I was hesitant to read this book because it includes a child abduction and I'm the mom of two. Abduction is one of my biggest fears. I knew I would read it anyway because I liked a previous book from the same author and I am so glad I did.

A few seconds is all it took for Marin Machado's perfect life to fall apart. She's Christmas shopping in a place packed with people with her son Sebastian and is looking to buy that last perfect gift. He's tired and cranky and he wants a treat, she's tired and cranky and she just wants some caffeine. She lets go of his hand for a minute to answer a text and in an instant he's gone. Surveillance video shows that he left with Santa Claus.

Let that one sink in for a minute. Kids all over the world love Santa and think he's safe. Some wouldn't give leaving with him a second thought.

Move forward a year and a half later and the case is cold. The FBI has no new information. As frustrating as that is, it's the reality for many across the country. Marin and Derek are more like roommates than husband and wife. Derek seems to have given up on Sebastian as well as giving up on Marin. She is determined to find out what happened to her son, good news or bad. She hires a P.I. who comes to the same conclusion as the FBI, they simply have no leads to go on.The P.I. has discovered Derek's little secret however. He's having an affair with a younger woman named Kenzie.

This energizes Marin and gets her moving out of the rut she's been living in. The anger of betrayal fuels her. Her son may be gone and her life may be in shambles but no one is going to take her husband. This is one thing she CAN fix.

This book goes through a series of twists and turns from there. Marin goes about taking care of this younger woman in an unexpected way and once she sets the ball rolling the pace of this book kicks into high gear. All sorts of secrets are uncovered, from Derek to Marin to her best friend Sal to Kenzie.

You simply cannot skim this book. There are a million little "secret" details hidden along the way that will make sense as the ending gets pulled together. This book was a well written puzzle that I read in one sitting because I just HAD to keep going. Mystery and thriller fans, this one is for you!

Many thanks to Netgalley.com, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for giving me and advance copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Lord in Heaven, Jennifer Hillier, and good folks at NetGalley-- thank you for sending me a book too good to put down. Novels that center on a missing persons case are my favorite kind of thriller so I had high hopes I'd quickly get submerged in the plot, but this exceeded all of my expectations.

I also enjoyed the backdrop of the novel. Too often, the folks swept up in glitz and glam that we meet in fiction are trophy wives or the people on top of the food chain. I appreciated that Marin was a self-made woman that catered to elite clientele as a hairdresser, and in turn, built herself a solid reputation and hefty fortune. Her drive made her a lot more sympathetic character than she might have been otherwise.

What a ride! The characters were fleshed out, for better or worse. The main character Marin felt a bit flat at times, but that seemed realistic, as we didn't learn much about her before losing her son and after losing him her only personality treats were motivated by grief. I could have done with some chapters from the POV of Derek or Sal, as the author is clearly very talented in writing about a character's motivations.

The mystery really fit together well by the end. My only complaint would be that certain aspects of the ending were a bit too clean for the story that was told. Hard to describe my thoughts on this without spoilers, but it was a very dark story with a relativaely light ending.

This is the first book of Jennifer Hillier that I've read, and it has been intrigued to read more.

This book was a wild ride. I was hooked from the first chapter, and I could not stop reading it! This is the kind of book where I don't mind hating basically all of the characters.

The writing, pacing, twists and surprises (one of which I did figure out before we were informed, but it did not detract from the story at all! It felt more like we were given bread crumbs to figure it out before we were explicitly told). Every chapter was completely gripping.

Marin and Derek's son is kidnapped, and 16 months later, they are no closer to finding him. Marin then finds out her husband is having an affair with a much younger woman, and this last straw unravels Marin who was barely hanging on by a thread.

While I'm at it, please read this authors previous book, Jar of Hearts. So many have been sleeping on this unforgettable thriller!

Thank you to @netgalley for this amazing ARC! Make sure to grab this book when it comes out April 12, 2020!

The story starts with a kidnapped/abducted child. There is no ransom demand despite both parents being well off. Several months later and the child has still not been found. The mother blames herself for not paying attention. Her marriage starts to fall apart. Then she finds out her husband is having an affair. This is the moment she decides to take matters into her own hands and the story unfolds. A fast-paced thriller with lots of little twists. Enjoyable but predictable.

This is my first book by Jenifer Hillier and it definitely will not be my last! I love thrillers and this one did not disappoint! It is a story of a mother’s son going missing, and no leads or information from the police has helped find him. Marin decides to take matters into her own hands and hires a private detective, without her husband knowing. Unfortunately, Marin finds out more information then she was expecting to….

This had all the qualities a good thriller should have! Twists and turns, suspense, a likeable character, and of course an ending that you don’t see coming. I’m glad this 5-star read was one of my first books of 2020!

Marin and Derek have life figured out. They are successful, have a beautiful home and gorgeous son Sebastian. Everything is perfect until Sebastian is taken. It’s been a year and Marin is cotinueing to fall apart. The police have given up their search, but Marin has hired a PI to continue the search. Imagine her surprise when the PI calls to tell her, not about Sebastian, but that her husband is having an affair. Kenzie is an art student struggling to make ends meet. Derek isn’t the first married man she has dated, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Until she actually falls for the man that was just supposed to be a paycheck.

This book was not what I expected at all. While Marin certainly had her own issues, I felt for her so much after everything she had been through. I did not see the twists coming at all, and I really enjoyed them! I can’t imagine being in Marin’s position, and I could 100% understand her reactions to both her sons disappearance, and Derek’s affair. Kenzie definitely drove me insane. I felt for the fact that she was caring for her ill mother, but still…using married men is not the way! This book will keep you on your toes with what is going to happen! You won’t regret picking this one up on April 21st!

Summary:

Derek and Marin Machado are a successful and wealthy couple whose 4 year old son was kidnapped in plain daylight from a mall by someone dressed as Santa Claus. Marin has a private investigator who has been working for her for a year and a half since Sebastian was taken. Her private investigator has uncovered information that her husband is having an affair with a much younger woman, Kenzie Li. After doing some investigating on her own, Marin decides to take matters into her own hands by making sure she doesn’t lose her husband as well.

My Thoughts:

Wow this was amazing! I liked Jar of Hearts but this was even better!! I loved the protagonist, Marin, and I felt so tortured for her losing her little boy and feeling so guilty. The perspective flashed to Kenzie for a few chapters, which helped clear up why this young girl would want to date an older man, especially Derek.

I was so fortunate to be granted an early copy of this book, which I am sure will be a hit when it is released in April!!

I was up until midnight finishing this thriller!

Make sure you remember to pick this up in the spring!! You won’t regret it!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Little Secrets turn into Big Secrets!!! This is a thriller that will keep you up turning the pages. Just a simple trip to the mall for Marin and her son turns into a nightmare of child abduction. The only problem nothing is as it seems and nobody is who they say they are. This takes obsession to a whole new level. I have to say as a thriller fan this is a must read. I personally thought it was better than Gone Girl and many others in this genre. READ IT!!! YOU WONT REGRET IT!! But beware because everybody has Little Secrets!!!

OMG! I could not wait to read Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier! I knew it would be good, but it was even better than I expected! If you loved Jar of Hearts, you definitely need to read Little Secrets!

Marin is frazzled trying to do last minute Christmas shopping. Her four year old son, Sebastian is getting tired. He's begging for a colorful pinwheel shaped lollipop. She has promised him one after one more stop. Her phone rings, it's her best friend Sal. They've been best friends for twenty years. They had dated for about a year, things didn't work out, then she met Derek. As she's trying to text Bach she drops her child's hand, that is the last time she sees him. The store cameras show a Santa Claus dressed individual walking out with her son.
Derek is having an affair. Hey name is Kenzie. Marin finds out from her PI she hired to continue looking for her son after the case was put on the back burner.
Kenzie dates married men. When they try and end the affair she exhorts money out of them.
Sal is the only one that Marin has shared everything with. She even shares her desire to have Kenzie killed. He surprises her by saying he knows someone who would do it for her. She goes so far as to actually hire and pay him. Then she changes her mind and calls it off.
Little does she know of the tangled web of friends conspirators and even her husband that are involved, in this convoluted plan. A plan which may even have involved the kidnapping of Sebastian.

I loved this one. It got to the point where I did not want to put it down. I didn’t see the twists coming and was surprised. This was the first I’ve read by this author and I would certainly read another.
There was never a low point to the story.

Marin owns an upscale beauty salon and is the stylist of the stars. She is quite successful, as is her husband, Derek who runs his own multi-million- dollar company. Their world changes when their young son, Sebastian, is kidnapped at a shopping mall. Over a year later, the marriage is on the rocks and Marin discovers that Derek is seeing a younger woman. Marin, determined to keep her husband, decides to possibly fix this problem on a permanent basis. This will lead to major ramifications.
This is another excellent domestic thriller by Jennifer Hillier who has won the Thriller Award for best novel last year for JAR OF HEARTS. The plot is quite clever and never quite lets up in both the pacing and the suspense. The author puts some effort into the characterization of her main protagonists. There are some stereotypes among them but they are well developed, as a whole. Twists and turns abound especially as we get toward the conclusion of the novel. Highly recommended.

Larry Gandle
Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

Little Secrets is a quick read full of twists and turns. I anticipated a relatively straight-forward "whodunnit" and was pleased to find much more. Little Secrets explores how far a mother will go for her child, how well you know those around you, and how secrets have the potential of destroying everything. It follows Marin in the aftermath of her son's kidnapping and the depths of her despair and heartbreak. It's impossible not to feel Marin's pain and sympathize with her. I found myself unexpectedly tearing at several points.

Little Secrets is a complicated story of loss, lies, and secrets. It has great pacing, flawed but believable characters, and interesting twists. It's a page turner!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down!! It was heartbreaking, suspenseful, and raw! Some of it was very hard to read since I am a mother too. I gave it 4 stars!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Jennifer Hillier!!! I miss some of her "darkness" she wrote back in the day but she is still a fabulous author!

Little Secrets is about a couple who's son is kidnapped and for over a year they are trying to keep their marriage together so when their son does come home it will be just as it was before he was gone.

But things aren't as they seem and the marriage is in trouble. There has been no ransom calls, the police have no leads and life has spiraled out of control.

Marin's best friend has been there for her through thick and thin and she trusts him with her life......until she can't.

We wish Creep, Freak, and Butcher would be reprinted. We could sell those everyday in our store.

Marin appears to have the perfect life. She has been happily married to her lying, cheating, scumbag, SOB husband, Derek (I don't have strong feelings about this at all) when one day their son, Sebastian is kidnapped. With no real suspects in sight, no hide nor hair of her son, the case goes cold.

Marin is now a wreck. She can't get past the pain of losing her son, she was right there holding his hand, she let go of his hand for a just a few seconds and in that time, he was gone. She is stuck, living in a home where she and her husband rarely speak, going to a support group, and waiting to learn the truth. Her world is so sad and lonely. Then one day the PI she hired to find her son, calls to tell her she has found someone - but it's not her son - it's Mackenzie Li, her husband's mistress. A mistress who makes having wealthy "boyfriends" a habit. She doesn't care if they are married. She only cares about what they can give her.

What's a woman to do? Who would you react? How does Marin?

Whew! Marin doesn't always make the best choices, but she makes interesting ones. It was fun to be a fly on the wall while watching these people implode. It was also fun to imagine throwing rotten tomatoes (or eggs) at Mackenzie "Kenzie" and Derek. Both are unsavory characters who deserve each other IMO. Again, not that I have strong feelings about this at all....

Hillier continues to deliver the thrills, twists, turns all the while tugging on readers emotions. She had me feeling sorry for certain characters, booing and hissing others, but all the while having me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages to see how this book would end. This book was fast paced and there was always something going on. Plus, it is well written and well thought out. Plus, all of the characters are interesting - even the unlikable ones. They all have that little bit of something - that makes them jump off the page.

Talk about a page turner! I literally got nothing accomplished while reading this book. I was too enthralled in the story. Literally glued to my seat, trying to figure things out, wondering what the truth would be, and praying my butt wasn't expanding too much form the hour after hour of sitting I did while reading this book. This book is full of secrets, lies, twists, turns, revelations, tears, anxiety, heartbreak and guilt.

Riveting, emotion provoking, compelling and unputdownable. Hillier delivers again! I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press- Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book! The storyline grabbed me by the third page and hasn't let go even after I finished the book. I literally would read so late into the night I would fall asleep with my Kindle in my hand because I just couldn't put this down. This story is heartbreaking, riveting, and thrilling. I found myself at times holding my breath and others screaming out loud! Love the characters, love the drama, LOVED this book. 5 Stars without a doubt.. If you like a good thriller, add this to your TBR, it will not disappoint.

Little Secrets begins with four year old Sebastian letting go of his mother, Marins, hand, and disappearing into a crowd. Over a year later, Sebastian's kidnapping has not been solved and he has not been found.

I liked the writing in this fast paced book a lot and recommend it for fans of suspense. The kidnapping very quickly becomes more of a subplot to the story of where Marin and her husband, Derek, are in the aftermath. Although the kidnapping is an ever present part of the entire book, as the investigation remains open and Marin and Derek have of course not emotionally moved past this huge loss, it's also the structure used to the tell the story of Marin and Derek's response to the event, and the justification for their actions throughout the novel as grief weighs on all their decisions. Rage coupled with wealth and entitlement may serve as motive and means for extreme and dangerous behavior. If you're used to getting what you want when you want it, do you see (and stop) at a moral or legal line, or do you keep pushing?

None of these characters was particularly likable, and I absolutely hated some of their decisions (SPOILER like when Marin engaged in sexual violence by stealing a woman's nude photo, showing it to a friend, then making it her iPhone wallpaper so yet another man sees it, making Marin no better or different than anyone else who engages in revenge porn END SPOILER) yet this was an engaging and fast read where you want to keep going to see what sort of emotional explosion the characters are all rushing toward.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #LittleSecrets #suspense

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

First, I have read and enjoyed all of the author’s books and this one was no different. I did guess who the kidnapper was about a quarter of the way through the book, so I wasn’t surprised toward the end. There were a couple of smaller twists that I didn’t see coming and made for an enjoyable read.

I appreciate that the author did not sugarcoat anything about Marin, the main character. She was incredibly broken by what happened with her son and then the additional drama that happens with her husband and I think the author captured that incredibly well.

Overall, this was a fun read and I would recommend it!