Member Reviews
This book was just ok for me. There was enough mystery to keep me reading but in the end it just wasn’t what I expected. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.
Jodie is back in her hometown as a “postie,” delivering mail and observing those around her living their lives when she suddenly finds out her childhood best friend, Tamsin, has moved in back into her family home. The cliff side manor has been vacant since an incident 20 years prior that severed the friendship between the girls and changed their lives forever. At first, Tamsin seems normal, but then Liz notice a huge shift - Tamsin no longer seem to recognize Liz, remember their shared memories, or even act like the girl Liz used to know. Liz is convinced something is very wrong, but with problems of her own to deal with, Liz can’t afford to make even one misstep as she tries to find the truth.
This book alternates between timelines: the present day and 20 years ago with the events leading up to the fateful event that tore the girls apart. Both are told from Liz’s POV.
The story here is really interesting and it pulled me right in: a bored, possibly over reactive postal employee with some skeletons in her closet sees her friend for the first time in years and things seem OK at first - but then things stat to go horribly wrong. Add in some shady side characters and twists, and you’ve got yourself a great mystery. And this book really delivers. I didn’t see most of those twists coming at all (there was one I had a mild suspicion of, but it was a pretty small one compared to some of the doozies in there!).
The conclusion was great because it wrapped everything up nicely and like I said had some nice twists in there. I had some theories going in my head, but I was wrong with most of them - and the truth was pretty good! I was excited to see what the author came up with, it was clever and original.
Liz as a character was interesting. I really liked her and was rooting for her, but at a certain point I really wanted her to stand up for herself - especially with her mother. Like I was biting my tongue for her and trying not to reach into the pages and shake her, to tell her to stand up for herself! But I think the relationship with her mother is why she became so obsessed with Tamsin. Tamsin and her mother were an escape, so she needed to keep them safe and sound.
It didn’t take me long to finish this one, the reading was quick and easy, and the book was very enjoyable. If you’re looking for a good mystery you can wrap up nicely in a few days, this is the book for you! Highly recommended!
A brilliant read.AI loved this story full of twists that held your interest a great setting with Interesting characters. A must read read for fans of this author never disappoints
As I read the first hundred pages of this novel, I could not help thinking that its author Tracy Buchanan had been too ambitious and packed too much in: complicated mother-daughter relationships, childhood trauma, the difference between the affluent and the poor, shattered childhood dreams, a bitter custody battle, the many deceptions that go on in a seemingly respectable setting, an atmospheric coastal location …. It was not until a little later that the novel’s main character, Liz, endeared herself to me and I genuinely began to care about her challenges. As a mail courier who makes social media posts under the tagline ‘the Jolly Postie’, Liz now has a completely outlook on the place she grew up in. Some of her fondest memories relate to Lakewell Manor, the childhood home of her former friend Tamsin. But why does Tamsin recognise her one day and not the next? What secret does Tamsin’s new fiancé harbour? And will Liz be able to cling onto her two much-loved daughters, some sort of relationship with her demanding mother, and the courier job that helps her keep her head above water?
Quite beautifully written, I enjoyed this complex novel, even though it packs a lot in, and am grateful to NetGalley and to the publishers for the free ARC I was gifted in exchange for this honest, unbiased review.
This is the first book I've read by Tracy Buchanan and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is a quick read, filled with suspense and an unexpected ending. Secrets Between Friends is a good old-fashion mystery and "who dunit."
Interesting read going from the past to the present to make sense of the mystery currently going on. Liz and tamsin used to be best friends when they were younger, has the new tamsin changed that much or is there something going on?
This book was very good, it grabs you right from the start. I could not put it down. The characters were all great, in there own way...some very good and some very bad, but it definitely keeps you guessing who is goid and who is bad.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and mostly the author for the chance to read this advanced copy.
Liz is leading a relatively happy life as a postwoman in her home town. That is until her old friend Tamsin returns. However, Tamsin has changed beyond recognition. Tamsin and Liz hold a very big secret. Will their secret remain secret. An interesting and intriguing story about friendship and betrayal.
Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC
Another good read in November. A story of 2 friends who meet after almost 2 decades. A shared secret that now seems threatening after 20 years. A plot is also a bit twisty with the characters that come in later.
Over all an enjoyable read.
This is a good holiday read set in a seaside town and has a whiff of Daphne Du Maurier mysteriousness about it. Despite not delivering in her depth it is a good yarn. It does towards the end go a little manic however as facades are dropped and the past is resolved. Fairly satisfying.
Wow!
Right off the start I was hoping that this book will be made into a film or series!
Author Tracy Buchanan has a knack for immediately drawing you in, quickly immersing you in the glorious beginnings of a wonderfully intriguing, twisty and addictive story.
I enjoyed all aspects of this book, the pace was good, the intrigue was there, the creep factor, romance, mystery, and a completely and wholeheartedly, satisfying ending!
All in all an extremely satisfying and well written book!
I will now make my way through all of Tracy Buchanan’s other books!
Thank you to Net Galley, Tracy Buchanan and publisher Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this!
I had never read this author before and this was not bad. A little slower than I liked but full of secrets, lies, murder, creepy houses......... you get the picture. I think my favorite part was the atmosphere. The author did a great job making me feel as if I were really in this little coastal town. I would definitely read more from Tracy Buchanan after this one!
Thank you to #NetGalley, Tracy Buchanan and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
The book was okay. I stayed for the reveal but called it pretty early on.
Was an easy read - perfect for holidays.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
What an enjoyable read! Atmospheric and quirky, this is a mystery worth reading. Quite a few odd characters, some plain awful (Liz's mother, ugh), and some charming. I highly recommend.
4 stars.
Thanks to NetGally, Tracy Buchanan and Lake Union Publishing.
I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley for my honest review. This is the first time I have read a book by Tracy Buchanan. It is intriguing! Set in a small town in England, featuring the Lakewell manor. Liz and Tamsin became best friends 20 years ago. Something tragic happens one night. Fast forward 20 years to present day. Liz and Tasmin meet again. Many more details are revealed and things go from bad to worse. Without giving away the story, you need to read this for yourself! The ending will totally blow you away!
“Secrets Between Friends” is set in small town Easthaven and is told in a dual timeline. When Liz and Tamsin are children they form an unlikely friendship. Liz is from the poorer side of town and a loveless mother while reclusive, homeschooled Tamsin is from a wealthy family and a supportive loving mother. They both have dreams, Liz wants to be a journalist while Tamsin wants to be a poet. Enter a handsome teenage boy named Gabe and the three of them spend the summer together. As their lives change each of them for different reasons move away from Easthaven but twenty years later they are liz and Tamsin are back in town. Liz has two girls, is in the middle of a messy divorce and custody battle. Tamsin has realized her childhood dreams of becoming a published poet and returns to town after the death of her mother to renovate the neglected family manor. When Liz and Tamsin reunite their connection seems to be exactly as it always had been but Liz fears the secrets of the past will come back and their involvement will be discovered. On their second meeting Liz quickly realizes that something is very different about Tamsin not only in appearance but also in her demeanor. Liz must get to the bottom of the sudden change and what ensued is a fast paced read and the discovery of old and new secrets and their consequences.
Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of this book, While the story was good it felt a little bit slow and I had a tough time with the very unlikable mother and ex-husband. The friendship between Liz and Tasmin is great, everyone needs friendships that last 20 years.
A quick read, but it packs quite a punch. There is a lot to unpack in the backstories of these characters. And while it is a bit far-fetched, that didn't stop me from delighting in the deliciousness of this kinda crazy!! I totally enjoyed looking in on these people and their over the top behaviors.
An enjoyable read. Apologies I read it a while ago so I've left it a bit late to write a longer review.
A neat story that swops effortlessly between the secrets of the past and the resulting secrets of the present. Totally realistic characters - both the good and the bad - that make you really care about the final outcomes for both.