The Housewife's Secret by Anna-Lou Weatherley is a taut psychological thriller that delves into the dark undercurrents of a seemingly perfect life. The story follows a woman who has carefully curated the persona of the perfect housewife, cooking elaborate meals and hosting dinner parties to impress her husband’s friends, all while hiding a web of secrets that could unravel her carefully constructed life.

The protagonist, whose life revolves around keeping up appearances for her husband Dr. Gabe Bonneville, has learned to play the role of the perfect wife while keeping her past buried. She’s managed to hide her therapy sessions and the shadows of her troubled upbringing, but when an ominous letter arrives, it threatens to expose everything she’s worked so hard to conceal. Someone knows she’s not the person she pretends to be—and with her secrets at risk, she begins to unravel.

Weatherley does an excellent job of building tension throughout the novel, keeping readers on edge as the protagonist’s carefully maintained facade begins to crack. The suspense grows as the secrets from her past are slowly revealed, and the mystery surrounding the letter raises the stakes even higher. The relationship between the protagonist and her husband is fraught with unspoken tension, and the characters of Anita and Hugh add layers of intrigue to the story.

What makes The Housewife's Secret so compelling is its exploration of the lengths people will go to maintain control over their lives and the fear of being exposed for who they really are. The book combines elements of psychological suspense with a strong sense of emotional depth, making it both a thrilling and thought-provoking read.

For fans of domestic thrillers and psychological suspense, The Housewife's Secret is an engaging and unsettling ride. It’s a story about lies, deceit, and the devastating consequences of keeping secrets, with a twisty, unpredictable plot that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Anna-Lou packed another punch! This book was a new discovery to me, I was so excited when I found out there was a new book by this Author. She lures you in early with characters you will love to loathe. This kept me on the edge of my seat and I devoured this one.

The author is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and this one did not disappoint. Tense, fast paced and absorbing - I couldn't put it down.

Wow! What a wild ride! This book was full of twist and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you too net galley for the ARC.,

Wow... had me on the edge of my seat! I didn't see the ending coming!! What a massive twist, it kept me enthralled right till the very end!!!

This is the definition of fast paced page-turner. Highly entertaining. I did not realize that this is part of a series, but can easily be read as a stand alone. I will now go and look for the others in this series. Fantastic!

This book is unstoppable, full of twists and turns. It's well-written and the plot is interesting. For sure I will read more books by the author.

A Firm 4 Stars!

The Housewife – Darcie Bonneville leads a privileged life, married to a handsome successful surgeon, living in a luxurious apartment, with plans to start a family.

But when Darcie saves a little girl’s life, and the video of her doing so goes viral, it places everything she holds dear in jeopardy. Because Darcie has a secret past, a past she has been hiding from for years, and her new notoriety is about to draw unwanted attention.

What I’ve always admired about the domestic suspense side of Anna-Lou Weatherley’s novels is her ability to create characters embroiled in the main mystery that you really sympathise with, and care about what happens to. It stands to reason that you’d be concerned about series regulars Dan Riley and his team (with the exception of Martin Delaney) but being emotionally invested in Darcie’s story arc meant the tension and the stakes were even higher.

The mystery was maybe a little on the predictable side as well as a tad repetitive, but they were tropes that I gravitate towards and enjoy reading about in the domestic noir genre and there were enough twists that I didn’t guess to keep me satisfied.

I anticipate a Dan Riley instalment every year, they’re a reliable, easy-to-read, easy-to-keep-track-of, not too many characters crime police procedural, perfect for those instances where you don’t have a lot of time and concentration to devote to reading. I alternated between the supplied e-book and the audible audiobook and read/listened to The Housewife’s Secret over a day, making this a quick, immersive read.

I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Bookouture, and Anna-Lou Weatherley for the e-ARC.

Omg!! This book was so good, a true page-turner! I have read one other book in the Dan Riley series, and although I enjoyed that book, this one definitely tops it for me. I felt like I truly didn’t know where the story and the twist was going to go or be. Every time I had a theory, I was wrong, which is exact what I look for in a thriller. Highly recommend this and I’m excited to explore more of Anna-Lou’s books and the rest of the Detective Dan Riley series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

The Housewife's Secret by Anna-Lou Weatherly is both a Detective novel as well as having elements of a psychological thriller. When a rich stay at home wife goes missing while walking her dog everyone wants to find her. This is made harder by no one in her life knowing anything about her past.

As you go through the book bits and pieces start to come together through the dual timelines. I liked this book although I had picked who was going to be involved fairly early on. What was a surprise to me was why and how it all came together!

This is actually book number 7 in the series. It is full of suspense and I love the character of Dan Riley. This book was unpredictable and that is a huge plus for me.

A fast paced thriller that is non stop, from the first chapter to the very last.
Darcie has it all. Money in the bank, a handsome, devoted husband, a beautiful house and the promise of a family on the horizon. She is the happiest she has ever been. So when she goes missing early one morning no one is more shocked than her husband, Dr Gabe Bonneville.
Darcie leaves home one morning to walk her dog as usual, whilst Gabe goes off to play golf, but what isn’t usual is that the little dog is sat waiting by their front door, missing her lead and her owner.
When Darcie fails to return home Gabe immediately phones the police to report his wife missing. She would never leave her dog, no matter what and there is no reason for her to not return home. Is there?
With the discovery of a crumpled note in the waste paper bin is discovered, addressed simply to Darcie and containing just two words, ‘FOUND YOU’ the missing persons case soon escalates to an abduction case.
But who and why would someone want to abduct a simple housewife?
But who and what was Darcie before she became a stay at home housewife?
As the past collides with the present in the most shocking ways this book pulls you back into Darcie’s past, delivering plot twists and turns along the way, revealing to Gabe just who he has fallen in love with and married.
This is the first book I have read by Anna-Lou Weatherley and I was unaware there is a whole series featuring Detective Dan Riley, so luckily for me this book reads extremely well as a standalone, but it has made me want to go and read the rest of the series now.
The writing flows like silk and the characters are portrayed in such a way that brings them to life across the pages. The whole book was a pleasure to read, even the bits that make your heart beat that bit quicker!
If you are already acquainted with this series or the authors other books then you will already know you are in for a treat with this book, but if like me you are a newbie then you won’t be disappointed. It will keep you entertained from start to finish.

Hadn’t read a single one of these books before, and for that I am very sad!! I absolutely loved it!
Lovely twisty tale, which kept me guessing almost to the end!
As soon as I press send I will be searching Amazon!
I am a lover of female strong leads, but this converted me, and Dan is my new hero!! Loved it!

𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌…

Anna Lou Weatherly has smashed this one. This is a brilliant read and one that I have devoured in just one sitting. I have no regrets only that I wish I could experience this as a first read all over again.

This is dark and completely unpredictable. I found myself trying to work out where it was going but completely unable to figure it out.

I was transported to this one, felt as though I was watching this play out in front of me. This is testament to how brilliant an author Anna Lou Weatherly is. I loved this book and everything about it.

The tension and suspense are laced in the pages of this gem. It’s unpredictable with the perfect amount of twists and turns. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and an insight into their lives.

Weatherly is brilliant. There are many twists and turns in this one which are perfectly placed to throw the reader. This is a book which moves at the perfect pace, it’s gripping and easy to be lost in the pages.

This is a brilliant read and one I have no hesitation in recommending to other readers.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

There are some books that fall in your lap and just completely unputdownable... this is one of them.

Now although this is part of a series, book #7, it is totally readable as a standalone. This is now the 4th book I've read of the series and I devoured it as if it was the first! Whilst there is a little backstory on the main characters you wouldn't feel like you were missing huge chunks if this was the first dip into the series you took.

Darcie Bonneville is a bit of an enigma to everybody. With no presence on any social media platforms, shy to have her photo taken and nobody really knowing her childhood and past, when she goes missing on a morning walk there isn't much for the police department to fall back on.

The evening before Darcie and Gabe were entertaining old friends when a letter is posted through the letterbox. Telling Gabe it's just junk mail, she throws it away, in truth it's a note with just two words... 'found you'

Detective Dan Riley is tasked to investigate the disappearance. Interviewing her husband Dr Gabe Bonneville, it is obvious that he wasn't involved but he also isn't much help. Darcie didn't really go anywhere or do anything and doesn't really have a social circle... so where is she?

Told in dual timelines of Then and Now, we see just how troubled Darcie's childhood really was and how it affected her whole life. She has secrets that she has kept from near on everybody, can Dan Riley get to the bottom of Darcie's true past before it's too late?

The story is told from the POVs of Dan in the present day and Darcie in the past and present.

This was a completely unputdownable, multi layered read with lots of twists. Whilst I guessed quite early on the 'whodunnit' that didn't deflect at all on the enjoyment of the plot.

Huge thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

Loved this thriller of a book that keeps the reader engaged the whole way through. I really liked how the story unfolded.

I really enjoyed reading this book and found it to be much more than what I had anticipated. The storyline was unique and captivating, which kept me engaged until the very end. The unexpected twists and turns added an extra layer of excitement to the plot, making it even more compelling. The characters were well-developed, especially the main detective who was my favorite. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a gripping read.

It is a fantastic story, exhilarating plot, well developed characters, and a well executed shocking ending. I read in one day, unputdownable and very addictive. Recommend to every thriller reader.

Some books are unputdownable and this is one of them!!! Very well written- look forward to more from the author!

I love the Dan Riley books and this is another belter to add to the collection!
This is another really gripping story which although is part of a series it is
accessible to those new to the series.
I love the authors writing style, its just up my street, so well plotted and paced.
Another winner!