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

Fantastic & Engrossing Read

I became engrossed in this book from the beginning. The narrator, Caroline Lee, is without doubt my favorite narrator, she is amazing. If you've not heard her read, you must listen! I thought all the characters were rather well developed and we get a bit of perspective from each of them. The hint of mystery was there and I was stumped until the reveal. There was truly so many layers to the book that I'm listening to it again! Kate Morton has become a favorite author of mine now, thanks to this book. I highly recommend!

Interesting Mystery Storyline

Would you consider the audio edition of The Secret Keeper to be better than the print version?

No, the narrator was too slow. Had to speed her up to 1 1/2-2x the normal speed.

What did you like best about this story?

It was an interesting storyline, but would have more interesting if she would have mixed in the stories of the 3 main characters, rather than leaving most of Vivian's until the end of the book.

What three words best describe Caroline Lee’s performance?

Boring & too slow!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Early on, I considered simply skipping to the end of the book because it was moving too slow--story AND narrator. Resisted the temptation...and the ending (kinda) redeemed the book.

really enjoyed

What did you love best about The Secret Keeper?

Loved the setting of the story, both time wise and location.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Secret Keeper?

It kept me intriqued, entertained, and wanting to hear what was next.

What does Caroline Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great voice and her accents were perfect. To the point I have looked for her now when looking for my next book.

If you could take any character from The Secret Keeper out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Vivian

Any additional comments?

My kind of book!

A study of self-perception and misconceptions

I'm so glad I bought this book! This long and intricate story kept me interested and tested my listening skills as it flipped back and forth between time periods and characters. It moved slowly through the story, as good character studies do, then left me sad to have it end. The only slight criticism I have is the narrator's insufficient differentiation of her voice for the various characters.

Great story

Couldn't wait to find out the secret. Loved-the forgotten garden and this one didn't disappoint.

Intriguing story with lots of twists

From the beginning, the story got me guessing and every time I thought I had it figured out, a new twist was introduced. Beautiful descriptions make the story believable and the narration is flawless.

My favorite by Kate Morton

The mixture of a Kate Morton novel and Caroline Lee's gorgeous storytelling voice is my idea of Audio book Nirvana. What makes this one my favorite by Morton is the ending. I didn't have it all figured out after all. This is worth the credit and worth every cent paid.

Enjoyed very much

The plot is intriguing. I couldn't stop listening. I always love this narrator and she didn't disappoint with this reading.

Excellent

Enjoyed every minute of listening to this book. Completely unexpected twists throughout made it a delightful read.

I loved it!

What did you love best about The Secret Keeper?

The story was engaging. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Secret Keeper?

The end was a fantastic surprise!

Which character – as performed by Caroline Lee – was your favorite?

I loved the whole family!