After twenty years apart, Matthew and Helena have rekindled their college romance and are away in Iceland on their first holiday together. Swept up in the romance on a mountain hike, one moment they are taking the perfect photo, the next Helena is hanging from the cliff edge…
Terrified, Matthew almost misses Helena’s sudden and shocking confession―but what he hears chills him to the bone. And when Helena reveals the full truth Matthew is horrified, not only by what she’s done, but why she did it. Does he really know her at all?
His shock turns to horror when, back in England, they discover that someone not only overheard Helena’s confession but plans to blackmail her. Now Matthew must decide whether to go to the police or help Helena keep her secret―and as events spiral out of control, how far is Matthew willing to go to protect his ‘perfect’ girlfriend?
I'm thrilled to be hosting the blog tour for Keep Her Secret today. Many thanks to Mark Edwards, Kashmini Shah from FMcM Associates and Amazon Publishing for inviting me and for my advance copy of the novel.
Although Keep Her Secret is Mark Edwards' first UK-set domestic thriller since 2018, the dramatic opening takes place in Iceland. He evokes the stark beauty of the country superbly and it's the perfect setting for Helena's terrifying fall. While it's not a surprise that she survives, the description of exactly how she is saved is gripping. Meanwhile, the relationship between her and Matthew lies at the heart of everything that comes next so it's vital that readers believe in it. By cleverly combining the passion of a new relationship with the familiarity of the past, Mark Edwards ensures that everything which follows after Helena confesses her dark secret remains plausible, even at the most shocking moments.
It's not a spoiler to say that somebody overhears their conversation in Iceland and when the couple return to England, this person attempts to blackmail her. Obviously I'm not going to disclose who this person is but I can say that their characterisation is excellent. A person who is prepared to threaten somebody else for money is, by design, an unpleasant character and they are often maddeningly obnoxious and yet, their vulnerability is evident throughout. As a result, the questions raised about what is morally right are absolutely compelling.
Despite Helena's confession and her past actions being the catalyst for all that ensues, it's really Matthew who is the central protagonist. As an ordinary man who suddenly finds himself in a situation way beyond anything he could ever have imagined, his choices throughout invite readers to wonder what they would do under similar circumstances. It's easy enough to condemn them for the decisions they make here but while the more straightforward option often seems clear, there is always an understandable, if not necessarily sensible, reason to explain why they behave as they do. What's particularly fascinating is to see how there's an element of excitement woven amongst the fear and Keep Her Secret is also an unsettling exploration of how anybody can be attracted to the darker side of life.
The twists and turns are almost relentless and as the pair are forced to take increasingly drastic actions, there are doubts raised as to what the truth really is. The horrifying consequences are laid bare, nobody escapes fully here and everyone is changed irrevocably as events spiral out of their control. Everyone is a flawed character; some are monstrous, others are by turns, greedy, foolish, obsessed and scared. Control, or the loss of it, becomes an important theme as Mathew and Helena discover just what they – and others – are truly capable of.
Keep Her Secret is a seriously tense thriller at times and there are several jaw-dropping revelations but there are some darkly humorous moments too, and the utterly brilliant ending made me genuinely gasp and left me with a huge smile on my face. With its suspenseful, constantly surprising plot and first-rate characterisation, Keep Her Secret intriguingly asks just what you'd do for love. Disturbingly thought-provoking and packed with all the chills and thrills, I loved it and highly recommend it.
Keep Her Secret is published by Thomas & Mercer and can be purchased here.
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About the Author
Mark lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children, two cats and a puppy.
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