Unfortunately I had to DNF this one. I really struggled to get into it and struggled with the format.

I could not put this book down! It was full of suspense and drama right up to the very end. This is a very well written, fast-paced, page-turner with a shocking ending. There were a lot of unlikeable characters. Yet when the story was told through them, they became more relatable and interesting. Brilliant writing from the author to make you go back and forth on hating and and then sympathizing for the character. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Barbara Copperthwaite for a copy of "Her Last Secret" in exchange of an honest review.

I read this book a couple of years ago, but forgot to review it at the time. Found myself immersed in the storyline and characters!

A good thriller! Will definitely find more from this author!

I would recommend this story to all thriller lovers .This book took me by surprise. It kept me interested throughout the story and I needed to see what was going to happen. I truly enjoyed the pacing of the story and the well written characters.

Another great read from Barbara.. You just. need to keep reading to discover the secrets of the Thomas family. .Its not exactly fast paced but it is a very enjoyable and intriguing story.

Her Last Secret tells a story of a family who seemed perfect but all are hiding secrets from each other. Secrets that will lead to something terrible. Early on, we know that something isn't right in the Thomas' household as the police were called to investigate the shots that has been fired. The story then jumps back from a week ago in which we begin to learn the events that took place that led to that terrible night.

Although the opening chapter is highly intriguing, I find the succeeding ones slowly paced. It doesn't really help that most of the characters are so unlikeable. But getting deeper into the story and getting acquainted with the characters with their alternating POVs, I warmed up to the story and stated to like how things are progressing. It was so interesting to see what will happen to the family. And well, it wasn't really what I expected and I'm still not sure of I like how it played out in the end. But overall, it turned out to be a good read for me.

Now this is how you write a thriller! Loved this book. A fantastic page-turner that will have you sitting on the very edge of your seat!

Great story by Barbara Copperthwaite. Really fabulous story, that kept me turning the pages!! A thrilling plot, and characters.

*thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

This was an amazingly wonderful gripping exciting suspenseful read! I very much enjoyed reading this. The whole way through I was drawn into the story. I soon realized the many different ways this could end as path after path kept opening up to different scenarios. I usually do not like stories with so many different narrators but in this case, it worked wonderfully and was not at all too full on and hard to keep up with. I have to add though that the ending did not have that 'wow' factor. I was slightly disappointed in it and that is the only reason this is been given 4 stars and not 5. Still, it is a very good and enjoyable read.

I am definitely interested in other books by this author, and would highly recommend this.

Review: Thank you so much NetGalley for sending this ARC for free in exchange for an honest book review. The book switches between two points in times: Christmas Day & the week before (counting down to Christmas Day). The chapters give the point of view of each of the characters which I really liked. The book centers around bullying, a dysfunctional family & suicidal tendencies. It showed how bullying can go to an extreme which can lead to the victim going to extremes with suicidal attempts. As Barbara wrote in the end: “loving people as much in spite of themselves as because of them. As the saying goes, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.”
Kendra was cray cray & Benjamin was the core of many many problems in their lives 😂. I would’ve liked to see an alternative ending though.

Christmas Day finds gunshots and a family of four lying dead in their beautiful, well-kept home. Each member of this dysfunctional family dying with secrets. Father Ben worried about how he looks on the outside, Mother Dominique perfect on the outside, psychological problems including sleepwalking in her private world, Ruby, the eldest daughter has an unsuitable boyfriend and is bullied at school, and youngest daughter, Mouse, who is babied and immature looks up to her sister. Her Last Secret, a psychological thriller by Barbara Copperthwaite, has dozens of twists and turns, with building suspense throughout.

Copperthwaite is an excellent storyteller. She is skilled at developing her characters, and while none in this novel are particularly likeable, they seem real, and have real problems, many brought on by themselves due to reasons such as selfishness, insecurity, etc. The family members seem typical, albeit their secrets, and that makes for an interesting novel where readers can actually compare them to people they are acquainted with in real life situations.

The plot is viable, the suspense is palpable, and the book may, for some, be difficult to put down. Other readers may find that the psychological intensity is too much. Even some may continue to read through to the dénouement because it would be a waste of reading time to abandon a book before the end.

While Her Last Secret may not be light and uplifting, it is suspenseful and readers who enjoy intense plots and unique stories will probably enjoy this novel.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Fast paced and twisty tale. I found the style of writing a little irritating but it was a good story.

Clever premise. Intriguing and suspenseful all the way through. Couldn't predict the ending and thought it was nail biting conclusion. Another brilliant read from this author!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest review. All options on this post are my own.
This books is a psychological domestic thriller that is supposed to get us crazy with suspects and theories all around the book. Right from the start you realise how many POVs is in the book.
Too many different people with different angry issues and thoughts not so innocents. I'd love to say that I liked the book but I didn't. I don't know if it was the story or the characters but I couldn't attach myself to any of them, feel any sympathy towards the family or as individuals.
The writing style wasn't it for me. Maybe the author would be better off writing normal non fiction stories with daily lives occurrences than thrillers that was the vibe I got from it because it wasn't catching or gripping or any enthusiastic for you to read all over in a couple of days.
The Thomas family are: Benjamin (dad), Dominique (mom), Ruby (teenage daughter) and Amber - aka Mouse - (child daughter). So this is supposed to be a perfect family full of love and perfection and rainbows coming out of their behind. From the start I didn't like Dom. A perfect stay at home mom who is just too closed off and too much into herself that she literally couldn't see what was happening around her. Most of the times I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her brains. Benjamin was another cocky persona that I hated from the get go, seriously that one annoyed me every single time it was his POV.
Ruby I couldn't feel a bit of sympathy towards it but I still think her thoughts and her motivation were a bit off. But I do like the breech the author gives to you here to talk about Bullying. Abouy teenagers suffering every day for not being accepted by who they are and how they are themselves. How a group of people can destroy your whole being by being unnecessary mean and aggressive for no other reason than personal joy in seeing others suffering. Bullying s a serious thing and it needs to be stopped.
Mouse reminds me of me, always reading and being a little quirky but I do think she was too self absorbed too just worrying about herself.
We do learn about other characters as: Harry, Kendra, Fiona and others. Of course to no drop any spoiler I can't say who they are and their importance in the story but you should keep and eye on these characters.
I do say I predicted the ending. By the middle of the book the whole plot wad layered out for you and I just knee who was doing all the mystery things and why. Maybe that's why it took me so long to finish or to like the book altogether because it was just painfully obvious the whole thing for me.
I wish it was more better put together, more suspense and not that much obvious. I don't have much to say without giving spoilers just that I thought it would be much better than it was. It is an easy reading for those who doesn't really like the big old mystery thriller gripping books full on action and little clues. This one is a very quick book to read during the free time.

Whoa, this was one heck of a psychological rollercoaster of a book! I knew that I was in for a treat, as I have read books by this author before, but this particular book takes the psychological thriller genre to a whole new level.

Dominique and Benjamin are living the ideal life: Benjamin is a successful businessman, Dominique takes care of their lovely home and they have two beautiful girls. Except there are so many secrets and lies in their family, it's only a matter of time before cracks begin to show in their perfect facade.

From the first page to the last, I found myself on the edge of my seat and wondering where the heck this story was going to end up. It is exciting, it is fast-paced and I found myself getting emotionally involved with all the members of this family, even when they weren't actually very likeable at all. I really liked the secondary characters too, especially Harry.

I thoroughly recommend this book, 5 well-deserved stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

WOW! This is an explosive story and a must read, A shotgun is heard in a London home on Christmas morning. Police are called to the family home of Dominique, her husband Ben and their two daughters Ruby and Mouse. A shocking discovery is made in the house! Read on for a brilliant story which tells of the dramatic events leading up to the shooting!

Dominique and Ben have the perfect house, marriage and children. They are rich and Ben is director of a successful accountant’s business.

If their lives are so perfect then why are shots heard coming from their house, early one Christmas morning.

I found that this book plodded along. Mother to wrapped up in her long lunches and haircuts to listen to her teenage daughter. Husband, Ben to obnoxious and arrogant to listen to his family, or notice what is going on.

Lovely daughter Mouse, who hides in a wardrobe, and has her nose in a book all the time (nothing wrong with reading but to hiding in wardrobes?). And teenage angst Ruby with the inappropriate boyfriend.

I found this book plodded through the middle, then went thundering to the end. What was the last secret? A bit of let down in Dominque’s case, but there was a good twist at the end.

As a parent, I found how little attention given to their children infuriated me. When Ruby reaches out for help, none is given. Which annoyed me.

Thank you to Netgalley, and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review. Took me a while to get round to reading this, and now I have it didn’t do that much for me.

Three stars.

A family of four living in a large house in a smart part of London, all very happy with not a care in the world or at least this is how it looks to outsiders. Delve under the surface for a bit though to find murkier goings on. Told from multiple points of view, with a complex chain of events. Can sympathise with the situations if not with the characters themselves who weren’t too likeable on the whole. Gripping because it starts at the end and I was intrigued to discover how and why everything happened. I liked the cover, style of writing but thought it could’ve been just a bit shorter, especially some of Dom’s chapters. First book I’ve read by this author and I will definitely read more from her.

I’m not sure why I haven’t read any of this authors stories before but after reading Her Last Secret I’ll be rectifying that pretty quickly.

The Thomas family is the picture perfect family. The story is told through family members telling us their point of view. Then a police officer gives his point of view when tragedy strikes the Thomas household.

I read this pretty quickly as I was so interested in how the story was gonna pan out. I’m definitely gonna be reading more from this author in the future.

Another good one from Barbara! Secrets and lies rule this family. The thing about secrets and lies,though, is that they can be consuming and overwhelming . Which is exactly what happens to this family.

Benjamin is a successful businessman but when is lies catch up with him, he can barely keep it together . Dominique is trying to keep her family together but through the stress of holding on she begins sleepwalking again. The last time that happened things didn't turn out so well. Ruby finds solace in a young boy, who is the only one in her life that knows the pain behind her teenage rebellion. Can she hold on much longer? Mouse is just trying to enjoy the Christmas holiday with her family but finds herself hiding with a book to keep out the bad. Then there's a young lady that has secrets of her own. This can only go so long before an explosive ending!

I did enjoy this but if your in a good, this book will soon change that. A lot of negativity and not a lot of good happens. This family has many issues! I really loved the ending and seeing how your choices can have devastating consequences. Will eagerly await her next novel--he can definitely spin a tale.

* Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.