The old house hides her darkest secret...and there’s no running away this time...

Twenty years ago, Liz formed an unlikely friendship with the introverted Tamsin, finding herself drawn to the two women who live in Lakewell Manor. She yearns for the mother/daughter relationship that Tamsin and her mother share - something she has never experienced - spending most of her time at the Manor with Tamsin and Dorothy.

And then young, wealthy and handsome Gabe turns up in Easthaven, both girls drawn to his charm and good looks. But beneath his friendly exterior, lurks a sadness. And soon the trio become inseparable with luncheons and lazy days by the pool in their own coming of age.

But then Gabe disappears and the secrets they share threaten to come between the two friends. Disrupting their lives so much that Tamsin and her mother moved away, leaving Lakewell Manor standing dark and silent once more.

Now, having left Easthaven behind them two decades ago, Liz has returned to the seaside village after her career as a journalist failed, along with her marriage. After her divorce, Liz returns to where it all started...living with her cruel and harsh mother once again, this time with her two daughters Ruby and Mia. Her career as a journalist in tatters, she is now a postal worker delivering the mail to the seaside village she grew up in.

Then one morning on her rounds, Liz is surprised to find Lakewell Manor opening its doors once again, her old friend Tamsin having returned, now a successful poet, and with a handsome fiance in tow - who is the image of Gabe. They exchange a little banter and reminisce on the summer that changed their lives before promising to catch up again. But then the day after when Liz returns to deliver a package of Tamsin's latest publications, something strange is afoot. Tamsin has changed. Not just in appearance, but in behaviour also. And almost at once Liz knows that this is not Tamsin, despite the woman's claims to the contrary. Her suspicions are only confirmed when fake-Tamsin leaves the opened package of her newly published poetry book on the garden wall in the rain. Days later, the same package remains now a pile of mush. There is no way Tamsin would leave something so precious to her out in the weather as if it were rubbish.

Something is afoot and Liz decides to investigate. Unfortunately, her reputation precedes her and she is soon exposed as a nosy interfering busybody, hung up on an old friendship that died years ago. Added to that, is her link to Gabe, the teenager who disappeared twenty years ago, also being publicised for the village to see. But the deeper she digs into the past, the deeper the hole she digs for herself. And soon she is faced with the prospect of losing custody of her two young daughters to the father.

In a search for answers that takes her to London, Liz uncovers another death linked to Tamsin's new fiance as well as some suspicious goings-on whilst making a new friend along the way. But can she unmask the imposter prancing about the village posing as Tamsin and uncover what she is really up to before it's too late? Liz is certain that something has happened to her friend and will stop at nothing from uncovering the truth...but to what detriment?

The past has come back to haunt her in a big way as some secrets refuse to remain buried.

SECRETS BETWEEN FRIENDS is a wonderful thriller mystery with such an atmospheric setting and sweeping coastline, coloured row houses and an abandoned manor house on the cliff. Coupled with the poetic prose in the prologue right up to the beautiful and stunning climax, this tale is filled with tension and mystery than is all-encompassing and enthralling from beginning to end. I could almost hear the crashing waves as I devoured each line. And I love the dual timeline narrative. That's always a winner for me. I love being transported back to the past as its story slowly entwines with the present, and Tracy Buchanan does it wonderfully.

There was so much mystery and intrigue along with secrets hidden within the pages that we had to chip away at them until they were at last revealed. The twist at the end was a bit of a nice surprise but the villain wasn't.

Everything was wrapped up nicely in a satisfying conclusion...all but one tiny piece. Liz's mother, who was horrible from start to finish. Which begs the question - why? Why did she blame Liz for ruining her life? Why did she hate the Lakewells so much? What did she know about them that made them so much more contemptuous in her eyes? And why was that Liz's fault? My suspicion which I had throughout was that Liz was fathered by Tamsin's father, as it was mentioned that he had had an affair but her mother forgave him. On the other hand, Liz had grown up fatherless. It would make sense to me that that's why Liz's mother hated the Lakewell's so much. Because of Tamsin's father leaving her high and dry and returning to his family while she was left, both figuratively and literally, holding the baby. It is all supposition and was never actually addressed in the book...but that is my thought which I think makes the most sense. Otherwise, Liz's mother's behaviour and cruel treatment of her makes no sense whatsoever. (this is not a spoiler because it wasn't actually addressed or revealed in the story)

This is the third Tracy Buchanan novel I've read and I find they fall into a mixed genre - part contemporary, part mystery, part thriller. It's not one of those genres but a combination of all three. I have enjoyed the previous two I've read - "The Girl on the Beach" and "Wall of Silence" (both of which had a real thriller vibe to them) - and I thoroughly enjoyed their atmospheric prose. Buchanan has a way of really creating an atmosphere - of pulling you in and keeping you intrigued till the very last page.

Overall, SECRETS BETWEEN FRIENDS is all-encompassing and emotional read on many levels as well as being a thoroughly entertaining mystery. I really love the epilogue and how everything came full circle...as if it was meant to be. Highly recommended.

I would like to thank #TracyBuchanan, #Netgalley and #LakeUnionPublishing for an ARC of #SecretsBetweenFriends in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I couldn't put it down and I didn't want to. This book lived up to every ounce of hype that I had experienced for it. This book is beautifully written; a gripping storyline with strong characters. It ticked all the boxes of my expectations. I would definitely recommend it to others.

What really happened twenty years ago when best friends Liz and Tamsin meet Gabe and let him into their circle? What exactly went wrong? When Liz and Tamsin both return to their hometown after a substantial period of time will the truth finally come out? Read on to find out.

I give this book a 3.5. I enjoyed the main character, Liz, who was a woman who has a lot of emotional baggage. When her teenage best friend, Tamsin moves back the secrets from their past threaten to become exposed. I found the story to be very interesting, though I figured out most of the twists. All in all an enjoyable read.

A good read
Set in two timelines now and twenty tears ago
Plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading right up to the end
Thanks NetGalley

I really liked the setting and premise of this one, and think it is a great suspense thriller! I enjoyed the book very much!

I didn’t find much to recommend this story unfortunately- it was an OK read but there wasn’t a great deal of suspense or intrigue to hold my attention.
A decent holiday read but nothing more.

Liz returns to her hometown, this time with her mother and also her two children. She gets a job as a local .postie and takes pictures on her route and posts them as some light entertainment. She notices an old friend Tamsin on her route and is somewhat reluctant to speak to her, but Tamsin greets her like a long lost friend and even introduces her to her fiancee.
Then a few days later Liz passes Tamsin's house again, but it is not Tamsin living there. From here the mystery begins.
This book did not hold my attention although I like the theme.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this - a good solid psychological thriller. I'm not 100% sold on the realism of how things turned out but it held my attention.

Liz has had a troubled past since her teenage friendship with Tamsin. As postwoman in Easthaven, she watches the comings and goings and is shocked to see her friend return to Lakewell Manor. However, her friend is not as she originally appeared and Liz sets to solve the mystery.

This tale is too farfetched for me and the storyline is too slow. I didn’t warm to the characters, though I did like the way the author set the stories between the past and present. This was well-written and there was no jumping around and losing your place which can so often happen.

I rate this book 3 stars ***

I really enjoyed this book. It was intense and kept me gripped throughout. Really liked the characters too. Would definitely recommend.

This is the story of two friends, Tamsin and Lizzie, and is written in a dual timeline between twenty years ago and the present day. They became unlikely friends with Lizzie being from the rough part of the village and Tamsin living in the manor house with her mother. Lizzie and Tamsin were involved in a tragic event which has remained a secret for all these years. Lizzie is returning to the village she left twenty years ago. She is moving in with her difficult, elderly mother with her two children after going through a divorce. Lizzie has a job as postmaster and is delivering the post when she meets up with Tamsin and they have a friendly chat. But when she meets her again a few days later Tamsin acts totally different and Lizzie thinks that for some reason someone has replaced Tamsin with a lookalike. What has happened to her friend? Lizzie realises hat the events of their past may be coming back to haunt her. As well as her friend she herself could be in danger too as their secrets could be revealed. This book is a mixture of murder, lies, friendships and suspicion, with lots of unexpected twists. A highly recommended read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A psychological thriller about two friends and a deep dark secret. Twenty years after the event that was kept hidden, Liz has returned to the same area and with hopes that nothing will bring back the memories what had happened. Until, she realizes that Tamsin, the other secret keeper is also back in the area. She doesn’t remember Liz or the event that had happened. Is it a mystery that needs to be solved? Liz is a great character and this story is a stirring thriller that kept me engaged until the end. Great storytelling.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this book, I received a copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An average read, nothing special, but worth the read.

A good well written book but I was expecting more mystery from the Blurb. I did love the seaside setting as I always feels this adds to a Thriller/Mystery. A bit slow to begin but picks up with twists and new Characters introduced later on.

I was very hopeful when i requested this book from Netgalley. This story just wasn't for me. It had nothing to do with the author or the book. I will still recommend to anyone that reads in this genre.

Oo y’all… this one was a creepy one! Definitely a suspense novel that will keep you on your toes. Excellent writing style and the characters were top notch!

A pretty straightforward mystery. It did keep my interest till the end though I must say the ending felt a bit underwhelmed. But everything that happened up to that point was very engaging, definitely an easy read.

The story revolves around Liz and Tamsin who strike up a friendship 20 years ago. Young handsome Gabe joins the duo but ends up disappearing. Are the girls involved in his disappearance?

Compelling story about friends who witnessed a terrible event and vowed to keep the secret buried. Twenty years later their paths converge again in the small town of their childhood. The story is told on dual timelines as the mystery is being solved, as things are not as they seem. It is a fun read, and my first exposure to the author. I look forward to more from her.