Kate Morton Will Wow Her Fans Again. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Kate Morton's legion of fans will love this book! Suspense-filled and lyrically written, The Secret Keeper was 'unputdownable'.

The book begins with sixteen-year old Laurel, the eldest sister of a large family, who is sitting in the tree-house of the family home in peaceful Suffolk.  It is the 1960's and Laurel dreams of her latest 'crush' and leaving home.  Everything changes when she witnesses her mother killing a strange man.

Many years later, Laurel's mother, Dorothy, is dying in hospital and Laurel, now a famous actress, wants to discover the truth about the past.  The story expertly switches between Laurel's search and a young Dorothy in the war years.  Dorothy works as a companion to a wealthy elderly lady in London and is engaged to Jimmy, an ambitious photographer.  When Dorothy, desperate and in need of money, meets beautiful and wealthy Vivien, trouble starts.

The plot has almost too many twists and turns but Kate Morton keeps us involved and we really care about the main protagonists of the story.  There are few clues about Dorothy's uncharacteristic action and Kate Morton really does keep readers guessing until the very last minute. 

The terrible atmosphere of war-torn London - the bombings and the fear - is vivid and detailed. It contrasts with the lovingly described beauty of the Suffolk countryside and a peaceful, modern London.

I also liked the nods to Pride and Prejudice but I couldn't work out their connections with the story - I am going to write and ask Kate Morton about this soon!

I still like this author's first book, The House at Riverton, the best but The Secret Keeper is second on my list.




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