I have read and enjoyed a couple of Ruth's books now. I read the synopsis for 'I Know Your Secret' and it certainly sounded like the sort of dark, twisty thriller that I particularly enjoy. I was eager to start reading and so I settled down with a cup of tea in one hand and my Kindle in the other hand and started to read. 'I Know Your Secret' was definitely an interesting and tense read. I really enjoyed reading 'I Know Your Secret' but more about that in a bit.
I can honestly say that I didn't take to either of the female lead characters, called Beth and Danielle. Beth is a married mother of one and a therapist who specialises in marriage guidance counselling. Her marriage isn't happy either because her husband has been having an affair and he up sticks and leaves the family home. Beth got on my nerves quite a bit but that could just be me being too catty and not feeling very tolerant of others at the moment. Danielle was another funny old fish. She goes to see Beth using marriage guidance counselling as her cover. I just got the impression that both women were not exactly who they said they were, that they were keeping things hidden and that I couldn't totally trust what either woman was saying.
It took me a little while to get into 'I Know Your Secret' but I was tired and finding it hard to concentrate when I started to read the book. The more of the book that I read, the more intrigued I became as to what the 'secret' was and so I just had to keep reading to see how the story would pan out. 'I Know Your Secret' isn't a book that I could binge read over the course of a single day but I did manage to binge read the book over the course of a few days. I seemed to race through the latter half of the story as my desperation to find out what was going to happen grew and grew.
'I Know Your Secret' is very well written. The author has a writing style that grabs your attention from the start and then she subtly draws you into the story. Before you realise what is happening she tightens her grip on your attention. 'I Know Your Secret' was a gripping read, which certainly kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat several times throughout the story. There were more twists and turns to this story than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board.
In short, I did really enjoy reading 'I Know Your Secret' and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Ruth's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

Wow, a book full of twists, turns and dramas! I turned the pages quicker and quicker as I became engrossed in the characters and the plots. Huge thanks to the author and netgalley for this advance reading in return for a non biased review

Twisted doesn’t even being to describe this one. It’s part cat and mouse, part psychological thriller, part domestic drama, and all fantastic. Told in alternating points of view between the two main characters, the plot moves along crisply. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was really going on, something else would happen that would make me question what I thought I knew. If ever there was a book that was aptly described as a roller coaster ride, this is the one. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Major thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.

A truly twisted psychological thriller! Beth is a marriage counselor and Danielle needs counseling. Who's has the bigger secret? And where does the truth lie? There are plenty of suspects in Ruth Heald's latest and you are kept entertained and enthralled all the way through!

A book full of secrets, lies and so much more.

Beth is a therapist who is having to deal with her husband leaving her. As well as juggling looking after their child together she also has taken on a new client, Danielle, who needs help with her own marriage.

Little by little we discover that there is more to both Beth and Danielle’s lives but can Beth successfully help Danielle whilst trying to sort out her own problems ? Gradually Beth’s world starts falling apart around her, but she can’t understand why. Will she discover the truth before it’s too late ?

This is a great psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The truth is gradually discovered throughout the book and will keep you on your toes. If you love your thrillers to be jammed packed with secrets and lies this is definitely one for you !!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I Know Your Secret is a very good psychological thriller once again from Ruth Heald.Told from the perspective of Danielle who is married to Peter and Beth whose husband Richard is just about to leave her,it is a well written story with plenty of twists and turns along the way,Danielle goes to Beth for therapy when she is struggling to keep her marriage a float because of her desire to have a baby,but Beth is also struggling with her own problems and the appearance of Danielle in her life only serves to worsen Beth's problems when eventually she realises just who Danielle is, the book is a great read that kept me guessing up to the last few chapters and i would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre,4 stars from me !

I devoured this book in only a few sittings. It was incredibly gripping and enticing and I was left swiftly turning the pages, eager to find out if my suspicions about the two main characters were right.

Danielle and Beth play a neverending guessing game as both are convinced that the other wants something sinister. Beth, a marriage counselor looking for more work, is struggling in her own relationship and hopes to distract herself by taking on more work. She warms to Danielle at first but after her past and relationship with her husband are slowly revealed Beth starts to wonder if her therapy sessions with Danielle are doing more harm than good. I really enjoyed the cat and mouse game between these two characters and how the author developed an array of complex personality traits in both of them.

The plot was filled with deceitful schemes and mysteries and took several unexpected twists. There were plenty of lies and secrets and many complex family relationships which I wasn’t expecting but enjoyed nevertheless. The transitions between the two characters’ points of view in each chapter were smooth and allowed the reader to get to know both characters without removing the element of suspense.

Although I couldn’t guess the big twist, I believe that it could have been extended for a few more chapters as the ending felt rushed. However, the satisfying epilogue was enough to convince me that I had read an absorbing and memorable thriller with brilliant character development and unexpected twists. I highly recommend I Know Your Secret to anyone itching to read a suspenseful thriller and I am excited to read more by Ruth Heald.

After opening with a breath taking epilogue about a fire in a flat, the chapters of this mesmerising thriller then alternated between the perspectives of Beth (a therapist) and Danielle (a solicitor who specialised in alleged miscarriages of justice) Both of the woman had troubled pasts, both of them were in complicated relationships and they both suffered from varying mental health issues. The brain is a complex organ that is a master at messing with you and twisting things into something that they are not. Was Beth's anxieties and paranoia causing her to imagine things or was she being manipulated by a clever enemy? Both the women were strong, vivid characters but I didn't think either of them was very likeable for various reasons. That said, is it fair of me to judge people who are suffering from issues that can affect their behaviour. My heart went out to Beth's four year old son Charlie, for someone who was a therapist and had allegedly been good with children, she wasn't very good at figuring out what was troubling her own son. As for Danielle, it was obvious from the moment that we met her that she was a master at manipulating people but was she the one messing with Beth's life and if she was then what was the motives behind her actions? I spent the whole book struggling to decide how I felt about Beth's ex Richard and Danielle's husband Peter, there was times when they were both cruel and not very supportive of their partners but they both also had redeemable qualities to their characters.

Within the pages dwelling behind the stunning cover of this book is a beautifully written,emotionally charged thriller that captivates the reader from the first page. The story rockets along, building in intensity as the reader is hurtled through the various twists and turns and towards the shocking conclusion. I really really enjoyed this brilliant thriller and look forward to reading more of this author's books in the future.

I Know Your Secret By Ruth Heald

This is the first book I have read by Ruth, and it wont be the last. I connected with the characters, and very much enjoyed the storyline.
I found myself turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next and was kept guessing right to the end.
The characters of Beth and Danielle were well written, and I found myself switching sides as the which one I liked, or disliked yet found myself rooting for both.
A good fast paced psychological thriller, that was a great read.

Richard and Beth have been working hard to repair their relationship after Richard’s affair. They hope to stay together for the sake of their young son, Charlie. But Richard finally admits that it is not working and he is leaving.

Beth is a marriage counselor which is ironic in that her own marriage has failed.

Danielle and Peter are both very busy lawyers and are having problems in their marriage. Danielle has come to Beth for counseling, but Peter is too busy to attend. With their jobs, they don’t seem to find enough time for one another. Danielle wants a baby but Peter does not. He tells her she wouldn’t be a good mother. Danielle has scars on her face from being in a fire.

As the story unfolds, we learn more about Beth and Danielle but not why they seem to be crossing paths. Ah, but toward the ending, it all comes out and we have that Ah-Ha! moment that makes this a really good thriller. Ruth Heald has done it again.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Nothing is what it seems at first in this exciting and gripping thriller. Danielle tells therapist Beth that she needs help saving her marriage. While it may be true that she and husband Peter have problems, the real reason for Danielle being there lies beneath years of secrets. Danielle knows what she did and won’t stop until Beth has paid the price.

Wow! What a ride! An undercurrent of danger and foreshadowing runs through this multi-layered and fast-paced thriller. The story opens with an unknown arsonist starting a fire and fleeing the scene leaving us to try and decipher the clues to figure out who they were, if they got away with it, and who was the person they heard screaming as they left. As truths are slowly unveiled, I found that every time I thought I had things figured out the author would pull the rug from under me and take things in an entirely new direction.

Danielle and Beth are unreliable narrators, which I liked as it made them and the story harder to figure out. Beth is a newly single mum to four-year-old Charlie and is trying to come to terms with the end of her marriage when we meet her and I instantly related to her due to similarities in our stories. Danielle was harder to like. Even in situations where I had empathy for her I didn’t trust her and felt she was calculating and manipulating things, though I couldn’t be sure just how much. One big thing that Beth and Danielle have in common is their struggles with their mental health. The author examines how mental health can be affected when we go through something life-changing and traumatic. It felt like a timely subject to be reading about during PTSD Awareness Month and I liked that the author showed two very different, but real, ways of coping as we see how one character sought help while the other uses unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with their pain.

I Know Your Secret is a cleverly written, twisty and riveting thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well-written and exciting psychological thriller.

Great book , loved the way the story came together with the past and present . Lots of twists and turns especially at the end . Very well written I will be looking forward to reading more from this author.

I Know Your Secret is a tale of twisted past, dark secrets and complex mentalities. A debut novel by Ruth Heald, it is an engaging read with cleverly written characters and a gripping climax.

The plot begins with a bang – a major incident that ties to the crux of the mystery. However, the pace fizzles out near the middle, as there are no major twists, not even subtle hints as to what is coming up. The ending definitely takes the cake, giving sense to the overall plot and bringing together loose ends. Though not quite unpredictable, the climax is cleverly written and throbs with excitement.

The characters are complex and layered, their pasts revealed bit by bit to give their personalities more depth. The narration alternates between Beth and Danielle, though never quite revealing the full extent of their mental complexities. Even though both the characters are dark and twisted and did some very questionable things, I ended up feeling a kind of understanding, even sympathy, towards both of them.

So why only three stars?

What I sorely missed in the narration was the looming feeling of tension and danger. While the first chapter did tell me that something sinister has been committed by some character at some point in time, the next 70% of the book does not even refer to that incident, even in passing.

Moreover, I did not know what the mystery was till the last quarter of the book. Sure, both Beth and Danielle were facing difficult times, and there were hints that they had a past of some mental issues, but neither the plot nor the atmosphere conveyed that there is a mystery beneath the coming together of these two characters till very late in the book. I would have loved a few hints at the mystery, some twists, or even some tension spread out through the plot.

That being said, the plot is interesting and tightly-written, and the ending strikes the right balance between unveiling of mystery and a better understanding of the characters.

This was definitely an enjoyable and quick thriller read! The writing kept you captivated and the story moved quickly

Wow as a therapist myself I struggled with Beth’s lack of boundaries and extremely poor choices throughout the entire book 😂, it was making me cringe. The characters really weren’t like able, they all made horrible choices but I still had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to all of them!
I did see some of the twists and turns coming, but they were still fun to see play out despite a bit predictable

At times the dialogue lacked emotion between the characters, but that would be my only negative point

Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a fun thriller for the summer

“I Know Your Secret” starts with a prologue that has you wondering “who’s who?” as the book progresses. The story is told in alternating voices between Beth and Danielle. Beth - therapist, mother, spouse - struggles to maintain professional boundaries while her personal life is falling apart. Danielle - client, mother-to-be, lawyer - struggles to keep her life together in the midst of several big changes. Both women have tragic pasts and uncertain futures, and neither is the person she appears to be. Secrets are revealed, assumptions are made, and the relationship between the women devolves into manipulation and vengeance.

This was a somewhat predictable, easy-to-read thriller. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was a very interesting read that had twists aplenty!
A reasonably quick read with short chapters from two different points of view. Both characters were endearing, but each also had an air of mystery about them making it difficult to know who, if anyone, to trust.
And just when I thought I knew what was going on, another revelation out of nowhere!
Very good read.

Secrets - Who needs them? Apparently, everyone in this book!

This was an absorbing and gripping read that also proved to be an amazingly fast read. Almost everyone in this book had a secret. Not everyone is who they say they are. Some are lying about their past. Some can never forgive and certainly will not forget. Some keep their memories tucked away in a drawer but think of the past often.

Some want a perfect life; some want to see that never happen.

Beth is a marriage counselor who recently had her world shattered when her relationship fell apart. Danielle is her new client, who comes in with burn scars on her face and a reason why her husband did not join her for therapy. The two women are linked in a mysterious way.

That is all you are getting from me on the book synopsis. I think it is best to begin this book knowing as little as possible about the storyline. There are a lot of "aha" moments. But will they all be real-- or shall I say, are we being told the truth?

I flew through this book as I wanted to know what was really going on. Who could be trusted? Who had the biggest secret? How are the secrets related, if at all?

If you think you have it all figured out, think again! This had a fair share of shocking and revealing moments. I love how it all came together. Nothing felt rushed. Everything unfolded perfectly. Pick this one up if you have the time to dedicate to reading it all day. Seriously, I was hooked from page one! I know Your Secret is a fast-paced page turner which did not disappoint.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own

This twisty psychological thriller is told in two voices. Beth is a marriage counselor, mother to young Charlie and recently separated from her husband Richard, a professor who has had an affair with one of his students. Her newest client is Danielle, a lawyer married to Peter. Their marriage is having problems because she wants a baby and Peter does not. Danielle also has disfiguring scars from an accidental fire caused by Peter’s carelessness.

Both women have been psychologically damaged by events in the past. Both are guarding deep secrets. Neither is the woman she presents herself to be to the world. As this mystery moves quickly through the alternating chapters, their secrets are gradually revealed. Without spoilers, all I can say is that there are many clues leading to the surprising conclusion but you still won’t see it coming.

This is a don’t answer the phone, turn off the TV and stay awake to finish book! I loved it. I was sure I knew what was coming but Ruth Heald kept the suspense fresh until the last page. 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Ruth Heald for this ARC>

An interesting compelling and well written read. My only gripe is that it was predictable in places.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Ruth Heald is one of my favourite psychological thriller writers and this one didn't disappoint. Ruth has a lovely writing style and I was hooked from the first page into the story of Beth, a therapist, who takes on Danielle as a client. Both characters are well drawn and I was hooked by their stories and how their lives began to connect. The story moves at a great pace and there are some great twists along the way. A very satisfying read and I can't wait for her next one!