A twisted tale of three couples who rent a glass beach house for a week's vacation. Beware: there is more than one little secret amongst these neighbors and friends. One of them ends up dead on the first night and the remaining people are all reasonable suspects. What follows is a tense and thrilling ride to the end.

One Little Secret is actually a misnomer.....there are many secrets in this new novel. There are two parallel story lines in the book. The story begins when a police officer, Gabby, investigates the possible rape of a young girl who was, apparently, given drugs at a party on the beach. The second story line involves three couples who have agreed to share a beach house while their children are away at camp. The couples are Jenny and Louis, Rachel and Ben and Susan and Nadal, all neighbors back home. Soon Gabby is investigating the drowning, or murder, of one of the women sharing the beach house.

There are lots of secrets that are slowly uncovered, ie. infidelity, abuse and legal entanglements. The investigation takes a few unpredictable turns, including one that hits Gabby a little too close to home.

I really enjoyed the book. It was well-written and held my interest. Though the story had several running story lines and jumped back and forth in time, the author made it very easy to follow. I would like to read other books by this author.

Thanks to the publisher for this ARC!
This was a great, twisty mystery with all of the elements I want in a thriller: sex, lies, twists, and a good, female cop.

**4 Stars**

In Cate Holahan's One Little Secret, three couples who are neighbors decide to rent out a gorgeous beach house for a getaway. By the end of the trip, one person is dead and the remaining "friends" are all murder suspects.

The book reads like a modern twist on an Agatha Christie novel; though the book's title suggests only one person has a secret, it appears as though every person on the trip is hiding something that could easily incriminate them. There are affairs - including ones between not just one but possibly TWO couples on the trip; there are financial issues between the couples; and, finally, there is a pending lawsuit involving two couples on the trip.  Yes, this is absolute recipe for disaster, to say the least.

Why any of these couples would willingly go on vacation with each other is beyond me, but it sure makes for a suspenseful read.

Readers should be aware that there is domestic violence in this book, and the author has dealt with it in the most delicate, critical way possible. It's clear she has researched the psychology and manipulation involved in domestic violence. In this case, the women who is being abused is successful, smart, and has a fantastic career; her husband, the abuser, also has a successful career as a physician. He uses his career and training to mask the violence he is inflicting on his wife; his training grants him the knowledge of how to 1) conceal the bruises/physical trauma he causes, and 2) provide medications to his wife so that she can cope with the pain of abuse.

The ending of this book was satisfying, if not emotional. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy suspense, thrillers, and crime novels.

I was really excited to get a copy of Holahan's book because I really enjoyed her last book, Lies She Told, which I reviewed. If you haven't read that book, I highly recommend it (I gave it 5/5 stars!). Thank you to NetGalley, Cate Holahan, and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced reader copy of One Little Secret!

A great, page-turner that would be perfect for summer reading at the beach (or by the fire in the cold winter like I did). I flew threw this in two days!

Set in a vacation house in The Hamptons, three couples each with their own secrets start out on what is supposed to be a relaxing week vacation until one of them turns up dead after the first evening. Cate Holahan's writing is quick and easy to read, but she is still able to develop the characters so that the reader feels invested in their lives. Overall, a highly engaging mystery that will keep you flipping the pages. Highly recommend!

Thank you Cate Holahan, Crooked Lane Books, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Three couples spend a needed holiday together without the kids. Even though the couples don't even particularly get along--they still want to go on a luxury vacation together?.. That was far fetched in my opinion-however, the main story of the murder of one of the group is much more believable.. I think that the detective part of the book was well written and that the backstory kept you interested... I think this is not a very deep story--in my opinion it would have been a great book to read on the beach while on vacation-maybe not -

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the electronic advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Once the kids leave for camp, the parents will play!

Three couples rent a house for a week and of secrets are given out. The next day, one of them is dead and the rest of the people left in the house, are all suspects as one of them have to be the killer. This is a great thriller and of course the one little secret flips everything you think as you are reading the book!

This book comes out in the summer, so its another great beach read!

How could you not pick this book up and enjoy it?!! Fun cover grabbed my attention and kept it all the way through!

A really easy story to get into - three couples, neighbours rent a beach house whilst their children are at summer camp. It's more a holiday of convenience to keep the cost down rather than a group of established friends going on holiday together. There are tensions right from the off with this group and as the title suggestions, there are secrets.

A dead body is found on the private beach belonging to the house the neighbours are renting. Detective Gabby Watkins is fairly sure the killer is one of the occupants of the house. The story unravels and it appears everyone has a motive.

I really enjoyed the story, there were just two issues fro me that knocked it down to a four star - I felt the word epithet was overused and found it a little distracting. Also no sooner had Detective Watkins arrested someone, she was letting them go and arresting someone else, it gave the character of Watkins less credibility.

On the whole, I liked this book and would recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this is my honest opinion.

Three couples' vacation ends in a murder, and everyone seems to have a motive. The prose, plotting, and tempo are all engrossing.

Three couples rent a beach house for their vacation to get a respite from the pressure of work and their busy lives. Their kids are away in camp and they could use a break. Following an altercation between one of the couples, one of the vacationers turns up dead on the beach the following day.
Town Detective Gabby Watkins is called to investigate. When she digs deeper, she learns that the couples are keeping secrets that could link them to the murder.

One Little Secret is a gripping thriller, told in different timelines: the day of and the day before. I enjoyed this book and was eager to find out what secrets the couples were keeping. And boy, they had so much to hide!
This is my first book by Cate Holahan and I'm looking forward to reading more from her. I definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Many thanks to Cate Holahan, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three couples, one week in a Hamptons beach house. Multiple secrets with the power to tear families apart....or drive a desperate soul to kill.

When Susan books a luxury vacation with her husband and decides to invite her new neighbors, everyone is looking forward to a week of relaxation, pampering, and rest. However, it all starts to fall apart on their very first night in the beach house. As the alcohol consumption increases, inhibitions are down. Secrets are released, grudges are laid out in the open, and a vicious anger ultimately leads to a murder. When the body is discovered the next morning, everyone becomes a suspect. As detective Gabby Watkins begins to investigate the murder, it becomes clear that not all was perfect in paradise. As she begins to uncover tales of abuse and infidelity, the stakes are raised for someone to go to any lengths to protect his/her secret. Can the killer be uncovered in time before another victim is found?

If you are a fan of Desperate Housewives or Lifetime movies, you must check out this book. It was a breeze to get through, and although it did not have as many twists and turns as I typically like, I definitely was intrigued throughout. It was a good whodunit, as well as a necessary reminder that what looks perfect on the surface can often harbor deceit or deception underneath.

It's all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Three wealthy couples/neighbors decide to rent a house in the Hamptons for a week while their children are away at camp. Tensions run high between all six people, and the booze keeps on flowing. The next morning, someone ends up dead. Who would go to such great lengths to commit a murder? What is there to hide?

Cate Holahan does a fantastic job of weaving six different strands into one perfect web of lies. I devoured this book. A must read!

Actual rating 4.5 stars


Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of One Little Secret in exchange for an honest review.

You know what I LOVE?  Murder mysteries that have me absolutely certain I know who the killer is ... but then no, it's that guy!  No, hang on, that woman!  Actually THAT PERSON THERE, FOR SURE!  Oh, no I was wrong about them too....  And do you know what this book was?  EXACTLY THAT.  

A group of neighbours have dropped their kids off at camp and headed to the Hamptons to share a beach house, relax, have a few drinks and some fun.  Except, that fun is shattered fairly early on when one of them ends up dead.  As the story progresses, alternating timelines between the day of the murder and the day after the murder, it seems almost everyone has a secret, and maybe a motive.  

At the beginning of the book I found it hard to keep straight who was married to who and which kids belonged to each family.  Just as I finally got it sorted out, the twists and turns made things even harder :D  But it didn't take away any enjoyment from the book, I'm just terrible at remembering names when books have a few characters.  I'm sure that same issue doesn't plague everyone!    The writing was so engaging and the twists and turns just kept coming the whole way through.  The slow release of information made guessing the outcome much harder and there was even a seemingly irrelevant storyline that flawlessly joined the main one halfway through.  I highly enjoyed this book and absolutely loved the way it all tied together in the end!

I quickly read through ONE LITTLE SECRET, by Cate Holahan, which is due to be published in July '19. This is a real page turner - we’re talking perfect beach read here!! Three really twisted couples rent a beach house for a week, while their kids are away at summer camp. Secrets, lies, betrayals....and murder!! I’ll post more, closer to the release date, this one is going to be a delicious summer read! Will post more, closer to the release date.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Cate Holahan, and Crooked Lane Books, for the digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

I’m going to start by saying thrillers aren’t my usual read and I’ve been trying to branch out. I’m glad I did. One Little Secret is a good one. Engaging from the very start. The twists and turns just help draw me in more. The characters are not dull or boring. And you don’t have a whole lot of filler to get their backstories.

Our main character Detective Gabby Watkins is a great character, from the beginning you can see her inner struggles. She gets too personally involved into a few of her cases. Please note there are sensitive topics in this book. There may also be triggers for some readers.

The story truly begins at the start when we find our heroine talking to a young girl about a possible rape. It switches quickly to a few neighbors renting a beach house together albeit being almost strangers. When one of them is found dead Gabby’s on the case.

It was kind of a mind boggle to see how all of the characters and story were so intertwined. You can’t help get invested in the story. I wasn’t surprised by the ending. Honestly I was a little ticked off. You can find out why by picking up the book.

I received this ARC for my unbiased opinion. Thank you to the authors, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.

One little secret was a fast-paced, page flipper. Three couples head to the beach for a week of fun or so they think. They send the kids to camp and plan to have an adult only, free week with alcohol and no childcare responsibilities. Alcohol does tend to loosen lips, and before long secrets are revealed that would have been better off left unsaid. When one of them is found dead, a detective reveals that it's no accident and any one of them are potential suspects.

The POV shifts between the three women at the beach house and Gabby, the detective determined to solve the crime. We go back and forth in time to learn what secrets have been hidden and who would resort to murder. It was a little hard at first to get all the characters straight, but several chapters in, I had everyone sorted out. Well developed characters and a plot that kept me guessing until the end. A solid story and I definitely want to read more by this author.

Wow, this was a page turner! One LIttle Secret is a cross between Big Little Lies and a traditional who-dun-it. I savored every page and it kept me guessing until the end.

A group of neighbors/friends head to a beach house for a short getaway after dropping their children at a nearby camp. After one woman is found dead on the shore, the book unveils the characters through flashbacks and flash forwards giving small nuggets of information to piece together. The characters are all richly developed, the story keeps a fast pace, and the reader is pulled in from page one.

Highly recommend One Little Secret!

Three couples. One Week. One nasty little secret that’s bound to get out before the trip is over.

The three couples have sent their children off to camp and are on their way for a relaxing week on the beach. They’ve packed their essentials, wine and liquor; and are planning to take the week to unwind, spend time with each other and (maybe) work on their marriages.

However, that all comes to a head when one of the women is found dead after the first night. When the town detective, Gabby Watkins, arrives at the scene, she realizes that each person staying in the beach house has the potential to be a murderer and that they each are harboring a secret that could’ve led to the untimely death of the victim.

One Little Secret by Cate Holahan caught my attention as it seemed to have an eclectic mix of characters grouped around a mysterious circumstance. The first few chapters were challenging to follow as I found I was confused on what day it was (before or after) and which character was married to whom. Because of this confusion, it took me a while to feel that I was really following what was going on with all of the characters.

There were a few side stories and characters that I also found myself struggling to understand and to understand their relationship to the main storyline. However, in the end I did find that those “side-stories” did have some connection to what happened in the house with the three couples.

I was impressed that Cate Holahan brought up a topic that many authors don’t bring to light; domestic violence and just how treacherous it can be for the victim to leave their abuser. At times the scenes involving the violence was difficult to read. I would like caution readers that there are a few unsettling scenes which could serve as a trigger for those who are survivors of domestic violence.

Thank you to Cate Holahan, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for my ARC of One Little Secret!

Firstly thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy of "One Little Secret" by Cate Holahan in exchange for an honest review.

Three couples (neighbours) send their kids away on camp and rent a beach house for a week, with the removal of inhibitions via alcohol and responsibilites via removal of the kids each couples begins to reveal the marital tension and personal issues they each face.

After the first tense night one member of the party winds up on the beach dead.

The book itself unravels from differing POVs and I enjoyed how how interlinked each couple were with each other. The "who dunnit" element gave way to a fast paced, unable to put down psyhcological thriller with charaters that are very relatable and issues you can certianly empathise with.

The narrative was reminsicent of Gone Girl and the like so a definite "modern" psychological thriller. I am glad the author stuck to the present tense (albeit the day of, hte day before etc) as it would have been easy to weave "flashbacks" into the plot, this way it allowed the reader to develop thier own perspectives on the marriages and storylines.

I do recommend the book is proof read / gets a good editor to review before publishing as there were a few inconsistencies, for example;
Chapter 9 – Loc 1004, 1056, & Chapter 11 – Loc 1288: The author names the fish cooking on the grill first as Halibut (Loc 1004), then Salmon (Loc 1056), and finally as Halibut again (Loc 1288).