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The Secret: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller by [K.L. Slater]

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K.L. Slater

The Secret: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller Kindle Edition

by K.L. Slater (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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‘Totally blew me away and I loved every page… I would give it hundred stars if possible… so many twist and turns, it will make your head spin.’ Shuffle Book Box, 5 stars

How do you protect your child if they’re keeping a secret?

Every day, a woman like Louise passes you in the street: elegant, confident, determined. But underneath, she’s struggling.

She doesn’t know her sister, Alice, has been scared of leaving the house since their mother died.
She doesn’t know when Alice babysits her little boy, Archie, he sometimes sees things he shouldn’t.
She doesn’t know Archie has a secret.

A secret that could send cracks through the heart of Louise’s carefully constructed life...

The most gripping psychological thriller you’ll read this year from the Kindle top five bestselling author K.L. Slater. If you love The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl, you’ll be absolutely hooked.

What readers are saying about The Secret:

‘Kept me gripped from the beginning to the end, I literally couldn’t put it down and read it in a day... I can’t wait to read another book from this author.’ Nicky Reviews, 5 stars

‘From the very first page I was captivated… I gobbled up every single word and absolutely flew towards the tense, secret-filled climax that delivered over and over again until I finished the story positively breathless. I am already awaiting the next one with impatient anticipation. ‘ Angela Marsons, 5 stars

‘Wow! What a roller coaster ride! Definitely a psychological thriller! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong!... I love reading K.L. Slater books and am never disappointed.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Fantastic book loved every word... how my heart went out to Alfie, really good book one of the best I’ve read this year’ NetGalley Reviewer, Five Stars.

‘K.L. Slater has written another fantastic story that I could not tear my eyes from, I was hooked from the start and quickly drawn in to the story... a truly gripping and addictive story that you won’t be able to put down. Highly recommended!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘This author is amazing. Her characters come to life… The book will have you crying… I would have given more than 5 stars if I could. ‘ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Superbly written, unpredictable, and with a fantastic finish... This is what story-telling should be like. Not for once will one be able to guess what’s going to happen.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘I was hooked from the start and I highly recommend!’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Excellent book! I love the way the author really gets under the skin of her characters… The twists and turns come thick and fast and I have to admit I read a lot of this genre but I got this one totally wrong! ... Brilliant book, I loved it!’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Well, there’s more than one secret here – and not one of them was anything I expected... truly stunning surprises and an extremely suspenseful read… As for the main secret – I did not see that coming! ... The author kept me guessing all the way through!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

Print length

312 pages
Language

English
Publication date

27 July 2018
File size

1784 KB
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Product description

Book Description

The Secret is the another gripping psychological thriller from bestselling author K.L. Slater. --This text refers to the audioCD edition.

About the Author

Kim is the bestselling author of psychological crime thrillers 'Safe With Me,' 'Blink,' 'Liar,' 'The Mistake' and 'The Visitor.' Her latest thriller, ‘The Secret’ will be published by Bookouture on 27th July 2018 and is now available for pre-order. Kim's titles are soon to be published in paperback by Sphere in the UK and Grand Central in the USA. For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing. Before graduating in 2012, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents and a book deal which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’ Kim is a full-time writer, has one grown-up daughter, Francesca, and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac. She also writes award-winning YA fiction for Macmillan Children's Books, writing as Kim Slater.

Lucy Price-Lewis has narrated over 40 fiction and non-fiction audiobooks. In addition to her voice acting skills, Lucy is also the director of Chatterbox Audio. Having produced hundreds of audiobooks for her own company, Lucy brings this knowledge to get the best results out of her own work. Lucy is the voice of K.L. Slater's renowned crime novels, such as The Silent Ones, Missing Molly, Single and Liar, and most recently, The Marriage. --This text refers to the audioCD edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07CR8HGCS
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (27 July 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1784 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 16,781 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 406 in Psychological Fiction (Books)
- 529 in Psychological Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- 674 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)

Customer Reviews:
1,939 ratings

About the author

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K.L. Slater

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Kim is the number one bestselling author of sixteen psychological crime thrillers. She has sold over two million copies of her books worldwide. She has also written four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult novels as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children’s Books. Kim has an MA in Creative Writing and lives with her husband in a small Nottinghamshire village.

Order of publication:

SAFE WITH ME (2016)

BLINK (2017)

LIAR (2017)

THE MISTAKE (2017)

THE VISITOR (2018)

THE SECRET (2018)

CLOSER (2018)

FINDING GRACE (2019)

THE SILENT ONES (2019)

SINGLE (2019)

THE APARTMENT - AUDIBLE ORIGINAL only (2019) August

THE APARTMENT - eBook & paperback formats available (2020) April

LITTLE WHISPERS (2020)

THE GIRL SHE WANTED (2020)

THE EVIDENCE - AUDIBLE ORIGINAL only (2021) February

THE EVIDENCE - eBook & paperback formats available (2021) July

THE MARRIAGE (2021)

THE WIDOW (2021)

MISSING (2022)

Publishers: Bookouture, Grand Central, Sphere, Audible

Agent: Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson

Author website: www.KLSlaterAuthor.com

Twitter: @KimLSlater

Facebook: KL Slater Author

Instagram: KLSlaterAuthor

K.L. Slater
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Customer reviews

5 star		53%
4 star		29%
3 star		13%
2 star		4%
1 star		2%

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FeeMac

Disappointing

Reviewed in Australia on 22 November 2018

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To be honest I was expecting a nail biter, a page turner and an exciting thrilling read. However, I have been left more than a little disappointed. I felt that the storyline was all over the place, jumping from the past to the present and back again which for me interrupted the flow. The characters were interesting enough and there were a few plot twists that made the read a little more intriguing but overall my expectations were obviously set too high.

8 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Increasingly implausible

Reviewed in Australia on 28 January 2019

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Although this book held my interest, I found the unfolding storyline to be increasingly implausible. This applies to the events, family dynamics, and mental health of the main character. Without revealing too much about the plot, if you like stories and themes that could actually occur in real life, this book is not for you. However, I like the writing style and aim of the author, so I will read another of their books before forming an opinion.

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Unforeseen .

Reviewed in Australia on 1 April 2019

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This is the first book I have read by this author and thought it's time consuming and will there be some sort of outcome as Alice dreary tale watches a train goes by? My curiosity lead me to read on when Alice broke away from her boredom . Louise her sister was becoming more mysterious with her behaviour and her son Archie retaliating in fear. As K.L.Slater introduced more characters into the story then raised a keen interest and a real twist and intrigue turning into a surprising outcome and an unexpected result. I look forward to another of her books

One person found this helpful

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Island-Bookworm

Great read.

Reviewed in Australia on 22 June 2020

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This book would have been a five star for me however there were some serious editing issues.
That aside, the storyline was terrific, with believable characters. It was fast paced and I read it in a day.
The secret involves a gorgeous little 8year old boy who is the protagonist's nephew. I was so invested in Archie that I was compelled to keep reading. Then of course in the final few pages, the big secret is revealed and it was a doozy!
Loved ths book 😀

Helpful

An interesting read - a little disappointing.

Reviewed in Australia on 25 January 2019

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Finished reading this book a few days ago and had trouble coming to a decision about what I was going to write in my review. The book is a difficult one to assess - it is like several books meshed into one, with story lines that ended in mid-air, characters disappear, and not just jigging and jagging backwards and forwards in time but in so many increments of time I found it difficult to keep abreast of when/where and who and the sequence of events. It definitely is not the type of book that you could put down for a day or two, and then pick up and within a paragraph or so you would be back in the story. If all the juggling was ironed out, the book has a great story and brings with it some interesting topics and characters.

One person found this helpful

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Jason G Cheney

Another hit by K L Slater

Reviewed in Australia on 8 August 2018

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You can never go wrong with a K L Slater novel - she always delivers. Couldn't put it down because I was so keen to see what happened next. Kept me guessing til the end. Such an easy author to read, can't wait for her next one

2 people found this helpful

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Wendy Sheridan-Smith

Secrets

Reviewed in Australia on 20 January 2022

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A secret is a terrible thing, the holder has the power but usually don’t realise it, Archie certainly didn’t. A small boy, a holder of secrets that were too big to be borne by an adult, and his Auntie Alice. Love can perform miracles and set you free, free to be nine years old.

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Jo-anne Harvey

Excellent story

Reviewed in Australia on 28 January 2019

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I loved this book. Alice unfortunately has some bad things happen to her that left her a bit of a recluse but the love for her nephew brought her out of herself and gave her the courage to re enter the world. They underlying mystery of the secret and the man on the train keep you guessing to the end. Very unexpected ending. Loved it

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Top reviews from other countries

Martin

A toxic relationship

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2018

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K.L. Slater’s novel, ‘The Secret’, tackles several different themes while successfully weaving them into a compelling story that is full of suspense. Set within a dysfunctional family, the novel explores the complex emotions of jealousy, hatred, domestic coercion, guilt, betrayal and secrecy – all of which add fuel to an already tense situation.

Sisters Alice and Louise have always had a turbulent relationship. Not only was their father a controlling and coercive man who demanded absolute obedience from his family, but also their mother openly favoured Alice over Louise, leaving Louise feeling undervalued and excluded. Desperate to find approval, when she meets Martyn – an older man who soon displays the same characteristics as her father – she blindly believes all his lies about his dubious business dealings, allowing him to systematically defraud her of all the money left to her by her father and very nearly destroy her life.

‘The Secret’ opens with Archie – Louise’s son from her relationship with Martyn – witnessing something he is sworn to secrecy over. The story then fast-forwards 18 months. Louise is now married to Darren, who has adopted eight-year-old Archie as his own. Too busy with her high-powered lifestyle to take much interest in Archie – and with Darren constantly travelling with his own work – Louise uses emotional blackmail to get Alice to take Archie to and from school and babysit him overnight while she attends her many business meetings.

However, Alice has her own problems. Ever since her mother’s death, she has been unable to leave her home. Feeling responsible for the death of her partner, Jack, she is convinced it is safer to keep away from other people – although her sister is unaware of these fears.

Growing up Louise was never an easy person to live with. Bitter and resentful towards Alice for receiving all her mother’s attention, she never missed an opportunity to undermine Alice’s confidence. Unfortunately, things have not changed between the sisters and Alice constantly has to deal with Louise’s barbed comments and general manipulative behaviour.

Told from the viewpoint of both Alice and Louise, the novel alternates between past and present events in a series of flashbacks, gradually revealing the sisters’ backstory. This not only gives the reader a greater understanding of the sisters’ relationship but also how it drives their behaviour.

However, the key to the ever-increasing drama is Archie. With his behaviour shifting from aggression to withdrawal, Alice soon begins to worry about him, especially when she discovers the bruises on his arms. Unaware of the secret he is harbouring – and with Louise refusing to accept there is anything wrong – Alice decides it is time to start asking questions.

‘The Secret’ is a cleverly crafted and structured novel that leads the reader in one direction only to suddenly change course with the introduction of new information. As the suspense builds and Archie’s secret is finally revealed, the ending is both surprising and explosive.

18 people found this helpful

literatureloveuk

Domestic Noir delving into toxic sibling rivalry

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 January 2019

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The Secret is an addictive ‘Domestic Noir’ style psychological thriller that delves into the toxic relationship between two sisters. Louise is a married career woman with an eight-year-old son, Archie. Alice is out of work and childless; she also suffers with ME and anxiety, and is scared to leave her home.

The story starts with a dual prologue: then and now. This is in first-person and from Archie’s perspective. What happened in the past, was witnessed by Archie, and it is this secret that fuels the narrative and keeps the pages turning.

Most of the story is narrated in first-person from Alice’s perspective, with some narration in third-person from Louise’s perspective. This dual narration adds to the ‘who’s telling the truth?’ element and allows a degree of empathy for Louise; although to be honest, she isn’t nice at all. Alice’s character is in first-person and this works really well, leaving the reader with no uncertain terms as to who the protagonist is. Alice suffers with ME and anxiety; I could feel the exhaustion and pain radiating throughout her body. Readers will be screaming at Alice and telling her to say ‘no’ to the demands of her bossy and overbearing sister. We learn early on that Alice’s health issues are linked to a previous relationship. I won’t say why this is as I don’t want to spoil things, but when she sees a stranger who looks similar to her ex, you start to question Alice’s sanity.

Alice’s nephew, Archie, is a wonderful character and really brings the story to life. Dealt a raw deal in life, with a mother and step-father who both put themselves and their own careers before their child, Archie finds solace in spending time with his Auntie Alice. This isn’t an easy relationship at first. Alice barely has enough energy to look after herself let alone stepping in to care for her sister’s child. But Louise is controlling and uses emotional blackmail, forcing Alice to agree to look after Archie. According to Louise, Archie has ADHD but when Alice starts to get to know him, and gives him the time and attention that is lacking at home, the pair bring out the best in each other, and Alice starts to questions whether this is true. Alice has had a horrendous past, and her health is at a point where it looks it is on a downward spiral with no way out. But whilst helping Archie, Alice unwittingly starts to turn a corner and she starts to integrate with the outside world.

Alice also starts to get to know one of her neighbours, Jenny. Jenny also has her own set of problems. But somebody doesn’t like Alice helping Jenny – or is it Archie they don’t like her helping? And just who is that guy who waves to Alice each morning from the tram, that reminds Alice of her ex?

True to its genre, the story is full of red-herrings. And just when you think you know what ‘The Secret’ is, think again! There’s yet another twist!

I really enjoyed reading this book. The things I will take away from this as a New Writer, are pacing of the narrative and how to drop seemingly inconsequential hints into the plot that only make sense once the twist is revealed.

3 people found this helpful

Booklover Catlady

Kicked off really well but lost it’s buzz along the way.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 February 2019

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Oh, I had really high hopes for this novel. It starts off really interesting, leaving the reader with questions and curiosity around the plot. I was originally really hooked in and excited about where it would go.

The middle third of the book just slowed right down and that made my interest levels drop. It seemed like a lot of filling in and contained mostly everyday things that seemed to be out of alignment with the beginning of the book.

I thought the last third would be the great finale. Not to be. Whilst there is a series of twists, despite not seeing some coming they were so quickly visited and presented that it lost that sense of shock and unease that could of been there. It was one reveal after another and felt incredibly rushed to me.

The writing itself is good, it’s the plot and pace that disappointed me. I also found the times of going back into the past somewhat irrelevant and detracting except for one key bit of information near the end. You know when you just want to stay in the present as the timeline backwards isn’t exciting enough?

A 3 star read for me. Somewhat disjointed and I thought it could have a whole lot more punch and depth. The weave of intersected lives just came with a sense of rushed information that left me feeling “is that it?”
I wish the style and pace of the first third of this novel had continued.

6 people found this helpful

K. Walton

Average read, not a thriller

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2018

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The book seemed to start well and was building up to something, but the climax of the story was over in one rushed chapter which made no sense and wasn’t remotely entertaining when it got there. None of the characters were like able and I really don’t think this was anything like a gripping thriller. I like some of the books by this author and others are not so great. For me this was not so great and pretty dull.

16 people found this helpful

EllaNoel

Gripping tale with well drawn characters

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 December 2020

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A truly gripping story charged with toxic sibling rivalry. I hated Louise from the start, the older 'hard-done-by' sister, who thinks their mother treated them unfairly as children, preferring her younger sister, Alice. Louise is hard hearted, selfish and obsessed with money (so true! I have met people like this in real life) and blames everyone for her mistakes. Whereas Alice I felt sorry for, the more artistic, sweeter sibling and unmistakably the carer; more so when their mother falls ill. Yet after a lifetime of being ridiculed by Louise, she is expected to drop everything - gives up her dream job, loses the man she loves in a car crash and is left with spinal injuries.

But at the heart of this story is Louise's 8 year old son, Archie. What I loved most was the developing bond between Alice and her nephew, as she draws him out of his shell. But Archie is troubled, shows signs of physical and emotional abuse and it doesn't take Alice long to figure he is terrified - until it gradually emerges the secret he harbours is so shocking... Well, it took my breath away. The mystery man who waves at Alice from the tram in the mornings add a spark of romance and mystery to the story, the strands fusing together to make a compelling unforgettable read.

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The Secret: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller Kindle Edition

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K.L. Slater

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