Kate Morton is an artist with words and I have read all of her books. I loved this one with its vivid characters and its secrets. There were many twists and I didn’t want it to end.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Kate Morton’s writing, and this one does not disappoint. Beautifully imagined, great characters.

I'm sorry I was not able to read and review this book before it was archived due to serious health issues.

I love a good historical mystery, and really enjoyed this story. I liked we went from past to present as Laurel worked to figure out a crime from her past.

I’ve previously read three books by Morton and had mixed experiences with them; I loved The Forgotten Garden but was slightly disappointed in both The Distant Hours and The Clockmaker’s Daughter, so wasn’t sure whether I wanted to bother with this one. I’m pleased I did, because I enjoyed it much more than I expected to.

Like Morton’s other books, The Secret Keeper is set in multiple time periods. It begins in 1961, with sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson hiding in a wooden tree house during a family celebration. Laurel just wants some time alone to think, but this means that, from her position in the tree, she is able to see a strange man approaching the Nicolson farmhouse – and is witness to a violent crime involving her mother, Dorothy. We then jump forward fifty years to 2011, when the Nicolsons are gathering at their childhood home for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday. Laurel, now a successful actress, is still haunted by what she saw on that long ago day and decides that, with Dorothy in poor health, she needs to find out what really happened before her mother dies and takes her secrets with her.

As Laurel begins to investigate her mother’s past, the novel moves back and forth between 2011 and 1940s London where the young Dorothy is looking forward to marrying war photographer Jimmy as soon as their financial situation improves. Dorothy has also made a new friend (or so she thinks): the beautiful, wealthy Vivien, who lives in the house opposite. But when she is betrayed by Vivien, Dorothy puts together a plan of revenge – with unexpected and tragic results.

As is usually the case when I read books set in more than one time period, it was the historical one I enjoyed the most. The present day story was interesting – I enjoyed Laurel’s interactions with her younger brother Gerry, who helps her to uncover the truth about their mother – but I felt that it was effectively just a frame for the much more compelling story of Dorothy, Jimmy and Vivien. I was surprised by how absorbed I became in these parts of the novel, considering that I found Dorothy a particularly unpleasant and irritating character! I did like Jimmy, was intrigued by Vivien and loved the wartime setting, especially as things build to a climax during the London Blitz.

Somewhere in the second half of the book I started to have some suspicions regarding Laurel’s mother and the secrets she was hiding, but this came late enough that it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story and I was pleased to find that my guess was correct.

I love Kate Morton's books. They're tremendously well-written and pull me in within the first few sentences. This one especially lured me in. Most of it is set during World War II and while I'm sure I wouldn't REALLY have wanted to experience life in London during that war, it seemed so exciting and...well, fun.

Even beyond that, though, I was reading to find out what exactly was going on between Dorothy and Vivien. (Yes, I was curious about why Dorothy---Laurel's mom---killed the man but the relationship between Dorothy and Vivien was very compelling.)

All of Kate Morton's books are worth reading, but this is easily her best yet. Highly recommended

This is the first book I've read from Kate Morton and it won't be the last. I loved the historical element and the mystery. A mystery I did NOT see the resolution to until all was revealed. KMorton is very adept at character development as well. I was very invested in this family. I look forward to reading more from KMorton.

Kate Morton has been on my reading list for ages, and dear friends love her books. I thought for sure this would be a slam dunk for me, but unfortunately this is one of those books where it’s absolutely not the right book for me, despite its many good qualities. Sorry, The Secret Keeper, it wasn’t you.

There are a couple of clear reasons why I struggled so much with The Secret Keeper: I didn’t emotionally connect with any of the characters, the book is really long, and the pace is slow. That said, I do completely get why friends of mine have loved this book. The plot’s an intricate web that comes together nicely, and it’s very much an atypical WWII story. The twists and turns are managed very effectively. This isn’t a case where I wonder if I read a different book from my friends, because I absolutely get what people see in this book.

But lbr we all know that I am largely a reader who is all about dem ships, and an almost 600-page family saga with no romance (there are relationships, but I’d argue they’re not written to be romances) is waaaaaaaay too much for me. Basically all of the characters in the book are dead or dying in the modern timeline, and even Laurel’s in her sixties at that point. I like my historical with a heavy dose of romance in general, but this is a family saga/mystery, and as per usual mysteries for their own sake don’t interest me much. The psychological component I did like, but that only comes in later.

The writing style is interesting, sometimes more of a third person omniscient but sometimes more of a third person limited. Sometimes it worked for me, and sometimes it didn’t. On the whole, though I thought the story was cool enough to push on, I spent most of the book a little bit bored. The ending did make it worth it, but only barely.

Based solely off this novel, I sort of doubt Kate Morton’s books are for me. Unless you guys have any recs for titles that might have a bit more romance or action?

Kate Morton is a master storyteller. Every character has its time, place, and setting in the novel with detailed descriptions that may seem at times excessive or superfluous but that come full circle by the end of the novel. And just when you think you knew all there was to know about the secret, there's a twist at the end you didn't see coming.

Sixteen-year-old Laurel witnesses a shocking scene one hot summer day. As a reader, that one scene makes us wonder why the character did what she did, and the whole story is based on Laurel trying to uncover the mystery, the reason for that one violent act. The story moves back and forth between the 60s, 30s, and present day. The author takes her time to build each scene, revolving mainly around two women, Dorothy (Laurel's mother) and Vivien, her friend from the past.

Although it's Laurel who is trying to uncover the mystery of her family's past, I did question why she never did so before. We don't really get the emotional understanding of what witnessing that act did to Laurel's psyche. She went on to become a successful actress as she had dreamed of doing, but besides that, we don't really get to know Laurel very well. For this reason, the timeline of the 30s was more interesting to me than that of the present-day. Sometimes I felt like the scenes with Laurel dragged a little.

But this is a minor criticism because reading this book was such a pleasure. Well-written with vivid characters and a secret that pulls the reader through the whole story, The Secret Keeper is one of those books to be savored as it comes to its stunning conclusion.

I read The House at Riverton which I thoroughly enjoyed and I have The Forgotten Garden on my bookshelf which I hope to read too. If you love gorgeous historical fiction and digging into a good story, The Secret Keeper is sure to please.

Beautiful story of love and how a secret changed the lives of everyone involved. As always with Morton's stories, the elegant prose and perfect details engage the reader into a 'you are there' experience. Enchanting.

Normally I would persevere and continue on but I just can't.

This book has an interesting set up and the writing is good but the pacing is just oh so slow. It's preventing me from becoming truly engaged with the writing and this feels more like literary fiction instead of a historical fiction/mystery. And I really need to be in the mood for that.

I may try to pick this up again in the distant future but I don't think I will. I just don't have the patience to do so.

I tried a few times to make headway in this book without success but I persevered and finally read it through to the end. I am so glad I did. Although a bit long winded at times it held my attention the more I read. There were many twists and turns and I enjoyed reading the period details. It was worth persevering.

Although I hate to give this book a low rating, I have to. I can't give it a one star because I'm sure that it would be great for a lot of other readers. I, unfortunately, seem to not be the right reader for Kate Morton books. I've tried once before with The Distant Hours, but we just don't seem to be a reader-author match. This book sounded interesting but, upon starting it, I could barely get through the first ten pages. It simply didn't hold me attention or draw me in in anyway. Again, I'm sure a lot of other readers would get an amazing experience from this book but Kate Morton just isn't for me.

I love Kate Morton. I love this story. I love this so much I will reread. Often. The writing, the characters, the story, the twists, the gotcha moments, I want to do it all again. I wish that I could reread as if I had not read it before, just so I can get a first time read all over again! Love.

Previously I have only read The Secret Garden by Morton, and like that one, this is two stories from the past and present interwoven in a complex family saga full of secrets. Very rich plot, excellent characterizations. Enjoyed by everyone in our book club.

Love Kate Morton, she does eerie so well! Longstanding fan and can't wait for the next one!

Loved this book! Brilliant writing that kept me engrossed in the story line. I highly recommend this book and will be looking for Kate Morton's next book!

Kate Morton always dazzles with her words and the depth in her stories.

Morton is a fan-favourite for bookclubs and library patrons. While her books definitely follow a formula, it's one that is well loved and well known. My only quibble would be that the book did not seem to be as tightly edited as previous novels, and went on a little long. Still, fully engaging and well worth recommending.