Review: Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra

Title: Little Secrets 

Author: Anna Snoekstra 

Published: October 2017, MIRA 

Format: ARC E-copy, 336 pages 

Source: Netgalley 

Summary:

What happens when ambition trumps the truth?

A town reeling in the wake of tragedy

An
arsonist is on the loose in Colmstock, Australia, most recently burning
down the town’s courthouse and killing a young boy who was trapped
inside..

An aspiring journalist desperate for a story

The
clock is ticking for Rose Blakey. With nothing but rejections from
newspapers piling up, her job pulling beers for cops at the local tavern
isn’t nearly enough to cover rent. Rose needs a story-a big one.

Little dolls full of secrets

In
the weeks after the courthouse fire, precise porcelain replicas of
Colmstock’s daughters begin turning up on doorsteps, terrifying parents
and testing the limits of the town’s already fractured police force.

Rose
may have finally found her story. But as her articles gain traction and
the boundaries of her investigation blur, Colmstock is seized by a
seething paranoia. Soon, no one is safe from suspicion. And when Rose’s
attention turns to the mysterious stranger living in the rooms behind
the tavern, neighbor turns on neighbor and the darkest side of
self-preservation is revealed.

My thoughts: Last year, I read Anna Snoekstra’s debut novel Only Daughter, which I liked and have been looking forward to seeing what she wrote next. So when I saw that her sophomore novel was available on Netgalley, I jumped at the opportunity to read it. 

This is a smart, small-town crime thriller, that focuses on what happens when people act without thought to the consequences. It isn’t really fast-paced at all, it has more of a slow-burning aspect to it that will consume you as you read it, desperate to figure out how all the pieces come together. 

What I really enjoyed was the sense of paranoia that develops as the story progresses. The suspense ratchets up and you end up not knowing who is trustworthy. The characters, while not very likeable, are compelling and they get under your skin – you just need to know what is really going on and why.

This atmospheric mystery was full of suspense, yet has a dark underlying tone to it. It a small-town filled with secrets and kept me guessing right up to the very end. I look forward to seeing what comes next from this author.