inliterarylove's review against another edition
5.0
Murderinos and crime buffs, The Perfect Secret is for you. Full of suspense and bodies, this book hooks you from the beginning and does not let you go.
Starla is an ex-con who meets her fairy godfather upon her latest release. Willing to give her a second chance in life, he’s part of a program that sets her up with a job, a place to live, even a vehicle. Seems too good to be true, right? Starla thinks so, too. But surprisingly, things go really well. Until the bodies start showing up in the gardens of customers.
Starla was determined not to go back to prison, but finds herself in the thick of the investigation. Is she guilty yet again, or is the con being conned? Holmes keeps you guessing with each grim, twisted detail.
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Starla is an ex-con who meets her fairy godfather upon her latest release. Willing to give her a second chance in life, he’s part of a program that sets her up with a job, a place to live, even a vehicle. Seems too good to be true, right? Starla thinks so, too. But surprisingly, things go really well. Until the bodies start showing up in the gardens of customers.
Starla was determined not to go back to prison, but finds herself in the thick of the investigation. Is she guilty yet again, or is the con being conned? Holmes keeps you guessing with each grim, twisted detail.
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
bookanonjeff's review against another edition
5.0
Among the Creepiest Book Villains I've Ever Encountered. Seriously, I can't go into too much detail there without venturing into spoiler territory, but that is arguably the strongest selling point of this book. Literally only two books - of the thousand or so I've read in my lifetime - readily come to mind as being anywhere close to this level of creepy with their villains. (Though, disclosure: I typically don't read creepy books and wasn't really expecting that here.)
But while the ultimate criminal in this tale is super creepy, the book itself has a fairly tight cast and is a somewhat standard ish mystery. A multi-time convict gets another chance at life outside prison walls and is determined never to see the inside of them again. The story follows a present day investigation she winds up in the middle of as well as the last few years of her life from the moment of her last release from prison and joining up with the current timeline. Excellently paced, some of the creepiness is apparent early ish but I did not see the full details coming at all. Even then, the author keeps revealing surprises almost until the last sentence. Excellent work, and very much recommended.
But while the ultimate criminal in this tale is super creepy, the book itself has a fairly tight cast and is a somewhat standard ish mystery. A multi-time convict gets another chance at life outside prison walls and is determined never to see the inside of them again. The story follows a present day investigation she winds up in the middle of as well as the last few years of her life from the moment of her last release from prison and joining up with the current timeline. Excellently paced, some of the creepiness is apparent early ish but I did not see the full details coming at all. Even then, the author keeps revealing surprises almost until the last sentence. Excellent work, and very much recommended.
brenluvsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Can I give this book 10 stars????
Steena Holmes you did it again.
This book is an amazing psychological thriller!!
Great from the very 1st page, and the it lasted all the way through the book.
That ending though!!
Amazing!!!
This review will be found on Amazon as well.
#steenaholmes
Steena Holmes you did it again.
This book is an amazing psychological thriller!!
Great from the very 1st page, and the it lasted all the way through the book.
That ending though!!
Amazing!!!
This review will be found on Amazon as well.
#steenaholmes
kiercarnahan's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. The Perfect Secret was crazy! This new book by the author of The Patient comes out May 19, 2020!
The story centers around Starla Bishop, a fresh from prison, ex-con. She falls into a job opportunity after prison that seems too good to be true with a landscaping company. Later, bodies begin to be discovered across her town in gardens and Starla is brought in for questioning. The story mainly takes place during Starla's questioning by police with flashbacks to other times.
I seriously couldn't put this book down. It was truly something else. A little love triangle, a little murder, a little of everything else. It was a murder story unlike anything else I've read before. It can be very dark in some places so prepare yourself now.
Thank you to Steena Holmes for the opportunity to read and review her new book early!
The story centers around Starla Bishop, a fresh from prison, ex-con. She falls into a job opportunity after prison that seems too good to be true with a landscaping company. Later, bodies begin to be discovered across her town in gardens and Starla is brought in for questioning. The story mainly takes place during Starla's questioning by police with flashbacks to other times.
I seriously couldn't put this book down. It was truly something else. A little love triangle, a little murder, a little of everything else. It was a murder story unlike anything else I've read before. It can be very dark in some places so prepare yourself now.
Thank you to Steena Holmes for the opportunity to read and review her new book early!
alstrath's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting
It took a while to get into this book. I have to be honest but I didn't "connect" with the lead character. But as I read on the story got my attention and one had to admire the devious but clever maneuvers the lead character got around.
It took a while to get into this book. I have to be honest but I didn't "connect" with the lead character. But as I read on the story got my attention and one had to admire the devious but clever maneuvers the lead character got around.
anastaciareadsstuff's review against another edition
2.0
I just finished The Perfect Secret by Steena Holmes and this one was just lack luster for me. I didn't find it very thrilling or suspenseful. In comparison to some of the great thrillers I have read this year this one was predictable and repetitive. The characters had zero depth. I was waiting for the shoe to drop at the end since I had a pretty good idea as to who the villain was from the very first few chapters but that didn't happen. It played out exactly the way I predicted. Overall just a meh read for me.
lsmoore43's review against another edition
5.0
This is the best Steena Holmes book I have ever read and I’ve read quite a few. It’s going to keep you glued to your seat until the very end.
“I’LL NEVER TRUST AGAIN. NOT AFTER THIS.” One of my favorite lines in this book.
This is the story of Ada Bishop. She gets out of prison and starts a new life. A new job and in a new town. Her mother worries about her all the time. Afraid she will slip back into the wrong crowd and land back in prison. But Ada has no intention of ever going back. She meets Donald and Alexius Dixon and her life is never the same. She starts a new job at a landscaping company owned by the two and the bodies start stacking up. Donald and Alexius are no longer married but are partners in the business. Donald also owns a used car lot. Alexius is the main owner of the landscaping business and it’s thriving. Donald is more of a silent partner in Alexius’s business but he does some hands on at times.
Donald sweeps Ada off her feet and they become engaged. Ada is happier than she has ever been. Or is she? Is it all a ruse to cover up things? Is anything as it appears. Ada’s mom, Caryn McCoy, does all she can to keep Ada on the straight and narrow. She worries all the time that Ada will fall back into her old ways and end up back in prison. She calls her everyday and checks up on her. They are very close and Ada truly does not want to let Caryn down. Caryn is the only one who ever cared, truly cared, about her. Caryn is a foster mom but they have a closeness that goes beyond a natural mother/daughter relationship. Caryn is the only person in Ada’s life that ever stood by her no matter what. Who was there the day Ada got out of jail and has always been there for her. She worries all the time about what will happen to Ada. When Ada and Donny get engaged Caryn is worried. She doesn’t trust Donald or Alexius. Nothing about them appears to be right. Something is off with their relationship and she wants Ada to see that.
This book is so well written. It’s one of those that will pull you in and have you rooting for the down on her luck Ada all the way. Personally I thought Ada was great. She’s much smarter than anyone wants to give her credit for and she’s just a very likable character. Donald, I didn’t like him from the beginning. From the very start he made my skin crawl. I just didn’t connect with him at all. Alexius was vital to this story and I liked her. Not a lot but she did grow on me and became one of my favorite characters. Officer Kaarns was another of my favorite characters. She was strong and didn’t want to give anyone a break for a while. Once she saw what was going on she could not be stopped. Spikes, the other officer, was also very likable. He believed in Ada from the start while Kaarns didn’t. All these characters will get under your skin. Most in a good way but some not so much. This is a very intense edge of your seat book that will draw you in from the very beginning and will not let you go. When the very last word is read you might be able to breath normal again...
“Never tell all you know-not even to the person you know best.” -Agatha Christie, The Secret Adversary (I love this line at the end of this book)
Thank you #SteenaHolmes, #SHPressInc for this ARC. This is my review given freely.
A huge and I mean huge 5 stars. I highly highly recommend this book to anyone that loves to read.
“I’LL NEVER TRUST AGAIN. NOT AFTER THIS.” One of my favorite lines in this book.
This is the story of Ada Bishop. She gets out of prison and starts a new life. A new job and in a new town. Her mother worries about her all the time. Afraid she will slip back into the wrong crowd and land back in prison. But Ada has no intention of ever going back. She meets Donald and Alexius Dixon and her life is never the same. She starts a new job at a landscaping company owned by the two and the bodies start stacking up. Donald and Alexius are no longer married but are partners in the business. Donald also owns a used car lot. Alexius is the main owner of the landscaping business and it’s thriving. Donald is more of a silent partner in Alexius’s business but he does some hands on at times.
Donald sweeps Ada off her feet and they become engaged. Ada is happier than she has ever been. Or is she? Is it all a ruse to cover up things? Is anything as it appears. Ada’s mom, Caryn McCoy, does all she can to keep Ada on the straight and narrow. She worries all the time that Ada will fall back into her old ways and end up back in prison. She calls her everyday and checks up on her. They are very close and Ada truly does not want to let Caryn down. Caryn is the only one who ever cared, truly cared, about her. Caryn is a foster mom but they have a closeness that goes beyond a natural mother/daughter relationship. Caryn is the only person in Ada’s life that ever stood by her no matter what. Who was there the day Ada got out of jail and has always been there for her. She worries all the time about what will happen to Ada. When Ada and Donny get engaged Caryn is worried. She doesn’t trust Donald or Alexius. Nothing about them appears to be right. Something is off with their relationship and she wants Ada to see that.
This book is so well written. It’s one of those that will pull you in and have you rooting for the down on her luck Ada all the way. Personally I thought Ada was great. She’s much smarter than anyone wants to give her credit for and she’s just a very likable character. Donald, I didn’t like him from the beginning. From the very start he made my skin crawl. I just didn’t connect with him at all. Alexius was vital to this story and I liked her. Not a lot but she did grow on me and became one of my favorite characters. Officer Kaarns was another of my favorite characters. She was strong and didn’t want to give anyone a break for a while. Once she saw what was going on she could not be stopped. Spikes, the other officer, was also very likable. He believed in Ada from the start while Kaarns didn’t. All these characters will get under your skin. Most in a good way but some not so much. This is a very intense edge of your seat book that will draw you in from the very beginning and will not let you go. When the very last word is read you might be able to breath normal again...
“Never tell all you know-not even to the person you know best.” -Agatha Christie, The Secret Adversary (I love this line at the end of this book)
Thank you #SteenaHolmes, #SHPressInc for this ARC. This is my review given freely.
A huge and I mean huge 5 stars. I highly highly recommend this book to anyone that loves to read.
heath62008's review against another edition
5.0
We meet Starla who just came home from to frantic texts and calls from her mom. It seems that Starla’s fiancé, Donald, an ex congressman and his ex- wife, Alexius were just arrested on suspicion of multiple murders.
Starla was devastated to find our her engagement ring to Donald was a fake and that he used her. If I were her, I would have knocked his teeth out.
I absolutely loved Starla and Alexius I can’t wait to read more. Highly recommend
Starla was devastated to find our her engagement ring to Donald was a fake and that he used her. If I were her, I would have knocked his teeth out.
I absolutely loved Starla and Alexius I can’t wait to read more. Highly recommend
kellyhager's review
5.0
A few nights ago, I finished a book and planned to read a chapter of The Perfect Secret before bed. That was a huge mistake. Several hours later, I was still up, still telling myself I would just read a few more pages.
In my defense, The Perfect Secret really IS just that good. I was suspicious of literally everyone, and at the same time I was so concerned that Starla was going to end up back in prison (either because she should be or because the police were going to conclude that they may as well just blame everything on an ex-con and not on the increasingly creepy man who was a beloved town fixture).
I would really like a prequel (or an entire series of prequels!) featuring Starla. I absolutely loved her and I would love to know more about her past. There were a lot of very fun hints sprinkled throughout this book, and I'm sure that hundreds of pages could be written.
This is just an incredibly fun (and excellent) story. It's an amazing distraction from what's going on in the world, but it's something I would wholeheartedly recommend even when we're not all staying home.
Highly recommended. (Just start it in the morning. Trust me.)
In my defense, The Perfect Secret really IS just that good. I was suspicious of literally everyone, and at the same time I was so concerned that Starla was going to end up back in prison (either because she should be or because the police were going to conclude that they may as well just blame everything on an ex-con and not on the increasingly creepy man who was a beloved town fixture).
I would really like a prequel (or an entire series of prequels!) featuring Starla. I absolutely loved her and I would love to know more about her past. There were a lot of very fun hints sprinkled throughout this book, and I'm sure that hundreds of pages could be written.
This is just an incredibly fun (and excellent) story. It's an amazing distraction from what's going on in the world, but it's something I would wholeheartedly recommend even when we're not all staying home.
Highly recommended. (Just start it in the morning. Trust me.)
More...