A review by onemorepagecrew
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After reading Jar of Hearts, I knew I needed to check out Jennifer Hillier’s other book, Little Secrets.  I went in trying not to expect the same level of greatness because that’s a tough bar to clear, and I’m glad because this was a very different book.  It opens with a child abduction which may be enough for some to not pick this book up, though I will say that it is not the focus of the story – it’s what sets things in motion.   
 
The tragedy of losing her son consumes the protagonist’s life and the majority of the story takes place over a year later.  She and her husband begin having problems and she discovers he is having an affair with a younger woman; everything swirls around these three.  The characters are all taking questionable actions and the tension builds for the reader because you can read each character’s inner thoughts, but they can’t see each other accurately.  
 
Overall, this was a decent suspense book, not quite a thriller.  I read it quickly so it’s fair to call it a page-turner and I’d recommend it for anyone who likes psychological mystery where you don’t know which characters to trust.  The twist ending is going to be a surprise for some and totally predictable for others – I was the latter and really wanted to be the former.  
 
For mystery-lovers, I don’t think you can go wrong with Jennifer Hillier books – she dreams up awful situations and somehow gets you to enjoy reading about them.  Jar of Hearts is still my favorite of hers, and it was fun to see a different style from her.  
 
Content warnings: Child abduction, Infidelity, Self-harm, Grief 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings