Review: Her Last Secret by Barbara Copperthwaite

Title: Her Last Secret
Author: Barbara Copperthwaite
Pages: 380
Genre: Mystery
Source: Free ARC from Bookouture

Rating: 3 stars

Note: As stated under the Source (above), I received this book for free from Bookouture via NetGalley. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.

Review: This story is told from multiple points of view and flashes back between past and present. We know that something terrible has happened at a wealthy suburban home and it is unlike anything the detectives have ever seen. As we skip back to the days leading up to the tragedy, we’re pointed in all different directions. There are so many people who could be the perpetrator. So many different motives. Every time you think you have your finger on it, more information comes to light and you’re thrown for a loop again. In the end, the answer is so complex, I’m not sure anyone could guess all the events that led to what happened.

Several times, early in this book, I wanted to put it down and walk away. The characters were annoyingly stereotypical and unlikeable. Their flaws made it easier to see them as perps, but then we’d be offered a glimpse into their humanity to make us question the likelihood of their guilt. Not the first time this ploy has been used, but it was done ad nauseam. So it felt like you were on a merry-go-round that wouldn’t stop when you were ready to get off. Hence the moments of wanting to DNF and move on.

However, I got so far in, that I couldn’t not know. I’d spent too much time reading and I felt I deserved to find out what really happened. And, I’m actually glad I did. Without giving anything away, I just have to say that if any reader claims that they knew exactly what happened prior to finishing the book, I’d mark them as geniuses because it is very far from simple. For me, the ending saved the book for me.

It’s hard to say whether I’d recommend it or not. If you plow through 300 books a year because you’ve got nothing but time on your hands (lucky!), then maybe. If you read a lot less than that…well, I’ll say this – I don’t feel that I wasted my time, but if I could go back and choose a different book to read instead, I probably would.

One Reply to “Review: Her Last Secret by Barbara Copperthwaite”

Leave a Reply