Being no stranger to Jessica’s work, I was eager to get my hands on this latest offering.

To say I read it in two sittings is no exaggeration. The punchy opening grabbed my attention right from the first page. This together with the dual timeline and multiple POVs ensured I was provided with a gripping and page-turning reading experience right until the end.

I loved the decision to set the story in an English village and found the descriptions strangely comforting. The location also offered the perfect balance of unnerving meets familiar, which I always welcome when reading this genre.

Without giving too much away, the plot is well-structured and perfectly executed. There's no lull that some thrillers seem to have on the home straight. I think this is largely to do with the characters, all of which intrigued me and are well-developed- special mention for Vera who I found brilliantly and utterly weird.

Is Don’t Tell a Soul what I was expecting from Jessica Huntley? Honestly, no. It was better.

I always expect really dark themes when I think of Jessica’s plotting and storytelling. And although there are some darker moments in this standalone, I wouldn't classify Don’t Tell a Soul as overly dark. I'm squeamish and there was no part where I was even straddling the I need to skip this part feeling that I sometimes get when reading thrillers.

Overall this book is a triumph and Jessica has more than proved with this traditional debut that she's as adaptable as she is skilled.

So, who would love this book? Well, honestly anyone who has enjoyed titles by Mark Edwards, John Marrs and Charlotte Duckworth (DTAS gave me lots of What Lies Between Us and The Wrong Mother vibes) - needs to request this one immediately.

And, just any reader who enjoys a pacy well-written domestic thriller with some killer twists.

No pun intended.

Congrats Jess, I hope it does great things.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the eARC.
When I started this book I enjoyed it, but as it continued and became more and more creepy ... not so much.
There was so much uneasiness, I felt uncomfortable and couldn't wait to finish it. I give it 2-1/2 stars - it was well-written and I imagine a lot of readers (who are not as squeamish as I am) will like it.