A fine first effort at something a bit different

A few things have happened recently that I'm not sure how to feel about. Like, for instance, a legal service company writing to my wife, without my knowledge, stating that it's their policy to ask for the written and independently-witnessed consent of every adult over the age of 18 living in the house before approving a mortgage in my name only. My first reaction was to be annoyed by this. But, ultimately, it's done me no harm and if this policy stops another family from becoming homeless, maybe it's a good thing after all.

Then there's the email I received from my work's parent company to remind me that it's a month to go before my car's MOT is due. I really didn't need that, particularly when I've already had the stress of a similar email from the garage that same morning. But I can see that someone had good intentions.

I've also read The Teacher's Secret by Lauren North, and my initial reaction after finishing it was that I wasn't sure how I felt about that either. Here's the issue. Lauren was a new-to-me author when I happened to read her last novel, She Says She's My Daughter, last summer. As you may know, I loved that book so much that I placed it third in my list of favourite books of last year. I'll say here and now that I didn't think The Teacher's Secret was quite that good. But am I being unfairly harsh by judging it against such a high bar?

Some parts of it are excellent. I loved the portrayal of Oliver: the outwardly successful primary school headteacher and the sense of loss that he feels as the school, and the community slowly start to turn on him following the disappearance of his wife, Cate, and son Archie. He couldn't be involved ... could he? I also thought that the infected cut on his hand, which, far from going away of its own accord continued to get more and more ugly and painful, was a very clever metaphor for his own internal state.

I thought the character of Jeanie was very well-written too: not only is there an element of intrigue as to her back story, but the pain she is feeling in the here and now is palpable. But I was a bit less convinced with the character of Lexi - and as she's the main character, that's something of an issue. I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers, other than to say I struggled to see why she did some of what she did. Even at the end of the book, I still wasn't entirely sure.

The real issue for me though is that one of the book's main aspects is also its biggest problem. Lauren says in her author's note that this is the first time that she has written a book from more than two points of view, and also included a male character's perspective. And whilst she hasn't done a bad job of it by any means, she hasn't quite managed to make it seem effortless in the way that Lisa Jewell and Sheryl Browne are able to do.

I can also see that it's not easy to write a plot around so many characters, and the connection to one strand in particular felt rather flimsy. This isn't the end of the world, but the trouble is that it's magnified by the fact that She Says She's My Daughter is plotted so very, very well.

Let me make it clear though that none of these points are enough to have stopped me from enjoying the book. They're just niggles. Ultimately, I'm happy that Lauren has chosen to write something a bit different to her usual and, as I said at the start, it's a fine first effort. I'm sure that the few, small weaknesses here are things that can be improved upon with experience if she decides to continue writing in this style.

My thanks to Bookouture for including me on the blog tour, and to Netgalley for the digital ARC. I will post my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my social media pages.

Lexi Mills has been drafted in as a substitute teacher at Leedham Primary School after teacher Cate Walker and her son Archie go missing on their way home from school one Friday afternoon, but they are not just teacher and pupil, they are wife and son of the headteacher Oliver Walker and rumours are rife around the village. Very soon Lexi is caught up within the drama of their disappearance and, when she starts asking too many questions, the threats towards her from an unknown source begin, but does Lexi know more than she's letting on and how much danger is she prepared to put herself in to uncover the truth?

The Teacher's Secret is slightly different to what I've previously read and loved by North, as this one has lots of characters and is told from multiple perspectives with each of them having a story to tell and a secret to keep hidden, but who can be trusted and who needs to be given a wide berth? This latest thriller is an intriguing read with a great plot that kept me second guessing throughout, the characters were well crafted and, in the main, very unlikeable individuals, with none of them earning any sympathy from me. Another great read from North, who has firmly cemented herself as one of my go to authors in this genre.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this arc in exchange for an honest review. The Teacher's Secret publishes on 2/23/24

While this book seemed like it was going to very gripping it did fall flat for me. It had it moments but not enough to catch my thriller want. The beginning of the book was difficult to read and understand. The multiple POVs didn't help either. It just seemed to drag and not really get any suspense going. it was an easy read for those looking for an easy read.

I will check more books out by this author and I do recommend other to read this book as everyone has different opinions.

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller which enthralls from start to finish. Oliver is the head of a village school where his wife is a teacher and his son a pupil. On a Friday afternoon the latter two disappear and the rumours are rife. A substitute teacher is brought in but is she all she seems? Secrets and lies proliferate and the connections are slowly revealed. Wonderful!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoture for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book officially publishes on 2/23/24!

At a quick glance, this story fell a bit flat for me. Given multiple POVs, I found myself not really liking any of the characters and thinking that one POV was almost unnecessary to the rest of the story. The twists in this one were good for a domestic thriller, however, and I did not guess them prior to their reveals. Overall, this story’s main tropes are crime, family drama, secrets, and dark pasts. Please make sure to check any trigger warnings before picking this one up, but I would generally recommend this for anyone new to thrillers or looking to check out the domestic thriller sub genre.

The teachers secret isnt my first Lauren North book and it wont be my last.

I find Laurens books quick to grab my attention and more importantly keep my attention.

I really did enjoy this mystery book revolving around a small community in which one of the most popular villagers and class teachers and her son have disappeared- seemingly without a trace.....

As per most books within this genre the story is packed full of secrets and lies.

It's a multiple POV- at times some POV's didn't really add to the story and there was one section of the story that felt a bit unnecessary (Jeanies tale) but it didnt deter my enjoyment of the book overall.

A strong 4* read.

3.5 stars

When a mother and son go missing while walking home from school, their small community is thrown into turmoil. With lots of secrets being held close, is someone hiding the biggest secret of all and knows what happened to them?

This was told from multiple pov's, so it took a little time to get my head around all the characters, suspects and their secrets, but it did all pull together well by the end.

Oh this was such a good book. It looks like a kidnapping at first but then as we learn more about the characters connected to the missing teacher and her son. it looks like something darker happened to them. The teachers and parents are all hiding secrets that make them look suspicious and its impossible to know who is responsible. Are they alive? Will they be found in time? Is the husband - the respected school principal involved? Really really good!

The Teachers Secret by Lauren North was so good with an ending I was not expecting. Told from multiple POV’s including one that is a mystery throughout most of the book.

In a small village called Leedham, Cate Walker and her son Archie go missing without a trace after school one Friday. Lexi arrives in town to cover for Cate. Lexi is a substitute teacher but she has an ulterior motive for coming to the small Village. She decided to join in the search Cate and Archie when she starts receiving threatening notes warning her to stay away.

Oliver Walker is Cate’s husband and Oliver’s father he also works as a teacher at the same school. He becomes a prime suspect after it’s discovered that he’s been having an affair with Gemma. He tries to convince everyone that Cate is not the person she’s portrayed herself to be. 



There are a lots of twists and turns throughout the book that keep you engaged and guessing. When you think you have an idea of what’s going to happen you quickly learn that you were wrong. This is the second book I’ve read by Lauren North and hope that I get to read many more. Thank you to Bookoutre and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

When I first delved into "The Teacher's Secret" by Lauren North, I found myself grappling with the multiple points of view presented throughout the narrative. Initially, it felt disjointed, and I struggled to connect with the story. However, as I persevered, something remarkable happened—about halfway through the book, it all clicked into place.

Suddenly, the varied perspectives began to weave together seamlessly, offering unique insights into the complex web of secrets and lies that permeate the plot. Each character's viewpoint added depth and richness to the story, transforming what was once a source of confusion into a compelling narrative device.

As the twists and turns unfolded, I found myself utterly engrossed in the tangled web of mysteries surrounding the characters. The plot twists were not only incredible but also shocking, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

Despite my initial reservations, I am delighted to award "The Teacher's Secret" a solid 4 stars. This book is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and mysteries, offering a gripping storyline and an ending that will leave you reeling.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book. It was truly a captivating read, and I am grateful for the opportunity to experience it firsthand. 📖💫

The Teacher's Secret
by Lauren North
Pub Date: 23 Feb 2024

"The Teacher's Secret" is a very fast but good read. It has lot's of drama and suspense. It definitely kept me reading up until the final page! I loved the book, it was a fun and enjoyable book! I rated it 5 stars.

Synopsis: Per book description ... An absolutely gripping psychological thriller, where no one is who they seem, that will get your heart pounding! Perfect for fans of addictive page-turners like The Housemaid, The Family Across the Street and The Family Upstairs.

My thanks to #Bookouture and #NetGalley for an E-ARC of this wonderful book.

The Teacher’s Secret by Lauren North is a must read! No one is who they seem in this little village of Leedham. A mother and son go missing, a husband becomes the prime suspect, and many others have a secret that seems to be connected to their disappearance. Told in different characters POVs, this book will have you questioning everyone you meet within the pages. Nothing is as it seems and everyone has a reason to dislike the money who disappeared and the husband who is not acting as he should for someone whose wife and son are missing. Money, greed, secrets, jealousy, and revenge fill the hearts of these characters. This was a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read!
Thank you NetGalley for another awesome ARC!

Time to choose my next book!
Happy reading y’all! 📚❤️📚

#NetGalley
#TheTeachersSecret
#LaurenNorth

Lexi arrives in the village of Leedham to cover for teacher Cate who is missing along with her young son. Lexi also has another reason for being drawn to the village but is it linked to the disappearance? When she gets caught up in the search for Cate and Archie she starts to receive threatening notes warning her to stay away but can she or will she continue to dig till she reveals the truth?

The story is told from multiple P.O.V’s including an unknown narrator which kept it exciting and kept up the tension throughout. I liked the main character of Lexi and found her relatable.
The title for this book is clever as there are several teachers within the story who are hiding some sort of secrets.
Lots of plot twists along the way to keep the story interesting and the reader guessing right to the end. Love Lauren’s books and will be reading more in the future.

I loved this book!
I'm becoming a huge fan of Lauren North, and this is a great addition to her books.
I love stories involving missing people, so I knew I had to read this, and I had great expectations going in.
It definitely fulfilled them.
It is a fast paced and gripping read, that reminded me a lot of the style of Freida McFadden. Lots going on and plenty of drama to keep you reading! There was so much mystery around each of the characters, that I suspected so many people to have been involved!
Realluy fun and enjoyable.

Everyone in The Teacher's Secret was at one point a suspect. EVERYONE has secrets and we get little clues in every chapter that each one of them is hiding something big.

This is a dual POV and each of these characters has something to lose if their secrets get out. There are a lot of shocking twists in this one so you will read this one so fast!

A teacher and her child go missing on their way home from school and of course, the husband is always the first suspect. We spend the book trying to put together the clues and find out everyone's secret before it is too late.
I was so wrong about what was going on but was surprised by some of the twists! Even until the end we were getting more twists. There was one character I was hoping to get a chapter about especially at the end.

Overall, a fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing!

Cate Walker and her son Archie have disappeared - they simply failed to arrive home on a Friday afternoon. It's inconceivable to everyone in their close-knit neighourhood. Cate is a popular teacher at the nearby school, where her husband Oliver is the headmaster, and they're a well-respected and much loved family by friends and neighbours alike. Surely nobody would want to harm her and her little boy?
Lexi arrives as a substitute teacher to take Cate's place until she returns - she's going to return, isn't she? But soon after arrival she starts receiving sinister notes and feels like she's being followed. She doesn't feel safe here. Could whatever happened to Cate and Archie, possibly happen to her too?
A chilling, pacy read, with a dark, buzzing undertone right from the first page. I couldn't put this one down. It's told from different points of view: Lexi, Oliver, Jeanie (a vigilant neighbour) and Gemma (another teacher at the school), as the story slowly starts to develop and the reader begins to see that all is not what it appeared to be at the start.
The characters are well-developed, each with their own detailed back story, and the description of the area where the story takes place is vivid - I even started picturing the film version!
You won't know who or what to believe, but you'll just have to keep reading! Maybe not if you're alone in the house at night though!
Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC!

Omg this book!
This was a new to me author and one I'll definitely be reading again.
I know ratings can often be off-putting, but I definitely urge you to give this book a chance like I did.
Yes there were slow and confusing parts, but the way it all ends up coming together will leave you gob smacked.
Nothing is as it seems.
It was very cleverly done with lots of red herrings to keep you on your toes.
Purposefully not giving much away for reasons you'll understand by the end.

This book was a great read. I was left guessing till the end about the twist and didnt see it coming even though this is my usual genre! It is quite slow paced but I liked that as it introduced so many characters and made for a really balanced story. Thank you for giving me an ARC.

✨My Thoughts✨

This was told from so many points of view but I loved every single one .

Each person had an Intriguing story and huge motive plus so many dark secrets that they were hiding, I was absolutely riveted.

The tension keeps building and building with every turn of the page.

The person that held my interest the most was Jeanie, I was wracking my brain trying to work out what her secret was but when I found out I was floored!.

This will keep you on the edge of your seat, I love this author!.

Lexi arrives in a small village as a substitute teacher at the local school. The village is reeling from the disappearance of the massively popular Cate Walker, the teacher Lexi will be replacing for now, and her eight year old son, Archie. They left school, but never made it home. The local gossip mill is suspicious of Cate's husband, Oliver. Too charming, too slick, and why is he even at work? Even though Lexi has never met Cate or Archie, she is determined to find out what happened to them.

Prepare yourself for a story that's twistier than an incredibly twisty thing. True to form, this small community is filled to the brim with suspicious characters, dark secrets, and lies. So many lies. Very few of the characters come across as likeable, mostly because they all seem so untrustworthy. And don't even get me started on the helicopter parent who's head of the PTA. Good grief.

There's Oliver, the grieving husband. It doesn't take a genius to figure out he's not telling the truth about the night his wife and child disappeared. But did he hurt them? There's also Jeanie, who likes to keep a close eye on her neighbours, using binoculars if need be. But who also seems to be hiding something and really doesn't want people in her house. There's Lexi, who seems far too interested in the fate of people she doesn't know. And last but not least, a mysterious character who apparently has a long list of confessions to make.

Is one of them responsible for the disappearance of Cate and Archie? Or someone else in the village? Why would anyone want to harm Cate, and her little boy especially, when she was so popular and loved by everyone? How many skeletons will fall out of the closet when the detectives begin their investigation?

I thought the 'The Teacher's Secret' was pretty absorbing and addictive. Once I started reading, I found it hard to put the book back down. I had a great time putting the pieces of this puzzle together, trying to make sense of how the various POV's were connected. Admittedly, I figured out quite a few things beforehand but that didn't ruin my enjoyment at all. There was still a mystery or two that I couldn't work out before the reveals.

Full of suspense, 'The Teacher's Secret' has lots of things to discover and uncover, and keeps the reader on their toes throughout. Will you be able to spot the red herrings and get to the bottom of this mysterious disappearance? Whether you do or don't, you'll be in for an intriguing and entertaining couple of hours.