Sometimes a book takes you totally by surprise, knocking you off your feet in a subtle and unexplainable way. Jennifer Hillier manages to do this to me with this book, in a way that few others than the master of the "ordinary-person-in-extraordinary-circumstances" thriller, Harlan Coben, have done to me.
Hillier manages to make the reader feel and understand the desperation and illogical actions of the main character, a hair dresser to the rich and famous with her own salon, whose little boy was abducted, and whose husband is now cheating with a much younger barista.
Hillier is in no way a Coben copycat, but she also pulls off credible twists and turns - a Coben trademark - that keeps the reader hooked from cover to cover. I did catch on to one of the major twists ahead of time, but I am also quite brilliant, so the average reader will probably not experience this (sorry, I am just fantastically upbeat about this book!).
Five big stars from me - a highly recommended read for fans of Harlan Coben, Joseph Finder, and other greats in this genre.

This book writes about grief in a way that is both achingly sad and frightening. You don’t have to be a parent to experience loss, but you have to be a parent to experience the constant fear of losing your child. Whether it is from an abduction, disease, or just going outside, there is a nagging pull to keep your child from harm, even in situations where they should be ok. That’s what this book is about. It is about the loss of a child and how it sends Marin into a downward spiral. Her son, Sebastian, was kidnapped from a busy marketplace, right before Christmas. The only clue to his disappearance is a grainy video showing Sebastian being led away by someone in a Santa suit.

Little Secrets shows how grief affects people differently. Marin sinks into a deep depression that culminates in therapy, both private and group, as well as, a medication to help her cope. Her husband, Derek, meanwhile, takes up with a much younger woman. While this may seem cliche, Jennifer Hiller has written these characters in way that they are not one dimensional. Both do their share of wrongs. Neither one comes across as “the good guy”. They both partake in their share of secrets. It is easy to say that if they had just communicated with each other, more, none of this would happen, but that isn’t how grief works.

This novel is thrilling, twisty, and fast paced. I read it in one sitting. There were many times where I had to stop and really process what was going on because I was astonished by some of the characters’ actions. I pride myself on knowing the twist before it happens, but this one took me by surprise.

Little Secrets is a perfect title for Jennifer Hillier's new book. Marin is a wealthy, married mother of a little boy named Sebastian. One day while they are at a crowded outdoor shopping area she gets distracted and in an instant Sebastian is gone. The police find out when checking the security cameras that the little boy was lead off by someone dressed as Santa Claus. Marin's world comes crashing down. Cut to a year and a half later and she is barely surviving. Her marriage to Derek has suffered greatly. Marin has hired former cop turned PI Vanessa Castro (a character from a previous Hillier book) to find Sebastian. She instead finds out some "little secrets". I don't want to say too much more and give anything away. This book had a different feel than the author's previous books. To me it was more of a domestic thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters should all be unlikeable but Hillier makes them real and sympathetic. You simply must read this novel! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book!

This book was a true thriller with unexpected twists, great characters, and an ending you won't soon forget!

Let me start off by saying that I haven’t read a book in several months. Life happened and it’s just been crazy but I decided I wanted to start reading again.

I am so happy I chose this book to help get me back to my love of reading! I am a huge fan of Jennifer Hillier’s and her book, Jar of Hearts, is one of my all time favorites. It’s one I will never forget and now, I can add this one to the same list!!

Little Secrets is about a charming married couple who have it all, until they day their son goes missing. A year later, the case goes cold and Marin (the wife) hires a PI to keep investigating. She finds that Derek (the husband) is having an affair. Now, this story did NOT go where I thought it was going to go. It was so much MORE!!! Just when I thought I had it figured out, twist after twist kept coming and I couldn’t read it fast enough. One of the main things I loved about this book and I felt the same way about Jar of Hearts, is that Jennifer Hillier knows how to convey emotion and really make you feel what the characters are feeling. What Marin felt when her son went missing and everyday that passed, I felt it. It was heartbreaking to read because it’s every mother’s worst nightmare. I have 3 kids of my own and I couldn’t imagine what it must be like.

My first book I’ve read this year and it’s going to be hard to beat as a favorite!! 5 stars!!!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me an early reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was awesome! I love a good psychological thriller with a twisty ending, and this one delivered, for sure!

Absolutely LOVED this book!!!!! I literally couldn’t put it down. The characters are all so real and flawed and the author really did a great job of putting you in their heads so you could feel all their emotions and knew exactly what they were feeling/experiencing. The twists and turns were expertly done.....I was constantly shocked by what happened next. Fast-paced and thrilling! Definitely recommend!

Wow!! Who needs sleep when you have books like this to read?
As a mom, I could feel the pain of Marin when her 4 year old son is abducted out of a shopping area. For over a year she lives in a daze. Not knowing where to go from there. Her husband begins an affair with a much younger woman and the story just begins to build from there.
Usually I can easy pick out what is going to happen but with this book I was on the edge of my seat til the very end. Hoping to check out some other books by this writer. I recieved this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the author, Jennifer Hiller and Netgalley for the opportunity to read one of the most captivating books I have read in a long time.

Thank you NetGalley, Jennifer Hillier and her publisher for the opportunity they gave me to read this AMAZIING novel.

I do have to give a clap where it is due. Very entertaining. I do have to say she did a great job writing this book. I always find it hard to give reviews for thrillers. If you say too much, you will just give it away. I will stick to saying the book was great when it was and this was.

Thank you once again Jennifer. Let me know if you want to send me books in the future. I will definitely be there to read and give you a high five.

Little Secrets was a great story. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns that the plot took. The characters were well written and easy to love or hate based on their decisions.
I would recommend this book to any thriller lover!

This is my first book by Jennifer Hillier and it definitely won't be my last. I absolutely loved Little Secrets. From the first chapter, I was invested and I never wanted to put this book down. I read it in less than 24 hours because it was such a great read.
It wasn't necessarily packed with action but it wasn't slow and it was very entertaining and engaging. The pacing was great and the plot twists were unexpected but not outlandish and over the top. The whole plot was written with direction and purpose.
I thought the main character was wonderfully written and flawed enough that she wasn't plain and boring.
Overall, absolutely fantastic read. I loved everything about it and I'm still in awe at how well written the plot was. I've read so many thrillers with poorly executed plot twists and outlandish surprises that don't make sense. Little Secrets is one of the best thrillers I've ever read and it's definitely one of my favorite books of 2020.

"They say if a missing child Sebastian's age isn't found within twenty-four hours of his disappearance, chances are he never will be. This is the first coherent thought Marin Machado has every morning when she wakes up. The second thought is whether this will be the day she'll kill herself."...….

This psychological thriller will take you on an unforgettable ride. As in Jennifer Hillier’s previous novels, her writing is outstanding. I’ve enjoyed several of them.

As a parent, one of Marin’s worst nightmares has come true. While shopping with her son, she lets go of 5 year old Sebastian’s hand for just a moment. Then he’s gone.

Marin and Derek are doing their best to hang on. They have money, homes, businesses, and fast cars. None of it will matter a year down the road. Marin keeps a small secret. She keeps a private eye on retainer. She’s never stopped looking for Sebastian.

Unfortunately, she finds that Derek is cheating. If she can’t get her son back, she can focus her rage on her husbands mistress. Marin will do things she’d never imagined she was capable of.

The story was a thriller from start to finish. Can she come to terms with their loss? Can Derek pull it together before Marin ends up doing something that could land her in prison, or perhaps a widow?

Well written, stunning amount of reality, loss, grief. Last, but not least, a lot of things are done out of love. What will the aftermath of all this tragedy bring?

Thank you Jennifer Hillier, Netgalley, and St. Martins Press.

A thriller full of questions, betrayal, and mystery. The plot takes a lot of twists. While I figured out the ending, it in no way took away from the reading experience because the book is so well written. My biggest surprise was that while I didn't find any of the characters likable, I was completely invested in them! I read this one straight through. I had to know if I was right and I really wanted to see how the author wrapped things up. I was not disappointed. I have read all of this author's books and this one has all the aspects I love about her work. There is suspense, a lot of tension, an engrossing plotline, and memorable characters. It's hard to give too much detail without spoiling things for readers. This is definitely a thriller fans will enjoy.

I received this book as an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This story is about a young family of three that fell apart after their 5 year old son gets kidnapped . It seems that everyone , including the parents,, is keeping important and dangerous secrets. Trust and honesty don’t exist. The characters are well developed and there are surprises throughout the story. The ending was a total surprise and very well done. I enjoyed reading about each character and seeing how they develop and change in the story. . My sympathy different characters kept changing.

This was a quick read but hard to hold interest. Seemed to be lots of little stories . Not the best of her books.

This is one of those thrillers that have so much suspense within the pages that it is hard (almost impossible) to put down. The scenario at first is an all too common one. Marin is Christmas shopping with her pre-school son Sebastian when within a few minutes, he disappears. The video shows that he walked away with Santa. What?!? Sixteen months later, the story continues. Marin and her husband Derek are barely acknowledging each other and Marin is in therapy. From being a successful upscale hair salon owner to being a total nervous wreck, that is Marin’s life. She went from having a seemingly perfect life to one where the bottom fell out, especially when she discovered that Derek was having an affair with a barista named McKenzie. The clues in the book point to Derek and McKenzie having something to do with “Bash’s” disappearance, but this is where the twists and turns begin and don’t stop until the ending. I enjoyed the excellent and well-written book, but I did not like any of the characters. Marin was supposed to be the most sympathetic character, but she was also too flawed for me and had some one-dimensional characteristics that were unexpected in a mom who had lost her only child. Derek was manipulative and conniving, as was his paramour McKenzie. Neither struck a chord with me and I spent my time reading the book, hoping that they got what was coming to them. Fans of thrillers will not want to miss this one, if only for the surprise at the end!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

4.5 stars!! When the 4 year old son of Seattle power couple goes missing on trip to Pikes Place, Marin`s world comes crashing apart. With the FBI not finding anything Marin hires a PI that even a year later is looking into what happened, when she discovers something about Marin`s husband Derek. Why is he doing this? Does he know more then she thinks? Who is this lover? What does she know?

This is a twisted complex read that I couldn't put down! The realness, the never ending deep emotions, the relentless search for her son, made this such a great read! There was so much I was surprised by and I love that in a thriller! This made you think what would you do? How far would you go to get your family back.


Thank you to Minotaur Books and netgalley for my review copy!

My favorite thriller so far this year! Even though I had some of the plot points figured out, there were still a lot of twists, and I was on the edge of my seat o see how all of the pieces were put together. Absolutely could not put this one down

Marin and Derek had the perfect life until their son was kidnapped. Now over a year later they are going thru the motions, waiting on news of their son. They are just going thru the motions in their marriage and rarely connect. This was a great thriller. I had started thinking, maybe, suspecting the twist, but was still blown away. The book will keep you on the edge of your seat and there is a twist that will catch you off guard. Great book by a new author for me. I will definitely read her again! Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Oh my goodness.... I thought Ms Hillier's novel "Jar Of Hearts" was incredible, but this just blows it out of the water!!
This book is full of twisty plot turns, duplicitous characters and a whole lot of stuff that I never saw coming. This is my second 5 star read of 2020. Do yourself a favour and don't miss out on this book!