactly what you need, and I definitely enjoyed the ride.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Secrets She Keeps is a dark and thrilling domestic suspense packed with tension and drama.
Laura's best friend from years ago suddenly re-emerges and secrets from the past come back to haunt Laura and the perfect life she has moved on to. Suddenly all the walls are closing in on her and she must fight to save herself and her family.
I loved the premise of the story and the alternating between past and present. The characters are well developed and relatable. There were several twists and surprises towards the end that sent me in a new direction than where I thought it was going.
Thanks to Netgalley and Embla Books for the advanced copy
Laura's best friend from years ago suddenly re-emerges and secrets from the past come back to haunt Laura and the perfect life she has moved on to. Suddenly all the walls are closing in on her and she must fight to save herself and her family.
I loved the premise of the story and the alternating between past and present. The characters are well developed and relatable. There were several twists and surprises towards the end that sent me in a new direction than where I thought it was going.
Thanks to Netgalley and Embla Books for the advanced copy
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Embla Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.
This was my first time reading anything by Penny Batchelor, and I did like her writing style. I could see why other readers might enjoy this one. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t a favorite for me. The pacing felt too slow for my taste, and the first half really dragged. Most of the twists and the more interesting moments didn’t happen until around the 65% mark, so it took a long time for the story to really pull me in. Even though this one missed the mark for me, I’d still be willing to try another book by Penny Batchelor because I did enjoy her writing style.
This was my first time reading anything by Penny Batchelor, and I did like her writing style. I could see why other readers might enjoy this one. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t a favorite for me. The pacing felt too slow for my taste, and the first half really dragged. Most of the twists and the more interesting moments didn’t happen until around the 65% mark, so it took a long time for the story to really pull me in. Even though this one missed the mark for me, I’d still be willing to try another book by Penny Batchelor because I did enjoy her writing style.
September 13, 2026
The actual story has a really slow build up. I feel like there’s a lot of added information that’s not necessary and the author often gives intricate details about certain things that don’t play a part in the story.
There wasn’t any big plot twist, and most of it was easy to predict. Nothing to make you think twice, put the book down for a minute or have you staring at a wall. Yes there was a few of omg moments but when reading a suspense/thriller I like it when it has you second guessing everything. Didn’t feel anything close to that.
There wasn’t any big plot twist, and most of it was easy to predict. Nothing to make you think twice, put the book down for a minute or have you staring at a wall. Yes there was a few of omg moments but when reading a suspense/thriller I like it when it has you second guessing everything. Didn’t feel anything close to that.
August 29, 2026
I read this novel over a couple of days and was eager to read it based on the premise. For me it was quite a slow burner and only picked up pace in the latter half. It’s a novel full of secrets and lies and I’d written across two time periods. I felt the plot unfolded well but would have preferred it to be slightly more gripping. Overall I’d rate this 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Embla Books and the author for the chance to review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free copy of, The Secrets She Keeps, by Penny Batchelor, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Laura does not have a perfect, past put her present life is to die for. Perfect husband, family, and house. This was such a dark read, I am so glad I do not have friends like the characters in this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
P
September 15, 2026
Good Book which I listened to. It kept me engaged but just lacked that bit of something.
The ending was not what I expected but I still enjoyed how it played out.
The ending was not what I expected but I still enjoyed how it played out.
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