A review by mauibeachreads
Secrets of Our House by Rea Frey

reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

Wow! I wasn't sure where this book was going when I started listening, but I definitely wanted to find out. A slow burn, the tension kept building and building, with a sense of some kind of impending disaster - I honestly wasn't sure if it was going to end up with a horrible accident, one of the characters murdering another, or even some kind of catastrophic natural disaster - all I knew is something was coming. The author did a fantastic job of gradually building suspense and that feeling of doom, but without me being able to specifically identify how she did it. I love that - the invisible magic a writer has of combining words in just the right way to lead you where they want you without you knowing how they're doing it! I'm sure the narrator of this audiobook had something to do with it. Initially, I wasn't sure I liked the voice - it seemed a bit bland, but soon I forgot I was listening to a book and was just completely strapped in for the ride. Character development was great - I felt like I knew each of these characters personally (it still feels like these are people I've actually met IRL) and was invested in the outcome of each of their stories. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a good family drama, slow build sort of thriller (I definitely felt like I was reading a thriller, although I don't think it's billed as that). I'll read anything else I can find by Rea Frey now!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Rea Frey, the talented narrator Samantha Desz, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for  my honest review. All opinions are my own.