Every profession is important in our world. What would we do wiithour doctors, but equally, what would be do without hte people collecting our bins. They all matter, each in their own way.

Doctors, of course, do amazing jobs and they deserve every credit they get. But some think they are some kind of God and when they have the looks and the charm too, they think they are unstoppable and can do as they please. Scheming to get what they want is something they consider as normal behaviour and as long as they can benefit, that's all that matters.

Most of the time, the victims don't complain or some are flattered by the attention and won't talk either. 

In comes Julia. She is a doctor too, but she does not play the same game. On the contrary, she thinks it's time they were taken down a notch. They, on the other hand, are not going to go down without a fight...

A very enjoyable book, but sometimes a bit too slow paced for me. 4 stars

Thank you

When I started reading this I wasn’t sure I would finish it, I’m so glad I did though! I quickly became gripped and invested in the characters.
It was a bit far fetched but thrilling and full of twists. Would recommend

This was a great thriller which kept me gripped from the start, it was unpredictable and I did not see the twist at the end coming!

Such a dark and twisty read and I loved it. Nathan is a truly vile character and makes for compelling reading.

I read this book pretty quickly, however, I found it quite slow paced for a thriller. I found some of it quite exaggerated but enjoyed the different perspectives and some of the twists in the book. It was a really interesting book and I related a lot to Julia’s struggles of being heard in a male dominated role.

This one just wasn't for me. I guess I am over the whole gender equality thing and the "me too" movement for a bit. It just wasn't something I was interested in reading. The plot just seems like a repeat of a lot of other books floating around right now. Others may love this, but it just wasn't something I was intrigued with.

Lucy Dawson is a great author. I have read and loved her previous books and this one did not disappoint.
There is something truly amazing about her writing. You feel sucked into the book and as though you are part of the storyline.
I was so engrossed in this book
The storyline was genius and so many twists and turns throughout.
Highly recommended.

Another book impossible to put down. This book was right up my alley. The only negative for me was in some parts it was over the top. The ending was superb and I am still thinking about it.

A well written psychological thriller, well developed storyline, interesting and emotional.
But it was a little slow, it would have been more engaging if it was fast paced.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing access to this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Secret Within by Lucy Dawson was a beautiful written book that had me hooked within the very first few pages especially as I love the way Lucy writes all her books I have read.Lucy's latest book is full of great twists and turns throughout with a Cracking ending - i didn't see that happen!! This is the best book I have read by Lucy so far and I highly recommend it!

BIg thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc for an honest review

Her perfect life .... isn't. Julia, her husband Ewan, and their two young children move to this small town in order to put their past behind them. No more threatening letters ... no more secrets and lies.

Julia gets the ideal job at the local hospital, the kids are settling in a good school. She's meeting people, making friends.

But then tragedy ....

A day trip to the coast ends in tragedy when her youngest child is reported missing. Her new friends crowd around to help – searching the desolate clifftops for a sign. But Julia can’t help but wonder if she’s once again placed her trust in someone deadly…

BOOK BLURB: In a town this small, how could nobody see what happened? And who can she turn to when anyone around her could be telling lies? In running away to this new beginning, has Julia unknowingly put her family in even more terrible danger?

This well-executed plot contains suspense from start to finish. The solidly defined characters dwell within the page-turning story that leads to a totally unpredictable conclusion. This is the first I've read of this author .. and it certainly won't be my last.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Julia, her husband Ewan and their two teenage children move to a new area for a fresh start especially for Julia as she has had to leave her last job as a plastic surgeon after whistleblowing on a colleague. But things start to go wrong. Firstly when Dominic, her ex husband who is an alcoholic keeps turning up. The one of her new colleagues, Nathan, a good looking, high flying plastic surgeon becomes obsessed with Julia and she has to rebuff him. Things start to get complicated as she discovers something about Nathan that she can’t keep to herself and then her son goes missing. This book was a real page turner, a little far fetched at times, but an enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

In a nutshell, there’s a slow build-up that creates distrust in the characters, then a pivot to some crazy stuff that all results in an ending that doesn’t quite live up to the rest of the book. That doesn’t do it complete justice though. It reminded me a bit of the tv show Nip/Tuck. Julia was an unreliable character and Nathan seemed more like a caricature. The whole “men are bad” thing was a bit heavy-handed at times…we get that being a woman in a man’s profession can be tough, but Julia seemed pretty accomplished. The victimization felt relentless in a few places. What saves the book is the build; waiting for the shoe to drop kept me turning pages. Rounded up to four stars from 3.5 for that build. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. A bit slow to start but once it picked up, there were twists and turns around every corner. The story was easy to follow with well-developed characters…a thriller you can immerse yourself in. An excellent read.

I thought this book started off quite slowly but stick with it and it turns into a gripping page turner. Well worth a read

Julia Blythe has a reputation for causing trouble after whistleblowing at her last employment. She moves to a new hospital and seems to be settling in well but her colleague Nathan Sloan becomes obsessed with her whilst also keeping career-ending secrets...
The Secret Within is quite a dark thriller with the added tension of a medical drama. The tagline is a little misleading as this plot twist doesn't happen until two thirds of the way through the book. Before that point, we are introduced to the courageous and resilient Julia and her narcissist colleague Nathan.
The plot is delivered through 3 viewpoints: Julia, Nathan and their colleague Hamish who supports Nathan up to a point. This allows us to see various perspectives and get an emotional understanding to their actions, even as we despise them!
Gender roles and the continued strength of patriarchy are explored over the course of the book. Julia stands up for herself and is quite righteous to protect her patients. This had led to personal sexist attacks on her in the past and now she is concerned that a male agenda is taking over again.
I did have a little sympathy for Nathan as his emotional fixation with Julia does seem genuine. However, his repugnant behaviour soon dismiss any positive feelings towards him as he manipulates events in the book.
The Secret Within is a hugely entertaining thriller and did remind me of some plotlines from Holby City. I can see this book being made into a TV drama!

Lucy Dawson definitely knows how to keep you glued to a thrill book! She writes flawlessly, with well developed characters which make you become much more entwined and emerged in the story! Lots of fun twist and turns, thrills, chills, and shocks! While I normally am bot a fan of books with missing, hurt, etc. children. As it’s too her to read as a momma, I have to admit that Dawson got me hooked! Highly recommend!

I really liked this book, though I think the tag line is a little off. "My child is missing. I know who did it" is kind of odd. First of all shouldn't it be, "My child is missing. I know who took him" or something like that? Second. I didn't feel like that was at all what the book was about until the end and I thought the other storylines were much more interesting.

The only criticism I have of this book is that the Nathan character is a little all over the place. I'm still unsure as to whether he is a chronic womanizer and a pathological liar or if he was supposed to be legitimately falling for Julia. I felt like she left a lot of groundwork suggesting was a womanizer...but I was a little confused by the frequent declarations of love.

I did like that this book was a lot more sinister than I initially understood! I thought it was going to be a pretty standard whistle blower story but this one really went beyond that which made it a really quick read.

I thought the "Gone Girl" comparisons oversold it a little, but I do highly recommended for those who already a well-thought out quick read since this story had a lot of depth.

The Secret Within is the first book I've read by Lucy Dawson, and I will definitely be watching out for more by her.
I found myself immersed within the first few chapters, with all the hidden undercurrents and secrets in this it certainly keeps the reader hooked, and with well drawn characters, its very easy to get invested!
Excellent story, and have got a few friends to read it too!

Firstly a big thank you to Bookouture for my copy to review on netgalley. I’ve read a few of Lucy’s books and loved them but none were quite as much the journey as this one was. Buckle up because this is a rollercoaster of a read.

Twists and turns and revelations after revelations this has all the ingredients for a fantastic psychological thriller . Filled with tension and suspense

Incredible thought provoking and unpredictable. Highly recommend

Published 26th January