What a brilliant, cleverly written story. I found it an easy to read, fast paced thriller that kept me guessing throughout! The story is told through two female characters Nikki and Lorna. I must admit I am 50/50 about Lorna’s character, parts had me hating her and winding me up while other parts had me feeling sorry for her.

Tell Me A Secret contains short chapters and is a book you won’t want to put down until you’ve finished it. Gripping… This is the first book I have read by Samantha and I am very impressed and would like to read more by this author in the future. I would highly recommend this story to you and it comes with a beautiful cover too! Catches the eye.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the free copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

Samantha Hayes has an unreal talent for winding together tight, complex stories that are deeply suspenseful. I picked this one up one afternoon and found myself unable to put it back down - I was entirely pulled into seeing where the story landed.

Lorna is a successful therapist, with a loving husband, children, great friends and a perfectly structured life. Structure that is holding her together by a thread - and hiding her biggest secrets. Structure that starts coming unraveled when that secret threatens to come to light, putting Lorna's entire life at risk.

This is a story that remains super tense read and wildly absorbing from start to finish. It made me completely paranoid that I was somehow involved in the secret myself, and at one point I had a moment of panic when I couldn't find my own phone. Far from being a standard thriller, this baby will keep you guessing right to the bitter end. A solid read for your summer to read pile!

Tell Me A Secret is a very cleverly-plotted and tense psychological thriller.

It starts with a shocking prologue, leaving you full of questions, and gets off to a cracking start. I wasn’t that keen on Lorna as a character – but that is not a criticism – she is extremely well-written, just not a great human being! Some of the other characters are deliberately difficult to get a handle on and I really did suspect everyone of something at one point or another!

Unfortunately, this is one of those instances – that seem to be becoming more and more common – where I think the blurb gives too much away. I would have preferred not to know quite so much about the plot as was given. I think this may have contributed to my feeling that the middle of the book was a little slow. The beginning is excellent and the ending is superb but I did notice a difference around the mid-point.

That said, it is an absolute humdinger of a conclusion, with revelations flying in from all over the place and one genuine, literal jaw-dropping, head-scratching moment of “WTF, I now need to go back and read this again”. If you like your psychological thrillers to be dark, brooding and complex with a twist then this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of Tell Me A Secret.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

4.5 stars.

I was very excited to get approved for the latest Samantha Hayes novel because I have read and enjoyed many of her books in the past. She is so good at taking you down a path where you think you know what is going on and in the end you were totally wrong. That was the case in this book as well. The story is basically about a married psychologist, Lorna, who has had an affair with a client, Andrew, several months before and is conflicted when he reenters her life because she doesn't want to upset up her seemingly happy home or her career but she is in love with him which complicates things. Then he is murdered and things really get crazy. The only issue I had with this book was that I thought the build up and the back and forth between Lorna and Andrew went on a bit too long before he was actually murdered. But, the ending was so unexpected that it made up for that. I love being surprised and I was surprised almost every bit of the ending and reflecting back, it all seemed feasible despite me believing based on what I had read to that point, that the ending would be totally different. This would have been a 5 star except for the slight boredom I was feeling with the relationship toward the middle of the book.

Absolutely jam packed with deceit this is a book that will blow all of your guesses to pieces

Excellently written as always by this author, the chapters endings leave you needing to read 'just another' and in no time your day is gone and the book is finished! The narration switches between Lorna and Nikki, both with very troubled childhoods, neither are easy to like nor wholly reliable: Nikki is a bit of a free spirit, works cash in hand, gets her rented room at discounted rate by providing 'extras' to her landlord. Lorna is the second wife of a man who is used to getting what he wants, their life looks perfect, two affluent professionals, lovely home, two children ... a seemingly great lifestyle .. so why stray, why put everything at risk and why is Nikki stalking her?

Interesting insights into the the work of a counsellor are seamlessly woven into the plot, as are the stresses of cheating on your partner whilst trying to juggle a stressful career, children and ailing parents. it's something of a slow-burner with the thrills but I was still hooked really early on because of the undercurrent of unease and tension which is gradually ramped up as you helplessly watch Lorna risk making a car crash of her life both personally and professionally. Tell Me A Secret is gripping,unnerving, unsettling and ALL of my guesses were wrong. So, so clever - FANTASTIC ending - 5 stars!!

Many thanks to NetGally and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book - this review is, as always, my honest opinion and thoughts about this book.
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I was given an ecopy of this book by Samantha Hayes publishers Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. This is something I'm more than happy to do.

Tell Me a Secret is a twisty, tense thriller mainly told from the lead characters perspective. Lorna in theory has the perfect life, is a successful psychotherapist, is married to Mark a successful dentist and has two children a shared daughter Faye and stepson Mark.

As the story begins I got the impression that the perfect lifestyle was held together by a taught, invisible thread. One slip and it would all unravel. She has a routine to end all routines and when it is thrown off kilter the tension is palpable, I could feel her heart beating. She has a difficult relationship with her stepson, his natural mother died when he was a toddler and although he can't remember her he keeps Lorna at arms length with his dismissive, insolent stance. Although to be fair Lorna thinks it's all about him not liking her but I think it's a lot to do with simply being a teenager and knowing what strings to pull.

Lorna breaks protocol and calls back a potential new client after he persistently phoned the practise insisting he has an appointment with her. There begins the story and the threads holding her life together begin to fall.

OMG, Samantha Hayes has the ability to weave a plot so intricately you have no idea or clue as to what is really going on - the sub-text is always just slightly out of your grasp and just when you think you may have it sussed the story changes direction.

One thing I was sure of was this was a book with a lead character you wanted to shake - she literally has written her own destiny through a web of lies and deceit and has dug herself a hole that is just that little bit too deep to climb out of. I swayed between not liking her at all and pitying her - the perfect lifestyle with synchronised timings for every aspect of it unnerved more than just a little and then bam, another Samantha Hayes ending to a book that was totally unexpected - HOW DOES SHE DO IT?! I haven't read one of her books yet that hasn't stopped me in my tracks, with mouth hanging open, slowly nodding my head - OMG OMG.

Another thriller that I highly recommend, Samantha Hayes is an author that is always on my wish list when a new book comes out.

Another example of why, when people ask me for psych-thriller recommendations, I always name Samantha Hayes.
I have to say I didn’t really like either of the main characters but I think that’s exactly what Sam intended so I just went with it.
Secrets are always exposed!

Thanks to Bookouture for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Lorna begins a therapy session with a man she had an affair with, her life begins to unravel. Things will never be the same in her ordered life.
Full of twists ending with the biggest surprise of all. I enjoyed the book although it does repeat itself about Andrew but the pages keep me turning.

Let me tell you a little secret……… just a tiny, tiny little secret, you know the kind you want to whisper but there’s no chance in hell….. I want to scream and shout this tiny little secret, well here goes nothing I feel it building, the tension, the suspense is killing me……….

Be Careful Who You Trust……
Tell Me A Secret is a MUST

Tell Me A Secret by Samantha Hayes is her new psychological thriller and damn its amazing.

Lorna is a therapist running her life will almost military precision, married with 2 children, Lorna risks it all for a man, Andrew, how far will Lorna go. After the initial contact, Andrew is found dead but the messages keep on coming, someone knows, now fear is driving Lorna, can she keep her secret or will the truth come out.

Lorna is a love or loathe type of character, I never really knew which way to jump on this one, so I would say I’m on the fence on Lorna’s persona. I mean that in a way not to devalue Lorna as a character, as it was difficult judge her because of her infidelity then because of the fear of danger to life, but I can say that Samantha painted a great picture of Lorna either way you fall.

Tell Me A Secret has a meandering plot, Samantha takes us on a very twisty journey, up through some tasty secrets, the production of lies from the secrets, the dips and delves. The pieces slotting in slowly, but all the while Samantha thrusts a hurdle in front of your mind and the plot is blown out right from the final pages.

All the while Samantha wants to Tell me A Secret…….

Thanks go to Samantha Hayes, Bookouture and Noelle Holten for the advanced readers copy of Tell Me A Secret in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion, its a been a blast. Thanks Noelle for the spot on the Blog Tour x

Well, that was a prologue that just dragged me right into this book! Right away I knew that this one was going to keep me glued to my seat!

Tell Me A Secret is narrated from the point of view of Laura and Nicki and as a reader I was batted back and forth between the two women as deep-rooted and disturbing secrets were uncovered. Of course you can tell by the title that the theme of this book is secrets and those secrets combined with complex characters and their complicated relationships were explosive! Talk about a house of cards falling down! The complexity of relationships was explored throughout the novel through both Nicki and Laura's lives but also through psychotherapy and what a harrowing journey of trauma and hurt!

Lorna was one of those characters that I really struggled to like but this was good because my dislike of her engaged me to the point that I could not put this down, I HAD to know what was going on even if I wanted to shake her a few times! Watching her unravel through the breakdown of her routines and her control was difficult, did I change my mind by the time I had finished? Well you will just need to read the book and see what you think!

Nicki was an intriguing character, there was something essentially dark about her and it was hard to know whether to dislike or feel sorry for her. What was clear was that these two women shared a link, one that looked like it was about to destroy them both.

A cast of characters supported Nicki and Lorna throughout the book but the two who really made an impact on me where Lorna's stepson, Jack and her daughter, Freya. I felt for both of the children as they watched Lorna descend into a chaos, each of the children were impacted by the adults in their lives and not necessarily in a positive way. It was a dark exploration of how secrets really can have a devastating effect on the lives of others.

It was a slow burner of a psychological thriller, I'm not going to lie, I was sitting there with that kinda smug look on my face thinking I had worked it all out when #BOOM it punched me right in the gut! There was no way on earth that I could have guessed any of that! All my theories went flying out of the window! What a brilliantly twisted read this was! Samantha Hayes, what a dark and devious mind you have!

Tell Me a Secret by Samantha Hayes is a story about secrets, lies and obsession. Lorna is a happily married, therapist who seems to have a thing for making bad decisions. Throughout this story, I was annoyed by this character. Her obsession with an affair that was jeopardizing her marriage and career did not make sense to me. However, her narration was still captivating. Her life was that train wreck that you can’t stop looking at. I knew something bad would happen and so I kept turning pages waiting to see what it would be.

The story is narrated mainly by Lorna. As I have already mentioned, I wasn’t a fan of her character and didn’t understand her decision making. However, hers was still a compelling story. The identity of the second narrator remained a mystery until the end. I thought I had this figured out but the reveal was quite surprising.

This was an entertaining read. Hayes’ writing is beautiful. The characters were well crafted and so was the storyline. The story moved a bit slower for my liking though. I took a while for it to fully grab my interest and then the middle section slowed down again. However, the final chapters were exciting. They were fast, addictive and filled with a number of surprising twists. I think that fans of psychological thrillers who don’t mind slow building suspense will enjoy this one.

Lorna has a very orderly life and a happy marriage. Her big secret is that a year earlier she had an affair and has spent the time since trying to forget Andrew. Then he shows up in her life again. When he ends up dead, she starts to lose control with all of the secrets. I really was not that into this book for maybe the first 2/3 of it, until around the time Andrew died. I was annoyed by Lorna and her disregard for everything but Andrew. The last part of the book made up for it though. So many unexpected twists (and one twist that I saw coming). The ending was a real surprise. Four stars overall (three for the first part of the book and another full star added just for the last third or so of the book).

Ridiculously brilliant! Such a cleverly crafted story whith a gripping storyline that has you hooked from page one. I thought i had the story worked out but with so many twists and turns I was dizzy!! The ending is a heart stopper which I never predicted. Great writing from Samantha Hayes yet again!!

I am a huge Samantha Hayes fan and loving that she is now part of the Bookouture family! Now there is a match made in heaven for me! But I do have to start but saying that I worried that she had lost her touch with her newest book Tell Me A Secret that came out last week. I always pre-order her books and read them straight away but when I started this one, I did think it didn’t seem like her usual style! The first half of the book was a bit of a slow burner and I got very frustrated with the main character of Lorna and her “big secret”. She seemed to have the perfect life, a wonderfully supportive husband and adorable daughter and even though her stepson was sometimes a difficult teenager, their relationship was getting better. Then about a third of the way through I realised I was hooked by Lorna’s stressful life and worried about how she was going to cope with all the drama that was being thrown at her!

I do love a dual narrative and trying to work out how the points of view are connected, and here I spent quite a long time thinking about theories for this book. I’m not going to say anymore than that because I want you to be just as surprised by the twists and turns of the plot as I was! And I have to admit I was way off with my guesses! Because I totally underestimated Samantha Hayes at the start of Tell Me A Secret! Of course she hasn’t lost her touch!! The second half of this book was the pay off for the slowly savoured and increasing tension of the first half and I absolutely loved it! There was some jaw dropping reveals and twists aplenty that just kept on coming!! I physically couldn’t put this down! And I still can’t quite believe I doubted one of my most favourite author’s because she totally delivered for me!

Tell Me A Secret is a shocking and addictive triumph! A psychological thriller that came together perfectly, leaving me desperate for more! Loved it!

I am a big fan of Samantha Hayes. 'You Belong to Me' & 'The Reunion' were great favourites so I was really excited to get my hands on 'Tell Me a Secret'.

Sadly this one did not live up to my expectations. From the start I really struggled to connect with the main character. Lorna's life is regimented, keeping to a strict time table- her way of coping with her guilt over an affair. She is a psychotherapist, married to Mark & they have a daughter, Freya & Jack, Mark's son from a previous marriage.

I found her obsession somewhat irritating! I definitely thought she was in need of some psychological help!

Lorna's life spirals out o control when her lover turns up for an appointment as a patient & she goes against her professional ethics as well as everything else. Her life becomes one long deception.

Towards the end there are a lot of revelations that made me feel the book had been worth reading but sadly it isn't amongst my favourites. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read & review this book.

This mesmerizing,riveting thriller has more twists and turns than a roller coaster.It's a gripping tale of two women,deceit,secrets,relashionships,obsessions,manipulation and revenge that had me hooked in from the first page right through to the shocking final chapter.

My review is written with thanks to Noelle at Bookouture for inviting me to join in with the tour, and for my copy of the book via Netgalley.
Lorna Wright is a therapist. She's happily married to Mark and lives with her stepson, Jack, and daughter, Freya. Her life begins to spiral out of control when Andrew comes into her practice for counselling. Will anyone discover her secret?
Tell Me A Secret is told in first person with chapters written from the perspective of Lorna and Nikki. I enjoyed this approach, as it helped me to get to grips with each character's motives for the things they did. I've attended counselling before, and I'm glad I didn't have a therapist like Lorna! She breaks so many rules and I wanted to give her a good shake and ask her what on earth she was doing. At times, this made it difficult for me to like Lorna, but as the novel picks up pace, I began to see her vulnerability and this softened my feelings towards her slightly. It's not clear how Nikki fits into the plot until further on in the novel, but her presence made me feel quite uneasy, and this created lots of tension in the novel for me.
From the very first page, Hayes creates an air of mystery in Tell Me A Secret. There are several questions that crop up as the plot gains momentum, and these questions are complicated by so many secrets and lies. This makes it a hugely compelling book, and I felt I had to keep reading to find the answers and get to the truth.

I’ve been a massive fan of Samantha Hayes since I came across one of her earlier numbers “Until You’re Mine” a few years back on kindle. I took a chance on this author I hadn’t heard of and it was a fantastic decision.

Lorna is the main character. She’s a psychotherapist, married to Mark, with a stepson Jack, and a daughter Freya. When Andrew, the man she had an affair with the year previous shows up, things take a dramatic twist. Lorna loves Andrew but feels guilty because she has a stable life with husband Mark.

Narrated mainly from Lorna’s point of view, sometimes in first person and sometimes through old diary entries, the story unfolds as we learn more about Lorna and her need for schedule and routine in her life. There’s something underlying with Lorna that I wasn’t able to put my finger on and we don’t get to see that side of her till the end of the book.


I didn’t always agree with Lorna’s questionable actions but from very early on I could tell there was something not quite right with her marriage and situation, just an odd little word here and there, so subtle but enough to be able to empathise with her.

We also get a number of chapters from another character called Nikki, but we don’t find out who Nikki really is until the very end.

The ending was a total surprise and I really wasn’t expecting it, but somehow it ties everything together and makes sense as the individual threads of the plot are tied up.

The writing is excellent, the characters are well-formed and believable and there is plenty to love in this book. I read it a single sitting as I was intrigued by the story and wanted to know what was going to happen next. It certainly keeps you on your toes, trying to guess where the plot is going.

If you haven’t read anything of Samantha Hayes I would recommend that you start with ANY of her books as they are all great, Tell Me A Secret is no different.

Lorna, a successful therapist, has built up a beautiful life with her husband Mark, her daughter Freya and her stepson Jack. Despite this, Lorna has a guilty pleasure that will surely be her downfall. She knows she needs to put a stop to her affair with Andrew, a patient of hers. Andrew on the other hand, has other plans and refuses to let her go. This is where Lorna's perfect house of cards begins falling apart, both personally as well as professionally.

Add this to the the fact that the author dangles delectable carrots of clues and red herrings alluding to something more sinister than first appearances would suggest, this compelling and intriguing read had me guessing throughout, holding me hostage, as I found it impossible to tear my eyes away from the enigmatic personalities and their dark lies, secrets and betrayals, the plot building up to an explosive outcome that I in no way saw coming. An enjoyable read indeed!

I would certainly recommend this domestic drama by Samantha Hayes and would like to thank her, Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Be sure your lies will find you out!
I love a psychological thriller which drops lots of red herrings and keeps you guessing right to the very end. This is one of those books, and what an ending it is! Another well written compelling thriller from Samantha Hayes that I totally recommend.