Book Review: One Little Secret by Cate Holahan

**Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Release Date: July 9, 2019 
Description:

"Everyone has a secret. For some, it's worth dying to protect. For others, it's worth killing.

The glass beach house was supposed to be the getaway that Susan needed. Eager to help her transplanted family set down roots in their new town - and desperate for some kid-free conversation - she invites her new neighbors to join in on a week-long sublet with her and her workaholic husband.

Over the course of the first evening, liquor loosens inhibitions and lips. The three couples begin picking up on the others' marital tensions and work frustrations, as well as revealing their own. But someone says too much. And the next morning one of the women is discovered dead on the private beach.

Town detective Gabby Watkins must figure out who permanently silenced the deceased. As she investigates, she learns that everyone in the glass house was hiding something that could tie them to the murder, and that the biggest secrets of all are often in plain sight for anyone willing to look.

A taut, locked room mystery with an unforgettable cast of characters, One Little Secret promises to keep readers eyes glued to the pages and debating the blinders that we all put on in the service of politeness."

This was an interesting one. Although I found the case to be intriguing, it wasn't perfect. At first, I was a bit confused with the set up of the story since I didn't expect that many perspectives at different points in time, which made it a bit confusing at first. Also, the introduction of the characters was a bit much as I didn't know who was who until a few chapters into the story, but luckily it was eventually cleared up once the couples made it to their vacation spot. 

The case itself was pretty solid, as you know drama is about to unfold amongst the three couples the more there is revealed about them. The way all of their lives were entwined with one another was pretty well constructed, and you can sense the tension with certain characters that will lead to speculation and you into wanting to know more about it. I had an idea on who the murderer was, but it was still an entertaining journey to the answer. Out of the three couples, the most interesting character to me was probably Jenny. She was such a complex character underneath her pretty appearance. It was interesting to see more of her story unfold throughout the story.

Gabby, the detective on the case, added a pretty good perspective to the case. Even though this was her first murder case, I thought she handled it pretty well, especially since she is also juggling the stress of her daughter and the subtle scrutiny that she senses from her colleagues. It was pretty interesting that the author had incorporated an earlier case that Gabby was working on into the main case of the story, as it not only added a bit to the new case, but it was also able to add character Gabby. Instead of seeing her as a newbie at her new Seargent title, you can see her also as a mother. 

Overall, this was a pretty good mystery/thriller. Although it got a bit messy when secrets began to unravel and drama escalated, it was entertaining to see things begin to fall into place. 

Overall rating: 3.5/5