Scan barcode
A review by danielle_w
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
3.0
3.5 stars.
I generally avoid giving three stars to an author who is still alive, just in case they come across my reviews and I wreck their confidence and writing careers forever. No one wants that on their head.
There is much to like about this book. It's compelling-- great world building and unique characters (I wish Gerry featured more-- he was my favorite). It's an easy world to slip into. Kate Morton is a wonderful storyteller and the book is a series of small twists that are shocking yet believable. There were parts of this book that genuinely hooked me and made me read past my bedtime.
My biggest obstacle regarding loving this book is that the pace was a bit off. For 600 pages, I would have expected a bit more development. I suppose, for me, the combination of the twists with the slow pace seemed a bit 'off'. There was a lot of this book that was just 'setting up' and I could have done without-- but, this may very well be a taste thing. Loved Jimmy and Laurel, but overall I struggled to be invested enough in the characters for the story to carry.
That being said, I did appreciate the historical accuracy of the book. Morton is also not a sentimental author (tough to accomplish with historical fiction) and has some really great observations of life in her writing. The pace drags a bit but if you are looking for a holiday read and a long book to get lost in, this is the one for you. Historical, mystery, romance- it's all here.
I generally avoid giving three stars to an author who is still alive, just in case they come across my reviews and I wreck their confidence and writing careers forever. No one wants that on their head.
There is much to like about this book. It's compelling-- great world building and unique characters (I wish Gerry featured more-- he was my favorite). It's an easy world to slip into. Kate Morton is a wonderful storyteller and the book is a series of small twists that are shocking yet believable. There were parts of this book that genuinely hooked me and made me read past my bedtime.
My biggest obstacle regarding loving this book is that the pace was a bit off. For 600 pages, I would have expected a bit more development. I suppose, for me, the combination of the twists with the slow pace seemed a bit 'off'. There was a lot of this book that was just 'setting up' and I could have done without-- but, this may very well be a taste thing. Loved Jimmy and Laurel, but overall I struggled to be invested enough in the characters for the story to carry.
That being said, I did appreciate the historical accuracy of the book. Morton is also not a sentimental author (tough to accomplish with historical fiction) and has some really great observations of life in her writing. The pace drags a bit but if you are looking for a holiday read and a long book to get lost in, this is the one for you. Historical, mystery, romance- it's all here.