When Janey Markham’s husband got a new job, she thought it was the start of a new life for them. They move to a new house in a great neighborhood where Janey befriends the neighborhood moms. Even though her life seems perfect now, she hardly sees her husband and the secret her mother shared with her on her deathbed, looms over her. After a few too many glasses of champagne, Janey confides in Tanya and tells her the secret. Tanya swears she won’t tell a soul... until the two women are at odds. Will the secret stay a secret?

By the way, the secret is a doozy! The beginning is a bit slow but when it picks up, you will not be able to put it down. I knew there was going to be some kind of a twist but I did not expect it to end the way it did. Great read!

Woohoo! K.L. Slater has done it again with this latest psychological thriller, Little Whispers. Having read most all of her books and having enjoyed every one of them so far I am always hesitant going in thinking I’m might be disappointed but yet again I walked away impressed.

In Little Whispers we meet Janey, a wife and mother who is used to penny pinching and coupon clipping to get by as the bills piled up for her family. However, now Janey’s husband has found a new job paying twice as much and has excitedly moved them to Buckingham Crescent, a well to do suburban neighborhood.

As Janey tries to get comfortable in their new richer life she does her best to begin to fit into the new neighborhood and make friends with the local mothers. Janey finds herself fitting in with a new group including with Tanya who has a son the same age as Janey’s son. Before long though Janey finds herself spilling her own secrets over too much wine and hoping she doesn’t regret it.

As soon as I picked up Little Whispers I knew I would having trouble putting it back down and sure enough the pages just kept flying by. Being an avid reader I’m always looking left then looking right and all around for the twists before they come but somehow K.L. Slater always seems to manage to surprise me and this was no exception to that. When all was said and done with this one all I could think was how does she think of these things??

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is very much a book of two halves. The first half introduces us to Janey, her husband Isaac and their son Rowan. Janey had given up her career and spent the last year caring for her mum until the day before her death her mum told her a terrible secret.

Then with her husband successfully landing a new job it’s finally time for a fresh start and with double their previous income they can clear their debts and move to a nicer more desirable area. Welcome to Buckingham Crescent where all that matters seems to be money, gossip and kowtowing to the indomitable Tanya. That woman makes The Stepford wives seem normal.

There is also the addition of the odd chapter interspersed throughout detailing the abduction of a young girl on her way to a birthday party by a couple.

Then we come to the second half where secrets are spilled and the proverbial pooh hits the fan. I loved how slowly the author draws it out, mostly alluding rather than telling so you are urged to carry on reading desperate to know both the secret and who is and isn’t who they seem.

I’m so glad I am happy in my own skin and don’t feel the desperation to fit in. As the characters in this book, although brilliantly fun to read are the last people you would want as friends. Hats off to the author though for making them so realistically vile. It gave me serious Housewife of (fit in any place) reality tv vibes.

This is a riveting domestic thriller with plenty of spills and thrills and a firecracker of an ending.

A thrilling little number was this where the secrets blew up to become so huge that little whispers became gigantic reveals. Author K. L. Slater wrote this story with a devious hand where though it was a domestic noir, it had vibes of a much darker suspense.

Janey and husband Isaac had moved to a new locality after a promotion with a bigger house and better school until she was snubbed at the gates. Slow and steady she made new friends whose expensive clique seduced her to have a wilder lifestyle. She trusted one of the mums and shared her secret. Never a good thing. Cracks began to appear until Janey seemed surrounded by a vortex of lies.

Having read many books by this author, I was well prepared for the bumpy exciting ride where hidden clues made me work hard to detect the real truths. The author's clever hand kept the suspense hanging by an invisible thread, where the secrets were referred to, yet not told to me. All I could do was turn pages... rapidly.

The writing coursed the darkness of the night where shocking things stayed hidden. Some things should actually remain inside Pandora's box. I loved how the author shook the foundations of the main character every single time. I never saw Janey calm and secure in the entire book until the epilogue.

A tempest of suspense with secrets and lies, this book was a wonderful quick read.

Glamour, manipulation, blackmail, lies. K L Slater has written a captivating and entertaining twisted domestic thriller. Janey and her family have moved to a new upscale town into a gorgeous home. At first she gets a cold vibe from the neighborhood moms. So when Tonya start reaching out to Janey she is more than eager. Now Janey is one of the cool kids play dates, shopping trips, mom’s nights out. Then one night after several glasses of wine Janey spills a big dark secret. But she can trust her new Besties, can’t she? And this is only half of it Jney’s husband Isaac has also been acting very strange. Perhaps this move, was a bad idea?

This was an entertaining fast-paced domestic thriller. I was furiously turning the pages, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I completely did not fault Janey for embracing these new “friendships“ but I just knew it would be her downfall. What I did not see coming was the end to this book. It wasn’t mine blowing or crazy, but it was definitely surprising. Another engaging and addictive read from Miss Slater.

This book in emojis 🏘 👨‍👩‍👦 🎒 🍷 🛍 🚗

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I have a new author to be on the lookout for and that is K.L. Slater!

I’ve now read a few books from her, and I love them! She’s a fabulous writer who creates super suspenseful books that you can read in one sitting. I don’t know how she writes so many books that are all so good but she does and I’m glad.

Fans of Mark Edwards and Sue Watson will like S.L. Slater’s books, especially her latest, Little Whispers.

Check it out:

You shared a secret with the wrong person.

Janey Markham is thrilled to be moving with her family to Buckingham Crescent, the smartest address in a desirable suburban town.

Worried she’ll be excluded by the glossy local mothers, Janey is thrilled when she meets Tanya, the kind of woman she has always looked up to. Tanya takes Janey under her wing, and her teenage daughter Angel is amazing with Janey’s little boy. As Janey and Tanya grow closer, Janey feels she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But then everything changes…

In a weak moment over a bottle of wine, Janey finds herself telling Tanya her most shocking secret. Why wouldn’t she trust her new friend?

The following day, Janey sees Angel, with a man old enough to be her father, pushing someone into a car. The next day a body is found and police appeal for witnesses – and share a picture of the same car…

When Janey tells Tanya she is going to the police, Tanya turns threatening. She’ll stop at nothing to defend Angel, even if her daughter is guilty. If Janey says anything, Tanya will make sure that her dark secret gets out.

Janey faces an impossible choice. Stay quiet about what she saw that terrible day. Or speak up, and destroy the family she has worked so hard to protect…

I also thoroughly enjoyed The Apartment, be sure to grab that one too.

Amazing author, fantastic book! Get it here.

I had a hard time putting this book aside! I couldn't wait to unravel the multiple secrets being kept by the characters. This book is a great reminder that sometimes, things really can be too good to be true.

This is a page-turner that keeps the reader guessing, and there are some unexpected twists. I couldn't wait to see how everything came together. This is a wonderful example of a psychological thriller.

EXCERPT: When I turn around I see there are lots of parents on the playground now. They all seem to be watching me with interest, and it's eerily quiet compared to the usual background chatter at pick up time.

I head for the Buckingham mums group, immediately noticing that Tanya isn't among them. I nod to a couple of parents I recognize on my way over, but I can't fail to notice there's a definite chill in the air, despite the warmth of the sunshine.

I stop in my tracks as I see someone walking towards me. Small and thin, Jasper's mum's face is twisted and pale.

'The other parents told me! I know all about you . . . who you are,' she says breathlessly. 'You had no right to be near my son. Don't you think he has enough problems?'

'Charlie,' I say calmly, ignoring the rush of heat in my face. 'I owe you and Jasper an apology. Shall we take this inside?'

I'm desperate to avoid putting on a show for everyone here.

'Is it true?' she says, her voice cold. 'What they're saying about you?'

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Janey Markham is thrilled to be moving with her family to Buckingham Crescent, the smartest address in a desirable suburban town.

Worried she’ll be excluded by the glossy local mothers, Janey is thrilled when she meets Tanya, the kind of woman she has always looked up to. Tanya takes Janey under her wing, and her teenage daughter Angel is amazing with Janey’s little boy. As Janey and Tanya grow closer, Janey feels she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But then everything changes…

In a weak moment over a bottle of wine, Janey finds herself telling Tanya her most shocking secret. Why wouldn’t she trust her new friend?

The following day, Janey sees Angel, with a man old enough to be her father, pushing someone into a car. The next day a body is found and police appeal for witnesses – and share a picture of the same car…

When Janey tells Tanya she is going to the police, Tanya turns threatening. She’ll stop at nothing to defend Angel, even if her daughter is guilty. If Janey says anything, Tanya will make sure that her dark secret gets out.

Janey faces an impossible choice. Stay quiet about what she saw that terrible day. Or speak up, and destroy the family she has worked so hard to protect…

MY THOUGHTS: I tend to run hot and cold with Kim Slater's books. Never icy cold, because she's a good writer, but lukewarm. And I am afraid that I am only lukewarm about her latest, Little Whispers.

There is a lot of dialogue in this book, and I mean a lot, and it is exceedingly difficult to create an atmosphere by dialogue alone. That is what is missing from Little Whispers - atmosphere. It is decidedly absent despite the Real Housewives merging with a Trumpesque business empire setting. Or perhaps because of it.

I really didn't warm to any of the characters, other than Angel, the teenage daughter of Tanya, spoiled but with an ambition her mother regards as beneath her. I found Janey quite immature in an 'I want, I want, I want it all' kind of way, and yet she was so wonderful with Jasper.

The overall idea was great. I just think it could have been done better. The occasional flashbacks with Susan didn't add a lot to the story and, although it all ties in at the end, were repetitive and not particularly useful.

This is a fast, easy read. Ideal for that situation where you need a read that is not too demanding.

This is not a psychological thriller. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Nor is it breathtaking. It is an okay read, but not one that I will be rushing to recommend. Slater can write and has written much better.

😐😐😐

#LittleWhispers #NetGalley #Bookouture

THE AUTHOR: For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she gained literary agent representation and a book deal. As Kim says, ‘it was a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottinghamshire with her husband.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Little Whispers by K.L. Slater for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

The premise of this book sounded so interesting. The new comer to the block shares a secret with her new friend and the decision comes back to bite her. Unfortunately the majority of the story is not about the secret, it's about her husband and his new job. I felt like the author had two story ideas and tried to combine them into one story. When we finally learned about Janey's secret it was interesting and I wish the book would have been more about it because I think that would have made for a really good story. There were a few plot points that did not make total sense due to the timeline presented however as I was reading an uncorrected proof these may have been addressed in the final version. Overall the story was interesting however I felt that it had so much potential that was left untapped. The ending felt extremely rushed as well. Without giving too much away the explanation given by Polly at the end of the book was an extreme let down. I have read other books by this author and I have enjoyed them, this one was just a miss for me.

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

Another twisted thriller by KL Slater that I couldn’t put down.

Janey, her husband Isaac and her son Rowan are in for a lifestyle change when Isaac gets a new job. With a quick move to an upper scale neighborhood things seem great, until they’re not.

Lots of twists and turns, which had me guessing where the story was going. I also loved that all story lines were wrapped up (not always a common occurrence with thrillers).

I would definitely recommend this book for those who like thrillers.

3 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

I had high hopes for this mystery/thriller about a young family that moves to a new, tonier neighborhood in a desirable suburban town, but if fell short for me.

Janey Markham's husband gets a new job, making twice as much money, that allows them to move to a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood. Janey is thrilled when she meets Tanya, the leader of the "in crowd" of mothers. Tanya takes Janey under her wing, helping her learn to relax and treat herself. Everything seems to be going great, until one day after having too much to drink, Janey shares a dark family secret with Tanya. Despite Tanya's assurance that she would never tell anyone, Janey fears the worst. When Janey sees Tanya's teenage daughter in an unsafe situation, she tells Tanya but Tanya is not concerned. When Janey tells Tanya she is going to talk with the police, Tanya turns on Janey and threatens to expose her if she doesn't let it go.

Despite this book being billed as a mystery/thriller, there isn't much of either. The first 60% of this book was so slow. I kept wondering when the action was going to begin. When things finally started happening they were so insignificant, and were so rushed, that I felt cheated. One story line seemed like a total throw-away and seemed to be inserted simply for shock purposes. The book is well-written, even if I didn't really care for the story. I've enjoyed previous books from this author, but this one just didn't do it for me.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You can always rely on Kim to deliver a book that you don't want to put down and Little Whispers is no different. I was reading until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer! Honestly these books aren't good for my sleeping patterns!

Janey Markham has had a lot to endure recently. She gave up her job as a teaching assistant to nurse her dying mother. It was a stressful time and without the money that she earned at the school they were living beyond their means and struggling with debts and a mortgage. When husband Isaac gets an amazing new job they quickly find themselves moving to a new town and a much bigger house in Buckingham Crescent. Its an affluent area with some lovely - and huge - houses and Janey begins to fear that they won't fit in. She's used to doing the school run in leggings and a t-shirt not the designer clothing that her new neighbours all seem to be sporting.

After a rocky start she is befriended by Tanya, a glossy sophisticated mother who draws Janey into her social circle. Accepted by the group Janey starts to let her guard down and in a moment of weakness, after too many glasses of champagne, she shares her darkest and most revealing secret. Can she really trust these women with the shocking truth or is this the beginning of the end.

Like all of K L Slater's books this twists round and round, she is a master of misdirection and I can honestly say that I really didn't predict that ending.

Supplied by Net Galley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

UK publication date: May 21 2020. 259 pages.

'Little Whispers' by K L Slater is an difficult to put down psychological thriller. After many days I was reading a story where I couldn't guess the ending.

Janey Markham is a homemaker and till recently she was a carer for her ailing mother. On her death bed, the mother shares a secret with Janey which devastates her. She is unable to come to terms with it. This difficult phase also includes a period of financial instability. Things change when her husband gets a new job with much better pay and this lets then shift to the Uber classy place called Buckingham Crescent. A new neighbourhood, A new school for her son Rowan and the classy neighbours. She desperately wants to join the Crescent ladies group and is very happy on her new found friendship. What could happen? What was the secret that has Janey keeping it close to her heart. What happens when she reveals it to her friend Tanya in a weak moment. Why is her husband always at work? For these questions to be answered you need to read the story.

A story about relationships, childhood conditioning, expectations from relationships, secrets and lies. Narrated in the first person POV of Janey, the story also has a third person POV of Susan, her presence in the story is only revealed at the very end. The story is such that initially, I felt the story was moving very slowly and not much was happening but then there were always pointers and always the feeling, I need to read more to understand what is going to happen. This is what didn't let me keep the book down. The ending was unpredictable and all the loose end were tied but I felt it a bit rushed at the very end. It gave a good closure to all angles of the story.

A compelling unputdownable psychological thriller where its difficult to predict the end with a proper closure for all characters involved. I would recommend this to all those who like this genre and to all those who want to read their first book in this genre, this is a good book to start.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for accepting my request to review and the opinions expressed here are my own.

This thriller is part psychological and part domestic, and it was a fun read. We follow protagonist Janey whose life changes when her husband gets a new job and they move to Buckingham Crescent, an upscale suburban area. Quickly, Janey finds herself a part of an exclusive friendship group of moms from the area. One afternoon, she shares her darkest secret with Tanya, her new closest friend. Days later, Tanya witnesses an uncomfortable scene with Tanya’s teenage daughter, but Tanya will do everything she can to protect her family. And throughout this whole ordeal, Janey’s husband has been acting strangely, adding another dimension to this story. Secrets are divulged, loyalties are tested, and Janey winds up involved in something way larger than she ever expected. I think it’s important to note that I think the description is a touch misleading.

This is a fast-paced psychological/domestic thriller with interesting character dynamics and some poignant commentary of social/economic class. I enjoyed that the first half of this book felt more like a drama than a thriller. The pacing was great because I was slowly stacking questions but focusing on the subplots. And I can honestly say, the twist was delicious, and I didn’t see it coming until a couple of pages before the big reveal.

This book, however, used the dark past/buried secret trope in the way where it is referenced consistently (and the reader is made aware that this huge secret changes everything), but we do not get to know the secret until near the climax of the novel. In this case, I do not think the secret was a game-changer almost at all. It felt over-exaggerated to me, and I’m still not entirely sure what the purpose of that subplot was. It was fine, but nothing extraordinary.

What was extraordinary was the voice and narrative style in this story. It was so much fun to experience all of the threads unravel alongside Janey. I loved the writing style of this book, articulate and conversational, the voice made it so easy to fall in love with the protagonist. I will definitely be picking up more from the author, and I highly suggest picking this up if you enjoy suspenseful domestic/psychological thrillers.

Fantastic psychological suspense with a little dash of domestic noir. Slater hits the ground running and captures readers with a palpable energy from the very first page. The constant enticement of wanting to know a bit more was so much fun. The plot moves fast and the multiple story lines are a fantastic surprise. Highly recommended!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #LittleWhispers which was read and reviewed voluntarily by @wayward_readers

I’m a huge fan of this author so was desperate to read her latest book! And whilst not my favourite of all the books I’ve read written by her, Little Whispers is still an edge of your seat rollercoaster of emotions from the very first page.

When Janey and her husband and son move to one of the most prestigious addresses in their new town, she works hard to fit in with her new neighbours. Her husbands new job means that they have a new financial freedom and her new friends are all wealthy yummy mummy’s who gather in each other’s houses during the day when their children are at school. Tanya in particular becomes a good friend but Janey has maybe trusted her a little too soon with a family secret and when she sees Tanyas daughter Angel doing something very out of character, she feels it’s her duty to inform her friend. But that’s when things start to get really out of hand…

I do love a big family secret and it tends to drive me madly through the pages as I like to see if I can guess exactly what it is. We are given clues of some sort in the form of a second narrative running through the main storyline with the kidnap of a young girl by an older man and a young girl and we are never quite sure how this is connected to what’s happening so be prepared for a few shocks along the way! The tension is kept high throughout with secrets and lies galore coming out of the woodwork but how are they all connected? K.L Slater will keep you guessing until the very end.

I really enjoyed this book and read it obsessively one afternoon. The ending probably didn’t live up to expectation for me but that’s probably because I spotted a big plot hole that made things not come together as fully as I would have liked them too! Now I must stress that I read an ARC of this book so it may be that this has been ironed out before publication and you’ll read this book think “that My Chestnut Reading Tree woman doesn’t know what she talking about!” but I just wanted to make sure I mentioned it as it was one of the reasons that I didn’t award the full stars in my review!

Little Whispers is a relatable, chilling and jaw droppingly good book that fans will love. The author is so good at taking our worst fears and translating them into terrifyingly realistic scenarios that could happen to any one of us! A compelling psychological thriller which will have you thinking twice before telling your friends your darkest secrets!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and the Author K. L. Slater for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My second read from this Author and all I can say is WOW!
What an awesome page turner, I couldn't read it fast enough to try and get what the secrets and mysteries of the characters were. This book sure had me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing until the very end.
An easy 5 star plus domestic psychological thriller at it's best.

I have been a fan of K. L. Slater's work for a while now. Ever since I had the good fortune to be invited to participate in the blog tour for one of her earlier books. Since then I have read and loved every single thing that she has released. I read the synopsis for 'Little Whispers' and it certainly sounded like the dark, twisty, chilling story that I have come to expect from K. L. Slater. 'Little Whispers' was another hell of a book from K. L. Slater and I enjoyed every single minute of it but more about that in a bit.
To say that reading 'Little Whispers' became an addiction seems like a mahoosive understatement. As soon as I read the synopsis, I felt drawn into the story and then when I started reading, that was it. I just couldn't put the book down for any length of time. My Kindle wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I feared that I might miss something if I diverted my attention from the story for even just a nanosecond. If I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about the book, if I had to put the book down for any reason then I would immediately look forward to being able to pick the book up again. Despite my best efforts to ration how much I read at once so that I could prolong my enjoyment of the book, I was enjoying the storylines, the characters and the author's writing style too much to stop. I reached the end of the book far quicker than I had wanted to. 'Little Whispers' is a gripping read that had me on the edge of my seat throughout the story.
'Little Whispers' is brilliantly written but I think that to be true of all of K. L. Slater's books. She certainly knows how to create a tight plot, which will keep you guessing and which also has more twists and turns to it than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. For me, 'Little Whispers' was perfectly paced. The story hit the ground running and maintains the fairly fast pace throughout. I genuinely felt as though I was part of the story and that is thanks to K. L. Slater's very realistic and vivid storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Little Whispers' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will be reading more of K. L. Slater's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I received an e-ARC of Little Whispers by K. L. Slater by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. Initially, I was really intrigued to start the book because of the amazing cover.
It is the story of Janey, whose mother told her the biggest secret of her life on deathbed. Janey, her husband Issac and 8yo son Rowan move to the posh area to live an extravagant lifestyle. She befriends fellow mothers at the school of her son including Tanya, Kyoko and Edie. She is really happy to be finally one of them. With good lifestyle. And trustworthy friends. But is it so?

Story starts on a light note. It has an air of suspicion going around but nothing too serious. The build up is really nice and character and relation development is focused by author in the first half of the book. In the second half , story picks up pace and bam bam bam things start happening. Believe me , I was reading it at the 2 o clock alone in my room with lights off and it scared the fuck out of me. I so badly wanted to know how it ends. Plot is very well weaved and it was quite unpredictable for me. One thing or other kept amazing me. Language is very easy. Any beginner can pick it up. It a short book under 260 pages. It was an amazing read and I give it a 4.5/5⭐

I recommend it if you want a quick thrilling book! Go for it.

There is certainly a unique twist in this one. But it does take a while to get to it and to see how it fits into the overall plot. The character development is natural, and the situations are (unfortunately) realistic. I especially liked how it was difficult to tell who was hiding what at any given time. It definitely kept me guessing. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.