The Secrets You Keep

An automobile accident, a book that can't seem to ​get written, a new home, a murder, and unsettling questions Bryn had about her new husband.

Bryn was recovering from an accident with the total support from her husband starting to wane after three months. Was he tired of her fragility? Was he doing things behind her back?​ What else didn't she know about her new husband's current and past life?​

All of this uncertainty also caused Bryn to not be able to focus on the new book she was to be writing. Her writing kept her busy, but the inspiration just didn't materialize.

What​ ​did materialize was the brutal murder of the chef who catered the dinner party Bryn hosted at her home and things getting worse for her in every aspect. The show more visits and questions about the murder from the police were very disconcerting, and Bryn wasn't even sure she could trust her husband.
​​
When another murder occurs, my mind immediately went to one of the characters as being the same person who murdered the chef. ​

THE SECRETS YOU KEEP was q​uite a good mystery with most characters not being trustworthy and others who were caught in the middle of the deceit.
​​
THE SECRETS YOU KEEP kept me awake longer than usual and kept me in suspense as have all of Ms. White's books.​

Ms. White did it again with another splendid mystery that was well written ​and had plenty of intrigue.

I enjoyed the storyline and trying to guess who the real murderer was.

ENJOY if you read THE SECRETS YOU KEEP. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.​ show less

This is a standard whodunnit, with a little psychological thriller thrown into the mix.

Bryn Harper, successful self-help author, is dealing with the aftermath of a horrific car crash which put the driver in a coffin and her in a downward spiral of PTSD and depression. She has recently moved to Saratoga to be with her husband for a summer after having spent 2 years in a long-term commuter relationship with him, which ,already strained, is experiencing more distance due to her inability to bring herself out of her funk.

Into this fragile mix enters a handful of people Bryn doesn't know, but whom her husband does, very well -- business associates, caterers, friends. Bryn is trying to deal with these new acquaintances and be a supportive show more wife when one of these people is murdered. To make matters worse, Bryn is dealing with doubts about her husband's "acquaintances," worried that one or more of them may be more than just that.

To complicate matters, and ratchet up the suspense, Bryn has a recurring dream in which the driver of the car which crashed keeps telling Bryn there's something she has to know. This creepy piece of information from her subconscious and from the past she's suppressed, seems to indicate there is information about the crash, the driver, and her own life that he may have been trying to convey to her before he died. These dreams may hold key evidence that may help her now, if only she can get a grip on the events swirling out of her control.

I found the pacing, plot and suspense of this novel excellent. It's a book that's hard to put down, especially because nearly every chapter ends with a Nancy-Drew-type cliffhanger that just keeps you reading long after your bedtime. There is plenty of action, and plenty of questions whose answers lead Bryn to more and more questions.

Bryn herself is a fragile character, and she will annoy lots of readers. There is no sense of the independent, strong-willed and successful author she is, possibly because the car crash has left her emotionally and mentally unstable. Instead, she comes across as needy, fragile, easily broken, and afraid, nearly on every page. In nearly every scene she wonders about the people surrounding her, doubting the facts as she knows them, second guessing everyone's motive as well as her own sanity. This becomes a little grating, but serves the plot well in a mystery such as this one. I just wish the author had given us more than a limp noodle as a heroine.

The other characters are well-drawn, for the most part. There is a gratuitous Skype session with her therapist, which has zero effect on the character and plot and is dropped henceforth.

Overall I found it a quick and entertaining read. Thank you to the author and publisher for a review copy. show less

I really enjoyed this on as an audio book. The story kept me wanting to know more and wanting to know what was going on. I thought the added mystery of her dreams and what happened during the accident was a good underlying story and one that I also was glad to know the conclusion to.
Even if some parts were obvious, I thought there were enough red herrings to keep one guessing.
I enjoyed it

Although this isn't a stand out novel in this steeped category it is still a quick entertaining read.
The main character was more than a little annoying and the storyline pretty easy to predict but even so I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys this type of book and I will be keeping an eye on Kate White's books in the future.

Although this isn't a stand out novel in this steeped category it is still a quick entertaining read.
The main character was more than a little annoying and the storyline pretty easy to predict but even so I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys this type of book and I will be keeping an eye on Kate White's books in the future.

Didn't finish. Lazy writing. Main character was always tired. Then there was an ax in the face of the chef. No. Just no.

It’s never the husband, ok?