Once you start you can't stop, completely gripping.
You've no idea in which direction the story is going to go..
Thought how the secrets for each household were revealed and the ending were very cleverly written.

Absolutely brilliant and a definite must read for 2019.

Thank you netgalley, Jo Spain and Quercus Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

How well do you know the neighbours?....or, rather, how well do you want to know them..? Perfect facades begin to crack at an alarming rate when secrets begin to emerge in this engaging read from Jo Spain. Characterisation is credible and the storyline moves at a good pace - pages will keep turning. A compulsive read.

Jo Spain’s latest stand-alone crime novel begins with a death which is as sudden as it is violent. The victim of this savagery is only a bluebottle fly, slain by a passing bird, but the important part is where the fly has been before it became a Blackbird’s breakfast. Like countless thousands of its fellow Calliphora Vomitoria it has been innocently feasting and laying its eggs on a corpse. A very human corpse. The mortal remains (and not much does) of Olive Collins has been gently liquifying inside her cottage for months. Her neighbours in the exclusive gated hamlet of Withered Vale have been going about their business oblivious to Olive’s fate.

Withered Vale? Hardly your standard estate agent euphimism. Honeysuckle Meadows, Skylark Leys, Virginia Reach, Lakeside View, maybe, but Withered Vale? Years ago, the man who farmed the fields now built over was over-zealous with his pesticide, and nothing grew ever again. The enterprising developer, alert to a possible marketing triumph, chose to retain the local name, thinking that it had a certain ironic snap to it which might appeal to wealthy young professionals. He was right. No. 4 The Vale - Olive’s cottage - dates from before the development, however, and is dwarfed by the arrivistes.

Once Olive’s demise is discovered, the police descend. Frank Brazil, desperate for retirement and a quiet life, has said his prayers hoping that it is a suicide. His young partner Emma Child gleefully discovers taped up ventilation outlets and a boiler that has been fatally tinkered with, thus suggest something darker, however, and Spain sets to work describing the other residents of the Vale as, one by one, they all become suspects - and what a brilliantly wicked job she makes of it.

There’s poor porn-addicted George Richmond, set up in his designer home, No. 1, by his wealthy showbiz father, and No. 7 houses debonair ladies’ man Ron Ryan with his sunbed tan and simple philosophy of ‘get it while – and when - you can’. At No. 5 live the Hennessys, Matt, Chrissy and their rather odd son Cam. Spain has shown flashes of dark humour in her previous novels, but she lets her considerable talent for satire off the leash when she lays into David and Lily Solanke, in their self-righteous vegetarian paradise within the walls of No.2. David is so exasperatingly ‘woke’ that Lily, pregnant with the twins, curses his kindness:

“Soon, David was playing music to her bump and lying with his head in her lap so her could hear the twins gurgling in the amniotic fluid. He treated her belly with reverence, gentle and worshipping. She felt like a Fabergé egg. A Fabergé egg that wanted her husband to do her doggy-style because she was so damned horny.”

We meet Ed and Amelia Miller from No. 6 while they are soaking up the sun in their Andalusian apartment, but their reaction when they hear of Olive’s death suggests that her passing lifts a shadow that has been cast over their lives. No. 3 is home to Alison and Holly Daly, single mum and teenage daughter and, like the Millers, neither of them sheds anything resembling a tear.

Thus Spain sets up a writhing nest of vipers, every one of whom has a very good reason for wanting Olive Collins dead and out of its life. The narrative darts back and forth between the homes as we learn the hopes, sins and insecurities of the residents, each with a flimsy alibi and united by a mixture of fear and loathing for the apparently mild-mannered resident of No. 4 The Vale. As we scratch our heads wondering whodunnit, could we be looking at some kind of collective guilt, à la An Inspector Calls? The solution, when it comes, is deliciously perverse and very satisfying. Jo Spain has a talent to enthral, and in an afterword to this book she writes of her early love of reading:

“My heart was won by the written word. It’s been a lifelong affair. If I can give anybody the gift of a good story, a gift I still treasure when I cuddle up in the chair with a book at night, then my job is done.”

Her job is indeed done, and done with a sense of élan and literary devilment unmatched by anyone currently writing crime fiction. Dirty Little Secrets is published by Quercus and will be published on 7th February.

I really enjoyed reading this book.I thought it was a real page turner, and I loved the story being told from different points of view, including that of the victim.Everyone has secrets and this lot seemed to have more than most, but was there a killer among them, that was the question.This book kept me eagerly page turning as fast as I could read and threw in a few surprises along the way.I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author and would recommend this one.Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC.

If you are looking for a mystery which will keep you entertained from start to finish, then Dirty Little Secrets is perfect for you.

Jo Spain's novel starts when Olive Collins is found dead inside her house. Soon it appears that someone might have contributed to her death, and even more suspicious is the fact that she was dead for three months inside her house, and none of her neighbours noticed she was missing. Detectives Frank and Emma start investigating and soon discovers that many of them had reasons to want Olive dead...

Right from the thrilling prologue, this book had my attention and kept me entertained until the very end. The plot was very engaging and fast paced. The point of views shifted between the detectives and each of the neighbours, with a nice twist: some parts were narrated by Olive, the victim itself. I loved how the author showed that none of the neighbours were as they appeared at first, and how she gradually revealed their secrets also through Olive's narration. My favourites were Holly and Alison, but I enjoyed reading about all of them. I also really liked the two detectives and the relationship between them.
The ending was also unexpected. It was maybe a little over the top, but it still worked.

I would highly recommend this.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Quercus Books and the author, Jo Spain, for the opportunuity to read an advanced readers copy of Dirty Little Secrets in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
All I can say is, I loved this book. The storyline was well written and OMG, I do not want these people for my neighbours!
I was hooked from the start and stayed up to finish it. Am looking forward to more from this author.
Definitely well worth a read.

A good read and edge of seat thriller although a little dark for me.

Kept me interested throughout and an excellent page turner.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I did enjoy this book and do not want to live in their street. The basic premise is Olive is found dead in her home and has been dead for at least 3 months but none of her neighbours have noticed. As the police start to investigate it becomes clear that al, of the neighbours have something to hide but who killed Olive?
I liked how the story unfolded and the characters s they revealed their true motives but it was a bit slow to get going and I wasn’t gripped although I did like the ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for an ARC.
#DirtyLittleSecrets #Quercus

Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain

A riveting tale of a middle class gated street in a Wicklow village which is suddenly impacted by the suspicious death of Olive a spinster who lived alone amongst them. All of the action is centred around 'Withered Vale' and is impeccably told, one at a time, by the streets inhabitants. We are introduced to each household and gradually the cracks are seen revealing that behind this respectable facade, it seems that almost everyone in the Vale dead. Dysfunctional families, addiction, rape, domestic violence, adultery, cheating, all of their 'Dirty Little Secrets', are covered in this suburban community. The author uses the unusual device of allowing the deceased's voice to explain and clarify things only she could have known. At various intervals throughout the story we get to know the hidden, twisted world that Olive inhabited and come to understand what actually happened.
The different voices work well once the reader has got to grips with the plethora of characters. There is a good variety and the dynamics between each household and individuals are well drawn, with enough everyday detail to convince us of the real world they are set in. Even the two detectives Frank and Emma, are interesting characters with an intriguing backstory themselves.
A page turner that was hard to stop reading until the final page and I felt i was a fly on the wall in each house in the Vale. Being privy to intelligence from beyond the grave added that extra element that makes this novel stand out and will be one which I will be pleased to recommend to others.

The book was enjoyable, that is a given.
I quite enjoyed all the intricacies between the characters, how a lot is connected and ultimately points back to Olive, a woman who was really not that nice.

I do not think it was a very fantastic amazing book, since it is quite slow paced and there isnt a huge climax, which is something I usually enjoy.
But, it was a book that was very interesting to read. I would recommend this,

This is a pretty decent who dunnit,with each reveal of one of the neighbours secrets,leaves you believing any one could have.
A small gated community ,housing unhappy or unlikable people,it seems that each of them has secrets,and the book unveils them all one at a time.
It was interesting how the community banded together in a time of crisis,whereas before they barely said hello.
The actual who dunnit seemed a perfect fit...

Six reasons why you should read Dirty Little Secrets!

- Neighbours! One of life’s biggest mystery! How does fate decide who is going to live next to us? When I was living in the countryside, horses and birds were my closest neighbours and I found them quite annoying with the smell and the chirping. Now I live in an apartment and I want to kill the kids upstairs. And the dogs’ owners who don’t care about leaving their furry loved’ mess everywhere. I barely know their names but I can spot their car when they try to steal my parking space. Sartre said something about others being hell? I agree. But hey, neighbours are also a gigantic source of wonder. I love them almost as much as the husband-is-the-suspect trope. I would love to be a fly to know what happens after we say hello and they close the door. Dirty Little Secret feed my addiction to neighbour-voyeurism! It turned me into the mouse hiding in the cupboard to spy on you!!!

- Curiosity killed the cat. In this case, Jo Spain killed the cat!! But in such a way that the cat stays one of the strongest voices in the novel. Indeed, Olive, poor Olive (do you have a neighbour called Olive???) gets full chapters revealing her thoughts on the people living around her house. Words from the grave, isn’t this cool? And chilling. Just what I love. I think those were the chapters I was addicted to. You get to step into a dead woman’s shoes and compare her take on things to what others say, or don’t say…

- Jo Spain is my psychological thriller hero. Her writing is always powerful, spot-on, and creative. This time again, she managed to build a world behind the gates of a small neighbourhood and to give everyone a voice — unique, flawed, surprising, absolutely amazing. The ones living closest to Olive couldn’t have been more far from her. I revelled in the back and forth of the police team in charge of making sense of what happened in house number 4. It takes more than characterisation to create such a web of life and lies. Dirty Little Secrets is a breath-taking masterpiece of the observation of human behaviour. I couldn’t get enough of the talks, the words unsaid, the actions with no sense, the secrets. I am seriously addicted. If some books give you a good time, this novel is the party of the year!

- The police. Yeah, I’m always on their side. And this time, it was easy! Frank and Emma are an unusual team. With everything going on at Withered Vale, you’d think there wouldn’t be room to build their relationship or get to know them. But the author is so good she uses their new case to give enough information to fall, or not, for those people trying to discover the truth. It took me a few chapters to warm to Emma, Frank made me laugh with his remarks and his gruff side. Their personal lives invade the case, as you’d expect it. We are human beings, no matter what we do for a living, and our experiences affect how we respond to a situation. There is a perfect combination of Police VS Neighbourhood that it just made me so engrossed in all storylines.

- Three months. It took three months for Olive’s body to be discovered. And it takes a few days for the police to unravel lives, unearth secrets, and have masks drop. Dirty Little Secrets is nothing like what I’ve read before. Far from being a simple case of who’s done what, the author takes advantage of the plot to bring the worst and the best of her characters and make them grow. It is hard to explain, but the ending? Not what I expected. MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR. And it says a lot because I knew I was in for a marvellously weaved plot who would have the most wonderful finish.
I’m going to try and be a little more specific. Those novels have a tendency to end badly. This one did for Olive, of course, but… But those neighbours? Their lives have changed too. Jo Spain explores changes, judgements, impressions, and the sense of community, or lack of. There is a life lesson in Dirty Little Secret. A strong and amazing one, brought to us in an unexpected way. That’s what makes the difference between an okay read and a perfect read.

- What, you need a sixth reason? Guys, Jo Spain! Neighbours! A dead body! Just get the book!!!

Dirty Little Secret blew me away with its astounding plot and superb characterisation. I already know this novel will be high on my favourite books of 2019. A must-read!

You’ll never look at your neighbours the same again. Everyone has their own Dirty Little Secrets.
This is an excellent read.I love the Tom Reynolds series and wondered how Jo’s previous standalone The Confession would measure up, and it was a brilliant read, so when she wrote another standalone I really wondered if she could pull it off again and boy has she!. She’s a master at getting under the skin of the characters. Like The Confession the book opens with a body and then explores the why and the who. Set in an exclusive gated close all the residents young and old, are potential suspects but it’s the unraveling of their lives and their interactions with the victim and each other that makes this so interesting. Add the fact that you really don’t warm to any of them and the quote from the book “Everyone always assumed they were better than the people they heard about on the news” rings true. But actually are any of us any better? I’d love to hear more from Emma & Frank too, two characters with a lot more to give.
Another cracking good read from this very talented Irish author.

First book I have read by jo Spain and I definitely will be reading more . I read this over two days couldn’t put it down , How can you not know your neighbour has been dead three months. All of the neighbours have secrets of there own . A fantastic read

I loved every single page of this book and it’s definitely my favourite read of the year. Jo Spain is an outstanding author and her style of writing is very compulsive.
I was really excited to get this book and didn’t put it down until it was finished.
The characters are intriguing throughout and I’m a little gutted I’ve finished it.
It’s definitely worthy of 5 stars and I’d recommend to anyone.

"Everybody always assumed they were better than the people they heard about on the news."
Its true isn't it? Really good quote and think it sums up the entire book! Six families each with their own secrets coming out with the death of their neighbour. Really thrilling book and couldn't put it down until the end!

This is the second book by Jo Spain that I read and I'll be buying her next one without even reading the blurb. Somebody called Dirty Little Secrets 'The Irish Desperate Housewives' and it perfectly sums it up. It's well-written, intriguing, bursting with tension and suspense and impossible to put down.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus publishers for the ARC.

Well what can I say about this book other than it is an absolutely exceptional, compulsive, amazing read that I can’t fault and it’s going to be a big very well deserved hit in 2019 I am sure.
It's a superb piece of writing at its very best and as you find yourself slowly being drip fed little pieces of information about the excellently portrayed cast of characters making you suspect just about everyone of them of something and what a disturbed, dysfunctional lot they certainly are !! Well I got totally hooked in the lives of the people of Withered Vale and really cared about some of them so much so I was sad when I finished the book and as I said I just can’t fault anything about it, to say more would spoil it so please just read it for yourselves you won’t be disappointed it’s fabulous, congratulations Jo Spain this is a winner!!
My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus books for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I could not put this book down (not great when you have Christmas cleaning to do!!!). It was absolutely amazing - I cannot praise it highly enough.

A quiet gated small community in Ireland is shaken when one of the residents is found dead and has been lying there undiscovered for three months!!! How could none of the neighbours have noticed? As the police (Frank and Emma) make enquiries and speak to the neighbours we become aware that not all is as it seems and all of the neighbours are harbouring secrets to varying degrees.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I loved Jo Spain's The Confession and Dirty Little Secrets is another clever tale, this time of neighbours living in an upmarket gated community. When Olive's body is discovered after 3 months lying dead in her home the police can't understand why no-one has reported that they haven't seen Olive for so long. Each of the neighbours has secrets they are hiding from each other and have reasons for disliking Olive. But who is responsible for her death?

Fans of Jo Spain will enjoy her latest book and my thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the opportunity to read and review it.