The Secret Keeper

By: Kate Morton

Narrated by: Caroline Lee

Length: 19 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

England, 1959: Laurel Nicolson is 16 years old, dreaming alone in her childhood tree house during a family celebration at their home, Green Acres Farm. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and then observes her mother, Dorothy, speaking to him. And then she witnesses a crime.

Fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress, living in London. She returns to Green Acres for Dorothy’s 90th birthday and finds herself overwhelmed by memories and questions she has not thought about for decades. She decides to find out the truth about the events of that summer day and lay to rest her own feelings of guilt. One photograph, of her mother and a woman Laurel has never met, called Vivian, is her first clue.

The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams, the lengths some people go to fulfill them, and the strange consequences they sometimes have. It is a story of lovers, friends, dreamers and schemers, play-acting, and deception told against a backdrop of events that changed the world.

©2012 Kate Morton (P)2012 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Amazing book!

Couldn't stop listening to it. Brilliantly written and has a great narrated!

Can't wait for the next one to come out!!!!

Enjoyable

Loved this book. Could listen to this narrator over and over ! This author never disappoints.

A superior story teller has surpassed herself. The Secret Keeper kept many secrets well and long.

This well written story manages to capture the horror of WW2 while wrapping us into the lives of the characters. All Kate Morton's books have been special but this one is unique! Having lived thru the days myself it felt familiar to me. The characters drew me into the story like I was there.

Complex, nuanced, insightful, and captivating

This is my first Kate Morton book, and it certainly won't be the last. She weaves together several different stories and perspectives skillfully as a complex story oh-so-gradually unfolds. It is by turns intriguing, romantic, distressing, terrifying, and ultimately satisfying.

Having had experience with the personality trait (and sometimes disorder) that eventually emerges to explain a number of events, I recognized the insights into it that the story tells. (I'd like to name it here, but that would spoil the plot.) The author is right on target with both causative factors and manifestations.

A few plot points were a little too neat, but I was so fascinated that I didn't care. I could hardly wait until the end so all the secrets could be revealed, but at the same time I was glad the book is long so I could continue to be gripped by it.

Prepare for a deeply engaging read or listen.

The True Art of Storytelling

This book gets better and better as you get further into it. A wonderfully written story, an enthralling experience.

Can't put it down - but easy to guess ending

Kate Morton's books are delightfully written with wonderful characters and interesting social and historical views. She always weaves together characters and plots that span decades.

I have to say though that I can usually figure out the endings pretty early on in her stories. I figured out the "surprise" ending about 9 hours before the end of the book. Even with that, though I couldn't stop listening. I ended up spending the entire day in bed! I suppose that this shows how strong her characters and story is that I don't mind that the mystery part isn't the most important part of the story.

Caroline Lee's narration is excellent as usual.

Great ending.

Couldn't stop listening. Wonderfully weaves together stories of two young women in wartime London with the efforts of a daughter to understand a violent episode from her childhood.

Sorry its over

I enjoyed this story. The characters were entertaining and well developed. Again, I was surprised by the ending. I figured it out like 10 minutes before the reveal. I'm liking this author.

Excellent book

I was captivated from the beginning. The narrator did a great job. Being American I sometimes have trouble with English accents but not this one. The story kept my attention and it was difficult to put down! Quite surprised at the ending. Thought Larell might have had Jimmy as a father until it came to light Vivian was the heroine. The only inconsistencies were how Henry Jenkins was still alive and yet Vivian could bequeath their house to Jimmy's family and yet was safe from Henry or why Jimmy waited so long to look for Dorothy. Had it not been an audio book I would have looked back in the pages to see if I missed something!

Another Great Tale from Morton

I have read all of Morton's novels and loved them, but I admit I had trouble getting wrapped-up in this story to begin wth. None of the characters drew me to them. Each seemed to be deeply flawed. Don't give-up if you feel the same. It takes awhile but in the end Morton does not disappoint.