A multi-layered, multi-timeline psychological thriller with childhood promises to keep secrets forever coming back to haunt them as adults. The story has some interesting elements to it, the school setting is always an interesting one to play with - but it didn't completely grab me or hold my attention.

This is the first Philippa East novel that I've read, and I'm certain it won't be the last!

2019: Finn receives a shocking call from his ex-wife, Mhairi informing him of their mutual friend Kate's death.

It is sudden, unexpected and tragic.

Their past has always been complicated but Kate was usually the one who solved the problems, not caused them...

It's almost inconceivable that she had secrets.

2003: Carrie and her friends spend their days studying at a remote boarding school, and their nights sneaking out in to the woods

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

They agree to never reveal the truth of what happened.

But sometimes the past comes back to haunt us.

What happens when the truth can't stay buried?

But what possible connection could there be between these Kate's death, and a boarding school?

Well, it's a little complicated... and I don't want to give anything away, as I really think you need to read this one for yourself...

Told from multiple perspectives, and time lines, this novel requires an element of concentration, but it is well worth it when the complexities all start coming together.

This is a book you will want to not put down, the alternating timelines are not an issue and it’s very easy to follow. I loved it and was so invested in getting to the bottom of it I couldn’t think of anything else!

A real page turner that’s fast paced and full of twists and turns. One of which you will lose yourself in very easily.

Great book 5 stars!

When Finn and Mhairi are thrown back together again following the unexpected death of their best friend, they set out to understand why the tragedy took place. As they start digging around in their friend’s life, they uncover a lead directing them to an old boarding school based in Scotland.

This boarding school is the central part of the flashbacks following a group of friend’s decades earlier, that experienced odd incidents and the coping mechanisms they then developed.

The narratives move between Finn, Mhairi, and the group of friends in the present day. All these characters paths eventually cross, as long buried secrets are revealed.

A good, enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns. The finale was fast paced and addressed all the unanswered questions well, and in the end each of the characters did get closure.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher HQ for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

4 Stars.

Engaging Suspense..
Secrets may out in this nicely woven, suspenseful tale of toxic friendships and voices from the past. Relayed in dual timelines and by way of multiple narratives, threads will merge. Truths come to the fore as an unexpected death is investigated - but there may well be someone, somewhere, who will do anything to keep some secrets buried forever. With a deftly drawn and credible cast, a propulsive plot and a level of underlying suspense being maintained throughout, this is an engaging and immersive read.

The narrative of the story alternates between two timelines: 2019 and 2003. In the present day, Finn and Mhairi are grappling with the sudden and shocking death of their close friend, Kate. Overwhelmed with grief, they each harbour feelings of guilt for not being there for Kate during her final moments. Motivated by a desire for closure, they embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind Kate's demise, hoping to gain insight into her experiences in her final days.

However, the storyline takes a darker turn when the narrative shifts to 2003, transporting readers to St Michael's, an elite boarding school nestled in the Scottish Highlands. As the new girl, Carrie navigates the unfamiliar environment, she yearns to assimilate into the social circle of her peers, particularly Mae and Serena. Yet, unsettling events unfold, pushing Carrie towards a disturbing transformation and revealing a metaphorical darkness that envelops the school. Alongside the mysterious occurrences of the Fainting Girls, it becomes evident that St Michael's holds secrets far more sinister than simply providing an education.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I loved Philippa East’s Safe and Sound, so I was really excited to read A Guilty Secret. I'm happy to say I think this is even better!

A guilty secret follows exes Finn and Mhairi, who are brought back into contact following their mutual friend, Kate’s, death. Feeling something wasn't quite right, the pair start to investigate Kate's past, leading to the uncovering of events that happened a few decades before.

We flashback to a remote boarding school in 2003. A group of friends are testing the limits, sneaking out into the woods and trying to cope with strange events at their school. As the book goes on, the events of the past begin to intertwine with the present day and the secret Kate had been keeping slowly comes to light.

This is a tense, enthralling novel - I couldn’t put it down! East peels away layers, revealing secrets, trauma, and twists I never saw coming. A Guilty Secret is a wild ride, but was really clearly set out - sometimes books that jump between timelines can be confusing but this was really well done - detailed, atmospheric, and kept me wanting more!

Phillipa East is becoming one of my favourite authors - I can’t wait to read more from her in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ for the opportunity to read this book - I loved it!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed getting to know the different characters in this nostalgic thriller. All of which were fully fleshed out and had a unique voice. In some books I can become lost when an author jumps back and forth between timelines and characters. I thought this was done perfectly. Giving you just enough information to make you want to keep reading and guessing.

I’ll definitely be reading more by this author.

With thanks to the author, the publisher (HQ) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

A reasonably compelling story set in two time lines - 2003, following a group of disaffected and troubled teens at an elite boarding school and 2019, when two friends, formerly a married couple, get together again to investigate the apparent suicide of a psychologist close friend. The storytelling of mysterious events at the boarding school is better than the exploration of the ex-couple’s investigation of the suicide and the detail that they were previously married bears little relevance to the story. That said, I thought that the author did a great job of conveying the intensity of teenage life at a boarding school.

With thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy,

Published 18th Jan 2024.

A truly gripping thriller filled with teenage nostalgia and vividly rendered toxic friendships. It had me turning pages late into the night’ Heather Darwent

2003: Carrie and her friends spend their days studying at boarding school, and their nights sneaking out to the woods. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

2019: When Finn receives a shocking call from his estranged wife, Mhairi, informing him of their friend Kate’s death, neither is prepared for the secrets they will uncover. The trail leads them to the events at a boarding school many years before.

They are on the verge of unearthing the whole story – but someone will do anything to keep it buried.

This is a 4 star from me. I like the 2 timeline concept and found it very well written and clear to keep up. It was interesting following the relationship/ friendship between Finn & Mhairi, especially after Kate. They felt guilt for different reasons.
Thanks for letting me read this ARC

https://www.instagram.com/Bookstagramshaz

https://www.facebook.com/Bookstagramshaz

In 2003 when Carrie joins St. Michael's boarding school in the Highlands of Scotland she meets and makes friends with Mae and Serena, they spend their days learning and their nights escaping to the woods to have some fun, but that fun soon turns to horror when tragedy strikes and they swear to never speak of that time again, nobody can know their secret.

Sixteen years later we meet Finn and his ex wife Mhairi, when she calls him to say their best friend Kate has died, but Mhairi insists there's more to her death and persuades Finn to go along with her to uncover the truth, nothing prepares them for the secrets that are revealed when they discover it leads back to something that happened sixteen years earlier. Will the truth come out or is someone determined it stays buried forever?

A Guilty Secret is the latest thriller by East and the fourth book I've read by this author. Her writing style, once again, brings us another slow burner which is steeped in mystery and intrigue and I hadn't got a clue where it was heading but slowly through the story, the two timelines, told from multiple perspectives, come together and the links are revealed. This is another great read by this author, with some very unreliable characters, and kept me guessing till the end.

I'd like to thank HQ and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon.

Personally, I found this to be incredibly average - there was no real factor that had me gripped and wanting more and no real plot twist that I would expect from a book like this. Overall, it was okay - it's a somewhat easy read but just very average.

A Guilty Secret starts with Finn receiving a call from his ex wife Mhairi informing him of their friend Kate’s death. The novel then moves between Finn’s narrative in 2019 and 2003 when Carrie and her friends are at a boarding school. Finn and Mhairi set out to discover what links the death of Kate, a psychotherapist and Carrie, one of her clients.
The novel started off well, Finn and Mhairi are interesting characters and I was drawn into their relationship and their interest in Kate’s death. However when the narrative moved back to Carrie in 2003 I had less interest and for me the characters were less believable. The novel did improve when Carrie’s narrative moved to the present and I felt that it came together well at the end.
A mixed read. 3.5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A secret is hinted at in a series of flash backs to 2003 and 2019, with a range of characters, including a group from school who drift apart as they get older. I liked Mhairi and Finn, a divorced couple with secrets and grief of their own. I couldn’t like some of the other characters, particularly Mae, but as the book goes on, we find out more about all of them and begin to empathise. The two parties don’t know each other, but a shared incident sets them on a path that will reveal how they are connected. A very well written book, but one I still don’t know if I enjoyed. There are bits that are hard to read, and sometimes I just wondered where the story was going. But fortunately it all comes together at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Secrets, an elite school and broken promises, leads to an emotional, twisty thriller.
This dual timeline story, set between 2003 and 2019, centres around Carrie and her friends at a Scottish boarding school.
It’s all fun and games until someone is hurt, they swear to keep what happened a secret, but 16 years later someone won’t keep their promise.
It’s full of tension, what really happened at the school?
Loved how we were drip fed pieces of info for us to make our own judgement
Thanks @philippa_east_author, @hqstories & @netgalley for an enjoyable, emotionally tense read.

This was a brilliant read, such a great way to kick off 2024. The more I read, the more absorbed I became by the story. It was definitely unputdownable.

The story moves between 2019 and 2003. In the present, Finn and Mhairi are reeling after the unexpected death of their best friend, Kate. They cannot believe she has gone and each secretly feels guilty towards how they were not there for Kate towards the end. This encourages the characters to start seeking answers behind Kate’s death, trying to understand what she was experiencing at the end.

However, moving to 2003 is far more sinister where readers are taken to St Michael’s, an exclusive boarding school in the Scottish highlands. New girl, Carrie, is adapting to these strange surroundings and is desperate to fit in with friends Mae and Serena. But, events take place that push Carrie in to a new way of behaving and readers see a metaphorical darkness shroud the school. Coupled with the Fainting Girls, it is clear there is more to this establishment rather than just getting an education.

There are many twists and turns in the narrative and I loved how East moves seamlessly between the two time periods. Indeed, it takes a while before there is any apparent connection between the two timeframes and I relished in how the range of characters eventually came together. With frequent surprising plot developments, I loved how unpredictable the narrative became and I don’t think I was more invested in either timeline – both were just as exciting.

The theme of mental health runs throughout this novel and I think the writer handled this in a sensitive manner. Even the strongest of characters suffer, despite appearing untouchable to the rest of the world. Dominated by secrets that ensure self-preservation, the emotional journey that the characters experience is like a car-crashing roller-coaster. There is so much suffering but I could not decide whether some of this was deserved because of guilt, or a result of blame that was misdirected. I liked this aspect of the plot because it meant that East was giving readers the opportunity to consider who the real victims of the story were.

Building in intensity, the story finishes on a gripping climax that switches between all the characters rather quickly. I flew through the pages, never quite sure on what closure would be accepted. The setting of the spooky school added to the intrigue of the story, especially as quite a lot of the scenes take place at night. This heightened the deception and the feeling of guilt that builds in the story.

This was a fantastic, thrilling read from East that had me pulled in from the very beginning.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've read and enjoyed all Philippa East's previous books - the excellent Safe and Sound remains my favourite. Her latest, A Guilty Secret (not, it has to be said, the most inspiring title) is a good read as always. While the "Mysterious Bad Thing which happened at boarding school twenty years earlier comes back to haunt present day adults" is not exactly an original basic plot, the presentation here is fresher than might be supposed from that description. A memorable opening scene from main character Finn's perspective sets the tone nicely, and we go on to follow the narrative from the points of view of - mainly - Finn in the present and Carrie in the past.

Safe and Sound is still, for me, the best of her books to date but this was a very good, engaging read.

In 2019 Finn & his ex-wife Mhairi are totally blindsided by the suicide of their friend Kate. The three have been friends since University days. They can't believe that level- headed, clever psychologist would take her own life. It is not something they can accept so they attempt to find out about who she might have seen that resulted in this. The only clue they can find is an appointment with Carrie G.

Flashback to 2003. Carrie attends the exclusive isolated boarding school in the Highlands. Coming into a place when friendships are already formed can be difficult but her two room mates soon take her under their wing & soon she is involved with their night-time adventures, sneaking out to the clearing in the woods to smoke weed & drink. It is all good fun until something bad happens!

This was quite a convoluted tale with a variety of characters that, although not particularly likeable held the attention. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

2003. Carrie is at boarding school and escapes at night to meet with friends. They talk and smoke and drink.
Then something goes wrong.
2019: Finn receives a call from his estranged wife, Mhairi, telling him their friend Kate’ id dead., During their investigations secrets will be uncovered and lives will be changed.

In 2003 three teenage girls join a boys school in Scotland that has recently become co-educational. In 2019 Finn and Mairi are coming to terms with a friend's death alongside others who all bear a secret from their school days together.

A Guilty Secret is an excellent psychological thriller with well drawn believable characters. It deserves to be successful. Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.