Another random pick from Netgalley that I wasn't expecting to like! I can't believe it took me five years to pick this book up! (Actually, I CAN believe it... with how slow I've been reading, meh)

One Little Secret is a domestic thriller revolving around three couples on a vacation, each one hiding secrets from their spouses or the rest of the book, resulting in a murder. We hear the story from the main characters, as well as the detective assigned to the case. AND aside from this specific crime, there are other criminal incidents and cases involved.

If you're a fan of true crime podcasts, you'd definitely enjoy reading this web of crimes, secrets, hidden agendas, and family drama. Though I did guess some of the plot twists, I 100% did love all the juiciness of it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Cate Holahan for sending an advanced copy to read and review.

Well, well, well, what juicy secrets do we have here? Three couples set on for an adventure, they rent a beach house to get away and get to know each other. Though when they arrive the house is not as beautiful as pictured but hey they make the best of it cause why not? But what comes next nobody is expecting: Murder. Who did it? Who can't be trusted? Who could be next? Let the drama begin and the story unfold to figuring out who could be capable of murder and why.

Even though this book felt like other stories I read I still enjoyed the whodunit aspect.

The book was a little of a slow read, and confusing at times with the extended families, but still very enjoyable, and I just had to finish it. Recommended.

One Little Secret by Cate Holahan is a mystery that literally takes place in a glass house where there are plenty of stones being thrown. Three couples leave the city to spend a child-free week together at a beach house. The six friends, while relaxing and over-enjoying drinks, begin to reveal secrets which include adultery, spousal abuse, lawsuits, etc. By the next morning, one of them is found dead on the beach and the remaining five are pointing fingers at each other. Gabby Watkins is the detective assigned to the case. She soon finds that any of them had a reason to commit this murder. One by one are interviewed and later released. Who is the killer? And why was the victim murdered? I recommend this novel to readers who like to be kept guessing until the end. Nothing is as it seems. This is my first Cate Holahan mystery but I look forward to reading all of her books. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a typical mystery whodunnit with a murder that opens up the story, but there were a few things that prevented me from being satisfied once I hit the last page:

1. There were soooo many unrealistic things. The main aspect that stood out is that the premise is about three couples who vacation together at a rental for one week. Throughout the book, you find out that these six people are linked together in some surprising, scandalous ways (no spoilers here). It makes absolutely no sense that these individuals would agree to be secluded for one week together with everything they knew.

2. One of the more minor cases that was introduced at the beginning didn't really have a lot of resolution. It left me surprised why the author had even included it.

3. The book's title doesn't make sense since there were like 500 different secrets and none of them little.

4. There were a few details that got no further explanation (including lines of dialogue that I thought would make sense later that didn't).

I'm still giving this three stars because I didn't completely guess all of the twists or the ending, but it's definitely not a book I would recommend as a good mystery.

One Little Secret is the type of book I wouldn't hesitate to buy without any knowledge of it. The premise of a locked room mystery tied together with that gorgeous and chilling cover made this a must read for me. The way Holahan used a literal glass house to expose these couples secrets was a well-written metaphor. It was overall a fast read and an unsolvable mystery. I would recommend you pick it up if you like this type of tale!

One Little Secret was intriguing and a thriller all wrapped up in a great storyline with well-crafted characters. A must read.

I adore the cover! I found the story so compelling and really page turning. A landmark thriller. Recommend

Neighbors with secrets. 👀 This very loosely reminds me of The Girls in the Garden and The Party. All are about close friends/neighbors that are connected through some drama or other and includes secrets and affairs and murder! This book was a little predictable but I did enjoy the unraveling of the mystery as a whole. It was perfect for this rainy day. ☔️

I downloaded this at a time I wanted to read this, however years have passed now and I am not longer interested in reading this.

The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

One Little Secret tells the story of 3 married couples who go on vacation at a beach house, The first night they are there they have a BBQ and everyone is drinking. The next day, they find out that one of the wives was murdered on the beach. Detective Sergeant Gabby Watkins is assigned to investigate the murder. While she's investigating, her daughter gets in trouble for attending a party where an au pair was potentially raped and Gabby has to investigate that.

The book is written in alternating experiences - the day before the murder, the day of the murder and they day after. It was a bit difficult to follow and I didn't really feel a connection to the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a swift murder mystery with an ever-interesting setting of a "locked room" - only this time it a private beach near a rental house, where three married couple are vacationing.
So, why was one of them killed?

These days there are too much "twists" in the murder mysteries (meaning the identity of the (practically always psychopathic) killer just surprisely jumps out at the last pages) - so I am very thankful for the ever-interesting setup of finding the killer/s within the realistic suspects while using plausible logic and believable motives.

And while I think normally the characters would know more about their entanglements (has no one ever sensed anything?) - however, they are neighbours, not BFFs, so there is a room for some blindness.

I also like the other investigation of a party date-drug sexual assault - first, because the plots nicely overlap and second, because we need to talk about these dangers.

I could do with little less feminism here (mostly in the epilogue), but on the other hand nothing is overdone.

Wittily and handsomely done!

This is my first Cate Holahan book, and it was really enjoyable! The story had plenty of twists that made reading it fun, I love thrillers and this was a fun one to try to figure out. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a twisty beach read!

I love Cate and all of her books and this was no exception! She is such a great storyteller! I was hooked from the first page through the entire book.

4.5/5 - We had been eagerly anticipating #onelittlesecret by one of our favourite authors @cateholahan and it did not disappoint! Twisty psychological thriller that kept us guessing right until the end (and increased our kilometres on our walks because we wanted to keep listening!) Long walks and staying up late reading = one tired dog! 😴 🐕

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Net galley for an advanced readers copy of this novel for my honest opinion.

Can 3 couples from the same street live together and vacation together without any drama? This book answers that question with a probably not. A book with 6 unreliable characters that keep you guessing to the very end. Pack your beach bag with this fast paced and juicy summer read!

I love a thriller with a great setting- and this one set in the Hamptons fit the bill. Set in a pressure cooker of 3 couples, who vacation together yet don't seem all that fond of each other, one of the wives is found dead on the beach and the week unravels from there.

There are lots of unexpected twists, but none of the vacationers are that likable and are somewhat one dimensional, it was almost hard to keep straight who was married to whom. Gabby, the investigator, turned out to be the most compelling, and realistic character.

Certainly an entertaining novel for a summer afternoon!

Thank you to Net Galley for the advance edition!

Trigger Warning | Domestic Abuse

Thank you so much @CrookedLaneBooks & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 09 July 2019)

SYNOPSIS | Susan invites some of her new neighbours to sublet a house by the beach for a week long, kid-free getaway. During the first night, alcohol loosens inhibitions & lips and one of the women is discovered dead on the beach the next morning.

WHAT I LIKED:
- The plot was intriguing enough for me to continue reading to understand the motive

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- The pacing was a little slow in parts
- Even after reading the book I could not name the six main characters or who was married to who
- I didn't connect with the jumping storyline and often questioned if I was reading something before the murder, the day of the murder or after the murder

I was so excited to receive this book after reading the author’s previous novel. Although I did enjoy the first one more, this was an interesting read. I liked the story, but at times it was a bit slow and most of the characters were unlikable. In the end, it was a solid read and I am happy to have read it. Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced reading copy.