The Secrets She Keeps

By: Michael Robotham

Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the best-selling tradition of The Girl on the Train and In a Dark, Dark Wood, from the internationally best-selling author whom Stephen King called "an absolute master" of the psychological thriller, comes a riveting suspense novel about the unlikely friendship between two pregnant women that asks: How far would you go to create the perfect family?

Agatha is pregnant and works part time stocking shelves at a grocery store in a ritzy London suburb, counting down the days until her baby is due. As the hours of her shifts creep by in increasing discomfort, the one thing she looks forward to at work is catching a glimpse of Meghan, the effortlessly chic customer whose elegant lifestyle dazzles her. Meghan has it all: two perfect children, a handsome husband, a happy marriage, and a stylish group of friends, and she writes perfectly droll confessional posts on her popular parenting blog - posts that Agatha reads with devotion each night as she waits for her absent boyfriend, the father of her baby, to maybe return her calls.

When Agatha learns that Meghan is pregnant again and that their due dates fall within the same month, she finally musters up the courage to speak to her, thrilled that they now have the ordeal of childbearing in common. Little does Meghan know that the mundane exchange she has with a grocery store employee during a hurried afternoon shopping trip is about to change the course of her not-so-perfect life forever....

With its brilliant rendering of a shocking kidnapping plot and the secrets some women hold close, The Secrets She Keeps delivers a dark and twisted thriller.

©2017 Michael Robotham (P)2017 Simon & Schuster Audio

Secrets - but Nothing New here

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would, but hindsight I would get it on sale :). It was not a horrible book, but the story has been done, and the writing was ok. It was somewhat intense, but overall predictable. Strong language and somewhat sensitive material if you are tenderhearted.

What did you like best about this story?

I did love the ending and the moral of the story, so to say. There was much sadness in the story, but the ending was worth it all. Good character development, good insights of psychological moments.

What does Lucy Price-Lewis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She did an excellent job!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Although I guessed most of it, I did listen to it as soon as I got in my car. I wanted to see if I was right.

Any additional comments?

If you are into this genre of books it would be a good "commuter" book. You won't learn anything per se, but it's worth a listen. You can't listen again to it, cause you know the ending.

36 of 37 people found this review helpful

MUST LISTEN!!

This book is worth your time and credits! Love the narration and the writing. If you love suspense and great twists and turns you must listen to this one. I won't give anything away except to say that nobody is what they seem to be, everyone has secrets and it all comes together quite well. I literally would take the long way home in my car to keep listening! This is a MUST LISTEN!

81 of 85 people found this review helpful

High praise!!

This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you finish. You could feel the depth and quality of the story. The editing was brilliant! Not a wasted, word here. A kidnapped child is not exactly fresh ground in a psychological thriller, but the author's clever depiction of the back story made this exciting and fresh.
The performance was genius! Without giving too much away, the narrator was able to create a very chilling persona for an unnamed character within a character. Next to Imogen Church, Lucy Price - Lewis is my favorite narrator and the only one I've heard who can hold a candle to Church. She'd made a crappy story tolerable with her talent.
This book is a thriller, but it's so much more than that. Many books in this genre don't allow you to appreciate why someone made the horrible decisions they made. Robotham created such a tragic story for his protagonist that I found myself justifying every despicable thing the character did. I actually rooted for the character, even though it conflicted with the sound judgement I would've credited myself with before hearing this story.
I wish every book were this good, or, at least, half this good, but I realize I enjoyed it more because they just aren't. I highly encourage you to buy this book, because it just might make you appreciate what you're currently taking for granted. It's on a whole new level.

130 of 138 people found this review helpful

Favorite Book of 2017

I have read over a hundred books this year and this has been my absolute favorite. beautifully written and engaging I felt like I was right there with the characters the whole way through. perfect narration as always from this narrator. don't miss this book

137 of 148 people found this review helpful

I couldn't stop listening.

It's a story you never want to end. Amazing characters and is full of twists and turns.

86 of 94 people found this review helpful

Wow!

Amazing story, but the narrator MADE listening to this book an experience to remember! Loved it.

47 of 51 people found this review helpful

Pass!

Do yourself a favor and pick a different book... and here's WHY. Each month for the past year and a half I have been on a wild hunt to find books like "Gone Girl" and "The Girl on the Train". This book came up as a suggestion and because I've listened to like 30 at this point in my search I used my September credit on "The Secret She Keeps". BOO. The reviews are so good! I wanted it to be so good. I was promised to be on the edge of my seat with twists and turns but I guessed the one and only main plot "twist" 5 minutes into the book and only finished because I didn't want to waste 15$. BOOO. Back to my hunt an actual thriller.

42 of 46 people found this review helpful

very overrated

What disappointed you about The Secrets She Keeps?

Massive hype as an intense mental thriller. Mediocre story, unbelievable, pedantic. Sorry, but kept checking to see when it would end.

33 of 36 people found this review helpful

Fascinating!!

If you could sum up The Secrets She Keeps in three words, what would they be?

Very Very Emotional!!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. This book was definitely a page turner. It was hard to make time to stop and take breaks. So many twists and turns. Loved the narrator Lucy Price-Lewis. So talented!

Which scene was your favorite?

I would have to say the final scene, spoken by Agatha. It really made me sad.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. A great story that I won't forget!! This is the first book I've listened to by Michael Robotham. I hope his other books are just as good as this one.

Oh, thank you Stephen King for your words about the author. They really made me decide to listen to The Secrets She Keeps. Highly Recommend!!

Any additional comments?

It's interesting that when you're searching for a really good book to read, one that you've never heard of (such as this one) just pops up out of no where. And you also find writers that you haven't ever read that are terrific. Great!!!

59 of 66 people found this review helpful

Often predictable, Seldom edge-of-my-seat Inducing

Often predictable, Seldom edge-of-my-seat Inducing, on several occasions I got distracted and realized I had missed some dialog. The performances of all the men's voices are grunty and stereotypical. 3 stars because it held my interest enough that I needed to get to the end.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful