Thank you Poisoned Pen Press #partner, for the advanced e-copy of The Secret Attic in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: The Secret Attic
Published: June 2, 2026
Summary:
The past isn’t just haunting her—it’s hunting her.
Addison Lowe knew her mother-in-law despised her, but inheriting Barb’s massive estate after her death feels less like closure and more like a trap. Barb’s hoarded rooms aren’t just filled with clutter—they’re filled with secrets. And it’s Addison’s job to unearth them while Luke grieves the loss of the mother he could never let go of.
But Luke grows stranger with every box they open—restless, secretive, cruel in ways Addison has never seen. And the house itself seems to breathe with Barb’s presence. Ivy claws through the windows. A murder of crows drops trinkets at her feet. Dolls stare from the shadows, labeled with names Addison doesn’t recognize—until she does. One doll bears the name Cassidy Warren, a girl who vanished years ago. And the more Addison uncovers, the more Barb’s legacy seems tied to the streak of “bad luck” that has haunted Rockside Bay for decades.
The deeper Addison digs, the clearer it some secrets were meant to stay buried. And the husband she thought she knew may be hiding the darkest one of all…
My thoughts:
I became a fan of Chelsea Conradt after reading her debut novel, The Farmhouse, last year. When I heard about her next book, it was a no-brainer that I would be reading it…and I loved how creepy and unsettling it was!
This book had me keeping the lights on and jumping at every noise I heard! Between the creepy secret attic, the dolls and crows — I’ll never look at either the same again!! — and some seriously suspect characters…I didn’t know who to trust as I was reading this and that is my favorite kind of book! Characters that I can’t trust, unhinged main characters, a house that seems a little off — this one has it all!
The author nails the atmosphere in this book. It’s claustrophobic at times, it has a sense of dread and it just pulls you in bit by bit.
I don’t even want to say more for fear of getting into spoiler territory. All I know is that I’m excited to hear Chelsea speak about this, and maybe her other book, too, at @hauntthereaders in a few weeks!!
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