A fast-moving suspense with a lot of suspicious characters in a small English town where a mother and child go missing. This wasn’t my favorite by Lauren North but it was definitely worth the read.

The Teacher's Secret was my first read from the author. Following teacher theme trend after last year maid/nanny, I am intrigued to start this one. Teacher is respectable professional in our life and we trust them with our children daily. So chances to get some twisted version about this important roles model kinda make me nervous.

Actually the book interesting enough but didn't gave me tension or chills factors. I like the writing style. It is delivers smoothly and easy to follow. But I am not sure about multiple POVs at here, it gave me similar voices between characters and less effective to deliver the plot without make it fractured. The pace started slow and faster at the ending. The characters lack personality quality that will make them standout and memorable.

This book isn't strong enough at psychological part as much as I like, but entertaining enough for easy read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 23 February 2024

Right from the start and the very chilling prologue, this was a gripping and intriguing read and I couldn’t wait to find out how the story was going to unfold.

Teacher, Cate Walker, and her eight-year-old son, Archie, left Leedham Primary School as normal on Friday but haven’t been seen since. Cate’s husband, Oliver, the headteacher, is behaving rather strangely and seems to be hiding something. As does supply teacher, Lexi Mills, who is covering for Cate. She’s newly arrived to the area, from Brighton, and seems to be running away from her past.

Set over a couple of weeks, the story is told from the point of view of Oliver, Lexi, another teacher called Gemma and curtain-twitching neighbour, Jeanie, who is hiding something (or someone?) in her spare room! There are also interludes from a mysterious and disturbing character who seems to be the one responsible for the disappearance of Cate and Archie.

The book was very well plotted and there were lots of twists and turns and moments of misdirection. Just when I thought that I’d got things sussed, something else would happen that changed my mind! It was an intense and absorbing read and unpredictable too as I had no idea how everything was connected and how the story was going to be resolved and whether Cate and Archie were going to be found or not.

The small village setting was great and I loved the claustrophobic feel and how everyone wanted to know each other’s business and they all enjoyed gossiping about each other. The rumour mill is strong in Leedham!

None of the characters were particularly likeable, which meant that I suspected them all of various misdemeanours at one point or another! There were some very creepy and harrowing moments with several characters and I was frantically turning the pages at times!

I’ve now read several of the author’s books and they’re always engaging and compelling stories. This one was very readable and particularly tense too and I couldn’t put it down!

I do love a school/missing person trope. Thats why I gravitated towards this book . Its full of unlikeable characters. I did find it had way too much information, information overload if you ask me. I still enjoyed reading this but I was a bit disappointed. I liked it but I couldnt say I loved it.

I really enjoyed it. I’m usually pretty good about guessing the twists and turns but I wasn’t able with this book. This was also a quick read which I liked as well

Told from various viewpoints, one thing is clear very early on, is that there are a lot of guilty conscious amongst the characters, to do with the disappearance of Cate and Archie.

But just how can so many people potentially be responsible, and just what really did happen.

And as I was drawn into these characters lives, I was constantly trying to figure out just what would end up being relevant, while also being very curious as to just what each person was hiding.

I did have some ideas but I was never completely convinced and the outcome completely took me by surprise, which is what I want from this genre of book.

Definitely another great psych thriller from Lauren North.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I was interested in this book based on the synopsis but unfortunately this book seemed to drag and none of the characters were likeable so it was hard to get drawn into the story. I also noticed that almost every chapter ended with a suspenseful sentence that was meant to make the reader want to go to the next chapter but ended up becoming annoying and repetitive. The premise of the story was interesting and I liked how everything tied together at the end. I have read other books by this author that really grabbed my interest but this one just missed the mark.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review..

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed that this book oscillated between four different perspectives and there was a mysterious element in all the perspectives. Each character had me questioning their motives and their involvement in the missing mother and child. I thought this book was a great thriller and really had me guessing from the beginning. This was such an exciting read.

I loved the first half of the book more than the second one. I found the story really intriguing but it got a bit too much towards the end. Also for some reason, I had trouble distinguishing the three female characters.
All in all I’m giving it 3.75 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. From almost the start of the book it was clear that almost every character had a secret and they were all connected to the disappearance of Cate and her son Archie.

Cate was a teacher at the village school and her husband Oliver was the head teacher. Cate and Archie disappeared one Friday evening after school - the whole village was in shock and wanted to know what they could do the help.

Lexi was a supply teacher who had been employed to look after Cate’s class - she had a huge secret relating to her sister Donna. She was avoiding calls and trying to dodge the school governor who was chasing up her references. Someone was sending her letters telling her she would be next and she was scared.

It was a small village and everyone knew each others business. What secrets were being hidden and what had happened to Cate and Archie? I had to keep reading to find out what happened next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

It's just another normal Friday afternoon in the little village of Leedham Vale. Parents arrive at the school to collect their little lovelies for the weekend. But for teacher Cate Walker and her 8 year old son Archie it's the day they vanish from the streets on their way home...never to reach their destination.

Almost at once, head teacher and husband Oliver believes this little disappearing act to be another one of Cate's little manipulative games and thinks nothing of it and goes about his business. But when she hasn't returned by Saturday he reports them both as missing. But Cate's disappearance leaves a void in the school that needs filling.

Enter Lexi Mills. Substitute teacher with secrets of her own takes it upon herself to begin investigating the disappearance of mother and child whilst also looking into Oliver. Surely there is more to him than meets the eye. But as the days drag into a week and then two weeks, everyone is frantic for news and wondering what really happened to Cate and Archie that Friday afternoon.

And then a body is found...

This is a slow burn of a thriller that had potential but also a feeling of not quite reaching it. It held my attention enough to the end but I felt it dragged out and I was awaiting the ending so I could find out what really happened. And everything was tied up nicely and made a lot of sense by the end but I think it was just a little too convoluted for my tastes.

I would like to thank #LaurenNorth, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheTeachersSecret in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

A fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing right to the end, and more. So many characters and their P.O.V, all of them suspects, but it all became clear in the end.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review

This book was good. The characters were believable. Since I’m a teacher, this book was relatable. I would recommend this book to the members of my book club. I like books that have me trying to figure out what is going on as I’m reading it.

An absolutely thrilling, addictive, suspenseful story. Full of twists that I did not see coming. A brilliant story. Loved it.

There were no edge of the seat moments for me in this book but whilst a bit slow in parts it was an easy read.
Not the best I’ve read by this author.

Great thriller that keeps the reader on their toes the whole way through the book. I really liked all the characters in this book and how they played off each other.

As always, Lauren North delivers a cracking page turner with an intriguing mystery at its core.

The characters feel realistic and the denouement felt perfectly pitched.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This book tells the story of a missing teacher and her son told from multiple POVs. It was a middle of the road domestic mystery of whodunnit. Everyone is lying and keeping secrets in this book. That said there was nothing that makes this book truly stand out from others I've read. Worth a read, but not a book I'd reach for more than once.

Another day, another ‘no I can’t go to sleep until I’ve figured out the ending’ book! This is the story of Lexi, who has just arrived as a substitute teacher at a prestigious school, and Oliver, the headteacher, who’s wife and child are gone missing.

There are a range of characters, some very bitter and negative indeed, and the fab setting of the school as we alternate between the two characters, the author cleverly not letting us know if this is a murder mystery or a missing person case.

I was well and truly hooked with this book, and enjoyed both the slow burn and the breadcrumbs laid. I’ll admit I hated the ending, but that was because my crazy brain had decided what I wanted to happen (I know- I write rom com. I have no right to decide what I want a thriller writer to do!!!)

All in all a very satisfying book and I’ll be going back to read some of the author’s other books! Thanks for the early copy from the publisher and Netgalley.
Rating: 5/5

I’ve listened to and read quite a few books by Lauren North and every one of them I have NEVER worked out the plot!! The final twist was completely unexpected and genius, which is what I love and have come to expect from Lauren North’ books. Thank you Lauren North, publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this arc. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️