Author: Kiersten Modglin
Genre: Thriller, suspense
Rating: ❤❤❤❤
Back Story
Hi friends. I'm back with another hot take on the latest books I've been reading. I told you that I would be posting a few more Kiersten Modglin titles. I have been steadily making my way through her list of books. So far, it has been a lot of fun reading her work. This title was no different. From the cover, it looked a little spooky, but that might just be because I can't swim. Large bodies of water tend to make me a little uneasy. Either way, I knew I was in for a treat.
Quick sidebar, not that this relates to the book in any way other than title, but remember that All-American Rejects song "Dirty Little Secret" ? The lyrics go: "I'll keep you my dirty little secret. Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret." No? Just me? Oh. Oops. That song had me in a chokehold during my angsty tween years. Even though I really had no grasp of what the actual song meant, I would sing the lyrics every chance I could. I think I even made it my myspace URL for a little while there. The title of this book reached deep into my subconscious and dragged the song out of one of the dusty boxes in the back of my mind. It's been repeating on a loop since. Send help. This is my 5th title by Kiersten which means she has officially surpassed Colleen Hoover on my "Authors I've Read the Most Books By" list. Let's get after it.
Synopsis
Cason Glen is a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business. All of the adults that run the town have been here since they were children. They've grown up here. Nothing bad happens in this town. The residents make sure of it. So it's understandably a shock when a beloved teacher of the most well-to-do subdivision in town goes missing. The residents quickly realize that they may not be as safe as they thought they were. Slowly the truth begins to leak out, showing that this sweet little town is more dangerous than people realized. People are dead. A killer is still on the loose. Everyone is hiding something. Someone knows exactly what happened, but how far will they go to protect their secrets?
My Thoughts
In a nutshell, I enjoyed this book. It kept me hooked from the start. As usual, the person responsible completely threw me for a loop. I just knew I'd had it all figured out until the end. This book gives me a lifetime movie vibe. You know the movie where the new person goes to the small town where everyone knows everyone's business. Everyone seems perfect and blemish free on the outside but the closer you look the more cracks you start to see. It really seemed like EVERYONE had something to hide in this story. To the point it almost became exhausting. Made me grateful for always being unknown growing up. I did live in a small town and I guess I still do depending on who you're talking to, but no one really knew my business because one: I very rarely had any and two: what little business I did have, I kept to myself.
I can't figure out which character I was more irritated with. Everybody was hiding something. None of the characters were really very likeable, but to me that's more indicative of reality. There is usually motive behind our actions, even if we try to pretend there isn't. Those creepy suburban towns with all the identical houses on a perfectly manicured street are ALWAYS hiding secrets and I dare you to prove me wrong. What lengths would you go to in order to protect your people? How far would you go for the one you love? You may scoff and swear that you'd never be in a situation like that, but you never know how you'll truly react until you're faced with a choice that could change the entire course of your life.
Kiersten did a superb job in capturing the perspectives of multiple characters throughout the stories. Each had their own personality and their own secrets. All characters were fleshed out well. My only complaint is that I wish we could have gotten more perspective from the culprit. I understand for the shock value, it was best that we didn't get as much from that character but I would have loved to see inside the mind of the person that was actually responsible. Maybe that's just my own fascination with the darker side of life. Anyway, if you decide that you're intrigued by this title and want to take a look at the book you can click the "Purchase Here" button below.
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When you're done reading, come on back and let me know what you thought. Would you cross lines and break laws to protect your people? How far would YOU for someone you loved? I can't wait to hear from you! Until then, happy reading babes! <3