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Your Guilty Secret
You know Lara King.
The top billing of the showbiz pages, you've seen her every morning; over your breakfast, on your commute to work. You know everything about her; you've dissected her life.
Her perfect relationship with film-star Matthew Raine. Her beautiful six-year old daughter Ava.
And so when a terrible incident shatters the family's carefully constructed facade, a media frenzy ensues.
What happens when the perfect woman begins to unravel? When her whole life is really just a lie? One she will do anything she can to stop you from finding out?
This story is . . .
YOUR GUILTY SECRET.
A brilliant, dark and beautifully written thriller exploring the dark side of fame and of motherhood, YOUR GUILTY SECRET will grip you tight and not let go of you until the final page has been turned.
The top billing of the showbiz pages, you've seen her every morning; over your breakfast, on your commute to work. You know everything about her; you've dissected her life.
Her perfect relationship with film-star Matthew Raine. Her beautiful six-year old daughter Ava.
And so when a terrible incident shatters the family's carefully constructed facade, a media frenzy ensues.
What happens when the perfect woman begins to unravel? When her whole life is really just a lie? One she will do anything she can to stop you from finding out?
This story is . . .
YOUR GUILTY SECRET.
A brilliant, dark and beautifully written thriller exploring the dark side of fame and of motherhood, YOUR GUILTY SECRET will grip you tight and not let go of you until the final page has been turned.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2018
About the author
Rebecca Thornton
5 books50 followersREBECCA THORNTON is a journalist and runs an online advertising business. Her work has been published in Prospect magazine, the Daily Mail, the Jewish News, and the Sunday People. She was acting editor of an arts and culture magazine based in Jordan, and she’s reported from Kosovo, London, and elsewhere in the Middle East. Rebecca is a graduate of the Faber Academy and The Exclusives is her first novel. She lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 10, 2018
Your Guilty Secret is a beautifully done psychological thriller that I read in one sitting yesterday afternoon, compelled ever onwards to find the ultimate resolution.
This is not only a twisty page turner but a story about the pursuit of fame at all costs. About public adoration and private struggles, a real human drama set right in this click bait, 24/7 news, voyeuristic society that we live in today.
Lara King is the world’s sweetheart, a brand, widely adored up on that pedestal she has carefully created for herself- but when tragedy strikes Lara will find that fame is a double edged sword..
Rebecca Thornton breathes real life into her characters, layers them carefully and pulls you into their world – a world at their feet, but with its own darkness hiding under the glitz and glamour.
It is a thought provoking, nuanced thriller that has all the hallmarks of the genre but wrapped up in some deeply insightful truths about a life in the spotlight. It will reveal itself slowly then leave you with a lot to think about..
I loved it. Divisive characterisation, clever plotting and a difficult to predict resolution.
Definitely recommended.
This is not only a twisty page turner but a story about the pursuit of fame at all costs. About public adoration and private struggles, a real human drama set right in this click bait, 24/7 news, voyeuristic society that we live in today.
Lara King is the world’s sweetheart, a brand, widely adored up on that pedestal she has carefully created for herself- but when tragedy strikes Lara will find that fame is a double edged sword..
Rebecca Thornton breathes real life into her characters, layers them carefully and pulls you into their world – a world at their feet, but with its own darkness hiding under the glitz and glamour.
It is a thought provoking, nuanced thriller that has all the hallmarks of the genre but wrapped up in some deeply insightful truths about a life in the spotlight. It will reveal itself slowly then leave you with a lot to think about..
I loved it. Divisive characterisation, clever plotting and a difficult to predict resolution.
Definitely recommended.
October 17, 2018
Just like Rebecca Thornton's debut novel, Your Guilty Secret seems like a psychological thriller that is based around shallow people and an equally shallow industry. From the moment I read the first couple of pages, I realised that this was going to be a lot deeper than it seemed on the surface and as such it's a study of fame and the consequences of it. Fame is a fickle and untrustworthy mistress, that is for sure!
Well written, exciting and a definite page-turner, I found it difficult to put this down. As is quite often the case, main character Lara King believes in fame and the cult of celebrity no matter the costs. She is a middle-of-the-road character in the sense that you neither love her or hate her, and she definitely has the potential to annoy with the sense of entitlement that seems to emanate from her throughout the novel. I liked how the dark side of the fame industry slowly unfurls and reveals itself. Thought-provoking and deftly plotted with many surprises and a truly shocking and explosive conclusion, this is a cracking read!
Many thanks to Zaffre for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Well written, exciting and a definite page-turner, I found it difficult to put this down. As is quite often the case, main character Lara King believes in fame and the cult of celebrity no matter the costs. She is a middle-of-the-road character in the sense that you neither love her or hate her, and she definitely has the potential to annoy with the sense of entitlement that seems to emanate from her throughout the novel. I liked how the dark side of the fame industry slowly unfurls and reveals itself. Thought-provoking and deftly plotted with many surprises and a truly shocking and explosive conclusion, this is a cracking read!
Many thanks to Zaffre for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
March 27, 2019
This was definitely a different type of book than I’ve read before. It was more like a celebrity drama/thriller. I absolutely loved it. I liked how it was split into the day of the announcement, what happened in England, what happened on the day Ava disappeared and then the present. There was always a cliff hanger after the chapter which makes you want to find out straight away what happened. I really disliked Lara King. I found her to be really self obsessed and a terrible mother. I felt awful for Ava who just wanted her mum to love her and pay attention to her instead of using her to make her look like a good mum on her social media. It was really shocking and very sad when Ava died and I thought Lara’s reaction was awful it was all about her and no one else. I really disliked her. The book itself was excellent and I definitely recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2018
A perceptive and thought-provoking look at the true price of fame & the danger of believing your own hype!
In a celebrity obsessed world, thirty-six-year-old Lara King is at the top of the tree and a global phenomenon if the media are to be believed. With the eyes of the world feasted upon her every move and the adoring public waiting for her to put a foot wrong or utter an ill-judged word, the camera is never off. From her earliest age she has chased the dream and the pursuit of fame, shedding her past without a moments hesitation and fifteen years on from her first taste of the spotlight it has become all too easy to forget the fickle support of fans and the true cost of her stardom. An overnight sensation when she won a reality singer competition in England, only for a drunken moment of madness to leave a stain on her reputation and see the nation’s public drop her like a stone. Vowing to rise again Lara ventures to Los Angeles and disassociates herself from her past to become the embodiment of an earth mother. Her six-year-old daughter, Ava, is all part of that carefully manufactured image and has proved to be a critical component of a golden mother-daughter combination which has generated hordes of fans, a reality show and an array of sponsorship deals.
When a mother-daughter bonding day out in the aftermath of a significant family announcement goes awry and Ava goes missing on a scorching hot day at Laurel Canyon, the media clamours to support Lara and bring Ava home safely. But in no short order the same fans and mass media begin to dissect every aspect of the circumstances surrounding Ava’s disappearance and both the police and Lara’s own entourage soon begin start to pose some potentially very tricky questions that could bring down the whole facade. As fans start to reappraise a woman who they have taken into their hearts and pray for the innocent child caught up in the melee, it threatens to be the undoing of Lara and, in turn, expose the many manipulations of her image that have facilitated her rise to notoriety. In a culture where manipulating the media is all part of the fame game and Lara King has begun to lose sight of her real self, what happens when an element of real life and a potential family tragedy intervenes?
The big announcement should have been a defining moment in Lara King’s career, with the revelation of her engagement to Australian film-star, Matthew Raine, and his adoption of her six-year-old daughter. Instead, just a day later the event was the catalyst for Lara’s lapse of concentration, Ava vanishing and an unprecedented emergency search. The timeline of the novel weaves back and forth between the day of Lara’s big announcement (August 23) to the day of Ava’s disappearance (August 26) and the ensuing search and Lara’s rise (and hasty exit) from England in 2004, and steadily builds momentum to heighten tension.
The narrative is made up of first-person entries in the form of Lara’s own personal thoughts and the unfolding police investigation and the copy of a blogger, purportedly Lara and Ava’s number one fan, whose posts are gaining traction as the media circus surrounding the case ramps up. Rebecca Thornton successfully balances the intimacy of Lara’s deepest feelings and a look behind the celebrity veneer together with depicting a realistic police response. Likewise the conversational tone of the blog posts and the voice Thornton adopts make them wonderfully accessible and highly credible.
A cast of realistically flawed characters, none more so than Lara, generate a pressure cooker atmosphere with several ambiguously portrayed individuals within her own entourage leaving the reader very unsure of just whom to trust. Admittedly I was sceptical about the portrayal of Ava, who at six-years-old seems rather precocious with thought processes and a vocabulary of a much older child, but I can appreciate how her hyper-awareness of the ‘brand’ she is part of from an early age would has exacerbated this.
A riveting psychological thriller that should be required reading in a celebrity obsessed age in which an increasing proportion of the worlds youth regard the pinnacle of success as being a reality star or a social media influencer. A novel of surprising depth with lessons in everything from humility to losing sight of our real selves and staying true to our inner moral compass. Your Guilty Secret is a gripping, painfully believable story with three-dimensional characters and serves as an incisive exploration of the peril of deriving ones self-worth from the adoration of fans and the media.
Kudos to Rebecca Thornton for the slew of corkscrew twists, surprises and frankly shocking revelations in an thoroughly engrossing denouement and the steady unravelling of a superstar with ten percent of the novel still to come. An impressive psychological thriller and a story of real import with home truths that are guaranteed to leave every reader with some profound food for thought.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
In a celebrity obsessed world, thirty-six-year-old Lara King is at the top of the tree and a global phenomenon if the media are to be believed. With the eyes of the world feasted upon her every move and the adoring public waiting for her to put a foot wrong or utter an ill-judged word, the camera is never off. From her earliest age she has chased the dream and the pursuit of fame, shedding her past without a moments hesitation and fifteen years on from her first taste of the spotlight it has become all too easy to forget the fickle support of fans and the true cost of her stardom. An overnight sensation when she won a reality singer competition in England, only for a drunken moment of madness to leave a stain on her reputation and see the nation’s public drop her like a stone. Vowing to rise again Lara ventures to Los Angeles and disassociates herself from her past to become the embodiment of an earth mother. Her six-year-old daughter, Ava, is all part of that carefully manufactured image and has proved to be a critical component of a golden mother-daughter combination which has generated hordes of fans, a reality show and an array of sponsorship deals.
When a mother-daughter bonding day out in the aftermath of a significant family announcement goes awry and Ava goes missing on a scorching hot day at Laurel Canyon, the media clamours to support Lara and bring Ava home safely. But in no short order the same fans and mass media begin to dissect every aspect of the circumstances surrounding Ava’s disappearance and both the police and Lara’s own entourage soon begin start to pose some potentially very tricky questions that could bring down the whole facade. As fans start to reappraise a woman who they have taken into their hearts and pray for the innocent child caught up in the melee, it threatens to be the undoing of Lara and, in turn, expose the many manipulations of her image that have facilitated her rise to notoriety. In a culture where manipulating the media is all part of the fame game and Lara King has begun to lose sight of her real self, what happens when an element of real life and a potential family tragedy intervenes?
The big announcement should have been a defining moment in Lara King’s career, with the revelation of her engagement to Australian film-star, Matthew Raine, and his adoption of her six-year-old daughter. Instead, just a day later the event was the catalyst for Lara’s lapse of concentration, Ava vanishing and an unprecedented emergency search. The timeline of the novel weaves back and forth between the day of Lara’s big announcement (August 23) to the day of Ava’s disappearance (August 26) and the ensuing search and Lara’s rise (and hasty exit) from England in 2004, and steadily builds momentum to heighten tension.
The narrative is made up of first-person entries in the form of Lara’s own personal thoughts and the unfolding police investigation and the copy of a blogger, purportedly Lara and Ava’s number one fan, whose posts are gaining traction as the media circus surrounding the case ramps up. Rebecca Thornton successfully balances the intimacy of Lara’s deepest feelings and a look behind the celebrity veneer together with depicting a realistic police response. Likewise the conversational tone of the blog posts and the voice Thornton adopts make them wonderfully accessible and highly credible.
A cast of realistically flawed characters, none more so than Lara, generate a pressure cooker atmosphere with several ambiguously portrayed individuals within her own entourage leaving the reader very unsure of just whom to trust. Admittedly I was sceptical about the portrayal of Ava, who at six-years-old seems rather precocious with thought processes and a vocabulary of a much older child, but I can appreciate how her hyper-awareness of the ‘brand’ she is part of from an early age would has exacerbated this.
A riveting psychological thriller that should be required reading in a celebrity obsessed age in which an increasing proportion of the worlds youth regard the pinnacle of success as being a reality star or a social media influencer. A novel of surprising depth with lessons in everything from humility to losing sight of our real selves and staying true to our inner moral compass. Your Guilty Secret is a gripping, painfully believable story with three-dimensional characters and serves as an incisive exploration of the peril of deriving ones self-worth from the adoration of fans and the media.
Kudos to Rebecca Thornton for the slew of corkscrew twists, surprises and frankly shocking revelations in an thoroughly engrossing denouement and the steady unravelling of a superstar with ten percent of the novel still to come. An impressive psychological thriller and a story of real import with home truths that are guaranteed to leave every reader with some profound food for thought.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
November 4, 2018
To be perfectly blunt, this book really disappointed me. As a big fan of psychological thrillers, I expected to really enjoy this book. However, although I was able to make it to the end of the story, it felt like I was plodding to get there, and the ending really wasn't worth the huge build up.
The book tells the story of celebrity Lara King from her point of view after her 6 year old daughter, Ava, goes missing. Made to stay at home whilst her millions of Instagram followers look for Ava, Lara slowly starts to lose control of her fabricated 'perfect life'.
2.5 stars
I felt like the book's concept had huge potential in our celebrity-obsessed society, and expected it to explore the darkness of fame. However, I found the story line and its 'major plot twists' to be unrealistic and quite boring due to the author's need to make everything sound dramatic! What also bugged me throughout the story was that the 6 year old was written far too maturely for her age.
To summarise, this book was an okay read, but left me feeling 'meh'. There are just so many better psychological thrillers out there right now, so I couldn't honestly recommend this book to be added to your TBR list.
I received a copy of this book from Readers First in exchange for an honest review.
The book tells the story of celebrity Lara King from her point of view after her 6 year old daughter, Ava, goes missing. Made to stay at home whilst her millions of Instagram followers look for Ava, Lara slowly starts to lose control of her fabricated 'perfect life'.
2.5 stars
I felt like the book's concept had huge potential in our celebrity-obsessed society, and expected it to explore the darkness of fame. However, I found the story line and its 'major plot twists' to be unrealistic and quite boring due to the author's need to make everything sound dramatic! What also bugged me throughout the story was that the 6 year old was written far too maturely for her age.
To summarise, this book was an okay read, but left me feeling 'meh'. There are just so many better psychological thrillers out there right now, so I couldn't honestly recommend this book to be added to your TBR list.
I received a copy of this book from Readers First in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2019
I almost put this down as it was so boring to start with - Lara King is supposed to be the biggest star in the world, a beautiful house, great career and a daughter who she has made into part of the brand. The 'announcement' they are all gearing towards was such an anti climax. It didn't materialise until page 150 by which time I really didn't care but the let down was the 'announcement' being that she was getting engaged!! In addition to this, something had been going on in the pool house - another anti climax. This had meant to traumatise Ava the daughter which is thought to have caused her to run away.
Add the blog of a obsessed fan and his rantings this novel was a mess. Did I care about her? No. Was I invested in the story line? No. Even the ending which was a twist of sorts still left me unimpressed. Disappointing, over hyped and only just average writing. Sorry not for me 2 stars.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Add the blog of a obsessed fan and his rantings this novel was a mess. Did I care about her? No. Was I invested in the story line? No. Even the ending which was a twist of sorts still left me unimpressed. Disappointing, over hyped and only just average writing. Sorry not for me 2 stars.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2019
I think the categorising of this novel as a psychological thriller is what threw me as it is more of a contemporary crime read. The book takes a little while to get going and the characters are rather shallow throughout (but then that was the premise of the storyline). Admittedly by half-way, I did want to see how it ended, so that is a plus; however, the social media commentary and the self-absorbed characters are a little difficult to persevere with at times. It is highly relevant in these hyped up times of 'my life only has value if it's being liked on the internet...'
Not a bad read but not a great/brilliant one either.
Not a bad read but not a great/brilliant one either.
February 17, 2019
Review originally posted to www.rebeccasravereviews.wordpress.com
I received a copy of Your Guilty Secret from Readers First in exchange for an honest review.
Lara King is the biggest star in the world - or so she likes to think. She has it all - an amazing house, the most dedicated fans, a hit TV show all about her, and a gorgeous daughter. This is, until her daughter goes missing and for once, everything is out of her control. And that's when things start to unravel...
I have such mixed feelings about this book. When first starting it, I was really not sure. It seemed like the pacing was quite slow, but there was just question upon question and no real pay off, no snippet of information to drive you forward - just more mysteries and questions to answer.
I've finally settled on a 3 star rating for Your Guilty Secrets. Lara is not the most likeable character - in fact, she doesn't really have any redeemable features at all. The story is built up to be so much more than it reveals itself to be, and a lot of the key points are disappointing and quite frankly a little unbelievable. Lara's character is quite flat and not very dimensional, but I think in the position she's in she could have been so intriguing and multi-faceted.
This review will contain spoilers from here on out.
Some of my main issues:
There was no explanation of what she did to become famous. She was on a signing show in the UK, and then she was a TV host when she first got to America. But to go from that to her level of celebrity as it was? What was she known for except that TV about her and Ava? Surely there must have been a middle step we should have been told about.
'The announcement' was so overrated in my eyes. I was so iffy up until that point as to what Matthew actually was to her - a boyfriend/fiance/husband? So the fact they were getting engaged was lost in all the momentum they were trying to build up for it.
Similarly, what was going on in pool house annexe. A let down. Something worse than drugs, sex, and rock and roll, something to traumatise Ava.... and yes, a violent video of the man about to become her father would be very upsetting... but it was also an odd reason for him to be watching it? To 'punish' himself some more... do people do that? Is that a feasible explanation? I'm not convinced.
Ava's father wasn't that scandalous either, and yet it was made such a big deal of.
I just feel everything in this book was hyped up to be so dramatic and outrageous that when the reveal came, it was quite disappointing.
I also found that her level of fame was... absurd? Or maybe it was all distorted from her point of view and her perception of herself, and the view of an in-too-deep fan with a blog about her. And her portrayal of England... we're not a country of total unknowns you know? I know 2004 was a while ago now, but people come from all over the world for our X Factor and our talent shows.... someone would know her from her England days, especially if she was as big then as she says she is.
What I did love about this is that I didn't see the twist coming - the twist being that Lara's story to the police was a lie. We all knew she was lying about a lot, but I at least thought I knew what she was lying about. I bought the story of Ava getting out the car to go to the toilet and disappearing. So I loved the reveal of that truth. Unreliable narrators are one of my favourite things to read about... but when you don't suspect it. I'm thinking of The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins - you knew that main character was having blackouts, you knew she was drunk and out of it a lot. It would be feasible for her to not be telling you the whole story - not deliberately - just because she didn't remember or wasn't fully aware. But here, you thought that Lara was functioning perfectly fine. If you did enjoy this I would recommend Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas.
Overall, a satisfying end, but a bit of a disappointing climax.
I received a copy of Your Guilty Secret from Readers First in exchange for an honest review.
Lara King is the biggest star in the world - or so she likes to think. She has it all - an amazing house, the most dedicated fans, a hit TV show all about her, and a gorgeous daughter. This is, until her daughter goes missing and for once, everything is out of her control. And that's when things start to unravel...
I have such mixed feelings about this book. When first starting it, I was really not sure. It seemed like the pacing was quite slow, but there was just question upon question and no real pay off, no snippet of information to drive you forward - just more mysteries and questions to answer.
I've finally settled on a 3 star rating for Your Guilty Secrets. Lara is not the most likeable character - in fact, she doesn't really have any redeemable features at all. The story is built up to be so much more than it reveals itself to be, and a lot of the key points are disappointing and quite frankly a little unbelievable. Lara's character is quite flat and not very dimensional, but I think in the position she's in she could have been so intriguing and multi-faceted.
This review will contain spoilers from here on out.
Some of my main issues:
There was no explanation of what she did to become famous. She was on a signing show in the UK, and then she was a TV host when she first got to America. But to go from that to her level of celebrity as it was? What was she known for except that TV about her and Ava? Surely there must have been a middle step we should have been told about.
'The announcement' was so overrated in my eyes. I was so iffy up until that point as to what Matthew actually was to her - a boyfriend/fiance/husband? So the fact they were getting engaged was lost in all the momentum they were trying to build up for it.
Similarly, what was going on in pool house annexe. A let down. Something worse than drugs, sex, and rock and roll, something to traumatise Ava.... and yes, a violent video of the man about to become her father would be very upsetting... but it was also an odd reason for him to be watching it? To 'punish' himself some more... do people do that? Is that a feasible explanation? I'm not convinced.
Ava's father wasn't that scandalous either, and yet it was made such a big deal of.
I just feel everything in this book was hyped up to be so dramatic and outrageous that when the reveal came, it was quite disappointing.
I also found that her level of fame was... absurd? Or maybe it was all distorted from her point of view and her perception of herself, and the view of an in-too-deep fan with a blog about her. And her portrayal of England... we're not a country of total unknowns you know? I know 2004 was a while ago now, but people come from all over the world for our X Factor and our talent shows.... someone would know her from her England days, especially if she was as big then as she says she is.
What I did love about this is that I didn't see the twist coming - the twist being that Lara's story to the police was a lie. We all knew she was lying about a lot, but I at least thought I knew what she was lying about. I bought the story of Ava getting out the car to go to the toilet and disappearing. So I loved the reveal of that truth. Unreliable narrators are one of my favourite things to read about... but when you don't suspect it. I'm thinking of The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins - you knew that main character was having blackouts, you knew she was drunk and out of it a lot. It would be feasible for her to not be telling you the whole story - not deliberately - just because she didn't remember or wasn't fully aware. But here, you thought that Lara was functioning perfectly fine. If you did enjoy this I would recommend Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas.
Overall, a satisfying end, but a bit of a disappointing climax.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2019
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
Holy crap, what have I just read?!!! Compelling, disturbing, and utterly addictive, YOUR GUILTY SECRET by Rebecca Thornton is sure to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions and leave you shaken at the end.
Lara King is at the height of her success, with a successful tv show centred around her and her adorable little girl, Ava. She has a new relationship with heartthrob Matthew and an exciting new adventure is about to be set in motion. Everything is perfect. And then Ava disappears. As the world watches and Lara's fans feel as if it is their own daughter that is lost, Lara starts to buckle under the pressure. For her world is just a facade, the lies and the truth all brushed under the carpet to make her marketable and her life insta-glamorous. But as time creeps on and there is still no sign of Ava, the cracks are starting to show and the truth will always come out in the end ...
This story is deeply disturbing as we get to see behind the curtain of celebrity and witness the pressures of needing to be perfect and desperately craving the limelight. I don't want to say too much about the plot as I don't want to give anything away but YOUR GUILTY SECRET by Rebecca Thornton was sooooo much darker than I thought it would be and equally as gripping.
A psychological thriller that is sadly perfect for the world we live in, YOUR GUILTY SECRET is simply superb and I highly recommend it!
Holy crap, what have I just read?!!! Compelling, disturbing, and utterly addictive, YOUR GUILTY SECRET by Rebecca Thornton is sure to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions and leave you shaken at the end.
Lara King is at the height of her success, with a successful tv show centred around her and her adorable little girl, Ava. She has a new relationship with heartthrob Matthew and an exciting new adventure is about to be set in motion. Everything is perfect. And then Ava disappears. As the world watches and Lara's fans feel as if it is their own daughter that is lost, Lara starts to buckle under the pressure. For her world is just a facade, the lies and the truth all brushed under the carpet to make her marketable and her life insta-glamorous. But as time creeps on and there is still no sign of Ava, the cracks are starting to show and the truth will always come out in the end ...
This story is deeply disturbing as we get to see behind the curtain of celebrity and witness the pressures of needing to be perfect and desperately craving the limelight. I don't want to say too much about the plot as I don't want to give anything away but YOUR GUILTY SECRET by Rebecca Thornton was sooooo much darker than I thought it would be and equally as gripping.
A psychological thriller that is sadly perfect for the world we live in, YOUR GUILTY SECRET is simply superb and I highly recommend it!
April 20, 2020
This was ok I guess. It was the story of a mega famous celebrity in LA whose daughter goes missing on a day out. It turns out that the celeb, Lara, has a bit of a past back in the UK that catches up with her. She will also do anything for her ‘brand’ (I hate that word) so you’re left wondering what the deal is with her daughters disappearance. The writing was pretty good, the plot kept me interested, but the people, especially Lara, were just such horrible people I kind of hoped they’d all die.
March 23, 2019
What a book!
I honestly cannot believe the quality fo the debut novels I am so fortunate to read this year ...and it's only March!
'Your Guilty Secret' is a tour de force of information dangling, reveals and tantalising titbits which are teased out of the story of a celebrity whose child has gone missing.
Cleverly swapping between the narrative of mother, Lara King, international superstar and a blog/website called 'ryan's world' , the self proclaimed 'Number 1 fan' of Lara and her daughter Ava, we , the readers, get to see both sides of the missing child investigation .
Lara and Ava were going to make a great announcement that had the eyes of the world upon them-but what did Ava see in the pool house that afternoon?
What happened to Lara in England before she got famous? Does she really not know who her daughter's father is?
Whose secret is being kept, and is Ava's disappearance after stopping at a roadside for her to answer a call of nature whilst her mother answers the phone, real or manufactured?
And who is behind 'ryans world'?
What is going on?!
I cannot reveal any spoilers, other than that this book will keep you on the edge of your seat as you flip the pages with bated breath, hoping for a good outcome for Ava at the same time as Rebecca deftly juggles the multiple plot lines and time frames, leaving nothing smashing to the floor just superbly spinning plates.
I particularly like the inclusion of the comments section of Ryan's site, as the investigation continues, it gives the story a very real life feel, as well as adding a layer of voyeurism to the plot. On the one hand the first person narrative makes it feel as though Lara is talking directly to you, whilst the website makes you feel like you are trawling online.
It gives the whole story such a ring of truth, right from the start as multiple people lay into Lara, from behind their keybords as her 911 call is released...
This is a brilliantly twisty thriller that keeps you hooked from page one.
I honestly cannot believe the quality fo the debut novels I am so fortunate to read this year ...and it's only March!
'Your Guilty Secret' is a tour de force of information dangling, reveals and tantalising titbits which are teased out of the story of a celebrity whose child has gone missing.
Cleverly swapping between the narrative of mother, Lara King, international superstar and a blog/website called 'ryan's world' , the self proclaimed 'Number 1 fan' of Lara and her daughter Ava, we , the readers, get to see both sides of the missing child investigation .
Lara and Ava were going to make a great announcement that had the eyes of the world upon them-but what did Ava see in the pool house that afternoon?
What happened to Lara in England before she got famous? Does she really not know who her daughter's father is?
Whose secret is being kept, and is Ava's disappearance after stopping at a roadside for her to answer a call of nature whilst her mother answers the phone, real or manufactured?
And who is behind 'ryans world'?
What is going on?!
I cannot reveal any spoilers, other than that this book will keep you on the edge of your seat as you flip the pages with bated breath, hoping for a good outcome for Ava at the same time as Rebecca deftly juggles the multiple plot lines and time frames, leaving nothing smashing to the floor just superbly spinning plates.
I particularly like the inclusion of the comments section of Ryan's site, as the investigation continues, it gives the story a very real life feel, as well as adding a layer of voyeurism to the plot. On the one hand the first person narrative makes it feel as though Lara is talking directly to you, whilst the website makes you feel like you are trawling online.
It gives the whole story such a ring of truth, right from the start as multiple people lay into Lara, from behind their keybords as her 911 call is released...
This is a brilliantly twisty thriller that keeps you hooked from page one.
March 8, 2019
What I loved about this book is exactly what drew me in in the first place - Lara's celebrity status. I've read so many 'missing child' thrillers, but never something that made me feel like I had stepped into somebody else's lifestyle. Initially I felt empathy for Lara as Ava's mother, but the more I read on I couldn't help but feel sorry for Ava as she lost her childhood to her mother's fame. The conflicting views I had of Lara continued throughout the book and she continued to intrigue me throughout.
I liked how the chapters were split to give the reader a different perspective. Some helped to understand the events in the lead up to Ava's disappearance, whilst others followed the aftermath both through Lara's eyes and through the media. The blog extracts particularly kept me on my toes and I was constantly wanting to know who was behind them!!! Also, learning of Lara's past before she came to fame helped piece together the type of character she really was.
This book really makes think and often the language used is directed to the reader which really makes you invest in the events of Ava's disappearance. There are plenty of other influential characters to keep you guessing as to who and what everyone's real motives were in Lara's life.
The book was so fast paced that I found myself absorbing up to 100 pages in each small sitting! The variety in chapter context helps to keep the reader's attention as you bounce between events. However most of all I felt the harrowing message being that, no matter what, your past will always catch up with you.
Overall a very enjoyable read and certainly stands out from other similar missing child thrillers out there. I had so many questions and was kept on the tips of my toes! A four star review from me on Goodreads, and certainly an author I will be keeping my eye out for!
I liked how the chapters were split to give the reader a different perspective. Some helped to understand the events in the lead up to Ava's disappearance, whilst others followed the aftermath both through Lara's eyes and through the media. The blog extracts particularly kept me on my toes and I was constantly wanting to know who was behind them!!! Also, learning of Lara's past before she came to fame helped piece together the type of character she really was.
This book really makes think and often the language used is directed to the reader which really makes you invest in the events of Ava's disappearance. There are plenty of other influential characters to keep you guessing as to who and what everyone's real motives were in Lara's life.
The book was so fast paced that I found myself absorbing up to 100 pages in each small sitting! The variety in chapter context helps to keep the reader's attention as you bounce between events. However most of all I felt the harrowing message being that, no matter what, your past will always catch up with you.
Overall a very enjoyable read and certainly stands out from other similar missing child thrillers out there. I had so many questions and was kept on the tips of my toes! A four star review from me on Goodreads, and certainly an author I will be keeping my eye out for!
January 6, 2020
Sorry I really didn’t like this book. It’s slow because it does this annoying thing where the narrator withholds information from the reader over and over and over again! For no apparent reason. What happened in the indoor pool? It’s apparently important but we don’t find out for many chapters. What’s the big announcement the main character is making to the media? Let’s write vague prose to purposefully obscure what it is (even though there is no reason whatsoever to do so). It comes off as forced and slows down the pace of the book. It even goes as far as to abruptly cut off a scene where the main character was about to do something bad...only to go back to it after one chapter and repeat and extend the parts of the previous chapter that we already know. Really?! Why drag it out?? Some think it might build suspense, but to me, it’s so overdone and the pay off for all the waiting is so small that it’s really not worth it.
February 27, 2019
In Your Guilty Secrets we meet super star Lara King. Like all major celebrities, fame and fortune is everything to Lara. Even above her own daughter, her family and friends. Then her young daughter Ava goes missing and Lara's world is about to change forever. With her legion of fans behind her surely this will be resolved in no time...but Lara has deep secrets that show a side of her that she would rather keep hidden.
Will the investigation into her missing daughter reveal these secrets? Will Lara lose everything in the plight to find her daughter?
If you like your protagonists to be likeable then this is not the book for you. But I absolutely loved it! Lara placed more importance on the fickle fame industry than the real life (read: important) things. For example, whilst tucking her daughter into bed Lara is more focused on what she could post next on Instagram and how many likes should would get, rather than spending time with her daughter.
As the book goes on and the investigation ramps up we learn more about Lara's rise to fame and what darkness lurks beneath her pristine image. This book is actually quite thought provoking, particularly in the social media age in which we are immersed in now. There are so many keyboard warriors vying to bring someone down and the high price of living vicariously through such a vapid life of 'celebrity'.
If you want to become immersed in a brilliant escapist book, then Your Guilty Secret is the one to pick up. A perfect holiday read, but beneath the glitz and glamour lies a dark and deadly secret.
A 4 star read for me.
I would like to thank Bonnier Zaffre for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
February 14, 2023
It’s easy as a parent to take your eyes off your little darling for a few seconds, whether it’s to answer a call, nip to the loo or to fetch that lukewarm brew that you made and desperately need the caffeine. But in that split second, for them to disappear is heartbreaking.
Lara and her partner Matthew are in the public eye along with Lara’s daughter Ava. Ava vanishes when her and Lara have a pit stop on a girlie day out. Obviously with a high profile couple, there is a media frenzy to find this adorable little girl.
Your Guilty Secret isn’t just about Ava’s disappearance. It’s a time jump story along Lara’s life, from her being discovered, the run up to the big “announcement” and the aftermath of Ava’s disappearance. I got to see the different sides of Lara and how she changed over time. What she was willing to do to be/stay in the limelight. The more I got to know Lara, the less I liked her.
Thornton has written a tense thriller with some unlikeable characters, showing how potential the life of an influencer and star is carefully orchestrated to keep that individual centre stage. Showing the lengths those around a star will go to keep the public on their side despite the bad news stories. Showing how desperate some can get when things don’t go their way. Your Guilty Secret is an addictive read which chilled me with the truth.
Lara and her partner Matthew are in the public eye along with Lara’s daughter Ava. Ava vanishes when her and Lara have a pit stop on a girlie day out. Obviously with a high profile couple, there is a media frenzy to find this adorable little girl.
Your Guilty Secret isn’t just about Ava’s disappearance. It’s a time jump story along Lara’s life, from her being discovered, the run up to the big “announcement” and the aftermath of Ava’s disappearance. I got to see the different sides of Lara and how she changed over time. What she was willing to do to be/stay in the limelight. The more I got to know Lara, the less I liked her.
Thornton has written a tense thriller with some unlikeable characters, showing how potential the life of an influencer and star is carefully orchestrated to keep that individual centre stage. Showing the lengths those around a star will go to keep the public on their side despite the bad news stories. Showing how desperate some can get when things don’t go their way. Your Guilty Secret is an addictive read which chilled me with the truth.
August 5, 2019
Your guilty Pleasure
I’ve never read a book from this author before so I was intrigued after reading great reviews about her other books. The story starts of about Lara and Ava King who are well know in their industry and are worth a lot of money. But one day they are both out on a drive and Ava goes missing and the search for the little girl begin.
There is a lot of background to the story and going back and fourth in the life of Lara King and how she got famous, what happened in England and her life in the US. There are a lot of things that comes out of the wood work that needs to be addressed and delt with.
I was not expecting the ending of the book at all. But I felt I little bit used as it was just going around and around and more lies was being told. But I never anticipated the ending to be like that. All the lies click into place at the end of the book.
I would recommend this book but i felt it was just a plain story and not too much happened in the story just small snippets of evidence and Lara trying to regain control. The only thing I can say about this book is the author did a great job of writing the story and making it feel like you was in the situation and losing your daughter. Overall I did enjoy the story but It was nothing to get over excited about.
I’ve never read a book from this author before so I was intrigued after reading great reviews about her other books. The story starts of about Lara and Ava King who are well know in their industry and are worth a lot of money. But one day they are both out on a drive and Ava goes missing and the search for the little girl begin.
There is a lot of background to the story and going back and fourth in the life of Lara King and how she got famous, what happened in England and her life in the US. There are a lot of things that comes out of the wood work that needs to be addressed and delt with.
I was not expecting the ending of the book at all. But I felt I little bit used as it was just going around and around and more lies was being told. But I never anticipated the ending to be like that. All the lies click into place at the end of the book.
I would recommend this book but i felt it was just a plain story and not too much happened in the story just small snippets of evidence and Lara trying to regain control. The only thing I can say about this book is the author did a great job of writing the story and making it feel like you was in the situation and losing your daughter. Overall I did enjoy the story but It was nothing to get over excited about.
April 13, 2023
2 stars. A disappointing listen, marketed as a psychological "thriller" but the pace never came anywhere close to thrilling. The entire story pretty much revolves around several questions: What is the "reveal" that dominates the first third or so of the book (the reveal was disappointing), what happened in the swimming pool annexe (again, disappointing - I think it was pretty obvious that it wasn't going to be something good) and what happened to Ava (the ending rescued it a bit, but by this stage I found was too little too late). There really isn't almost 12 hours worth of story in here, and it felt like the author was artificially lengthening the story by going round and round in circles, and while there was a . The questions that were built up early on made me want to listen through to find out how it ended, but overall the answers I found disappointing.
April 4, 2020
It would seem that fame does crazy things to people and that as a star is born they believe they are above the authorities.
Lara King's 6 year old daughter Ava goes missing. She was last seen getting out of her mum's car to have a wee. After a few minutes Lara realises that Ava has been longer than normal and gets out the car to find that Ava is no where in sight. As Lara tries to find her daughter, her life as she knows it in front of the public, comes under even more scrutiny than normal, when the past comes back to bite her on the bum.
This was an average read, all throughout the story you are left hanging, waiting for a little more of the secrets and lies to unfold. There were a couple of times when I thought about jacking it in, but then as I got closer to the end all became clear. The ending is definitely worth the wait.
Lara King's 6 year old daughter Ava goes missing. She was last seen getting out of her mum's car to have a wee. After a few minutes Lara realises that Ava has been longer than normal and gets out the car to find that Ava is no where in sight. As Lara tries to find her daughter, her life as she knows it in front of the public, comes under even more scrutiny than normal, when the past comes back to bite her on the bum.
This was an average read, all throughout the story you are left hanging, waiting for a little more of the secrets and lies to unfold. There were a couple of times when I thought about jacking it in, but then as I got closer to the end all became clear. The ending is definitely worth the wait.
March 23, 2020
This is a suspenseful psychological thriller about a woman who would do anything for fame and recognition, even put in danger her own daughter. I really didn’t like the protagonist (or the other characters of the story). Self-centred and flawed, Lara King is the perfect protagonist of this twisty novel. When her six-year-old daughter disappears, Lara finds herself struggling between her external façade and her private life that collide with consequences out of control. I literally devoured this novel, eager to see how the story would end, an ending that was perfect and took me by surprise.
November 28, 2018
Disclaimer: My sister's book! Very dark look at fame seen through the eyes of various protagonists. The sinister world of celebrity we're all implicated in with our insatiable thirst for celebrity gossip 24/7. Great read
July 1, 2019
Loved it!
(Didn't love her!)
(Didn't love her!)
November 29, 2021
I really didn't enjoy this and struggled to finish it.
March 10, 2024
Not what I thought it would be. Good read but I guessed the ending though I wondered if that was the authors intention. Highly recommended
May 23, 2024
I don’t really know what to rate this book… potentially 3.75⭐️.
It took me a while to get into because of the writing style… it kept changing from first person speaking about the events to first person speaking to me as the reader. Then you had the change of timeline and also a blog post… I wish there was less timeline changes.
The characters and timelines were sometimes a bit confusing to understand - especially the bit where the police man keeps coming and going from the house (like three times in one night??).
Overall the plot was really good although I wish it had a different ending (the part who has done it) and a bit more tension to the reveal.
I think this book had a potential for even 5 stars if a few changes were made to its presentation and reveal of the plot.
It took me a while to get into because of the writing style… it kept changing from first person speaking about the events to first person speaking to me as the reader. Then you had the change of timeline and also a blog post… I wish there was less timeline changes.
The characters and timelines were sometimes a bit confusing to understand - especially the bit where the police man keeps coming and going from the house (like three times in one night??).
Overall the plot was really good although I wish it had a different ending (the part who has done it) and a bit more tension to the reveal.
I think this book had a potential for even 5 stars if a few changes were made to its presentation and reveal of the plot.
February 1, 2019
I absolutely devoured this book. it's like the juiciest blind item you've ever read, until the ending when you realise...well, I won't spoil it,.. It doesn't take long before the reader realises that the narrator, megastar Lara King, is actually an extremely unpleasant individual. The bedrock of her fame is based on her idyllic relationship with her daughter, with every perfect moment Instagrammed to perfection. As you read on, it becomes clear that it's not Lara, but the nanny who is raising her daughter, Ava. In fact, Lara only seems to use Ava for photo ops. When Ava goes missing, Lara's world turns upside down and not for the reasons you might think. in fact, many of the developments leave a bitter taste behind.
I can't go any deeper without spoiling it, but this is a very intelligently written novel about society and aspiration and fame. Fame is portrayed as an addictive disease: a pill that's swallowed by choice. The book has a lot to say about shallowness, vanity, appearances and how there's always somebody that we all want to be like, and always a brand that'll pay them.
The end of this book suggests we all take a long , hard in the mirror, hence the title. Excellent 5/5. I'll definitely read more from Rebecca Thornton.
I can't go any deeper without spoiling it, but this is a very intelligently written novel about society and aspiration and fame. Fame is portrayed as an addictive disease: a pill that's swallowed by choice. The book has a lot to say about shallowness, vanity, appearances and how there's always somebody that we all want to be like, and always a brand that'll pay them.
The end of this book suggests we all take a long , hard in the mirror, hence the title. Excellent 5/5. I'll definitely read more from Rebecca Thornton.
June 16, 2020
Your Guilty Secret is one of those books that sucks you in and barely lets go until the very end. I am a massive fan about novels about fame and this was one of the very best – providing a much deeper, darker look into what goes on in Hollywood, akin to what you read about on gossip sites where nobody is perfect and everybody is hiding something. Lara King is one of the most confusing narrators I have ever come across and even after finishing the book, I’m not sure we still got the full story on exactly what happened with Ava, her daughter. It felt like there was a chapter missing in the book, that typical thriller chapter where you think everything is fine and dandy and sorted out properly and then the book throws you one last twist, just because.
I will say that while I enjoyed the novel immensely, I couldn’t stand Lara. Considering where she came from and how her career almost ended before it started, she was so conceited. Always so bothered about Lara. What would be good for the Lara King brand? During the whole novel she seemed cold and calculated and I was never quite sure we were getting the real Lara, and that was disturbing. It was like she was playing a part, and I wasn’t buying it. I didn’t believe her, I didn’t trust her and, most importantly, I didn’t like her. The way she manipulated Ava was downright sociopathic. Who threatens a six year old with the loss of her nanny so she behaves? Her methods were just completely screwed up and while it might be horrible to say, she deserved the way the public treated her.
What was really incredible about Your Guilty Secret was that, despite despising Lara, I would still read a sequel to this novel. It was fascinating, like can’t-look-away-car-crash fascinating. Rebecca Thornton is a fantastic writer and it says a lot about her writing skills that despite absolutely hating her main character, I would still read more from her. Lara was just her own worst enemy I felt, and that really was something to see. You know, you see these beautiful Hollywood couples but you definitely don’t see the bad stuff, like anything, they only show you the good times and try to hide the bad times as best they can.
I devoured this book in a couple of days, it was so fascinating, so more-ish. Being a celebrity certainly doesn’t give you happiness or the perfect life and that’s so apparent in Your Guilty Secret. It still makes for fascinating reading though, and I was hooked. I have no idea if Rebecca Thorton plans to bring back Lara King but I would certainly read more, especially with how Your Guilty Secret ended, there’s so much more to be told I felt and I would be there for it for sure.
I will say that while I enjoyed the novel immensely, I couldn’t stand Lara. Considering where she came from and how her career almost ended before it started, she was so conceited. Always so bothered about Lara. What would be good for the Lara King brand? During the whole novel she seemed cold and calculated and I was never quite sure we were getting the real Lara, and that was disturbing. It was like she was playing a part, and I wasn’t buying it. I didn’t believe her, I didn’t trust her and, most importantly, I didn’t like her. The way she manipulated Ava was downright sociopathic. Who threatens a six year old with the loss of her nanny so she behaves? Her methods were just completely screwed up and while it might be horrible to say, she deserved the way the public treated her.
What was really incredible about Your Guilty Secret was that, despite despising Lara, I would still read a sequel to this novel. It was fascinating, like can’t-look-away-car-crash fascinating. Rebecca Thornton is a fantastic writer and it says a lot about her writing skills that despite absolutely hating her main character, I would still read more from her. Lara was just her own worst enemy I felt, and that really was something to see. You know, you see these beautiful Hollywood couples but you definitely don’t see the bad stuff, like anything, they only show you the good times and try to hide the bad times as best they can.
I devoured this book in a couple of days, it was so fascinating, so more-ish. Being a celebrity certainly doesn’t give you happiness or the perfect life and that’s so apparent in Your Guilty Secret. It still makes for fascinating reading though, and I was hooked. I have no idea if Rebecca Thorton plans to bring back Lara King but I would certainly read more, especially with how Your Guilty Secret ended, there’s so much more to be told I felt and I would be there for it for sure.
January 16, 2019
A definite page-turner about fame and all the entrapments, highs and lows that come alongside that fame.
Sometimes things are not what they seem and some things are deeper than than they first appear.
Sometimes things are not what they seem and some things are deeper than than they first appear.
May 2, 2019
On the surface, this is a book that largely focuses on a missing child but with a big twist ... that child is the daughter of a celeb. Enjoyed the rather unique take on the narrative, which flipped between Lara (past and present) and a blogger (Lara's self proclaimed no 1 fan) covering the search for Ava in real time. The plot is tense and gripping. It definitely makes you think about the other side of fame! I really didn't like Lara's character but big thumbs up to the author for hooking me in despite that!
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