The Secret Keeper

by Kate Morton

Book Overview

From the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of The Distant Hours, The Forgotten Garden, and The House at Riverton, a spellbinding novel of family secrets, murder, and enduring love. During a picnic at her family's farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson witnesses a shocking crime, a crime that challenges everything she knows about her adored mother, Dorothy. Now, fifty years later, Laurel and her sisters are meeting at the farm to celebrate Dorothy's ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this is her last chance to discover the truth about that long-ago day, Laurel searches for answers that can only be found in Dorothy's past. Clue by clue, she traces a secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds thrown together in war-torn London--Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy--whose lives are forever after entwined. A gripping story of deception and passion, The Secret Keeper will keep you enthralled to the last page.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1439152810
• ISBN13: 9781439152812
• Release Date: July 2013
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

3.75 stars

THE SECRET KEEPER by Kate Morton Set in 2011 London with flashbacks to 1941 and 1950s, this story follows actress Laurel Nicolson as she attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding a crime she witnessed when she was sixteen. All she has to go by is an old photo and her 90 year old ailing mother’s sporadic memory. I’ve read two other books by this author and as always her writing is excellent. The story, while complex, flows well between past, present and different perspectives. The characters were interesting even if a few of them took some time for me to warm up to. I really loved Jimmy and wish there was a spin off novel about him and his father. I felt he was sort of just caught in the middle of Dorothy/Dolly’s wild plans and I wanted more for him. Overall, I think I would have liked this more if I didn’t figure out the twist before I was half way through. (If you’ve read other Kate Morton books, they tend to follow a pattern.) That said, it’s still a solid, albeit slow burn, story to escape into. Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐️

Kate Morton became a favorite as soon as I opened her first book

Some reviews have given low-star ratings due to multiple timelines and intricate character development. That is what I find so fun about Kate's writing style. I love the way she jumps around time, back and forth between then and now, before bringing everything together so smoothly. The Forgotten Garden was my introduction to Miss Morton. The Secret Keeper is my favorite so far. I'm finishing The Clockmaker's Daughter now, and just received Homecoming as a gift. Excited!