Member Reviews
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor Forge for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Zoe is a sophomore at the exclusive Washington Preparatory School in Washington, D.C. She's been rebelling against her mother the whole school year and decides to sneak out to Beach Week with her best friend, Emery. Things take a turn for the worse they're first night at Beach Week, Zoe finds Emery dead on the beach. Zoe's mother, Liza, is called to pick up Zoe and has flashbacks of her own experience at Beach Week when her best friend, Nikki died. Are these deaths linked? How could this be happening again 25 years later?
This is a wild ride! If you grew up in the DMV, then you will know Beach Week is what every high school senior looks forward to their last year of high school. Beach Week is basically a rite of passage into adulthood. I remember the fun I had at my own Beach Week in Ocean City, MD. I will never forget it!
All the Dirty Secrets is a fast-paced murder mystery filled with cover-ups, lies, and of course lots of secrets. This book was so compelling, I couldn't put it down!
This is my second book I've read of Thompson's, and it's my absolute favorite!
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This book caught my attention from the beginning and held it til the end. This book had a steady pace until the big plot point which wasn't in the beginning and it kept going jntil the end just the same way. I really enjoyed that it didn't start off strong and have a downward turn.
I'm not sure what genre it is technically in but in the beginning I thought it was definitely YA but the second half was more adult. It was definitely a thriller though which yall know are my favorites.
After I was about 3/4 through the book the ending was moderately predictable but I didn't predict it entirely. I know some readers will like that aspect.
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๐you enjoy a more mature YA thriller
๐ you enjoy a book with a steady pace throughout and the big plot point is not in the beginning
๐you like a book that touches on important topics
Two deaths on the beach 28 years apart? Do they have any connections or just a tragic coincidence? If you like reading about a preppy school,of snooty rich kids who party at their parentsโ beach houses after graduation, then crack this book open.
It was a good thriller, although I zoned in on one of the culprits quickly. I dodmt care for any of the main characters. Zoe was a brat for most of the book and Liza wasnโt the sharpest knife in the drawe. Even when everything was spelled out to her, she still didnโt read,Iโve she was in danger. She reminds me of kids in slasher movies. They stand there until itโs too late.
Twenty five years ago during Beach Week, a group of friends celebrated their graduation with a party on the beach, but everyone didnโt make it home. Losing Nikki has haunted Liza ever since. When similar circumstances happen again and her daughterโs best friend drowns during beach week, a place Zoe wasnโt even suppose to be, Liza is soon caught up in past memories. Nikki was never found, but all things point to suicide with Emory. The only problem with that conclusion is Zoe doesnโt believe it and sheโs not backing down. As Liza jumps in to help Zoe investigate, secrets start to enfold from Lizaโs past and she starts to question if itโs just coincidence or if thereโs a possibility the two cases are connected. In a community where silence can be bought, how far would you go to protect your friends and family?
I thoroughly enjoyed this summer thriller! itโs fast-paced, has a dual timeline, and enough mystery to keep you hooked the whole time youโre reading!
I will say two things: 1- check the trigger warnings, there are some heavy parts in here; 2- this felt more like a YA than an adult novel. while that didnโt bother me, it might bother those that donโt really read YA, so itโs something I think I should point out. of course, all my opinion!
thank you @netgalley & @macmillanbooks for this eARC!
Dirty is the perfect word to describe this story. This one really kept me guessing. The fact that I am now finding more in common with the parents in books has really reminded me that I am no longer young lol. I had to remind myself that Zoe was a kid and therefore was able to see past her truly dumb decisions and overall attitude. The dual timelines worked well and events unfolded perfectly due to the pacing. One of the central mysteries is never solved and while I usually am not a fan of that it didnโt bother me one bit in this book. I will definitely be checking out Thompsonโs first novel!
I Donโt Forgive You by Aggie Blum Thompson was one of my favorite books last year and goes without saying that I was super excited to get a chance to read her next release All Our Dirty Secrets.
Much can be said about this book, there is a mystery in the present, and there is another cold case mystery of the past that is running in a parallel line but in effect, All Our Dirty Secrets talks about friendships and the pressure of private school education. The author carefully explores the relationships at the beginning of the story, we see the friendships between the adults that have been forged over for years, the best friends with whom you can forget everything else, and the be the individual whom they know inside out. There is also the friendship of the teenagers which is again analyzed against the backdrop of a private school education system where the financial and social differences can make or break oneโs self-worth.
All The Dirty Secrets begins slowly, setting up the characters, giving us a glimpse of the dynamics between the friends and their children and a dual timeline story unfolds with the events that lead up to the death of Nikki. Aggie Blum Thomspon had offered a wild ride in her debut but in this one, the pacing is much more steady and the mystery becomes a race to the finish from the middle part of the book. The twists and turns in the story that Liza and her daughter Zoe uncover causes one shocking revelation after another keeping the reader on tenterhook towards the end. Though not really the jaw-dropping surprise that I had expected at the climax and kind of predictable plot, be assured that Aggie Blum Thomson knows how to grab the readerโs attention, and All The Dirty Secrets has more than one dirty secret to be unearthed..
Many thanks to Net Galley, Forge Books, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
This review is published on my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Book Bub, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
This is the second book by the author of I don't forgive you that is set among the seemingly rich and elite and features a mother and daughter seemingly reliving the same experience. In the 90s a young girl (Nikki) drowned while with her friends at Beach Week . History repeats itself when one of the friend's daughter Zoe sneaks off to beach week and to only relieve the same experience. It was fast paced, thrilling and perfect for a cozy night in. I recommend it to beginner of thriller reading.
How well do you know your old friends? That's the question that Liza runs into head first in this very twisty novel of past and present. She's at Dewey Beach with her high school pal Shelby while her daughter Zoe is supposed to be home with her dad. Except Zoe isn't, she's also in Dewey with her friend Emery, who ends up dead on the beach in a scene reminiscent of what happened with Liza's friend Nikki during their own summer beach week in 1994. Liza and Zoe find themselves on separate paths to discover what Emery was up to, a very topical journey which takes Liza back and forth in time. No spoilers from me because this one deserves to be read without hints as to how it will unspool. Thompson does an especially good job with the DC private school scene and, as with her first novel, the DC area in general (yay for the shoutout to McLean Family even though it doesn't have a long counter :). Admittedly some of this is a bit over the top implausible but darn it she kept me turning the pages! Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read for thriller fans.
Thereโs no way this is only the second thriller from @aggie.blum.thompson ! Her background as a crime reporter is evident and I love how she utilized her experience while writing this novel.
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Two young girls die during Beach Week, 28 years apart. One was Lizaโs best friend. The other, the best friend of Lizaโs daughter Zoe. Liza has a sneaking suspicion these two deaths are related somehow. She has to try to team up with her unapproachable daughter to find and put together the pieces of both nights without making too many waves. Lizaโs quest for truth is threatening to unearth long-buried secrets and there are many powerful people who would do anything to stop her.
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I was sucked into this story quickly and I had to find out what happened! Two different timelines were merged together beautifully to keep my interest piqued the entire time. There is a larger cast of characters but theyโre easy to keep straight and gives the reader plenty of people to wonder whodunnit. There were twists and scandalous revelations throughout the book but the ending was truly shocking!
I recommend this book if you like:
๐ธ dark academia
๐ธ dual timelines
๐ธ multiple narrators
๐ธ beachy settings
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan=Tor/Forge for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
3.9 stars
25 years ago Liza and her friends celebrated high school graduation at beach week. Liza's best friend died. Liza's teen daughter Zoe is involved in a death at beach week and 25 year old secrets start to unravel.
I liked the book but did get frustrated with Liza's naivety at times.
A strong entry into the domestic thriller genre. Blum Thompson will stay on my must-read list!
*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I flew through this mystery because I like a story told in real time, with brief references back to the past. There were a lot of mystery novel cliche phrases used which took me out of the plot a little bit, and it felt predictable at times.
Reading Between the Wines book review #55/135 for 2022:
Rating: 4 ๐ท ๐ท ๐ท ๐ท
Book ๐ง: All the Dirty Secrets
Author: Aggie Blum Thompson
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASES July 12, 2022!!! Get your copy today!
Sipping thoughts: Two deaths practically the same way just 28 years later. What is the connection? Who is the killer? Liza who is connected to both people who died immerses herself into this mystery due to her daughterโs relentless focus. Might I mention her daughter, Zoe, was one of the whiniest teenagers ever!! Just listening to her interactions with her mom made me want to scream. There are some red herrings in this bookโฆor potential red herrings (wink)โฆthat made it just impossible for me to really figure out who the guilty party was. When I thought I had one part of it figured out, Thompson through in another wrench. If you like those HS frenemies who grow up with secrets that they would kill for then this is the book for you. Without given anything away, I love how the ending is more realistic rather than making things fit so perfectly.
Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @aggie.blum.thompson @MacmillanTorForge and @ForgeBooks for an advance copy of @AllTheDirtySecrets.
#AllTheDirtySecrets #AggieBlumThompson #MacmillanTorForge #ForgeBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers
I was going to do 50/50 reading and audio with this one, but ended up on listening to 20% of it on audio! It was so well done. The audio was done with 2 narrators which made switching POVs easy to listen to. I loved the jump between Liza & Zoe's POV & especially enjoyed the 1994 chapters! I honestly did not like any of the characters very much, but it didn't take away from the story because I was so curious how it all tied together. While some parts were expected, there were huge pieces that really surprised me! Overall another well done book by Thompson!
I read and really enjoyed Thompson's debut, I Don't Forgive You, last year & it was also really good. Definitely recommend checking out her books!
Thanks to Netgalley, MacMillan-Tor/Forge & MacMillan Audio for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
This is a truly enjoyable book It starts slowly, sharing lots of background about the main characters. It could probably have been a little shorter but didn't impact my enjoyment of the story.
I enjoyed the believable relationships between characters and reading how Zoe interacted with her separated parents.
The different points of view worked well in this book, though I'm not always a fan. The switching between timelines also worked really well for me.
There's lots of twists and turns throughout the storyline which kept me guessing. I almost figured out the who but not quite.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC.
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All the Dirty Secrets is a solid thriller set in the upscale DC private school world. Liza Gold has been haunted by the death of her friend 25 years prior. When history repeats itself and her daughter finds the body of her best friend, Liza wonders if the two crimes could be connected.
This was a well-paced dual timeline thriller. I loved the setting and the mother/daughter relationship. It is a slow-burn mystery that keeps your attention throughout. A compelling, ominous thriller to enjoy by the pool.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Forge Books and MacMillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new book by Aggie Blum Thompson, beautifully narrated by Hillary Huber and Josephine Huang - 5 stars! I loved this author's debut, I Don't Forgive You (must read, 5 stars as well!) and loved this one as well.
Twenty-five years ago, Liza and her friends were celebrating the end of high school at Beach Week, but one of her friends didn't make it out of the ocean. Now, Liza is divorced and trying to reconnect with her daughter, Zoe, who is attending Beach Week with her friends from the upscale DC school they attend and where Liza works. When Zoe's best friend dies, Liza is horrified that history has repeated. Is there a connection?
This is a wonderfully-written, tense, fast-paced book that is tough to put down. Told in the two different timelines from different POV, I raced through it until the very last satisfying page. A wonderful mystery but also so many themes to digest - the elitism, classism, racism of wealthy, privileged schools; coming of age with all the peer pressure, especially now; how childhood trauma affects our adult lives; and even normal mother/daughter teenage issues. Highly recommended!
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
All the Dirty Secrets by Aggie Blum Thompson is a thriller that alternates timelines between the past and present. The story revolves around Liza, who is a single mother whose daughter's best friend has recently drowned. But is the death connected to the accidental death of Liza's friend when she was in high school? Was it really an accident? Could one of her closest friends be involved?
Here is a chilling excerpt from Chapter 1, which is from Liza's point of view:
"I know she just wants to protect me, but I also know sheโs the same way about her kids. We both know what can happen to teenagers when parents arenโt paying attention.
Just look at what happened to Nikki.
โYouโre such a Capricorn.โ Shelby sighs and rolls her eyes. โFine. Just one quick peek. And then put it away.โ
I go to the Find My app and look for Zoeโs phone. We all do it. Every parent that I know. We lament our kids not having the freedoms we did when we were their age, and then we track their every move.
It takes only a millisecond to register that Zoeโs avatar isnโt there."
Overall, All the Dirty Secrets is an action-packed thriller that will appeal to fans of Big Little Lies or The Girls Are All So Nice Here. One highlight of this book is the explosive finale, which I couldn't tear my eyes away from. I did take off 1 star, because the first half of the book was slower-paced. It did pick up halfway through though. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in July!
Wowza!!!! This book is amazing! It has everything a thriller lover could ask forโฆ.. LOTS of secrets, coverups, murder mystery, and an summer beach setting. I love how half of the book is set in Dewey Beach and jumps back and forth between the 1990 to present day. Every time I thought I had it figured out and I was so wrong! Such a twisty suspenseful book!
This addictive, compelling, and extremely thrilling book has placed Aggie Blum Thompson on my list for must buy authors. I will buying her previous book, I Donโt Forget You, because I need more amazing reads!
***** Many thanks to Macmillan- Tor/Forge, Macmillan Audio, Aggie Blum Thompson, and NetGalley for the gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.
Rating this 4.5 stars but rounding up to 5 stars.
Will post this to thriller_book_sisters closer to pub date.