I’ve got to say, Simon and Schuster Canada have been providing me with some amazing thrillers lately. I don’t know what it is about their acquisitions, but I’ve really enjoyed the books they’ve been sending me. Our Little Secret comes from first time Canadian author Roz Nay, and I really hope she continues writing because I think I’ve discovered a Canuck version of Ruth Ware in the making! I’m curious if other book bloggers (especially those outside of Canada) have been reading and loving this book like I have-leave a comment and let me know.
Author Roz Nay
The entire story takes place in a police interrogation room but includes flashbacks to help fill out the plot. An annoying Australian woman (Saskia) has gone missing, and her husband’s ex-girlfriend Angela is the prime suspect and protagonist of this book. We sit with and hear Angela’s inner thoughts as she explains herself to Detective Novak, and we learn about her epic love story with HP, Saskia’s husband. Angela is clearly still in love with HP, even though he’s married someone else and had a child with her, so it’s no surprise Angela is happy Saskia is gone, but it’s not clear whether or not Angela had something to do with the disappearance.
The framing technique of the interrogation room sets the story up nicely. We can come in and out of the story to catch our breath as readers, but we get fully immersed into Angela’s side of things quite easily. Angela as a storyteller is definitely suspicious, but her emotions are all over the map so it’s difficult to make a clear assumption as to whether or not she is a reliable narrator.
Now this may seem cheesy to some, but my favourite part of this book is the developing love story between HP and Angela-Nay completely nails the urgent drama of first loves, and although I don’t make a habit of reading romance novels, the in-flux relationship between these two characters seemed completely believable and a nice addition to an otherwise dark tale.
My favourite character by far was Angela’s crazy mother-it’s obvious there is something ‘off’ to her from the start, and I had alternating feelings of pity and horror for her as the novel continued. If anything, she’s a cautionary tale of what can come of getting too invested in your children’s love lives, which is advice many helicopter parents of today should heed (did that sound snarky? I suppose it did…oh well it’s true). The pacing of this book is also superb-it clips along at the perfect speed with relatively short chapters, and clocking in at only 228 pages, I finished this in a few days. Pop this into your beach bag for your next vacay, you won’t be disappointed you did.
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Well, count me interested!
Great review 🙂
thanks very much!
It sounds like the perfect summer read!
definitely! Nice and short.
Sounds intriguing! It’s available over here but only in the Canadian edition so far, so too pricy. But I’ll look out for it being released properly in the UK…
Haha – you’d think those hanging whiskers would drive poor Smokey mad! You should make a little hair band for her… 😉
oh I’m sure she would love that! LOL
Annie, love your blog. Just finished reading my first Ruth Ware novel, The Woman in Cabin 10.
Who survived the wife Anne or Carrie? Read the book twice, still can’t figure it out?
Thanks Linda! Honestly it’s been so long since I’ve read it, I can’t even remember! It was about 60 books ago for me 🙂
You’ll love Ruth Ware’s latest one The Death of Mrs. Westaway-highly recommended!
A Canadian Ruth Ware! I’ll have to look out for her – I’ve never heard of her before.
do-you won’t be disappointed!
We have the book in my library system!
yay!
The annoying woman went missing…..does that mean everyone was happy she was gone? 😮
Well I sure was! Her husband wasn’t though-apparently he didn’t find her as annoying as everyone else did….or DID HE??? buh buh buhhhhhhhhh
This is the first I’ve heard of Roz Nay – I think I’m going to have to add her to my list!
I think you’d like her Naomi!
This isn’t an author I’ve come across but as I was sold by your review I checked it out – on the list for an audio read/listen now.
yay! Glad I can help 🙂
I will have to add this to my library book list. I also enjoy Ruth Ware you may enjoy these reviews on her book
https://reallifeofanmsw.com/tag/ruth-ware/