The Secret Keeper- Kate Morton

Disclaimer: This book was provided for my free of charge in exchange for an honest review via netgalley

Synopsis (from Amazon)

1961: On a sweltering summer’s day, while her family picnics by the stream on their Suffolk farm, sixteen-year-old Laurel hides out in her childhood tree house dreaming of a boy called Billy, a move to London, and the bright future she can’t wait to seize. But before the idyllic afternoon is over, Laurel will have witnessed a shocking crime that changes everything. 2011: Now a much-loved actress, Laurel finds herself overwhelmed by shades of the past. Haunted by memories, and the mystery of what she saw that day, she returns to her family home and begins to piece together a secret history. A tale of three strangers from vastly different worlds – Dorothy, Vivien and Jimmy – who are brought together by chance in wartime London and whose lives become fiercely and fatefully entwined. Shifting between the 1930s, the 1960s and the present, The Secret Keeper is a spellbinding story of mysteries and secrets, theatre and thievery, murder and enduring love.

Review

I was ridiculously excited to get this book from netgalley. I’ve read and really enjoyed the rest of Kate Morton’s novels. The idea of getting this one early, and for free was pretty much awesome.

In a way it’s like a Kate Morton book which was written just for me. There was the usual intrigue and secrecy, which kept me  thinking. Less of the whole gothic nature (which is something I really enjoy in Morton’s books, I love me a bit of gothic fiction), but still enough to satisfy me. Plus the historical sections are set during the second world war, the world wars are the  time I tend to turn to when reading historical fiction. So it’s like two of my favourite types of books built into one A book that makes me think and a book set during an era I’m interested in.

Seriously though this book did really make me puzzle. I kept thinking I’d cracked it, even to the point that   I thought the story was more or less finished when I was only halfway. It just kept throwing up new twists, or new things kept being discovered.

Even now, several hours after having finished the book it’s still running through my head. There are those little loose ends that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, but still keep you wondering. I imagine it’s the type of thing which annoys some readers, but I like it. It’s something which makes a book stick with you, even after you’ve finished it.

The ending completely threw me. It was not what I expected in any of my imaginings. It was the perfect ending though. Maybe not a happy ending in all ways but the best possible ending. It brought a smile to my face.

There is little more I can say without giving away spoilers, but I certainly recommend this book. Has to be my favourite  Kate Morton to date.

5/5

The Secret Keeper is released on 11th October 2012. You can pre-order it now from Amazon.

Buy it:

Kindle (£9.20)

Hardback (£9.68)

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