Review: Woman with a Secret by Sophie Hannah

Traffic on Elmhirst Road has come to a halt. The police are stopping cars, searching for something. Nicki Clements waits patiently, until she glimpses a face she hoped she’d never see again. It’s him—and he’s the cop checking each car. Desperate to avoid him, she makes a panicky U-turn and escapes.

But Nicki’s peculiar behavior did not go unnoticed, and now the police have summoned her for questioning. A resident of Elmhirst Road has been murdered—a controversial newspaper columnist named Damon Blundy. The detectives begin peppering her with questions. Why was she seen fleeing the scene? What is her connection to the victim? Why was the knife that killed him used in such a peculiar way? Why were the words “HE IS NO LESS DEAD” painted on the wall of Blundy’s study?and what do they signify?

One simple answer could clear her. But she can’t explain why she fled Elmhirst Road that day without revealing the secret that could ruin her.

Nicki isn’t guilty of murder. But she’s far from innocent . . .

Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Expected publication: August 4th 2015 by William Morrow (first published January 1st 2014) 

Series: Spilling CID #9

Genre: Mystery/Crime

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from William Morrow via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thanks you!**

I really struggled with this book. The synopsis sounded so intriguing and I was expecting a great mystery, but that is not what I got. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it much better if I had read the previous books in the series but I am unsure that I want to after this one. I gave it a really good effort but at 50% I gave up which is rare for me to do.

First of all I could not stand Nicki and she happened to be the main character.The more I read, the more I disliked her. I didn't care about her past, I didn't care about her secrets and I didn't care if she was a murderer or not. She annoyed me from the very beginning and by the time I gave up I don't think that there was anything that could redeem her in my eyes. I just didn't care.

The second thing that I struggled with was the extremely large cast of characters. It was distracting and hard to keep track of who was who. This may have been a case where reading the other books would have helped but it felt like more work than any book should. I want to be swept away by a story, not left to drown.

It just wasn't for me and because I gave up on it I don't feel right giving it a star rating.

About the Author

Sophie Hannah is the internationally bestselling author of nine psychological thrillers and The Monogram Murders, the first novel to be authorized by the estate of Agatha Christie. Her books have received numerous awards, including the UK National Book Award, and are published in twenty-seven countries. She lives in Cambridge, England.

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