Publishers Weekly
01/13/2020
Celebrity hairstylist Marin Machado, the heroine of this diabolically plotted psychological thriller of lust, obsession, greed, and betrayal from Thriller Award–winner Hillier (Jar of Hearts), believes she’s hit bottom during the 16 months since her four-year-old son was snatched while they were Christmas shopping at a Seattle farmers’ market—something for which she can’t stop blaming herself, nor can her entrepreneur husband of almost 20 years, Derek. But that’s before the PI Marin hired after the case went cold shares her chance but devastating discovery that Derek’s having an affair with a much younger woman, catapulting Marin into an even darker circle of hell. Following the initial shock of the revelation, the furious Marin feels empowered, almost exhilarated. But her rage also threatens to propel this sympathetic protagonist into a rash, potentially catastrophic decision, encouraged by her best friend and onetime boyfriend, an ex-con, who has his own devious agenda. Though a few of the twists down the frenetic home stretch seem forced, until then Hillier sustains a captivating double helix of duplicity. Hillier remains an author to watch. 75,000-copy announced first printing. Agent: Victoria Skurnick, Levine Greenberg. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"Little Secrets will leave readers completely floored. You don't just read this book; you inhale it." —Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and MRS.
Kirkus Reviews
2020-03-02
The day Marin’s 4-year-old son, Sebastian, was kidnapped was the day her life stopped. But things can always get worse.
Lured away from Seattle's Pike Place Market by someone dressed in a Santa Claus suit offering the expensive lollipop Marin had stalled on buying, Sebastian was easily taken. Since that day, 16 months ago, Marin's life has fallen apart. She fantasizes about suicide, and now her best friend, Sal, texts “You alive?” every day. Barely able to make it to the upscale beauty salon she founded, Marin now simply cuts hair, admittedly for celebrity clients, but she's turned over most of the business to her right-hand woman, Sadie. Her husband, Derek, still won't talk about the tragedy. The police have given up looking. But Marin hasn't. She's hired a private investigator to search under every rock. But instead of finding evidence of Sebastian’s whereabouts—or even evidence of his continued existence—the PI finds evidence that Derek is having an affair, which lights a fire under Marin: The kidnapper may be elusive, but Kenzie, Derek’s mistress, is very real and a perfect target for Marin’s rage. Hillier deftly metamorphoses Marin’s suffocating guilt over her son’s disappearance into a searingly hot anger at Kenzie, an anger that turns reckless. Once Kenzie comes on the scene, however, Hillier deepens the tale from one of simple vengeance into a psychological thriller by shifting perspectives between Marin and Kenzie, revealing not only the two women’s secrets, but also skeletons in the closets of a few more characters. The tensions ratchet up as nefarious motives and twisted allegiances come to light.
A delightfully twisty psychological thriller perfect for fans of You and Gone Girl.
