It's just another normal Friday afternoon in the little village of Leedham Vale. Parents arrive at the school to collect their little lovelies for the weekend. But for teacher Cate Walker and her 8 year old son Archie it's the day they vanish from the streets on their way home...never to reach their destination.

Almost at once, head teacher and husband Oliver believes this little disappearing act to be another one of Cate's little manipulative games and thinks nothing of it and goes about his business. But when she hasn't returned by Saturday he reports them both as missing. But Cate's disappearance leaves a void in the school that needs filling.

Enter Lexi Mills. Substitute teacher with secrets of her own takes it upon herself to begin investigating the disappearance of mother and child whilst also looking into Oliver. Surely there is more to him than meets the eye. But as the days drag into a week and then two weeks, everyone is frantic for news and wondering what really happened to Cate and Archie that Friday afternoon.

And then a body is found...

This is a slow burn of a thriller that had potential but also a feeling of not quite reaching it. It held my attention enough to the end but I felt it dragged out and I was awaiting the ending so I could find out what really happened. And everything was tied up nicely and made a lot of sense by the end but I think it was just a little too convoluted for my tastes.

I would like to thank #LaurenNorth, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheTeachersSecret in exchange for an honest review.

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

A fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing right to the end, and more. So many characters and their P.O.V, all of them suspects, but it all became clear in the end.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review

This book was good. The characters were believable. Since I’m a teacher, this book was relatable. I would recommend this book to the members of my book club. I like books that have me trying to figure out what is going on as I’m reading it.

An absolutely thrilling, addictive, suspenseful story. Full of twists that I did not see coming. A brilliant story. Loved it.

There were no edge of the seat moments for me in this book but whilst a bit slow in parts it was an easy read.
Not the best I’ve read by this author.

Great thriller that keeps the reader on their toes the whole way through the book. I really liked all the characters in this book and how they played off each other.

As always, Lauren North delivers a cracking page turner with an intriguing mystery at its core.

The characters feel realistic and the denouement felt perfectly pitched.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This book tells the story of a missing teacher and her son told from multiple POVs. It was a middle of the road domestic mystery of whodunnit. Everyone is lying and keeping secrets in this book. That said there was nothing that makes this book truly stand out from others I've read. Worth a read, but not a book I'd reach for more than once.

Another day, another ‘no I can’t go to sleep until I’ve figured out the ending’ book! This is the story of Lexi, who has just arrived as a substitute teacher at a prestigious school, and Oliver, the headteacher, who’s wife and child are gone missing.

There are a range of characters, some very bitter and negative indeed, and the fab setting of the school as we alternate between the two characters, the author cleverly not letting us know if this is a murder mystery or a missing person case.

I was well and truly hooked with this book, and enjoyed both the slow burn and the breadcrumbs laid. I’ll admit I hated the ending, but that was because my crazy brain had decided what I wanted to happen (I know- I write rom com. I have no right to decide what I want a thriller writer to do!!!)

All in all a very satisfying book and I’ll be going back to read some of the author’s other books! Thanks for the early copy from the publisher and Netgalley.
Rating: 5/5

I’ve listened to and read quite a few books by Lauren North and every one of them I have NEVER worked out the plot!! The final twist was completely unexpected and genius, which is what I love and have come to expect from Lauren North’ books. Thank you Lauren North, publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this arc. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lauren North cannot disappoint in my opinion!
This author is really good and has really great ways of writing and I absolutely love it!

This book was a little slow at times. Overall, it was a decent book. It did not keep my attention like most thrillers do though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC! #TheTeachersSecret

Cate is a teacher and has a son named Archie that attends to the same school . One day after school, the two disappear. Oliver, Cate's spouse, is acting suspiciously. Why? What secrets is he hiding?

This book kept me guessing! I enjoyed the multiple POV's and finding out secrets of each person along the way. It was very entertaining and it had me guessing until the end!

The primary school in the village of Leedham is the heart of the community. One Friday afternoon teacher Cate & young son Archie set off for home & are never arrive. This is a big shock to all, particularly the head teacher, Oliver, who is the husband & father. Lexi arrives as a substitute teacher. She is of course intrigued by the events that brought her there but when she starts asking questions she receives threats. What has happened to Cate & Archie- & why is Lexi so interested?

This was an engaging read which kept me guessing. There were a couple of things that bugged me- some terms were more attuned to American readers: Substituent teacher - in UK it is Supply teacher. Apartment- flat? Then there was the really huge error of the storm- lightning comes first because light travels faster than sound. This totally distracted me from that bit of the story. That apart it was a good read & thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me do so.

Cate is a teacher and Archie is her son, one day after school the pair go missing - Cate's husband Oliver is acting strangely ..why?
Lexi, the new substitute teacher is also acting differently... when secrets from the past come to light it sets the scene for a devastating twist -
Great, well-paced story with plenty to keep the reader hooked, really enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read. I did not quite enjoy this book as it was not that thrilling for me but it had twists and turns. I just didn’t find it my book to read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cate (a teacher) and her son Archie both go missing one Friday after school. Ever since they’ve been missing, Oliver, Cate’s husband has been acting strange. However, the new substitute, Lexi, has also been acting strange. Secrets from their past start to resurface, which makes for a shocking twist, for many of the characters. It took me awhile to get into this book; it felt like the first half moved very slow. But the last half of the book picked up the pace. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. #booksbyashleynicole

The Teacher's Secret is an original all-consuming thriller that gripped me immediately. A small serene village is rocked to its core when a mother and son disappear without a trace on a typical Friday afternoon. What happened to Cate and Archie? Did they run away for unknown reasons or is something more sinister at play? The unpredictable story kept me guessing and racing to the end, trying to solve this intricately well-plotted mystery. It's fast-paced with shocking twists throughout. Entertaining, intriguing, and unputdownable describe every minute of this enthralling thriller. Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Teacher's Secret was a fantastic read. Plenty of action with twists and turns galore and it kept me guessing right to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

This was mostly a miss for me. The multiple character narration was hard to follow. The narration is slow to start and gets frenetic towards the end. Plenty of twists and turns.