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

Wonderful story and narration.

This book is full of twists and turns and the characters are really developed. The narrator brought it to life as well.

Fabulous

So many twists and turns. A wonderful read full of character development. I felt like I knew everyone in the story. Hated it to end.

Favourite novel ever

There are very few books that I could read/listen to three times and still enjoy. However, for me, The Secret Keeper is one that I can’t help but come back to every few years.

First off, what attracts me to this story (and Kate Morton’s books in general), is that the characters and the tale are all expertly laid out over the course of 20 hours of listening; alternating between voices of past and present, it is impossible not to be hooked immediately.

Furthermore, when it comes to characterization, Kate Morton has done a remarkable job; as a listener, I couldn't avoid forming feelings and thoughts about each character - some positive, some negative.

Finally, as every listener knows, when it comes to audiobooks, the narrator is everything - and Caroline Lee was extraordinary; bringing life to an incredible tale.

Overall, I honestly couldn't recommend this novel enough. In fact, I have 'forced' two of my friends to read The Secret Keeper so that I could have someone to discuss the plot twist with.

It will grip you in an unexpected way.

When I started listening - the book picked primarily because I love the narrator - I had a bit of a hard time getting into it. But I kept listening and I soon became enthralled. I just finished and I already miss the beautifully rich characters with the love and sadness they experienced, and the surprises shared along the way. Highly recommend.

Engrossing and different

This was my first Kate Morton book. I found the characters interesting and the story unique.

Fabulous story

I loved this story so much I did not want it to end! Must read!

Excellent

I loved this book, and the narration is perfect. I will be looking for more by this author.

The best book I’ve read in awhile

I wasn’t prepared for this book. It blew me away. 10/10! I enjoyed it from start to finish.

Another wonderful Kate Morton book

I love Kate Morton's books. The readers who perform the books are always great too. This one is no different.

Frustrating for most if it

If you're looking for a WWII story, this isn't it. Aside from a few moments, the war is almost incidental. As others have said, it could use an editor--I rarely complain about a long audio book, but this one dragged at times and some scenes really weren't key to the book (the leering cop on the beach, for instance).The last portion of the book was better as questions began to be resolved, and I was genuinely moved by the ending. But without saying much about the plot in last quarter of the book, I do wish that Morton had come at this story from another direction, that she had flipped the premise around and focused on other characters from the beginning.