*I received a free ARC of this book with thanks to the author and Hodder & Stoughton. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: Who knows your darkest secret?
After every parents’ evening, friends Nina, Bel and Rachel look forward to their regular debrief at the pub. But there will be no clinking Prosecco tonight.
They are discussing an anonymous note that has been left in a child’s schoolbag: This class has secrets. All the parents tell lies.
As more notes are discovered, scandalous accusations are made and the school playground becomes rife with rumours.
Who could be revealing the three friends’ secrets? Because they thought the only people who knew everything about them were each other…
An addictive psychological suspense thriller full of twists and turns, perfect for fans of Heidi Perks, Lisa Hall and Jane Corry.
I really enjoyed Julie Corbin’s A Lie for a Lie and this book, while not a sequel in any way, has a very similar premise and style, so if you liked one you will probably like all.
This story follows three school mums – Nina, Bel and Rachel – as they navigate the school gate cliques, their relationship troubles and parenting their nine-year-old daughters (who are also best friends). But something is wrong right from the start, as Nina’s daughter, Lily, has been receiving anonymous letters accusing the class parents of secrets and lies, and the friends that should be coming together in support, find themselves drawing apart in suspicion instead.
The narrative is told in the first person for most of the story, with the perspective moving between the women’s viewpoints – mainly Nina’s – as denoted at the head of each chapter. This insider view into the different women’s heads should give the reader an advantage over the characters in working out what’s going on, but in Julie Corbin’s writing (as in real life) you can’t always trust that someone is even telling the truth to themself. Everyone has secrets, but who is lying?
I honestly couldn’t put this book down and stayed up way too late reading to find out what was going on with the notes, and the marriages, and the kids… I really liked almost all of the characters – with one glaring and notable exception; I loathed HIM with the burning heat of a thousand fiery suns! – and so I was very invested in positive outcomes for them all, even though things looked so grim that it seemed impossible to imagine.
If you’re looking for a gripping read, packed with secrets and lies, betrayals and intrigue, then look no further, because Julie Corbin has mastered domestic psychological suspense. Just make sure you don’t have to be up early the next day!
‘My jaw tenses as Mrs Fleming walks across to the projector. I’ve been dreading this moment. I know that the notes are going to be even more shocking, magnified several times and projected onto the whiteboard. And I’m right. As soon as the first note appears the mood in the room sharpens. Backs straighten and several parents let out small gasps of shock. The first note says:
This class has secrets all the parents tell lies‘
– Julie Corbin, Whispers of a Scandal
Find more from Julie Corbin at her website here, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Whispers of a Scandal is available on Amazon right now!
Don’t forget to check out the other blog stops on the tour for more great reviews and content (see the poster below for details)!
Bookshine And Readbows 