Friday 8 January 2016

The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood

The Darkest Secret
By Alex Marwood
Published by Sphere (7 January 2016)
ISBN: 978-0751550702




Publisher's description
Apologies for the general email, but I desperately need your help.
My goddaughter, Coco Jackson, disappeared from her family's holiday home in Bournemouth on the night of Sunday/Monday August 29/30th, the bank holiday weekend just gone. Coco is three years old.
When identical twin Coco goes missing during a family celebration, there is a media frenzy. Her parents are rich and influential, as are the friends they were with at their holiday home by the sea.
But what really happened to Coco?

Over two intense weekends - the first when Coco goes missing and the second twelve years later at the funeral of her father - the darkest of secrets will gradually be revealed...

My verdict
Wow, The Darkest Secret is an incredibly powerful read and a twisty totally-terrifying psychological thriller.

Three-year-old Coco goes missing on a weekend of family celebrations. The story flits between that weekend and the weekend of her father's funeral 12 years later.

There are some intentionally awful characters, perfectly developed so it's easy to dislike them immensely, and most of them are present throughout both weekends. The past is told in the third person, while Coco's older half-sister Camilla, from their father's previous marriage, narrates the present day.

The suspense builds up gradually as the plot develops, and I was desperate to find out what happened to that little innocent girl. I went through a roller coaster of emotions, ranging from sadness and fear to disgust and disbelief. And when I finally waded through the lies and deception and discovered the truth, I was even more horrified.

This is a stunningly-plotted book that looks at the cruel, dark and devious side of human nature, in people in a position of trust, and reveals some disturbing family secrets.

Don't miss it!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

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