Little Secrets

Little Secrets follows Marin Machado, a successful business owner whose four-year-old son Sebastian disappears during a pre-Christmas shopping trip. The FBI investigation goes cold after sixteen months, leaving Marin in a perpetual state of grief while maintaining the appearance of normalcy. As Marin hires a private investigator to continue searching, she discovers her husband Derek is having an affair with a younger woman named McKenzie. This revelation leads Marin down a path of obsession and surveillance, determined to protect what remains of her life from further loss. The story shifts between Marin and McKenzie's perspectives as their lives become increasingly entangled. Both women harbor secrets and make calculated moves in pursuit of their goals, raising questions about morality and justification in the face of trauma. This psychological thriller explores themes of grief, betrayal, and the lengths people will go to when protecting what they hold dear. At its core, the novel examines how tragedy can reshape identity and blur the lines between right and wrong.

Readers describe Little Secrets as a fast-paced psychological thriller that hooks from the first chapter. Many note they finished it in 1-2 sittings. Readers highlight: - Complex, morally gray characters who make questionable choices - Unexpected plot developments in the second half - The authentic portrayal of grief and loss - Strong pacing without unnecessary filler Common criticisms: - Some found the protagonist's actions unrealistic - A few readers predicted major twists early on - The ending felt rushed to certain readers Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (44,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (3,800+ ratings) BookBrowse: 4.5/5 "Could not put this down. The protagonist's descent into obsession felt real and terrifying." - Goodreads reviewer "Wanted to love it but the main character's decisions stretched credibility too far." - Amazon reviewer "Perfect blend of domestic noir and psychological suspense." - LibraryThing reviewer

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough A wife becomes entangled with her husband's mysterious secretary while dark secrets from the past threaten to surface in this psychological thriller about marriage and obsession.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen The story of a woman's fixation on her ex-husband's new fiancée unravels through multiple perspectives, revealing layers of deception and manipulation.

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney A woman lies in a hospital bed, unable to move or communicate, while piecing together the events that led to her condition and uncovering a web of betrayals within her marriage.

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica The disappearances of multiple women in a small town connect to reveal buried secrets when one victim returns eleven years later.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave A woman searches for answers about her missing husband while protecting her teenage stepdaughter and discovering her spouse's hidden past contains dangerous truths.

🔍 Author Jennifer Hillier worked as a medical receptionist before becoming a full-time writer, which helped inspire some of the medical details in her novels. 📚 "Little Secrets" was inspired by the author's own experience as a mother and her greatest fear of something happening to her child. 💫 The book spent six weeks on the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail bestseller lists in Canada. 🏆 "Little Secrets" was nominated for the 2021 International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel. 🌎 Though the story is set in Seattle, Hillier wrote most of the novel while living in Toronto, relying on her memories from when she previously lived in the Pacific Northwest.