Tell Me Your Secret
By Dorothy Koomson
Genre: Psychological Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Headline Review
The book cover itself would make me want to read this book. And then the blurb, c' mon it's perfect marketing. My nosy levels are immediately on 100. There's a secret that I don't know about... and I really want to know!
Tell Me Your Secret is the fifteenth book written by the award-winning author Dorothy Koomson. I've read 11 of Dorothy's books and was excited to read this one because her books feel familiar. Let me be clear, familiar in the sense of her writing style throughout the books. Her thriller books especially have always remained unpredictable and that is one of the reasons why I always happily jump headfirst into Dorothy Koomson's novels.
“I was disappointed with Pieta’s character. Imagine overcoming so much and finally stepping out of your shell and then entertaining your school bully.”
Watch the breakdown
The book kicks off with a mini introduction known as a prologue. It drags you straight into a creepy opening, with someone being told whilst blindfolded that they need to keep their eyes closed for 48 hours to remain alive, no matter what is done to them. A nod is required to begin the weekend.
Detective Inspector Jody Foster has temporarily relocated to Brighton to lead an investigation into a criminal known as The Blindfolder, who has resurfaced and is now killing his past victims. Jody is personally invested in this case because fifteen years ago, she was told by the first victim about this crime and her judgements blurred her from bringing the Blindfolder to justice.
Meanwhile, in the same city lives, Pieta Rawlings, a deputy editor at a regional News company who has not told anyone that ten years ago she was also kidnapped by a man who nicknamed himself The Blindfolder. She went through the 48-hour ritual and believed that after that weekend the worst was over. When she realises that The Blindfolder has now resurfaced and is now hunting down one-by-one his past victims, she naturally wants to escape and uproot her life. Except it's not just her anymore that she would be uprooting.
The women's lives overlap when the latest victim approaches the police wanting her story to be broadcast nationally. She chooses to sell her exclusive story to the news company that Pieta works for. Pieta's bully of a boss is on the chase for the "big win" and puts Pieta forward to win the story bid and to interview the victim for the company. Pieta's boss has gone all out and even hired a photographer, who happens to go way back with Pieta. Detective Inspector Jody Foster is in charge of the victim's safety, and whilst watching interactions between Pieta and the latest victim, realises that Pieta is also one of The Blindfolders past victims.
Pieta has something that gives Jody a fresh chance to finally close this case but she's not so willing to potentially expose herself in the process.
Is that how you're feeling yeah?!
I read this emotional thriller in 2 days straight, and it made everything else going on around me feel like a complete blur. This type of book will make you feel on edge and definitely amplifies paranoia. Now that I've digested it I'm sitting here realising that the story plot is a lot. It is really quite sadistic. I've always wondered how Dorothy comes up with such original and equally creepy storylines. A quick google search told me that she has a degree in psychology... (Google be telling you everyone's business hayyy!)
Both of the women, Pieta and Jody, are strangers to each other but are grabbing on to a big secret separately that is connected. It makes me think on a deep level about self-preservation and how when you have a burden you can easily feel disconnected and that no one else is or has gone through our chain of thoughts. What can I say I'm a deep thinker.
I was disappointed with Pieta's character. Imagine overcoming so much and finally stepping out of your shell and then entertaining your school bully. It proper wound me up, especially because that relationship went from being little mentions here and there to a large part of the storyline. You know when you see one of the girls go back to that ex-partner that she'd spent 2 hours on the phone to you last week crying about? It was that type of disappointment... like really?
When the story unravels, in the end, it’s too shallow. I was expecting a big explanation, maybe something to mind boggle me and make me dig hard and find empathy. The book was electrifying throughout so I didn't feel that I'd wasted a read but I sighed at how stupidly simple the big explanation was.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Overall the story is juicy and the crime aspect is so on point that it is chilling. If you want a book that combines crime and a thriller you will not be disappointed. But the lack of depth in the characters and their behaviour watered the seasoning down for me.
The BIG Quote
"My fingers are curled to hide the shaking and my eyes are wide open to stop the memories that creep in whenever it's dark."