4 stars

This book really wants you to know that it's an edgy thriller.

A story about three friends living with a whole bunch of explosive secrets in suburban Pennsylvania, it definitely delivers on a lot of aspects that people (including me) love about thrillers. There are some great big plot twists, multiple perspectives keep you in suspense, and the characters are deliciously flawed.

However, Crane doesn't always trust that this is enough to keep the reader invested. The first part of the book features a lot of moments where she flat-out states that things are not what they seem or that if a character hadn't done something, then the rest of the story wouldn't have happened. This is a trick that should be used sparingly for maximum effect and in this book, it becomes so repetitive that it distracts from what is happening in the story. If the rest of the book hadn't been so good, then I might have given up on it.

Thankfully, once the plot really gets going, Crane becomes more confident in her voice and the novel truly comes to life. I found myself unable to stop reading because I wanted to figure out what was going to happen next. She definitely leaves a door open for a sequel, which I would be very interested in because I do have a quite a few questions that I need answered.

All in all, the package is there (although there are a few flaws in execution). I thoroughly enjoyed it and while it's not my favorite thriller of 2020, I would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishing and William Morrow Paperbacks for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Robin, Lily, and Mackenzie have been best friends since college--the kind of friends who are there for each other through thick and thin. Now in their forties, however, they must reckon with the choices they have made, the secrets and mistakes that haunt them, and the uncertainty of their ongoing relationships.

Little Deadly Secrets is a compelling read from start to finish. Its plot pulls out all the stops as the friends confront the potentially devastating consequences of both their past and present actions--upon themselves, their families, and each other. How far will each of these women go to protect those they love, and will the ultimate cost destroy their cherished friendship? A must-read for those who enjoy domestic suspense novels.

A story of three friends, secrets, and lies. It took awhile for me to sort out the characters and by then I didn’t feel invested in any of them. I don’t think this was the book for me.

This is a page-turning thriller about three women who have been friends since college and have many hidden secrets. Chapters are told in alternating points of view, and the past is gradually revealed, including domestic abuse, violence, and betrayal. Although I was driven to finish the novel, the characters were unlikeable and the results were totally unbelievable.

“The time was ripe to remind the world that women deserved more, that women should never be silenced. And the time for men to get away with stealing women’s souls was over.”⠀
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I am a huge sucker for domestic thrillers and this one was definitely a wild ride. Little Deadly Secrets is centered around three best friends that are each full of secrets. This book starts off with a bang and it keeps you on your toes all the way throughout. There are a lot of characters/POVs which got confusing at times, but I think they were all necessary to tie the story together perfectly. This book is full of drama, lies, and betrayal, and it will leave you wondering how far you would go to protect your loved ones.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

The lives of three college friends are forever entangled, for better and for worse. Robin, Mackenzie, and Lily have remained friends since their days at Beaver Falls, even after a horrible fire and senseless attack. Though the years and changes in their lives might be enough to naturally pull them apart, they remain committed to their friendship. Lily struggles with her self-worth following a car accident that ends her marriage and begins her spiral into addiction. Mackenzie is planning to leave her abusive husband, finally taking control of her own life back. And Robin is trying to fill a void in herself with compulsive online shopping. While these back stories alone are enough to push a narrative forward, add in a potential rape, murder, affair, and a complicated past, all of which make this book an unpredictable, wild ride.

Overall, I enjoyed Little Deadly Secrets. I was skeptical of the jump in narrators throughout the book (just an approach I generally don't enjoy), but there was enough development of each character that it wasn't disruptive. In fact, it helped to move the book along and provide misdirection that keeps readers on their toes.

The question of what you're willing to do for a friend - and what you're willing to forgive - runs throughout the book. While everything was buttoned up a little too nicely for me at the end of the book given the problems that the three friends faced (maybe I'm a little less forgiving), I would still be interested in the potential sequel that was dangled pretty neatly at the end of the book.

Are you looking for a fast paced domestic thriller? Did you enjoy Big Little Lies? If you said yes to these questions then you need to add Little Deadly Secrets to your TBR list! From the very first chapter I was sucked into the lives of Lily, Mac, and Robin. They have been best friends since college and have many secrets that start to come out; affairs, rape, murder, etc. Read this book to discover the secrets and lies these three friends share.

This story of three best friends quickly intertwines the characters stories. One has an abusive husband and hides a secret from their past, one struggles with a drug addiction, one struggles with motherhood and debt. I read this one pretty quickly. When I got into it I got really connected with the characters and wanted to see what would happen in the end. There are a few twists and turns that you don't expect!

Fast paced, heart racing and twisty thriller with a great ending. I felt that using the different characters to narrate the story both past and present helped to keep me on the edge of my seat as I read the book and the story flowed flawlessly and definitely kept me guessing as to what the end result was going to be. There are some trigger warnings that I would apply to this book for people and they are sexual abuse, physical abuse, and substance abuse. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley.

The way Pamela Crane weaves tales together in Little Deadly Secrets reminds me of an intricate tapestry. This one is definitely one of my favorites. It is one of those novels that keeps you turning pages faster and faster, yet you are sad when you finish it, because you want more! I highly recommend this book!

When I read the first chapter of Little Deadly Secrets, I was excited to see where the story would lead. Who would end up dead, and which one of three college friends would turn into a murderess? However, the book took me awhile to get through, and I didn't find any of the characters particularly compelling. I liked that Pamela Crane brought in timely issues like consent, rape, abuse, etc., but it all felt a little cliché and stereotyped. I would've like if the story was more compelling and felt more like a thriller and less like a clichéd social commentary.

I was excited to read this book based on the description, unfortunately I could not finish it. I did not care for some of the writing and I found myself disliking all the characters. I think it would have worked better if the author would have narrowed down her focus and not had so many side stories.

Thank you William Morrow via the Scene of the Crime group for this advance copy!

Great book, loved the characters had fun trying to figure out all the different ssecrets going on ....

This book certainly held many secrets! The concept is intriguing, but there were too many threads and subplots, especially considering how dark most of the storylines were. It was interesting to see how everything came together in the end, though, even if the connections seemed a bit far-fetched overall.

I enjoyed the growth the main female characters demonstrated throughout the story. They were flawed but still likeable, even when it was difficult to relate to their motivations and decisions. I did question their friendship at times; the simmering resentment and frustrations the characters had with each other made it seem unlikely that they would have maintained their relationships for as long as they did. I loved the way their relationships with one another turned out in the end, however!

Overall, the ending is what bumped this book up from a lower rating for me.

Three friends, each with their own little secrets, find themselves struggling to keep their lives in order and their secrets hidden. Their friendship is put to the test when their secrets start to unravel.
Little Deadly Secrets is a fast action drama that explores topics such as date rape, rape, spousal abuse, infidelity, and obessive behaviors like opioid abuse and excessive spending. It has a lot of storylines going on in this one little book about a secret that leads to murder. It twists down various story avenues and circles back to the idea that secrets have a way of coming out when one least expects it.
I enjoyed this story but felt it was too heavy handed. It could have had fewer tough topics. It was very twisty with the plot line which kept you guessing and kept you interested. The story tries to be about female empowerment but the characters are quite unlikable so it falls flat. The whodunit aspect of the story is well done so you will enjoy the book based on that even if the characters annoy you.
Thanks to Netgalley, William Morrow, and Harper Collins for their Scence of the Crime Early Reads advanced copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three college friends form a bond that continues into adulthood. They love each other, grow with each other, and both betray and protect each other.

Little Deadly Secrets is a story about three best friends who have been through a lot together: boyfriends, husbands, children, divorce and crimes. Robin has four children and is struggling in her marriage, Lily’s husband left her and since her accident, has been struggling with addiction. Mackenzie’s husband is abusive, but she can’t seem to free herself from the oppression. The story flips between each friend’s narrative, but I never really connected with any of them or felt absorbed into their struggles. The writing is good, but didn’t compel me and I flipped a coin on whether to finish it. Is this is your genre, maybe it will work for you.

This book was like a train wreck and also a soap opera all rolled into one. What I mean by that is, there’s so much going on! Different views, loyalties being tested and lots of secrets. It had a kind of devilish vibe to it. I was very entertained and also invested. I needed to see how it would all end. At times, I had to set the book down and shake my head while saying to myself, “why would they do that?!” The story had good pacing. The build up to the end was a good one. The characters were also good. I went back and forth between liking and disliking some of the characters. Some drove me crazy! In the end some of them surprised me by their actions and I was there for it!

As a whole, this was a pretty entertaining read. You have secrets, lies, and betrayal. All that will have you invested like I was. I did enjoy this author’s writing style and storytelling. I look forward to reading more from her! I give this 4 stars.

I enjoyed this book.. It is about 3 women who have been friends since college. Their live near each other and have kept up the friendship. As the book progresses, we learn of secrets that they each have and past mistakes. It is suspenseful towards the end of book.

Three friends from college, still best friends twenty years later. And so many secrets..... There is emotional and physical abuse, rape, murder, drug addiction, infidelity..... and a plot that goes on and on. It did take me a little while to get wholly invested in the story, but once it got going, it was hard to put down!