Marin's son Sebastian was kidnapped right out of a public marketplace after she let go of him for just a moment. A year later her private investigator digs up dirt, not on Sebastian's disappearance, but that husband Derek is having an affair. I would have loved to read more and find the connection this has to the kidnapping, but since Marin's solution to an unfaithful husband is to have the woman murdered...well, I kind of felt like that was putting too much blame in the wrong spot. Didn't really flow with society's current women supporting women.

Had to put this down for now, but since I love Jennifer Hillier, I will try to pick it back up another time.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier is a dark, twisty thriller that grabbed me from the very start. Ms Hillier is another new author to me, but I have already added more of her work to my ever-growing TBR. This is a brilliant, compulsive read that will stay with you long after the final page is turned.

Marin is living a life that others envy. A successful businesswoman, she is married to the wealthy Derek, and is mother to a longed for son, four year old Sebastian. But one day, while Christmas shopping at a busy market, Marin's perfect world is shattered in an instant when her precious boy is snatched from right under her nose. A year later, the search for the boy has gone cold, and Marin is dealt another unimaginable blow. Her husband is having an affair with a younger woman. As her life continues to descend into a seemingly endless nightmare, Marin knows that she must do whatever she can to save her marriage. But at what cost to her own slippery hold on sanity?

This is a riveting read that will certainly keep you guessing. If you enjoy delving into the dark and unpredictable abyss of the human mind, this one is for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC.

This was a bit too convoluted for me and just overflowing with names and people. Dealing with a very sad kidnapping, the book involves too many people, too many subplots. I found it lacked a believability factor.

Though I liked the start, I found it devolved into a chaotic plot.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5 stars, rounded up
This is my first book by Jennifer Hillier, but I’ve been anxious to read something of hers for a while. This is an extremely fast, easy read. I blew through it. It starts with a mother losing her four year old son in Pike Place Market. She soon learns he’s been kidnapped. Sixteen months later, and he’s still gone. Then she discovers her husband is having an affair. At this point, she makes an irrevocable decision.
The story alternates between Marin, the wife and mother, and Kenzie, the other woman. I can’t say either woman is likeable, but Hillier does a great job of fleshing them both out. I had sussed out the villain early on in the book but certainly not the how it all played out.
I enjoyed how once again social media plays into the lives of the young. Hillier even does a great job explaining the why of its importance.
This is a fun read, but it’s like a Chinese meal. Good, but it’s not going to stick with you.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy.

Marin and Derek seem to have it all, success, wealth, and a good marriage. But soon both are living every parents nightmare. While answering a text at a crowded Christmas market, Marin lets go of her son’s hand, and in an instant he is gone. When camera footage shows him being led away by someone in a Santa suit, they pull out all the stops to get Sebastian back.

Fast forward over a year later and with no new leads, the case has gone cold. What Derek doesn’t know however, is that Marin has hired a private investigator to keep digging into the abduction. But instead of receiving news about their son, she finds out that her husband is having an affair with a 24 year old student. Having already lost so much, Marin is not about to lose her husband as well.

This was a great binge worthy read. Everything about this story worked for me, the characters, the plot and the pace.
4.5⭐️

Little Secrets opens with Marin and her little boy Sebastian holding hands while shopping in a crowded Marketplace. Marin promises Sebastian a giant lollipop if he's good while she shops for one last Christmas present. She's momentarily distracted by a phone text, and in the time it takes her to realize her son is no longer holding her hand, Sebastian is gone. Sixteen months later, he's still missing with no viable leads, and Marin's life is a living hell as she's unable to come to terms with her loss. After the FBI search goes cold, Marin hires a private investigator (a little secret) without telling anyone. She's convinced Sebastian was taken by someone he knew - he wouldn't go with a complete stranger. The PI begins an intensive investigation into all of Marin and her husband's acquaintances, and what she finally uncovers will shred Marin's world into tiny pieces all over again. How much pain can one woman possibly endure without falling over the edge? You're about to find out.

Do yourself a favor and allow yourself a chance to read this book without knowing any details. I consider myself lucky to have skipped all reviews as well as the synopsis/blurb before reading it. As a result, I opened the book a complete innocent and was lured inside just as surely as Sebastian was lured away with a lollipop. Hillier excels at rendering dark, twisted tales that keep you up at night, reeling from the unexpected revelations time and again. A shadowy, menacing tone drives this story at a frantic pace through unexpected twists and turns. The story unfolds through two characters points of view - one is Marin, and I won't say who the other is because its unexpected and part of the journey, the story. The characters are not all likeable, but I think that's where the author's brilliance shines brightest. She writes deeply flawed characters in a manner that makes them real . . . makes them human even though they may do terrible things. They're not necessarily forgivable, but I like that Hillier cracks them open like a nutshell allowing readers to then pick at the heart of them - get to the bottom of what life experiences made them what they are. Likewise, Hillier's ability to weave multiple plot lines with perfection is truly amazing. Never think you know where a story will go in the end in a Hillier story because you'll most likely be wrong.

Little Secrets is a dark, raw, edgy, highly compulsive story of secrets, lies, betrayals, loss, guilt, revenge, and yes, even love. It's about starting over at ground zero when you've lost everything. It's about fighting for your beliefs and to keep what's yours. It's about never, ever giving up. It's about surviving. I started and finished it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down without knowing everything. Like I said, it's a highly compulsive read! The intensity is insane, the pace frantic, and the story heartbreaking. A enthralling thriller that I highly recommend!

Wow! If you're looking for a book that will pull you in right away and keep you interested from page one, you've landed on the perfect book. It begins with a mother's worst nightmare. A mother, Marin, is in a busy place with her son. She is on the phone, distracted for only a short time waiting for her husband, Derek, to meet them. Then she notices her son is not with her. He's been taken. Panic ensues. The story is set for my worst nightmare as a mother. I honestly did not know if it was going to be easy for me to read it and not feel pain and guilt, but Jennifer Hillier took the kidnapping and added some more secrets and twists to this suspense thriller and had me hooked.

This is not only a story of kidnapping, but what happens to families AFTER the child has been taken. What happens to a marriage and friendships? This story centers around Marin and Derek and a couple other characters that play a very significant part in their journey to find out what happened to their son and what is going on around them with their lives. You may not like all the characters, but they will make you feel things and make you question their motives with their lies and deceit.

Great book. Amazing story. Wonderful pacing and Flawed characters that keep you on your toes. This intriguing story was a true page turner that will keep you thinking about it after you’ve finished. Although I predicted a couple scenarios and wasn't 100% on board with parts of the ending, I really enjoyed and would thoroughly recommend this book. I debated between a 4 and 5 star because of the couple of minor issues that I had, but this book deserves all the praise and recommendations. It's well crafted and the twists make it that much more exciting. I know without a doubt, I will definitely read more books by this author.

Little Secrets is a great thriller because it's difficult, initially, to know what direction the book is going to take. I didn't read the description but just started reading, and I am very happy I went in not knowing much. The pace was very quick and I truly wasn't sure where it was leading me for a good length of time. I call that a win for a mystery/thriller since I read so many!

Very early on I was tempted to bail as it begins with an abducted child and the grief the mother experiences is written with gut wrenching detail. Also, although I sympathized with Marin, the mom, I also sort of hated her (there are reasons). As more characters get introduced, I didn't like any of them very much. For me, I sometimes have a hard time getting invested in a book about terrible people. Very quickly I found myself interested enough in the story and wondering what was going to happen to overlook the morally questionable and somewhat one dimensional characters.

I found most of the twists pretty surprising and enjoyed them. I will admit, there's a definite feeling at the end of "oh this would never have happened" but I enjoyed the story enough to have the needed suspension of disbelief! I advise going into this one knowing as little as possible.

The writing in this book is good, but, unfortunately, it still wasn't for me. I didn't like the plot line at all and don't enjoy when the wife blames the other woman when it is her husband who cheated.

An exciting book with numerous plot twists that is impossible to put down. The story is about Marin Machado, a successful businesswoman who owns a chain of upscale hair salons. She's married to Derek, the guy that drove her crazy during her college years. Their hard work has allowed them to live a wealthy life. The Machado family have one son, Sebastian, a kid that receives all of Marin's love and attention. One day, Marin goes shopping with her son, Derek needed something from his wife so he decides to contact her. While Marin is busy answering her husband, Sebastian is kidnapped. As soon as Marin finds out she calls Derek, they meet at the store. They start searching for their son but they had no luck. They immediately contacted the authorities who will help them take care of the situation. As the investigation continues, Marin will be able to evaluate her professional and personal life. It is an interesting book that describes the problems that couples experiment after years of marriage and the frustration of not knowing the location of their kid. I enjoyed the book, it made me feel anxious and worried about Sebastian, I couldn't put it down, it was a thriller worth reading.

I thank NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with the book in exchange for an honest review.

Little Secrets, by Jennifer Hillier, was a thriller with incredible character development that I read in a day and a half. The storyline ended up being very different than I anticipated, but I loved how deeply I got to know the characters. The different storylines were each told by different people, and I really enjoyed hearing the multiple perspectives. Honestly, this book probably would have been a 5 star for me, but about half way through I guessed the ending. I would have LOVED having the twists come as a shock. Overall, I gave this book 4.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for providing me a free copy of this book for this honest review.

Little Secrets is the newest book from Jennifer Hillier after her very popular and awarding winning Jar of Hearts (2018). In what starts as a simple, but scary story of a mother, Marin Machado, losing her 4-year old son, slowly builds into something larger, drawing the reader more and more into what becomes a complex story. Hillier’s seemingly simple but absorbing writing style leads the reader to keep reading and reading.

Marin Machado’s life is changed by the loss of her son and after a year when the case is cold with the federal investigators, she has not given up. Her marriage of course suffers. Since it’s a cold case with little action on the part of the FBI, she secretly decides to hire a Private Investigator who soon finds out Marin’s husband is cheating on her with a younger woman. Although the story is told primarily from the perspective of Marin, we do get to learn a little bit more about Marin’s husband’s lover McKenzie when the perspective shifts to her. The author at first lets us think that McKenzie is what Marin thinks she is, a young immature woman in love with Marin’s husband. We soon learn that what McKenzie and Marin’s husband know is quite different and the story becomes much more complex and even more exciting then, with little desire or ability for the reader to stop reading until the book is over.

This is the first book I’ve read by Jennifer Hillier. I had heard her speak at Bouchercon several years ago and was impressed enough to pick up a couple of her books, but the apparent horror nature of those books has kept me from reading them so far. After all the positive press of Jar of Hearts I was definitely interested in reading it and when her new book became available at NetGalley, I was quick to request a copy. Wow, what a great writer. I now have a copy of Jar of Hearts and hope to read it soon. I’m sure I’ll also read everything else she has written or will write. I’m not sure I can adequately describe what I like about her writing, but it’s complex without being complicated or overly written. If you haven’t read her, I suggest you start now, and certainly you can’t go wrong starting with this one.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier was a magnificent read. It takes place in Seattle... and the Pacific Northwest... my home so I was immediately drawn to the plot. This story begins with a bang. Marin Machado lets go of her 4 year son Sebastian’s hand for ten seconds and he is kidnapped in broad daylight in the middle of Pike’s Place Market. To say that this story was easy to figure out would be a complete and utter lie. The author led the reader down multiple paths all which lead to an ending.... but is it the ending one would expect? Well you will have to read it to find out! Could NOT put this one day. She touches on infidelities, mental health, support groups, loss, grief, and even reconciliation. I highly recommend this book. It is a quick, pulse pounding, thrill ride!

What a fabulous book! An intense and dark page turner that makes you anxious for an ending. A good ending.

I loved the authors note because Hillier explains she had to dig deep and go to an unknown place of despair in order to portray the emotions she wanted. And I admire an author for going to those extremes because then you read such a fabulous story.

Halfway through the book, I did have an inkling of what happened and what was going on but I still appreciate that it continued to keep me on my toes. You really feel for Marin and what she’s going through. Losing a child and then possibly her husband? Of course you will have dark thoughts and do things you would never imagine doing! Her life was so raw and that made the book great!

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier is about a mother’s worst nightmare. Marin is shopping with her son, 4 year old Sebastian, when in a split second, he’s gone. Marin and Derek had the picture perfect life...two successful business owners, Marin owns her own upscale hair salons Derek runs his own company as well. The college sweethearts were admired by everyone, who would do this to their son? A year after Sebastians disappearance, the FBI has exhausted all leads, Marin barely functions, and Derek has become a stranger. Desperate for answers, Marin hires her own PI, but she starts to unravel a world of secrets Marin never saw coming.

Derek is having an affair with a much younger girl, who is a student artist and Instagram obsessed. She knows Derek is married, she knows he’s rich, and she is swimming in debt. The perfect match... When things start to spiral, Marin turns to her oldest best friend, Sal. he listens to her, he’s always there for her, the best friend anyone could ever ask for, but even Sal has a secret past Marin knows nothing about.

When Marin finally starts putting the pieces together with the help of her PI, the revelations are so hurtful and shocking, Marin gives it everything she has to finally find the answers of what happened to her son on that fateful day he was kidnapped?

This was the first book I have ever read by Jennifer Hillier...I’m addicted. Her writing style flows so well her characters are so well defined, the plot just keeps twisting into situations more shocking than the next. I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller, but be warned, you will be surprised!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Minotaur Books and Jennifer Hillier for an advanced reader copy of Little Secrets in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Jennifer Hillier does not disappoint. From page one I was hooked on this book and did not want to put it down. The topic is a hard one to read about (child abduction) and the novel continues to make you uncomfortable with other triggering topics like suicide/suicidal thoughts, however, Jennifer Hillier presents them in the most realistic and thought provoking ways. Her ability to bring these topics into her writing and have you fully see how grief and loss can alter someone's mindset and their decision making is above all my favorite part of this novel. Marin struggles everyday with the loss of her son and the knowledge that she may never know if he is dead or alive. Over a year after her sons abduction her marriage is at risk and she makes extreme decisions to save the last remaining member of her family.

I always love that Jennifer Hillier does not make the twists of her novels the main attraction, rather the characters and their development are what draw you and keep you reading. Her twists are subtle but jaw dropping and only add to the story rather than being the reason you read her novel. For those who are fans of thrillers I would definitely recommend this book. If you haven't yet picked up a novel by Jennifer Hillier then stop what you are doing now and read this one because you won't be disappointed.

Marin’s son disappears in a crowded Christmas shopping location and remains missing for a long time. This disappearance takes a toll on her marriage and her mental health. It gets worse when she finds that her husband Derek has been cheating. From there how she goes about dealing with her situations is truly a roller-coaster ride. During this, she gets some clues on her son’s disappearance and then the question is - Is her present connected to her past? Were there any clues that she totally missed?

It went off at an amazing pace and was simply brilliant. Absolutely hooks you in right away and all the twists were really good. The hype was real for this and it was spot on. The way the author has described Marin's grief is very realistic - people when sad do things they don't really mean to and that doesn't make them bad, just makes them more human. The secrets of Marin, Derek, Derek’s so called girlfriend, Marin’s friend Sal keep the whole plot twisted and entertaining.

Thriller fans will definitely enjoy this extremely well-plotted thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and St.Martins Press for this advanced copy.

I am a big Jennifer Hillier fan. Her books always grab me and keep me interested. This one was no different. It follows a couple whose son goes missing right before Christmas. Hillier knows how to write interesting characters, and has a way of getting you to root for folks you might not always root for. The overall pacing was great, and the storyline stayed interesting. I felt like the end of the book was a little rushed, and some of the decisions the characters made had me scratching my head. I really enjoyed this newest Hillier book. Thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to review this title before it is released.

Jar of Hearts was wonderfully written and Hillier delivers again with this newest novel. It took me a smidge to get into, but after so long the pages were turning themselves. This story was well told and the connections all coming together were perfect. I highly recommend and will be putting Hillier on my auto read list.

Marin is out at Pike Street Market in Seattle, finishing up her Christmas shopping when her son disappears. Poof. If you are a parent, it’s likely it’s happened to you. You panic, you get frantic. Until the pallet of paper towels at Sam’s Club starts laughing at you and you find your child.
But what if you didn’t?
Marin is living this nightmare. She can barely hold it together. She can barely work a whole day. And the pain, the pain never goes away. Then she finds out her husband is cheating. Can you imagine?
Except it almost lights a fire under her. It gives her a sort of sick purpose to watch his mistress – via Instagram and at the coffee shop she works at. It gives Marin a reason to care about something for the first time ever since Sebastian disappeared.
Little Secrets was a great read. I’m so glad I wasn’t scared off by the beginning of the book. Hillier does a great job really reaching down into the depths of her characters to reveal very real insecurities and motivations. I read this one in a day. And not a day –a weekday when I was super busy with work and the gym and basketball practice. It’s that good.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur books for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out April 21, 2020. My review will be published on my blog, Women in Trouble Book Blog on March 24, 2020.