Little Secret Things by Marley Adams is a gripping psychological thriller that delves deep into the complexities of family secrets, guilt, and the struggle to break free from a notorious past. The story follows Esther Meyer, whose father, Bible Ben, is a notorious serial killer. Despite his imprisonment, the haunting shadow of his crimes lingers, especially as Esther and her brother Aaron try to navigate life under the public eye, harassed by true crime fans and relentlessly pursued by their own troubled history.

As new evidence surfaces that links the siblings to the murders, Aaron disappears, leaving Esther to fight alone for her innocence. Enter Nick Emberly, a mysterious cop who makes Esther question whether she can protect the secrets she's spent years trying to bury. As their relationship develops, the stakes rise, and Esther must confront the possibility that love and truth may not mix.

Adams excels at building tension and creating a strong, empathetic protagonist in Esther, whose emotional journey is just as compelling as the mystery surrounding her. With twists, suspense, and a slow-burn romance, Little Secret Things is an emotionally charged and unpredictable thriller that will keep readers hooked until the very last page. This is a must-read for fans of psychological suspense and complex, character-driven narratives.

Esther Meyer has been running from her past since the day the world discovered her father was the infamous Midwestern serial killer, "Bible Ben." Eight years after his incarceration, Esther and her brother, Aaron, struggle to live normal lives amidst the chaos of a world that refuses to let them forget. Between internet trolls, obsessive true crime fans, and a new stepmother fresh from a prison wedding to their father, the siblings are on edge.

But when new evidence surfaces implicating them in their father’s murders, Aaron vanishes, leaving Esther to face the storm alone for the first time. Determined to clear their names, she embarks on a desperate search for her brother while dodging relentless accusations.

Enter Nick Emberly, a mysterious cop whose quiet strength becomes a rare source of solace for Esther. But as their bond deepens, Esther’s growing fears about revealing her family's secrets threaten to destroy their fragile connection. Can love survive when it's built on a foundation of lies and shadows?

It is an enthralling mix of psychological tension, family drama, and forbidden romance. From the very first page, the story grabs hold and doesn’t let go, delving deep into the mind of Esther Meyer, a woman defined—and haunted—by her father’s heinous crimes.

Adams excels at creating a chilling atmosphere where danger feels omnipresent. The relentless scrutiny faced by Esther and Aaron paints a vivid picture of life in the shadow of infamy. Esther’s internal struggle—balancing guilt, fear, and an unyielding desire to carve out a normal life—is masterfully written, making her a deeply relatable character despite the extraordinary circumstances.

The mystery is layered and engaging, with enough red herrings and revelations to keep readers on edge. Aaron’s sudden disappearance adds urgency to the narrative, while the investigation into the siblings' potential involvement in the murders keeps the tension high.

Nick Emberly’s introduction as a love interest is both a light in the darkness and a source of further conflict. Their budding romance feels authentic and bittersweet, as Esther’s fear of exposing her secrets casts a shadow over their connection. Nick’s motivations and actions are cleverly shrouded in ambiguity, adding another layer to the story’s intrigue.

While the pacing occasionally slows during introspective passages, the overall narrative remains compelling. The climactic resolution is both surprising and satisfying, tying together loose threads while leaving readers with lingering questions.

This was a slow burner for me but enjoyable all the same, I prefer my books a bit more pacey but I did enjoy the story, and the characters so I’d defo still recommend to others

I was really excited to read this book when I read the blurb but it kinda disappoint. Although I still enjoyed reading it, it felt rushed and it was hard to connect with the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op for this arc.

Little Secret Things

Ester and Aaron are the children of Bible Ben, a notorious serial killer serving life in prison for his crimes. One day, Aaron disappears and his sister is left to answer questions about what happened to Aaron. Soon the media starts making connections between Bible Ben and Aaron’s disappearance.

What I disliked:
- [ ] The chapters were annoyingly long. No reader has ever wished for longer chapters. Instead of putting so many breaks, just end the dang chapter.
- [ ] The scenes were choppy and ended abruptly in places.
- [ ] Instead of describing the first kiss between Ester & Nick, the author wrote “They kissed”. Use some descriptive details!!!
- [ ] Writing seemed immature. Did this even go through an editor?
- [ ] Had to DNF because the writing was so bad.

3 stars!

I'm one of those readers that need to be hooked from the start and the book needs to be fast paced for me to really enjoy it.
This book wasn't that for me, but I did like it. I have a friend in mind who I think would really enjoy it and i'll be happy to pass along the recommendation. It just didn't stand out to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for more Marley Adams books!

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this copy in return for my honest review.

I did enjoy this book and it had some good twists and turns. It’s not something I would pick up again. Felt the plot was a little rushed and everywhere.

So this is a bit messed up of a story, with lots of twists and turns. A lot of vague information about bible ben that made me want to know a bit more. Esther's going to have a lot if demons for life as well.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Da sich der Thriller außergewöhnlich anhörte und im Klappentext eine Liebesgeschichte angedeutet wird, habe ich zum Buch gegriffen, auch wenn ich ansonsten primär klassische Liebesromane lesen.

Beim Lesen der Geschichte ist mir leider bereits nach gut sechs Kapiteln klar gewesen, dass sie nicht mein Fall ist. Lasst mich erklären warum.

Das Buch war abgefahrener als von mir erwartet und nicht alle Entwicklungen wirkten auf mich überzeugend. Zu oft habe ich beim Lesen innegehalten und überlegt, ob die Geschehnisse mir in sich stimmig und wenigstens ein wenig wahrscheinlich erscheinen. Zu oft beantwortete ich beide Fragen mit nein.

Zudem erschien mir die Erzählstimme der weiblichen Hauptfigur als etwas schwach. Sie besaß wenig, was mich faszinieren und bei der Stange halten konnte. Als Ausgleich zu den teils wilden Entwicklungen hätte ich eine starke Stimme gebraucht, um mich gut durch den Roman zu führen.

Schlussendlich habe ich “Little Secret Things” bis zum 10. Kapitel gelesen und dann leicht verwirrt abgebrochen. So ganz weiß ich immer noch nicht, was ich von dem Buch halten soll, ich war aber auf jeden Fall nicht die richtige Leserin für es.

- keine Bewertung, da abgebrochen -

Für wen?

Wer Thriller mag, in denen so einiges los ist, nichts so ist, wie es auf den ersten Blick scheint und in dem das Thema Serienmörder plus die Folgen für die Familie des Täters aufgegriffen wird, für den könnte der Roman einen Versuch wert sein.

Schaut vor dem Lesen in die Leseprobe rein und achtet vor allem darauf, ob euch die weibliche Hauptfigur interessiert und sie euch gut durch die Geschehnisse führen kann.

I finished this book a couple of days ago and have been thinking of how to review it. There were parts I enjoyed and parts I did not care for.

I thought the first part of Esther searching for Aaron and the back story of their childhood with their serial killer father was very interesting. I wish the book would have spent more time on these plot lines.

Towards the end of the book without giving any spoilers I felt like Esther's character changed? It was almost like reading a different protagonist and it was jarring. I kept flipping back to make sure I had not skipped a chapter because it wasn't aligning for me with the previous actions of the character.

I did find the first half of this book very intriguing. The last part felt disjointed and I felt like the ending fell flat in comparison to what all the characters had been through. Thank you to MA publishing, Marley Adams, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I loved the cover of book but I just couldn’t get it to download.
I don’t usually use the app but the pages have writing over it and some pages didn’t have words.
I will be buying on release day.

I had a hard time getting into I had a hard time Little Secret Things by Marley Adams. The premise of the story was intriguing, but I could not connect with the characters and the story felt a bit disjointed. As other reviewers stated, the story felt rushed and some there were a lot of characters that didn't need to be included in the book, which muddied the story.

#LittleSecretThings #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Unfortunately this one was not for me. I love a book that grabs me from the first few pages, and this one never did.

I was excited to read this one but unfortunately it fell really flat for me.

The concept of the story was super interesting but I felt like the main character's thoughts were being thrown around way too fast and we were being introduced to characters with no direction, and the plot was everywhere. There was no natural flow to the story whatsoever, everything was just thrown around at random times. The whole story felt incredibly rushed and out of pace.

But, although it wasn't for me, I am sure some will find it enjoyable.

I'll be honest here, Nick was the only thing that kept me going throughout. Maybe controversial, but the little romance crumbs was what I liked the most about this book! The long chapters did put me off at times, but overall, I.enjoyed the storytelling (although it did feel inconsistent, but then that's how psychological thrillers work). It's like listening to a true crime podcast, so I'd say worth a read!

The cover, though? GORGEOUS!

This book was an interesting read. You follow Esther as she follows the disappearance of her brother Aaron. Both children have to deal with the fallout of their serial killer father’s past as true crime junkies go wild over the case. This book had so many good twists and turns, but my main complaint is some of the characters felt unnecessary. For example Nick: he felt as though the connection with Esther was forced and only put into the story to add more “stakes”. I think their relationship could be worked out because his pieces felt very drag and drop for content when the rest of the book flowed pretty well overall. I think the writing style was great, but certain pieces felt rushed at the same time. I greatly appreciate the fact this book felt so different from my previous mysteries, but Nicks character and pacing put this book at a solid 3 stars for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!