The first book I read for the 50 Book Pledge Challenge was Michael Robotham’s novel The Secrets She Keeps. This book was lent to me with the adviso that the book was ‘gooood!’ and his best novel yet. The blurb on the back of the novel did not give much away except that the story was about two women, Agatha and Meghan. I opened this psychological thriller with anticipation.
I had read about 50 pages of the novel with a feeling of disappointment. The beginning of the novel was too much like what I had read in Paula Hawkins’ Girl on the Train. I read a little more, the plot changed and I became engrossed in the story. This was a perfect read to begin my year with as I was able to read with no interruption.
The story centres around Agatha and Meghan. These women have had different upbringing and life experiences. Meghan appears to have the perfect life, a life which Agatha desires. It is this life that Agatha is intent on acquiring. How she does it, and the steps she takes to achieve this is told to us by a storyteller who has perfected the art of giving the reader tidbits of the story line at a time. While reading the novel, I felt for both the women characters: I felt their triumph, their pain, their loss. Halfway through the book, I could not prevent myself from turning the pages and reading their stories.
Even though the novel was disappointing in the beginning, I enjoyed the story of an experience that a mother never hopes to have. If you enjoyed Girl on a Train, you will enjoy this tale. It is drama at its best.
Have you read any of Robotham’s novels?
© Colline Kook-Chun, 2018
(This novel was read as part of my 50 Book Pledge)
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