Holly is super pleased when she gets her dream job, but then things start happening which soon knocks the smile from her face. Someone isn't happy, in fact someone is extremely unhappy about this decision, but why? This isn't my favourite Jane Fallon book and thought it was a bit over long for what actually happens. Not really a fan of the sort of workplace this story is based on either, but as always, it was well written, entertaining with several laugh out loud moments too.

Jane Fallon is the absolute master of telling tales about toxic friendships. And yet, her books are never same-y. They're always fresh and original and I was so excited to dive into Tell Me A Secret. There's just something about a toxic friendship that makes me smile in my loneliness and want to scream at people, "THIS IS WHY I DON'T HAVE FRIENDS". Because, here's the thing, a lot of the time (for me, anyway) friends aren't friends. They talk behind your back, leave you out of things, don't get in touch, and it's like what's the point and that is soooooo apparently in Tell Me A Secret, where Holly is pretty much treated like crap because she got a promotion ahead of a colleague, like get a grip, support your friend, stop being a cow.


It is fairly impressive that people can take a promotion as something to take way beyond the realms of personal, as Roz does in Tell Me A Secret. Here's the thing: three people going for one job is always going to end up with two people being hurt and you kinda just have to take it on the chin, especially if you purport to be someone's friend. It's not as if Holly swanned into the job with no experience, she had paid her dues for three years which while not as long as Roz (or Juliet), was obviously good enough to be promoted ahead of them both and when things started to go wrong for Holly, I felt awful, because you like to think you can trust your work friends. Even if they're just work friends.


I really liked Holly. She was a fab narrator and the way she handled herself was so incredibly impressive. I am a wuss, I would have just ended up letting what happened happen, without doing anything about it, because I am a grade-A mug. But Holly was so competent at her job and I just wanted to punch Roz's lights out for wanting to ruin something that was so wonderful. You could see how isolating it got for Holly as Roz froze her out without word, and got people onto her side, and made Holly look ridiculous and it was just like a car crash and I felt awful. Here's the thing: Holly wasn't perfect especially in regards to Juliet, but I felt like amends were made whereas Roz was unrepentant.


I really, really enjoyed Tell Me A Secret. Dee, Holly's friend, was absolutely fabulous. Shes the kind of friend Roz should have been and I loved her long-winded tales and her lack of a filter and the silly things she would believe from her own work colleagues. I liked that she never questioned Holly when Holly told her what was going on and instead went above and beyond to help Holly to clear her name. It made my heart happy.


Jane Fallon is such a fantastic writer. I love that she's back on a book-a-year schedule because I look forward to her new releases each January, I just know I'm going to get a thought-provoking look into female friendship. Tell Me A Secret is yet another brilliant read from Jane Fallon and I already can't wait for next year's book (no pressure, Jane!)

TV script editor Holly has just been promoted but her happiness is cut short when she notices that someone in the office is trying to sabotage her. From false messages to inappropriate emails to her boss, it’s clear to Holly that someone doesn’t want her to succeed in her new job. Is it Juliet, her rival for the promotion? Or is it Roz, her friend and colleague who knows her secrets and who she thought she could trust?
I do love Jane Fallon’s novels and am always looking forward to reading any new stories from her. She always creates strong, relatable and likable women who stand up for themselves and fight for what is theirs, be it their husbands, boyfriends, or, as in this case, their jobs. Holly is a single mother who raised her daughter all on her own. Her only support is her best friend Dee, who is a character I really liked because of her witticism and her loyalty, and Holly turns to Dee for help in stopping her opponent.
There was suspense as, like Holly, you’d never know what would happen next, what kind of mischief was awaiting her in the office. If you are looking for romance, there is none in this novel. Instead, it’s a story about friendship, deceit and jealousy, and it’s full of twists and turns that will keep you glued to the page. This addictive and engaging novel is another win for Jane Fallon and I highly recommend it as the perfect read to start the new year.

Jane Fallon writes a good
story. This one rattles along like nobody’s business, and anyone (particularly any woman) who has ever worked in an office, had friends, worried about her job, shared a flat, or had children to worry about, will find plenty to recognize in this book.
Narrator Holly has just been promoted: she works on a TV soap opera in the script department, a world which is less glamorous than it might sound, and a world that Fallon plainly knows extremely well – all the detail is fascinating and completely convincing. But Holly suspects someone in the office has it in for her, and what starts as some mild undermining gets quite worrying: she is on probation in the new job. She thinks she knows who it might be – a jealous workmate – but the experienced reader knows it is not going to be that simple.

About one of her previous books, Faking Friends, I said:
Jane Fallon’s books are terrific, but I do sometimes think she should be writing crime books – so, let’s say, as well as her line in contemporary, funny novels. She is the absolute mistress of plotting, and of revenge stories, and of back and forths in a competitive, difficult or point-scoring relationship. She is a modern-day Revenge Tragedy/Comedy Queen, the John Webster of today, only with great clothes, and witty comebacks, and some chance of a happy ending.
And this is true of this one too. But - as I so often say, a lot of the fun of this book comes in not knowing where it is going, so I don’t want to give too much away about the plot –
Is it a sackable offence to enlist two middle-aged idiots to pry into a colleague’s personal life?
I can say that the details of Holly’s life, friends and worries are most enjoyable, jumping around all over the place as the sabotage thread plays out. The book is very funny and a very easy read. Holly’s friend Dee is a delight, and I love the way she – and other characters, and Fallon herself – all give unnecessary extra details in any narrative. Holly busily complains about this trait in Dee before telling us:
The waitress has a cool tattoo of a snake going up her forearm.
There were plot points where I wanted to say ‘but hang on, surely she could…’, the computing skills seemed a bit basic, and some clues I picked up on early. But it is much more important to say that I was racing through this book, unable to put it down till I found out everything that happened.

And of course there were the excellent clothes, and the descriptions of office life – the fierce friendships based on secretive chats and being mean about others, the importance of fellow feeling, the way colleagues start dressing the same and imitating each other’s conversation. All so well done.

An excellent January read, to cheer up the dark days and while away an afternoon. Fallon really knows what she is doing.

Her books Strictly Between us, Sweet Revenge and Faking Friends have all featured on the blog.

This was a compelling story. Lots of threads running through and exercising your imagination. I felt all along that there was a sting in the tail. Lovely conclusion with all loose ends tied off.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
I have read books by Jane Fallon before and enjoyed them. This was an entertaining and lighthearted story based in the world of television behind the scenes. The two main characters were editors of a long established programme. Holly and Roz end up as protagonists, when Holly is offered the more senior position and Roz starts a campaign to undermine her. Holly is helped to defeat Roz’s attempts by Deeand Gavin, Juliet and Jake, Emma and Patricia. Her daughter becomes pregnant and like Holly will end up being a single mum.
Easy reading, entertaining fun story.
Recommended.

How well do you actually know your friends your work colleagues? Holly applied for promotion her friend and work colleague Ros even helped her fill out her application form. The day Holly starts her probationary period things start going wrong. Holly doesn’t understand who would be so spiteful did someone else want her job. Who can Holly trust, who’s her friend and who’s the enemy. Holly feels ill she doesn’t know who has this vendetta against her and how does she save her job. Surprisingly she ends up getting help where she least expects it. A great read. You don’t know what goes on in other people’s lives. Sometimes things aren’t what you think they are at all.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I was so immersed in the story that I read it over two evenings. I've had a career in IT support but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the storyline; in fact, I think it added to it. It was interesting to see how Holly and her friends and colleagues suffered from the mis-use of technology and turned the situation around.

It's been a few years since I've read any Jane Fallon books, it was a great reminder of just how much I enjoy them.

This is an easy and captivating read, following Holly who has recently been promoted to a more senior position at a TV channel. Someone has it in for her and we follow her investigation, eager to see what will happen next...some of which was quite comical!

The characters are all quite different, with the relationships between the key players being well defined. Hollys best friend Dee was my favourite, she brings the humour and pragmatism to all situations.

I was hooked early and found myself trying to work out what had happened so I clearly enjoyed it!

If you need a light read that is entertaining and keeps your attention, I'd recommend this one!

It is out on January 10th 2019. Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to review.

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A pretty good suspense novel, with a fun gang of characters - the friends were great!, and some exploration of friendship. Twists were easy to spot, but the writing was good enough that that didn't rankle

Holly, a script editor for a TV soap opera, is over the moon at her promotion and her colleagues seem very happy for her, mostly. But some odd things start happening at work, suggesting that maybe not all the smiles and congratulations were genuine.

This is a fun and engrossing read about jealousy in the workplace. A story about friends and enemies, and maybe something in between. Definitely in the women's fiction genre but with no romance this time around. Hurrah!

This book centres around Holly who has landed her dream promotion in her job on a popular TV soap. She is over the moon but her enthusiasm is not matched by her fellow co workers.

A campaign of sabotage begins and leaves Holly on tender hooks as she tries to figure out who could be behind it. With the help of her friend Holly vows to expose the culprit.

This book explores how you may think you know someone and their character but sometimes they can have a completely different side. I loved how the author explored what made the perpetrator act the way they had . I also loved how Holly did not hold a grudge and was the better person when faced with a chance of revenge.

Friendships, loyalty, work relationships and family are among the topics beautifully explored in this novel. It had me thinking about each of the characters and how they all joined together to create such a well plotted story line .

Although it took me a while to get hooked on this book , hooked I got page turning until I reached the perfect ending .A lovely twisty entertaining read , thank you to the publishers and netgalley for my chance to read this easy reading novel .

A compelling page turner. When Holly gets promoted someone starts to try and sabotage her job. Did her friend Roz want the job? This is a story about office rivalry and finding out who your friends are. I enjoyed this book but I thought it was a bit too long. It seemed to be repetitive and too long drawn out. But overall it was a good read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Nobody writes relatable intrigue like Jane Fallon - somehow Tell Me A Secret manages to be both funny & disturbing and that’s no mean feat. Another sure-fire hit

I love a fast moving story about office work. Reminds me of my days of working in an office. Scarily, you can never quite shake the feeling that people may not be all they seem.

Holly has recently been promoted and is desperate to do a good job. Before long she suspects that one of her co-workers may be working against her to try to jeopardise her chances of remaining in her post. But who can it be and why?

This story was compelling - A perfect light read for the start of the year but still with the sense that I had to find out what was going on.

As with most of these type of books, it is fairly easy to suspect who might be the villain. Slight twists keep the story fresh though.

Tell Me A Secret features a workplace which is the very antithesis of female empowerment and collaboration, celebrating mutual successes and supporting each other. Holly’s journey through suspicion and blame is echoed by her journey as a new manager and how things change when she suddenly needs to lead her peers. Fairly predictable, the story isn’t particularly fast paced but it is easy to read and compelling, and you do get frustrated on Holly’s behalf by the events unfolding and how her new little team supports her and forgives her.

Tell Me a Secret is Jane Fallon at her best- strong, realistic female characters, and a story with so many twists and turns it's hard to put down.

I found the friendship between Holly and Roz really interesting to read and I'm sure most women have had similar (if less dramatic!) friendships with women who seem like they're on your side but have ulterior motives.

At several points in the book I thought I knew how it was going to end but there were enough revelations to keep me surprised. I found Holly's situation genuinely frustrating and felt like I wanted to reach into the book and give Roz a good slap at times.

The writing was witty and clever and I didn't want it to end. I've read all of Jane Fallon's books and Tell Me a Secret is probably my favourite one to date.

I’m afraid this wasn’t one of my favourite books by Jane. It reminds me a lot of a book I’ve read previously that I actually wondered if this was a rerelease (which it’s not). I think for fans of janes books they will enjoy this, just wasn’t for me.

You can always rely on Jane Fallon for an addictive read – wanting to get through it all in one sitting!

The friendship between work colleagues Holly and Roz starts to go awry when Holly gets the top job. The trouble is, Roz knows everything about Holly, and someone is out to cause trouble for Holly.

A great read with plenty of laughs, and I’d highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

My thanks to Penguin UK, Jane Fallon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read TELL ME A SECRET. Another stonking book from Jane Fallon putting readers in the 'what would I do?' frame of thought. Office politics have always been difficult to navigate, but when Holly discovers closest work friend, Roz isn't who she thought she was, she begins to question their friendship. Roz seems to have it all, a wonderful life, a husband who adores her, and a brilliant social life, and Holly and Roz tell each other everything, don't they?. So when things begin to go awry when Holly is promoted, she blames Julia, the girl who would be Queen of the office, and there's nothing worse than when you think someone is out to ruin things for you. Throw in the new lodger and things begin to get very interesting for Holly with lots of twists and turns, and surely nots. This is the perfect 'frenemy' novel, and let's face it, we've all got them!