Never Tell

by Claire Seeber

Your past will always find you! With her three beautiful children, millionaire husband and Cotswolds mansion, former investigative journalist Rose Miller has an enviable life. But behind the domestic bliss lies a secret past! As Oxford students in the early nineties, Rose and James belonged to Society X, an elite clique that knew no boundaries. Led by the enigmatic Dalziel, the group were hell bent on breaking down society's norms - until an unimaginable tragedy occurs. With the subsequent scandal covered up, Rose has settled into family life - but is afraid to admit her feelings of boredom. So when her ex-editor asks Rose to dig the dirt on a wealthy businessman new to the area, adrenaline enlivens her. But as Rose's investigation begins to threaten her family she backs away - and then a tragedy at her home begins to widen the cracks in her domestic facade. As their world crumbles around them, is Rose about to atone for the sins of her past? An utterly gripping novel that will captivate fans of Sophie Hannah and Nicci French.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Adventure, Crime

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked this but didn't love it. I read anoither Claire Seeber book earlier this year and really enjoyed it so this was a bit of a disappointment.
I didn't mind the back and forth in time bit, I quite like books that do that, but unfortunately the parts written from Rose's past at Oxford, were for me, overwritten and confusing. When events or characters from the past reared up in present day I often had to go back to check who they were or what exactly happened. The whole bit about the waitress who stole her scarf passed over me and left no memory whatsoever, so when she rocked up in present time I had no idea what was going on and had to do a bit of re-reading. Like I said , confusing.

I couldn't make up my mind about Rose's character, she seemed very niaeve for an 'award winning' journalist.

This warmed up after the halfway mark, but I thought that the end was a bit of a fizzle rather than a conclusion.

I won't give up on Claire Seeber, in fact I have Bad Friends on my shelf ready to read, but this one was not a favourite

[Barbara Elsborg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second time reading this book so I obviously thought it was worth keeping. Worth a second read? Probably not. BUT at least the plot was a bit clearer this time. I recall getting a touch muddled with it last time. It's basically the story of the past catching up with you and the problems that can bring. The switching between past and present worked fine for me. The character of Dalziel was well drawn - he was completely repellent and completely addictive!I felt very sorry for Rose, she was constantly caught between a rock and a hard place. So - the story kept me reading. It was tense and gripping at times - though not often enough for me. I really wanted more of the love interest or for it to be dispensed with altogether. It felt like a red herring. The book ended with a 'shocker' that I can't remember if I found shocking first time round but I suspect not. Then the book ended a little abruptly - I felt a little unsatisfied. And it would have been easy - if a little twee - to give it a much more HEA ending. But this is psychological suspense not romance so....just my preference.

[Rehab · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first , It was "God how boring" but after some chapters it began to became more and more enjoyable and maybe because it was my first time reading Claire Seeber's work I was excepting a happy ending not a lonely heroine but I think that this work is awesome and it worth reading ^_^ I hope you guys enjoy reading it a_a

[Merridy Willson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Beautiful first person-narration with a great twist at the end. Claire Seeber is a wonderful find for thriller lovers. She is British but the books don't come across as the usual stuffy British who-done-its.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this book, probably because I couldn't warm to the characters. The main character Rose, I felt needed to grow a back bone and appeared to be so gullible! And I got a bit confused with the to-ing and fro-ing from past to present. Not for me.

[tinalouisereadsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your past will always find you…

With her three beautiful children, millionaire husband and Cotswolds mansion, former investigative journalist Rose Miller has an enviable life. But behind the domestic bliss lies a secret past…
As Oxford students in the early nineties, Rose and James belonged to Society X, an elite clique that knew no boundaries. Led by the enigmatic Dalziel, the group were hell bent on breaking down society's norms - until an unimaginable tragedy occurs.

With the subsequent scandal covered up, Rose has settled into family life - but is afraid to admit her feelings of boredom. So when her ex-editor asks Rose to dig the dirt on a wealthy businessman new to the area, adrenaline enlivens her.
But as Rose's investigation begins to threaten her family she backs away - and then a tragedy at her home begins to widen the cracks in her domestic façade. As their world crumbles around them, is Rose about to atone for the sins of her past?

My Thoughts:

This book was very pacy and kept me turning the pages to the very end. I really wanted to find out what was going to happen next especailly to Rose. Her whole world has been turned upside down and her connections to her past and the ‘Society X’ have come to the fore. The story switches from Rose’s present life, married to James and their luxury lifestlye, to her past life at university and her involvement with the secret society. I really enjoyed this book but was a little baffled at the end as whether James had done what he was accused of or not. I think I have made up my own mind on this !

I would recommend this book if you like quick, pacy thrillers and would probably read another book by this author.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read which covers two timelines in the life of journalist Rose Miller. The early nineties see Rose taking a place at Oxford & becoming involved with the enigmatic Dalziel & "Society X". Present day sees the actions of "Society X" coming back to haunt her. The back & forth between the times worked well but I found the story muddling at times. Often a scenario or passage seemed to end abruptly but rather than create tension or make me wonder what had actually happened/was going to happen it merely served to confuse me.

The book is billed as a thriller but for me it lacked edge-of-the-seat suspense & at least one WHAT?!! moment I like in a thriller. To me it had more the feel of a mystery novel with journalist Rose taking the role of amateur detective. Still overall it was a good read & I'll be happy to read more by this author.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is quite slow to get into and there are numerous characters who vaguely fit into the storyline, while seeming to lurk in the half-shadows of the sidelines. I frequently had to stop and flick back to an earlier chapter to double-check how people and events fitted together. I unfortunately didn't really like any of the characters - while Rose seemed to be one of life's "takers", just dealing with whatever life throws at her without doing anything to make it better, pretty much all of the male characters completely annoyed me for being self-important, arrogant and misogynistic.

Full review on my blog : https://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspo...

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! What a book. Rose and James met as new students at Oxford where they were part of a group called Society X, run by their charismatic friend Dalzeil. They now live a comfortable life in the country with their three lovely children. James runs night clubs with his best friend Liam and Rose gave up her promising journalistic career to write for the local gazette about prizewinning vegetables and raise her family. But all that changes when Rose is asked by an old colleague to see what she can find out about one of her new neighbours, the shady father of a young up and coming politician...

This book is written in the present day and flicks back to Roses days at Oxford. My first book by Claire Seeber, definitely not my last!

[Sophie Fearnley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t really know how to rate this as it’s made me feel a bit strange. I couldn’t put it down and needed to know what happened. I’m still not 100% what actually happened which most people seem to think after reading reviews. But I did enjoy the story a lot. I do like how the ending wasn’t particularly happy which I think can be quite rare! I’m unsure if I’ve read anything else by this author but would definitely read more.

[Kari-Anne Fygi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Een soort keukenroman vermomd als thriller. Maar het is écht niet oké om de kat van de hoofdpersoon geen naam te geven. En de hond van de moeder van de hoofdpersoon had ook geen naam. Cat en dog, nee, nee.

[Fi Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The enviable life of Rose Miller. Millionaire lifestyle but when the past comes back to haunt her the runaway train is impossible to stop. Not my usual read it interesting to go back to the 1980s.

[Michelle Belcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this. Started slow but picked up a third of the way in.

[Angela Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always disappointed when you finish a brilliant book, which this is. Hoping the next will be just as good to read.

[Lesley Halliday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah was good but to be fair things were well missing why didn't she automatically start searching James stuff etc v weird!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

To begin with, I wasn't really in-love with this book, and it took me a while to get into.

Rose Miller is a renowned investigative journalist, happily married with three children, and lives in a beautiful house in the Cotswolds. But Rose is a bit bored, and misses the career she once loved, that she hasn't returned to since having her children. She soon finds just one day a week at her local paper is not enough for her, and she takes on the challenge of a more adventurous story.

But waiting round the corner for Rose, as she embarks on her investigations for The Guardian, is danger that is about to stir up her past...

As a student at the University of Oxford in the early 90s, Rose and her husband James, were members of the elite clique, Society X. Run by Dalziel, the group pushed society's boundaries to its limits, until one day tragedy struck.

The tragedy gets covered up, and Rose and James go their separate ways, but a few years later, the pair meet, and sharing a secret, they are drawn back to one another, and they eventually marry.

But soon, Rose's friend and former colleague, Xavier, offers her a story to investigate for The Guardian, a story involving a local business man, Hadi Kattan, new to the Cotswolds, and the scandal which was once covered up, returns to haunt the couple.

And then Rose witnesses a new horror, in her own home, and things start to spiral out of control. As Rose attempts to keep her children out of harms way, she finds herself tangled in a web.

This book turned out to be a page turner, but while it was really good, there was a bit too much going on, and a lot connecting Rose's past to her present, while at the same time, it just seemed like there was a bit of depth missing. In the end, as I began writing this review, I actually struggled to remember what the book was actually about, as there was so much going on. It's a bit hard to get your head around how everything links, particularly as there are an awful lot of characters thrown in for good measure, and in fact, even though I've only just read it, I've probably got this all the wrong way round.

All-in-all, I enjoyed it, but it lacked a bit of spark, and maybe that was because there was a lot to link together in the end. Not bad though. Four stars.

[Jayne Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is packed with intrigue and mystery – the author demonstrates a determination to keep the reader guessing as well as having a keen ear for toddler-speak (I loved Freddie – he didn’t speak much but everything he said was hilarious).

A huge cast and any number of illegal goings-on (both in the present and in the past) keep everything bubbling furiously, and to finish the book was a must, just to find out how the author would draw the multiple threads of the story together. Secrets are kept judiciously, and at one point the baffled narrator Rose is reduced to trailing round after the errant men in her life demanding that they jolly well tell her the truth. They never do, of course, because that would ruin the story. But at one point she gets to sit on a sofa “in the shape of a vagina” (whaaat?). It was moments like that – and the many references to real people or events – that added spice to the story.

There were times when the author’s tendency to water down her descriptions grated on me. At one point we had a ‘rather stooped’ man in a ‘slightly threadbare suit’, people laughing ‘rather hysterically’ (all within a page) – I longed for something bold...less fence-sitting.

I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s not one of those stories that end on an anticlimax, nor does it hinge on implausible coincidences. What it is, though, is very complex and I suspect only a diagram the size of a small town would enable me to comprehend the loyalties, connections and motivations of every character. For that reason it wasn’t an altogether satisfying ending, but in terms of sheer entertainment value and desire to entertain the reader, I cannot fault this novel.

[Fatima Haque · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thoughts on the book
To be honest with you I really did not enjoy reading this book. This was because of many factors like the plot line. I thought the plot line was too confusing and after I read the book I did not get what happened through the most of the book. As well as the fact of the actual story line, it was to dark and uncomfortable. I am the kind of person that loves thriller, suspense and crime but I think that that this book was too much for my liking. This book is a psychological thriller so it is bound to stretch your brains and get to you. But still...

Also I would to add that the characters I felt where off putting and unrelatable as well as the main character, rose “I mean come on!. The character Dalziel was just odd and creepy and to be honest a bit psychotic (I’ll try not to spoil it for you). Too much things where going on so my brain where trying to get though one bit and then BHAM!! Another thing is going on.

When I was reading the book I did not even go half way through, but I put the book down and read other books because it was REALLY stressing me out. But then after a couple of day later i decided to finish of this book. And when I did was like WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

I’ll give the book 1 out Of 5 stars because I think that if the plot was better or less confusing then I would have rated the book higher than 2 stars.

Other people might like this book. I am not implying that no one is going to write this book or that Clair Sheeber is a bad author ,she is not it’s just that” I don’t think I like physiological movies never mind books”. Give the book a go and tell me what you think of the book

[Kirsty Maule · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good read. I preferred 24 hours as it was more fast paced. I got a bit bored/impatient at 30, 60 and 80 percent and just wanted it to move faster and wrap things up for that particular point in the story. The overall story was good but I did end up reading 2 books in between this one because it just wasn't one I was totally focused on. I read 24 hours in 2 sittings. Maybe the subject matter just wasn't for me - starting the chapters with old fashioned quotes or biblical quotes isn't really my thing. I also predicted the ending - or most of it. Claire has a knack for making all of her characters unlikeable - I actually like that in a book! Even the kids in this book were annoying, her best mate was a bit selfish and her parents were a bit thick and that's without mentioning the actual main characters!! How weird is Rose? How can she be so strong willed yet put up with what she does? It messes with the flow a bit BUT it means you don't mind it when people upset her. I actually liked that although if you want to bring Danny back in a different book (which I think you could) then he needs to be a bit more likeable.

All round, it was a good read and I would read more from this author.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very precise about my reviews. I see so many given high ratings that really are not my idea of a great novel. So when I find a book that completely hooks me, I am on cloud nine. This is the second Claire Seeber novel I have read and she is a great author. This is a book that captivates between it's two time lines. Who are what were Society X? What drove Dalziel? Rose Miller was captivated by him but Dalziel was in a league of his own and he was sacrilegious. What happens to Rose at university will have an impact on her future, now married with three children, the past is about to impact on their lives. I love a book that is fast paced and keeps me intrigued and this is the book to do just that, it has made the winter evenings a delight. To want to curl up and get lost in a good mystery, this had every precious ingredient. Claire Seeber is now on my Author to read list for all her work

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought the plot was cleverly weaved together and twisty, but I felt that the loose ends were too conveniently tied up, and some of the suspense went on for way too long, which was so frustrating that I even found that my foot was tapping with anxiety, as I just wanted to get through the pages and finish the book. I enjoy a plot that alternates problems and solutions, but this book just dragged on with the same problem throughout. On a more positive note, I enjoyed Claire's writing, and I think she is very strong with regards to dialogue. I loved how she captured the nature of child speech! I also enjoyed the past storyline - the university years - the young Rose and Dalziel are great characters. A good, but often frustrating read, and lots learned from a writing perspective.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not for me. It's full of a bunch of unlikeable toffs at university with, it seems, not a redeeming feature among them ! I might've persevered if I liked any of them or had anything in common with them but I don't.
I was put off in the acknowledgements when a prior author I've had adverse contact with was thanked. I assumed this book would be in the same state hers was but I have to say it's pretty good in terms of presentation. I only spotted one error-a child eating porridge on one page and cornflakes on the next....
Maybe I just didn't "get it" as I never fancied university. I was done with school at 16 and couldn't wait to leave and get a job. So all that nonsense is lost on me, I'm afraid. Probably just as well if they all behave like this bunch !!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good read; there is a good main story that is sidetracked somewhat by the protagonist's own dabbling into the unknown and this doesn't really seem relevant to the story apart from as an introduction to some dark characters, so it feels a little messy in places. On the whole the concept, that of past life and secrets catching up, is good if not entirely unique and it does hold your interest, though can't help thinking it's a slight disappointment in parts....
The characters are well-rounded and not entirely stereotypical but the love interest bit thrown in wasn't totally necessary...again a bit messy and not totally relevant.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I would say that if you enjoyed The Secret History by Donna Tarrt this is a comparible 'light' version. Not the same story but some of the same feeling and set in England. The main character is believeable and someone that you do want to know more about although some of her actions stretch the imagination and don't fit into what you think that she would actually do.

I don't want to say too much about the story as it would ruin it for others but it certainly kept me gripped, so much so that on a couple of occasions I found myself in cold bath water as I was so gripped on the story.

A great, light, thriller.

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book but found the start so far fetched I considered not bothering. I'm glad I did as the story improved and I managed to suspend belief enough to enjoy it.

The story flicks back and forward between Rose's time at Oxford where she joined in with Society X and her life now with three young children in the Cotswolds. Her husband James is involved in music and opening night clubs. She begins to investigate a story (she was an "award winning journalist") and gets threatened, co-incidently her husband gets caught up with the same family...

All in all enjoyable enough but not what I'd hoped for.

[Felicity · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed long! I don't know if it was the writing style slowing it down, the characters not being developed early in the book, the timeframe switches or what...

I found the early "university" settings and storyline quite weak and very disjointed as well as unrealistic - there was just a bit too much assumed knowledge I think. As I didn't grow up in the UK or attend a UK university the scenarios seemed a bit far-fetched but that might just be my point of view.

The main character Rose was a bit weak for me - she seemed to spend a lot of her time paranoid and blaming others. I guess overall I didn't gel with the story.

[Louise Mullins · Rating 2 out of 5]

The sentences seem to be cut before they've ended and I couldn't get into it. I read up to chapter three. I felt that this has mistakenly been labelled a thriller, but did not have enough suspense in the first few pages to hold my attention. I also found it incredibly difficult to see what the prologue added to the story. Somebody who is supposed to be dead is alive and their son supposedly killed himself but did not. I found it all very boring. Too many redundant sentences and unnecessary description. This book just wasn't for me.

[Paula]

Abandoned this one half way through, although I have put it away to try another time.
For the first quarter of the book, I kept checking to see what genre it was as at first it reminded me a little of a romance type (not mills & boon romance though!). I pushed on to page 148 waiting for the 'dark twisting thriller (Simon Kernick)' to start, and though I can see very faint hints of a it, I am bored with the book.

Abandoned to my re-read shelf 27/12/10

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, gritty and gripping. It's been a long time since I have read a page turner like this. I loved her writing style, descriptive but not flowery. My only critiscm would be that In order to maintain the suspense Rose's character was slightly flawed, in that as a former journalist, she surely would have asked the questions that we, the reader, were asking. I found her somewhat blind acceptance a little unbelievable at times. That aside, a great read!

[Rebecca tedder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this book.

Though it flitted from past to present - something I don't always find a good thing in a mystery - this read with ease and I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of the tale.

From the college Secret Society to the mixed up world of modern politics and a falling apart marriage, Seeber kept me interested right up to the very end.

Good read that was easy to lose myself in after a long day.