We All Have Our Secrets – Jane Corry

Thank you so much to the publishers, Penguin Random House, for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

_{Emily made a mistake, a mistake midwifes can’t afford to make. Escaping to her dad’s home in Devon to regroup and check in on him – his dementia has been worsening, and her guilt along with it – she is surprised when a beautiful stranger answers the door. Francoise is her dad’s new carer, but Emily’s father seems to have deteriorated under her care.}

_{Emily doesn’t trust Francoise – but she doesn’t trust herself either. Each has a secret. And one of them will kill to keep it . . .}

Jane Corry is an author that so many of the patrons in the libraries I’ve worked at have recommended. Yet, it took me until We All Have Our Secrets to finally pick up one of her books. I knew going into this book to expect a gripping psychological thriller but I was shocked by how much this book had me hooked. Within a couple of chapters I could not put the book down and wanted to know the answers to all the questions I had.

The book is told from two perspectives. We have Emily, a midwife, who has just made a mistake in her role that she cannot afford to make. So, she travels to her elderly father’s home to regroup and check up on him. She knows it will give her some time to think and also to look after her father whose dementia is worsening. Emily is surprised when a beautiful stranger opens her father’s door. Francoise is the second perspective in the book. Francoise is the new carer of Emily’s father and he has seemingly deteriorated under her care. Emily doesn’t trust Francoise and Francoise doesn’t trust Emily. Each seem to have a secret and one of them will keep it.

It was really intriguing seeing Emily’s perspective on things, then Francoise’s and how they differed. We even get to see some of Emily’s father Harold Gentle’s past in some flashback chapters. I loved the family dynamics that we got to see throughout the book. We get to see Emily’s need to protect her father and how adding another person to the mix really turns their lives upside down. Each of the characters is hiding a secret from the others and this is what drives the story forward. I loved seeing what the characters thought of each other and how their doubts and worries effected them.

I will certainly be reading more books by Jane Corry in the future. Her writing is exceptional and the situations she created in this book had me on edge at all time. There were small moments when I thought things may be fine and then within a sentence I was feeling uneasy and on edge again. I was constatly trying to guess what might happen next. I wanted to know all the answers, how the mysteries would unfold and I was surprised by how much, the twists that continued on into the final chapters, shocked me.

Overall, I would highly recommend We All Have Our Secrets. It keeps you gripped, is shocking and a truly thrilling read. It shows the readers different perspectives on situations whilst showing a unique family dynamic. Jane Corry is a wonderful writer and I will be reading more by her in the future. Give this one a read, you won’t regret it!