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A review by graceemreads
The Secretary by Zoe Lea
3.0
‘The Secretary’ is an anxiety-ridden thriller that follows Ruth. She split from her husband Will four years earlier and they have an eight year old Sam who is struggling at school, with bullies and anxiety. On Valentines Day, Ruth has a one night stand that gives her a fake number and she thinks that’s the end of it. Until she spots him with his wife and children at the school gates where she works as a secretary. Once word gets out about Ruth and Rob it’s up to Ruth to find out who’s been threatening her and put a stop to them once and for all...
This was a well written thriller, there’s a lot going on and it really created a sense of terror and anxiety that matched how Ruth was feeling. There are several clues as to who has been threatening Ruth so that did take some of the surprise out of the reveal at the end. Regardless, the final pages of the novel were dramatic and tense, tying up the whole story nicely. Ruth was definitely the most fleshed out character, you could really feel her mood as if it was your own. This was an interesting take on exploring the stigma of anxiety and post-natal depression as well as how gaslighting affects mental health. It was an enjoyable read, would suit a reader who prefers a suspenseful thriller as we know what’s going to happen it’s about how we get to that point.
✨Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC ✨
This was a well written thriller, there’s a lot going on and it really created a sense of terror and anxiety that matched how Ruth was feeling. There are several clues as to who has been threatening Ruth so that did take some of the surprise out of the reveal at the end. Regardless, the final pages of the novel were dramatic and tense, tying up the whole story nicely. Ruth was definitely the most fleshed out character, you could really feel her mood as if it was your own. This was an interesting take on exploring the stigma of anxiety and post-natal depression as well as how gaslighting affects mental health. It was an enjoyable read, would suit a reader who prefers a suspenseful thriller as we know what’s going to happen it’s about how we get to that point.
✨Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC ✨