Every Secret Thing

by Susanna Kearsley

From New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley comes a story of intrigue, espionage, and a murder concealed since WWII—a long-forgotten crime that someone will stop at nothing to keep buried.

When an elderly man strikes up a conversation with her on the steps of St. Paul's, offering to tell her about an old murder and making an oddly familiar comment about her grandmother, journalist Kate Murray is too busy to listen. But she soon wishes she had. Shocked by Andrew Deacon’s unexpected death, she wonders who he was, and what he knew, and how he is connected to her family.

Intrigued by the tale never told, Kate becomes drawn into an investigation, uncovering secrets about the grandmother she thought she knew and a man she never did. She’s soon caught up in a treacherous whirlwind of events that pulls her back into her grandmother's mysterious wartime past and across the Atlantic as Kate tries to retrace Deacon's footsteps. Finding out the truth is not so simple, however, as only a few people are still alive who know the story...and Kate soon realizes that her questions are putting their lives in danger.

Stalked by an unknown and sinister enemy, and facing death every step of the way, Kate must use her tough journalistic instincts to find the answers from the past in order to have a future.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery

Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 17, 2026

About the author

New York Times, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is a former museum curator who loves restoring the lost voices of real people to the page, interweaving romance and historical intrigue with modern adventure.

Her books, published in translation in more than 20 countries, have won the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, a RITA Award, and National Readers’ Choice Awards, and have finaled for the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year and the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.

She lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

(Aka Emma Cole, a pseudonym she used for one novel, Every Secret Thing, a thriller which at the time was intended to be the first of a trilogy featuring heroine Kate Murray, and which may yet be finished, some day. Meantime, Every Secret Thing has been reissued under Kearsley's name, and the Emma Cole pseudonym is no longer in use.)

Reviews

[Mai H.]

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark

[Ethel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a dual timeline story with a WWII intriguing mystery. Sitting on the steps of St. Paul's cathedral in London, Kate Murray is a journalist waiting for the outcome of a trial. While writing an article about the trial and its potential verdict, she is approached by a man who sits beside her and starts a conversation. He wants to meet with her for dinner and talk about a crime that happened a long time ago. However, before leaving he hands her a card with his phone number then mentions her grandmother...asking how she is and telling her she has her grandmother's eyes. Before she has a chance to meet with hm again, he is hit by a car and is dead. Out of respect for the man, Kate goes to his funeral where she meets his nephew. At first, he was quite rude to her, but while going through his uncle's effects, he finds a card with an appointment to meet Kate at her hotel. Meeting her the following night, he brings along letters that were written in Lisbon and filled her in with what he knew about her uncle. Her curiosity is piqued. Not only because she is a journalist the very fact that out of the blue this stranger seemingly knows her grandmother. This sets Kate on a journey to find out how the mystery and crime involves her grandmother, a woman who never talks about her past.

This book will get and keep you involved until the mystery and crime are solved. I knew as soon as I saw the author's name, I would request this book. It is much different from those she has written before, nonetheless I feel it is Kearsley at her best. The twists and turns in this book are well researched and well written. The suspense of the novel will keep you invested as you learn about the crime and her grandmother's involvement. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Monica Hills · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a Susanna Kearsley novel and this one did not disapoint. This dual timeline novel featured a WWII murder mystery that involving spies, buried secrets, double agents, and thrilling action.

In 2006, Kate Murray, a young journalist, meets an older man who tells her he has a story that might interest her as well as the fact that he knows her grandmother. Right after telling her this he is killed in a hit and run. Kate is shocked but finds out that this man does know her grandmother and the story unfolds from there. Kate soon finds herself on the run and afraid for her life not knowing who to trust as she tries to unravel this story from WWII. With flashbacks to the past, the reader gains more insight into what actually happened and how that is tied into present day.

This was such a great story with not only historical fiction elements but mystery and action. There were so many secrets that had to be unraveled that I did not want to stop reading. Kate was a wonderful main character who did not give up. A fantastic read for anyone who loves a thriller with mystery, action, history, unraveling secrets, and a strong female heroine.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I believe there are no random meetings in our lives - that everyone we touch, who touches us, has been put in our path for a reason. The briefest encounters can open a door, or heal a wound, or close a circle that was started long before your birth ... "

Every Secret Thing is centred on journalist Kate, as she unwittingly stumbles into a murder mystery spanning countries and timelines.

There’s a lot to love here. It was genuinely good fun to read, with developed characters and a mystery that keeps you engaged. Kearsley weaves together a complex but not convoluted story that is a joy to unravel.

Kearsley utilises a dual timeline and for me it was a real strength of the novel. It not only kept the story moving, the warmth and heart of this book really comes through in the discussion and flashbacks of Deacon. Following his tragic but tender story was the highlight for me.

I struggled to put this one down and was hooked right through to the final page.

I’ll definitely be reading more of Kearsley’s work!

[Addie O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADVANCED READER COPY
I was given a chance to review this book in exchange for an honest and free review. Thank you Susanna Kearsley, SourceBooks Landmark, and NetGalley for another adventure!

The cozy double timeline felt like the second glass of dinner wine. Unexpected, desired, and dizzying. I found myself devouring page after page. World War II espionage is not my typical flavor, but the emotions packed into this book will have you forgetting the plot as if you are living it. Kate finds herself in an Agatha Christie story. “Who done it?” You’ll fall in love with her journey of finding herself, identifying the invisible, and outrageous courage to solve a family mystery that has been spanning decades. As expected, we love Andrew Deacon. His sacrifice and loss was an ode to romantic fiction, again, like an Agatha Christie plot.

Kearsley reminds us we can have it all. Truth, honor, love, and mystery with a little bit of forgiveness to time and the bitter taste of love lost. I did say “have it all.”

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got sucked into this one fast, and stayed locked in until the very end. The alternating timelines were expertly entwined, and the air of mystery was perfection: suspenseful without giving me unnecessary jolts of cortisol. I was heavily invested in Kate’s journey to find the truth (and equally so to understanding her grandmother’s past) but with the comfortable distance of an onlooker privy to all of the details and none of the messy attachments.
Deacon was my favorite character-he was smart, strong, and wholesomely good. Georgie was a close second; her spunk was evident in both storylines, and I loved that constancy!
I love World War 2 fiction, and this was unique in its foray into the world of intelligence in that time. I particularly appreciated the details on the roles that women had in intelligence. In a nutshell, this is great historical fiction, but first and foremost it is a great STORY!

[Judy Odom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Secret Thing is a grippping and compelling read that will capture your attenton from the first to last page.

It is both historical fiction with a theme of espionage that will have you turning those pages quickly.

It is a dual timeline combining present day 2006 and WWII that is both atmospheric and suspensful.

When Kate a journalist is approached by an eldery man who wanted to talk to her and knew her grandmother Kate is intrigued.

However Andrew is run down in a hit and run which peaks Kate's curriosity.

The story is full of intriuge, secrets, espionage and twists that will shock you.

No one is safe as these secrets come to light.

The book is long but it cetainly doesnt feel that way as the pages turn quickly as you race to the end.

I hope we see Kate again soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the privilege of reading and reviewing Every Secret Thing.

[Sarah Pitcher-hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a fan of Susanna Kearsley, I was thrilled to see this release, and it did not disappoint. Kate is a journalist who is approached by an older man on the street one day, and he wants to tell her his tale of murder and intrigue. She doesn't pay much attention to him, but says she will meet him later, and then watches him get run down by a car. This sets her up on a globe-trotting chase to learn more about him and what he wanted to tell her. This fast-paced thriller jumps around in time to tell both the story of Kate and the story of Andrew Deacon and Kate's grandmother in the 1940's during WWII. I read it quickly as it kept me engaged and entertained. I always enjoy a good book from Kearsley and highly recommend this one. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors, and I am so glad I finally got to read a reissue of one of her first books. This was so good! Kate is a stubborn investigative journalist who keeps going, no matter what gets thrown in her way. I love that the characters are so interconnected; they made the story and the history so much richer. I hated that so many people died to keep one man from justice. That Deacon died so needlessly after the life he’d led. And that he and Amelia never met again is just sad. I saw that this was a possible beginning of a series, and I would love to read the continued adventures of Kate Murray. This is classic Susanna Kearsley, and a definite addition to your TBR list, if you haven’t already read it.

[Textual Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Be still, my heart!

I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book, and audibly gasped three times (which is rare for me). While the premise itself might not be the most unique, the story and writing were so well done. This isn't just a historical mystery thriller. It’s chock-full of strong, memorable characters that you grow to love (and, in some cases, hate).

Multi-layered, cleverly thought out, and well paced with a satisfying conclusion.

The only thing that bothered me was the super long chapters and sudden shifts between timelines. Half a star docked off for that.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Sourcebooks, NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC!

PS: I love Mr. Andrew Deacon. That is all.

[Sans Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to see a new Susanna Kearsly title listed! Afterall, I have been a huge fan of her mysteries for more than 30 years. After reading a few pages, I began to experience a sense of dejavue. Indeed, I had read this story before! Fortunately, more than 20 years had passed; and I could not remember any of the details or anything about the ending. It was like reading it for the first time...and enjoying it every bit as much. I love how Susanna Kearsley develops interesting but everyday characters who get caught up it what should be unbelievable drama yet it seems so real! I'm always sad when her stories come to an end.

[Libby Reidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A female journalist in London is met by an older stranger who tells her that she has her grandmother's eyes. Also, that he would like to take her to dinner to discuss a murder. Intrigued, she watches him walk away only to see him killed in an hit and run accident. What follows is a dual timeline story involoving the British spy service during WWII (Involving her grandmother and the deceased man) and the woman searching for the truth about what happened between these two characters. A fanastic read that kept me reading until late in the night! Highly recommended.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this more than 10 years ago when it was published under the pseudonym of Emma Cole. Literally all I remembered the main character briefly ending up in Portugal after an important side character is shot.

So when Shelf Awareness sent it to me for review, I couldn't resist a reread. It's pretty solid -- more bittersweet & with more violence than most of Kearsley's books, but still her trademark style.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young journalist meets an elderly man on the steps of St. Peter's in London where she writing up her reports of a trial for her newspaper. He tells her her eyes are like her grandmother's and that they need to meet up soon so he can tell her about a murder. She's intrigued, but he walks away into traffic and is immediately killed. She attempts to learn more about the man from his nephew, who tells her he'll look through the man's papers to see what she wants to know. Upon returning home to Toronto, she mentions the man's name to her grandmother, who tells her the story about him during the war.

I liked this book, and liked that some of it took place in Canada and with references to Canadian places and items. What I didn't like was the very long chapters and some of the history was a bit dry. But I persevered and I liked the ending. Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy.