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All the Dirty Secrets
One warm summer night twenty-five years ago, Liza Gold and her friends celebrated their high school graduation with a party on the beach. It should have been the best night of their lives, only, one of them never came back out of the ocean.
The tragedy haunted Liza Gold for years. Now, Liza is a recently divorced working mom struggling to connect with her standoffish teenager daughter Zoe when history repeats itself. Another young woman has drowned at Beach Week, and this time the victim is Zoe’s secret best friend.
Liza begins to suspect that the two deaths are somehow related, which causes her to face hard truths and take an unflinching look at the people she’s called her closest friends for the past two decades. She must discover what really happened to both women before it’s too late.
Set in the upscale DC private school scene, where silence can easily be bought, All the Dirty Secrets asks how far you would go to protect your status and your family, and if some secrets should ever be revealed.
The tragedy haunted Liza Gold for years. Now, Liza is a recently divorced working mom struggling to connect with her standoffish teenager daughter Zoe when history repeats itself. Another young woman has drowned at Beach Week, and this time the victim is Zoe’s secret best friend.
Liza begins to suspect that the two deaths are somehow related, which causes her to face hard truths and take an unflinching look at the people she’s called her closest friends for the past two decades. She must discover what really happened to both women before it’s too late.
Set in the upscale DC private school scene, where silence can easily be bought, All the Dirty Secrets asks how far you would go to protect your status and your family, and if some secrets should ever be revealed.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 12, 2022
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June 2, 2023
**3.5-stars rounded up**
25-years ago, Liza and her best friends, Nikki, Shelby and Whitney, took part in a traditional celebration in their area known as Beach Week.
The girls attended a posh private school, Washington Prep, in D.C. and Beach Week is essentially their way of celebrating their graduation, all without adult supervision, with lots of substances and the use of their parent's beach houses.
Things are known to get pretty wild, but even the locals seem to disregard what's happening. These privileged kids get away with everything.
Unfortunately, this time, one of them doesn't come out unscathed. Nikki never made it back from their midnight swim and her death has haunted Liza all these years.
Now Liza has her own daughter, Zoe, at Washington Prep and while her Mom is away on a Girls Weekend at the beach, Zoe takes advantage and slips off to the beach herself for her own Beach Week celebration.
Even though Zoe is an underclassman, she gets invited along to Beach Week as a guest of an older girl named, Emery, who graduated from Washington Prep last year.
Liza only discovers that Zoe has sneaked away to the beach when she receives a call from the local police.
Zoe is at the station extremely distressed after discovering Emery's dead body on the beach. She says Emery had gone off to meet up with someone, but she doesn't know who. The police assert it's just another Beach Week drowning.
Liza is completely floored by this news. She can't believe Zoe would lie and take off on her own like this. More disturbing though is another mysterious death of a young girl from Washington Prep. Is it just a horrific coincidence, or is there something more at play?
In All the Dirty Secrets, Aggie Blum Thompson successfully weaves together a wicked tale of privilege, lies, deception and murder.
This is one twisted tale and frankly, I love to see that. The more twisted the better. In this case, the narrative started out quite slow for me. It took me a while to become engaged.
Initially, I found some of the characters to be quite annoying, particularly how Zoe talked to her Mom and I wasn't sure if I could push through.
Fortunately, I was listening to the audiobook and the narrators did a great job keeping me engaged enough to proceed and I'm so glad for that.
About the time that Liza heads into the police station to collect Miss Sassy-Mouth Zoe, I became truly captivated. From there, I couldn't put it down.
I really enjoyed how Blum Thompson formatted this story. I always enjoy dual timelines and POVs. In this narrative we follow Liza's group during their high school Beach Week and the events surround Nikki's death, as well as Liza's present perspective and Zoe's present perspective.
This allowed the reveals to hit one after another, helping the story to get rolling. Just when I thought I knew it all, something would be exposed that would have my jaw on the floor. I couldn't believe the dirt I was digging through by the end; my goodness.
There were some bad actors in this story, that's for sure!
Overall, I had fun with this. It's a great Summer Thriller. I would definitely recommend it and look forward to picking up more from this author in the future.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Forge Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I really appreciate it!
25-years ago, Liza and her best friends, Nikki, Shelby and Whitney, took part in a traditional celebration in their area known as Beach Week.
The girls attended a posh private school, Washington Prep, in D.C. and Beach Week is essentially their way of celebrating their graduation, all without adult supervision, with lots of substances and the use of their parent's beach houses.
Things are known to get pretty wild, but even the locals seem to disregard what's happening. These privileged kids get away with everything.
Unfortunately, this time, one of them doesn't come out unscathed. Nikki never made it back from their midnight swim and her death has haunted Liza all these years.
Now Liza has her own daughter, Zoe, at Washington Prep and while her Mom is away on a Girls Weekend at the beach, Zoe takes advantage and slips off to the beach herself for her own Beach Week celebration.
Even though Zoe is an underclassman, she gets invited along to Beach Week as a guest of an older girl named, Emery, who graduated from Washington Prep last year.
Liza only discovers that Zoe has sneaked away to the beach when she receives a call from the local police.
Zoe is at the station extremely distressed after discovering Emery's dead body on the beach. She says Emery had gone off to meet up with someone, but she doesn't know who. The police assert it's just another Beach Week drowning.
Liza is completely floored by this news. She can't believe Zoe would lie and take off on her own like this. More disturbing though is another mysterious death of a young girl from Washington Prep. Is it just a horrific coincidence, or is there something more at play?
In All the Dirty Secrets, Aggie Blum Thompson successfully weaves together a wicked tale of privilege, lies, deception and murder.
This is one twisted tale and frankly, I love to see that. The more twisted the better. In this case, the narrative started out quite slow for me. It took me a while to become engaged.
Initially, I found some of the characters to be quite annoying, particularly how Zoe talked to her Mom and I wasn't sure if I could push through.
Fortunately, I was listening to the audiobook and the narrators did a great job keeping me engaged enough to proceed and I'm so glad for that.
About the time that Liza heads into the police station to collect Miss Sassy-Mouth Zoe, I became truly captivated. From there, I couldn't put it down.
I really enjoyed how Blum Thompson formatted this story. I always enjoy dual timelines and POVs. In this narrative we follow Liza's group during their high school Beach Week and the events surround Nikki's death, as well as Liza's present perspective and Zoe's present perspective.
This allowed the reveals to hit one after another, helping the story to get rolling. Just when I thought I knew it all, something would be exposed that would have my jaw on the floor. I couldn't believe the dirt I was digging through by the end; my goodness.
There were some bad actors in this story, that's for sure!
Overall, I had fun with this. It's a great Summer Thriller. I would definitely recommend it and look forward to picking up more from this author in the future.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Forge Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I really appreciate it!
July 12, 2022
Update 7/12/22: Reposting my review to celebrate that today is publication day!
In 1994, Nikki Montes drowned while at Beach Week celebrating her graduation from Washington Prep high school. Afterwards, her best friend, Liza Gold, and the rest of her friends were never quite the same. In the present, Liza’s 16-year-old daughter Zoe sneaks off to Beach Week, only to live through that same tragedy when her best friend Emery Blake drowns. But Zoe is convinced that Emery was murdered, and Liza slowly opens up to the possibility that Emery’s—and Nikki’s—deaths were not the accidents they seemed to be.
All the Dirty Secrets is a mystery at its core and is a very well plotted one. It’s a bit of a slow burn at first, establishing the characters and their relationships, before picking up speed in the middle. There are just the right number of flashbacks to the events of 1994, and each one advances not just the story of what happened then but also what is happening in the present. There are numerous possibilities about what happened to Nikki and Emery, and the book does a nice job exploring them before the answers are finally revealed.
But All the Dirty Secrets is better than the ordinary good mystery for several reasons. It paints a convincing portrait of the elite prep school scene, the diversity of families who attend those schools, and the various pressures placed on the students by their families. The strained relationship between Liza and teenage Zoe rings very true. The novel builds on a real life story that was in the news a few years ago (to say what would be too big a spoiler, but one of the characters talks about it somewhere in the middle of the book, so there’s no doubt the real life event was on the author’s mind). Most of all, the portrayals of friendships—from the intensity of youthful ones, to the deeper ones of adulthood, and the guilt left behind after some friendships end—are pivotal to the plot and elevate the story.
All the Dirty Secrets is great sophomore effort by Aggie Blum Thompson. I will have no hesitation when she releases her next novel. 😄 Recommended.
The sameness of the two deaths is inescapable. But I don’t mention Nikki’s name. I’m not sure why, but those are the rules. We don’t talk about that night.I received a free ARC of All the Dirty Secrets by Aggie Blum Thompson from Macmillan in an exchange for an honest review. I was a bit on the fence about requesting this book. I liked Ms. Thompson’s debut novel, I Don’t Forgive You, but it had flaws, especially how the plot was repeatedly advanced by the main character making completely unbelievable choices. But the book was entertaining, and so I decided to give her new book a try. I definitely made the right call.
But I’m experiencing my friend’s death all over again tonight.
In 1994, Nikki Montes drowned while at Beach Week celebrating her graduation from Washington Prep high school. Afterwards, her best friend, Liza Gold, and the rest of her friends were never quite the same. In the present, Liza’s 16-year-old daughter Zoe sneaks off to Beach Week, only to live through that same tragedy when her best friend Emery Blake drowns. But Zoe is convinced that Emery was murdered, and Liza slowly opens up to the possibility that Emery’s—and Nikki’s—deaths were not the accidents they seemed to be.
All the Dirty Secrets is a mystery at its core and is a very well plotted one. It’s a bit of a slow burn at first, establishing the characters and their relationships, before picking up speed in the middle. There are just the right number of flashbacks to the events of 1994, and each one advances not just the story of what happened then but also what is happening in the present. There are numerous possibilities about what happened to Nikki and Emery, and the book does a nice job exploring them before the answers are finally revealed.
But All the Dirty Secrets is better than the ordinary good mystery for several reasons. It paints a convincing portrait of the elite prep school scene, the diversity of families who attend those schools, and the various pressures placed on the students by their families. The strained relationship between Liza and teenage Zoe rings very true. The novel builds on a real life story that was in the news a few years ago (to say what would be too big a spoiler, but one of the characters talks about it somewhere in the middle of the book, so there’s no doubt the real life event was on the author’s mind). Most of all, the portrayals of friendships—from the intensity of youthful ones, to the deeper ones of adulthood, and the guilt left behind after some friendships end—are pivotal to the plot and elevate the story.
All the Dirty Secrets is great sophomore effort by Aggie Blum Thompson. I will have no hesitation when she releases her next novel. 😄 Recommended.
July 17, 2022
This was my first Aggie Blum Thomson read and overall, I thought it was okay. I had the audio and ebook for this title. As I've said before, I do love having the option to go back and forth between the two.
I thought the story was good but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I especially had a hard time with Liza's daughter Zoe. I understand she's a teenager that had some difficulties. However, I found myself gritting my teeth at her whininess sometimes. It could just be me as I've noticed this with a few books and teenage characters lately.
The flow of the story was pretty good but there was a lot of characters to keep track of. As I read this got easier. At the beginning though there were times when I had no clue who characters were referring to.
All that said, this was still a decent read. There were some good twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I'm glad I read it and I'll definitely check out more from this author.
I thought the story was good but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I especially had a hard time with Liza's daughter Zoe. I understand she's a teenager that had some difficulties. However, I found myself gritting my teeth at her whininess sometimes. It could just be me as I've noticed this with a few books and teenage characters lately.
The flow of the story was pretty good but there was a lot of characters to keep track of. As I read this got easier. At the beginning though there were times when I had no clue who characters were referring to.
All that said, this was still a decent read. There were some good twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I'm glad I read it and I'll definitely check out more from this author.
July 11, 2022
Annoying clueless main character, ok twists.
I listened to this partially as an audiobook, and while the narrator was excellent, I just couldn't get past how annoying and awful Liza was and I think that she came across as more annoying when spoken out loud than she did on the page.
Basic premise is that this book is told in "now" and "then" format. Now, Liza's sophomore daughter Zoe has snuck out to participate in "Beach Week" with her fancy private school, which is basically like spring break on steroids with rich kids and no adults. Liza is separated from her husband and doesn't know Zoe is at the beach until she receives a phone call from the police and finds out that Zoe has found her best friend dead. This reminds Liza so much of what happened back when she was in high school at beach week, when her best friend Nikki drowned and was never found.
This is a very slow burner of a story, I had basically worked out a great deal of what happened before it was revealed. Liza, for having a teen daughter and working at the school herself, was absolutely clueless about her daughter's life and honestly about teen life in general. She had no clue how to talk to or relate to her daughter and it got eye-rolling after a while. I felt like many of the chapters from Zoe's POV were more mature than those of Liza's. And everyone around her kept secrets from her for years and she was absolutely oblivious, almost to the point it became comical.
That said, if you like an over-the-top explanation for events, this could be an entertaining choice.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I listened to this partially as an audiobook, and while the narrator was excellent, I just couldn't get past how annoying and awful Liza was and I think that she came across as more annoying when spoken out loud than she did on the page.
Basic premise is that this book is told in "now" and "then" format. Now, Liza's sophomore daughter Zoe has snuck out to participate in "Beach Week" with her fancy private school, which is basically like spring break on steroids with rich kids and no adults. Liza is separated from her husband and doesn't know Zoe is at the beach until she receives a phone call from the police and finds out that Zoe has found her best friend dead. This reminds Liza so much of what happened back when she was in high school at beach week, when her best friend Nikki drowned and was never found.
This is a very slow burner of a story, I had basically worked out a great deal of what happened before it was revealed. Liza, for having a teen daughter and working at the school herself, was absolutely clueless about her daughter's life and honestly about teen life in general. She had no clue how to talk to or relate to her daughter and it got eye-rolling after a while. I felt like many of the chapters from Zoe's POV were more mature than those of Liza's. And everyone around her kept secrets from her for years and she was absolutely oblivious, almost to the point it became comical.
That said, if you like an over-the-top explanation for events, this could be an entertaining choice.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
August 3, 2022
Recently divorced Liza Gold is looking forward to a week at Dewey Beach on the Delaware/Maryland shore with her best friends from high school, Shelby, Todd and Archer. They’ve been best friends since they all met at the elite Washington Prep School in the 90s and Dewey Beach is where they came to party after graduating high school at what is known as Beach Week. Now twenty eight years later they are back at Shelby’s family beach house so she can spy on her twins who have just graduated from Washington Prep and are partying at Beach Week. Shelby is anxious because their own Beach Week in 1994 ended badly when one of their friends, Nikki Montes, went for a night time swim and drowned.
Liza’s daughter Zoe is a sophomore at Washington Prep, so won’t be attending Beach week for another two years. However, unknown to Liza, Zoe’s new best friend, Emery, a senior at Washington Prep, has talked Zoe into sneaking off to attend Beach Week with her and the unthinkable happens - Emery is later found drowned. Liza is convinced that the two deaths twenty eight years apart have to be connected, but how could they be? In order to find out who killed Zoe’s friend, she must re-examine everything she knows about the events leading to Nikki’s death all those years ago.
This psychological suspense starts off as a slow burning mystery as we get to know the characters and the background to the events, but the suspense soon ramps up with shocking revelations and more than a few dirty secrets and shocking coverups spilling out. The elitist atmosphere at Washington Prep and the sense of entitlement of the wealthy parents and their children all contributes to the sense of betrayal that Zoe starts to feel.Told in two time lines from Liza’s and Zoe’s points of view, they will both come to question their friendships and who they can trust. Zoe may be a spoiled, whiny teenager, angry and rude to her parents but she will come to realise how much she still needs her mother. The final clever plot twist is one I didn’t see coming and made for a shocking conclusion to this gripping mystery.
With thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley for a copy to read. This original review was first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/al...
Liza’s daughter Zoe is a sophomore at Washington Prep, so won’t be attending Beach week for another two years. However, unknown to Liza, Zoe’s new best friend, Emery, a senior at Washington Prep, has talked Zoe into sneaking off to attend Beach Week with her and the unthinkable happens - Emery is later found drowned. Liza is convinced that the two deaths twenty eight years apart have to be connected, but how could they be? In order to find out who killed Zoe’s friend, she must re-examine everything she knows about the events leading to Nikki’s death all those years ago.
This psychological suspense starts off as a slow burning mystery as we get to know the characters and the background to the events, but the suspense soon ramps up with shocking revelations and more than a few dirty secrets and shocking coverups spilling out. The elitist atmosphere at Washington Prep and the sense of entitlement of the wealthy parents and their children all contributes to the sense of betrayal that Zoe starts to feel.Told in two time lines from Liza’s and Zoe’s points of view, they will both come to question their friendships and who they can trust. Zoe may be a spoiled, whiny teenager, angry and rude to her parents but she will come to realise how much she still needs her mother. The final clever plot twist is one I didn’t see coming and made for a shocking conclusion to this gripping mystery.
With thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley for a copy to read. This original review was first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/al...
June 27, 2022
Books about dirty secrets?
I'M IN!
The author's premise was compelling:
Two young women attending the same affluent prep school in different decades drown during the school's Beach Week.
Were these drowning deaths related?
Even though there was no shortage of "dirty secrets" in this book, the book was a complete miss for me.
The major problem? The book was miscategorized.
I am not a fan of YA fiction and this book read more like a YA book than a book for adults.
The book unfolded in a "now and then" format from three POVs: the teen girl who found her friend's dead body, the teen girl's mother whose friend died 25 years ago, and the teen girl who lost her life 25 years ago.
Sensitive issues such as white privilege, rape, and racism are explored.
The book also showcased emotionally volatile mother/daughter relationships.
The book was predictable and, at times, repetitive.
I listened to the 12-hour audiobook that easily could have been a 7-hour audiobook.
Although both narrators did a superb job, the book should have had three narrators since it unfolded from three POVs.
MY DIRTY SECRET: I am still a huge fan of "dirty secret books" and look forward to reading future titles in this genre.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'M IN!
The author's premise was compelling:
Two young women attending the same affluent prep school in different decades drown during the school's Beach Week.
Were these drowning deaths related?
Even though there was no shortage of "dirty secrets" in this book, the book was a complete miss for me.
The major problem? The book was miscategorized.
I am not a fan of YA fiction and this book read more like a YA book than a book for adults.
The book unfolded in a "now and then" format from three POVs: the teen girl who found her friend's dead body, the teen girl's mother whose friend died 25 years ago, and the teen girl who lost her life 25 years ago.
Sensitive issues such as white privilege, rape, and racism are explored.
The book also showcased emotionally volatile mother/daughter relationships.
The book was predictable and, at times, repetitive.
I listened to the 12-hour audiobook that easily could have been a 7-hour audiobook.
Although both narrators did a superb job, the book should have had three narrators since it unfolded from three POVs.
MY DIRTY SECRET: I am still a huge fan of "dirty secret books" and look forward to reading future titles in this genre.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2022
Long buried secrets are resurrected as tragedies from the past repeat themselves. Friendships are tested and lives are forever changed as truths are revealed. Sometimes danger is closer than you think and villains may hide in plain sight. All of these scenarios play out in All the Dirty Secrets.The narration perfectly executes this twisted tale of betrayal, deception and murder. What would you risk in order to protect those nearest and dearest? Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 4, 2022
I was excited to learn the author had another book out because I loved her debut novel, I Don't Forgive You. Much of what I liked about the first book was present in this one as well. A good premise that grabbed my attention. And you basically are getting a 2 for 1 as there are two mysteries to try and solve.
My rule of thumb is to not give anything away in my review unless it is mentioned in the publisher synopsis. While there is a popcorn thriller feel to the story it does have some dark content. Highly recommend checking out other reviews which include trigger warnings if there is anything you don't like reading about in a book.
Liza Gold and her friends were celebrating their high school graduation when tragedy struck.
Twenty five years later Liza is a divorced mom of a teenager named Zoe. While attending Beach Week festivities with her best friend, another tragedy occurs. Two deaths, a quarter of a century apart, both during Beach Week. Liza suspects they are somehow related but how?
The story alternates between a few of the characters and includes the present day and the 1994 storyline. I'm roughly around the same age as Liza and my hunch is the author is as well because the writing for what life was like as a teenager in that era was pretty spot on.
My only criticism is Liza isn't the brightest bulb in the bunch. One of my pet peeves in this genre is when you feel smarter than the character. I wouldn't say the story is completely predictable because there is enough complexity you can't piece every single aspect together before you get to the big reveal. However, most fans of this genre will be able to come up with a general theory that will prove correct in the end.
Recommend if you like mystery thrillers as there are enough random twists that keep things interesting.
My rule of thumb is to not give anything away in my review unless it is mentioned in the publisher synopsis. While there is a popcorn thriller feel to the story it does have some dark content. Highly recommend checking out other reviews which include trigger warnings if there is anything you don't like reading about in a book.
Liza Gold and her friends were celebrating their high school graduation when tragedy struck.
Twenty five years later Liza is a divorced mom of a teenager named Zoe. While attending Beach Week festivities with her best friend, another tragedy occurs. Two deaths, a quarter of a century apart, both during Beach Week. Liza suspects they are somehow related but how?
The story alternates between a few of the characters and includes the present day and the 1994 storyline. I'm roughly around the same age as Liza and my hunch is the author is as well because the writing for what life was like as a teenager in that era was pretty spot on.
My only criticism is Liza isn't the brightest bulb in the bunch. One of my pet peeves in this genre is when you feel smarter than the character. I wouldn't say the story is completely predictable because there is enough complexity you can't piece every single aspect together before you get to the big reveal. However, most fans of this genre will be able to come up with a general theory that will prove correct in the end.
Recommend if you like mystery thrillers as there are enough random twists that keep things interesting.
July 12, 2022
What a tangled web was weaved!
This was twisted! I listened to the audiobook and while the narrators voices got on my nerves at times, I thought overall it was well done. The book alternates between in time then and now, which is not my favorite. It also has three different points of view. I was so invested in figuring out what happened that 10 hours seemed to magically fly by. I was not prepared for the twists at the end.
Liza Gold and her friends were living it up on the beach during their high school graduation party 25 years ago. Sadly one of them drowned. Liza carried the memory of that night with her. Now a single mother with a daughter of her own, she is forced to relive the tragedy when her daughter Zoe’s best friend drowns during Beach Week.
Liza is convinced these two deaths are connected and enlists the help of her two old best friends to get to the bottom of it. Will they discover what happened to these girls before time runs out?
Thank you to Netgalley and and Macmillan Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
All The Dirty Secrets is available now!
This was twisted! I listened to the audiobook and while the narrators voices got on my nerves at times, I thought overall it was well done. The book alternates between in time then and now, which is not my favorite. It also has three different points of view. I was so invested in figuring out what happened that 10 hours seemed to magically fly by. I was not prepared for the twists at the end.
Liza Gold and her friends were living it up on the beach during their high school graduation party 25 years ago. Sadly one of them drowned. Liza carried the memory of that night with her. Now a single mother with a daughter of her own, she is forced to relive the tragedy when her daughter Zoe’s best friend drowns during Beach Week.
Liza is convinced these two deaths are connected and enlists the help of her two old best friends to get to the bottom of it. Will they discover what happened to these girls before time runs out?
Thank you to Netgalley and and Macmillan Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
All The Dirty Secrets is available now!
January 19, 2023
4⭐
Featuring ~ multiple POV, dual timeline.
Content warning from the author in the audio version, not e-book ~ rape, sexual assault, suicide references
I can totally relate to some of the same things as Liza. I, too, have a teenage daughter who is an only child and who I am an overbearing smother to. I want to know every little thing, but I am just nosey by nature. And are we smotherers because we've 'been there done that' and don't want them to make the same mistakes we did? Or do we just gotta let em live and learn?
Liza is recently divorced and having a tough time connecting with her teenage daughter, Zoe. Liza works at Washington Prep where she attended years ago, and where Zoe attends now. Unbeknownst to Liza, Zoe had befriended a girl named, Emery. When Emery turns up dead in a similar manner to her friend, Nikki, 28 years earlier, Liza starts wondering if the similarities are just that ~ similar or are they somehow related to each other.
Multiple POV's ~ Liza (mother) & Zoe (daughter) & Nikki
We have a dual timeline ~ present and 1994 and dual mysterious beach week deaths that are interconnected.
Overall, a decent read that I would recommend. It's definitely full of dirty secrets, so fittingly titled. There are many unlikable characters. There were some nice twists in there that I didn't see coming. This is my first time with this author and I'd read her work again.
I was able to grab this as on audio from my library too, so I went back and forth reading and listening. I am so happy there were 2 narrators ~ Hillary Huber & Josephine Huang did a lovely job and I think their voices fit perfectly for the ages. Zoe like totally had an annoyed teenager tone going on. 11 hours and 38 minutes and easy to follow along at 2x.
*Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books, Aggie Blum Thompson and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
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Featuring ~ multiple POV, dual timeline.
Content warning from the author in the audio version, not e-book ~ rape, sexual assault, suicide references
I can totally relate to some of the same things as Liza. I, too, have a teenage daughter who is an only child and who I am an overbearing smother to. I want to know every little thing, but I am just nosey by nature. And are we smotherers because we've 'been there done that' and don't want them to make the same mistakes we did? Or do we just gotta let em live and learn?
Liza is recently divorced and having a tough time connecting with her teenage daughter, Zoe. Liza works at Washington Prep where she attended years ago, and where Zoe attends now. Unbeknownst to Liza, Zoe had befriended a girl named, Emery. When Emery turns up dead in a similar manner to her friend, Nikki, 28 years earlier, Liza starts wondering if the similarities are just that ~ similar or are they somehow related to each other.
Multiple POV's ~ Liza (mother) & Zoe (daughter) & Nikki
We have a dual timeline ~ present and 1994 and dual mysterious beach week deaths that are interconnected.
Overall, a decent read that I would recommend. It's definitely full of dirty secrets, so fittingly titled. There are many unlikable characters. There were some nice twists in there that I didn't see coming. This is my first time with this author and I'd read her work again.
I was able to grab this as on audio from my library too, so I went back and forth reading and listening. I am so happy there were 2 narrators ~ Hillary Huber & Josephine Huang did a lovely job and I think their voices fit perfectly for the ages. Zoe like totally had an annoyed teenager tone going on. 11 hours and 38 minutes and easy to follow along at 2x.
*Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books, Aggie Blum Thompson and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
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December 31, 2022
Twenty-five years ago, tragedy struck when Liza and her friends went to the beach, and one didn’t make it in after her midnight swim. Now, another young woman has died in a similar way, and this time it was a friend of Liza’s daughter that died.
All the Dirty Secrets is told using multiple points of view and multiple timelines. The POVs are Liza and her teen daughter, Zoe. The timelines are present day and twenty-five years earlier. Liza suspects the two deaths are related somehow. To find the truth, she has to take a hard look at those closest to her.
This started as a slow-building novel, but picked up the pace around the middle of the book. All the Dirty Secrets is a suspenseful mystery of secrets and deception. A good read for fans of this genre.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All the Dirty Secrets is told using multiple points of view and multiple timelines. The POVs are Liza and her teen daughter, Zoe. The timelines are present day and twenty-five years earlier. Liza suspects the two deaths are related somehow. To find the truth, she has to take a hard look at those closest to her.
This started as a slow-building novel, but picked up the pace around the middle of the book. All the Dirty Secrets is a suspenseful mystery of secrets and deception. A good read for fans of this genre.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2024
For fans of Big Little Lies comes an electrifying whodunit summer thriller set in elite Washington, DC by Aggie Blum Thompson—ALL THE DIRTY SECRETS. Two deaths, two decades apart. How are they connected?
The links that tie them together:
An upscale DC private school
Beach Week | Dewey Beach
The rich and privileged suburbs
Two deaths. Both girls.
Best friends of mother Liza (Nikki) and daughter Zoe (Emery)
Twenty-five years apart.
A close circle of friends who will do anything to protect the lies they have buried and their dirty little (big) secrets. A fitting title!
Where nothing is as it appears.
Liza Gold is a newly divorced mom who is on her way to a girl's weekend trip when she discovers her daughter, Zoe is caught up in a tragedy that is all too familiar to her own haunted past. Liza works at the elite prep school where her daughter, Zoe, and her friend, Emery attend. Liza also attended the same school.
Does Liza really know her close friends?
Twenty-five years ago, Liza Gold and her friends celebrated their high school graduation at Beach Week at a party on the beach, which ended in the death of their friend, Nikki.
Liza will never forget that night haunted by the tragedy. The death was ruled as drowning/suicide. However, what really happened that night?
Fast-forward to the present, and now Liza's daughter Zoe is also headed for Beach Week with her friends, and it ends in a tragedy at the same beach. Her best friend is now dead.
Zoe and Liza are not on the best of terms with typical teenager stuff and being newly divorced. Zoe had a secret friend that was older, and Liza did not know about her. That friend just drowned murder or suicide.
When history repeats itself, Liza and Zoe must work together to put the pieces together and try and determine what really happened. Is there a murderer among them?
How far will the killer go to keep their secrets? They could be hiding in plain sight. The only sure thing is that someone is lying and the truth won't stay buried for long.
Multiple plot twists keep the reader guessing all the way to the stunning conclusion, and the link between the mother/daughter friends comes as one of the novel's bigger surprises.
Flashing back and forth from 1994 to the present day, the author cleverly keeps readers in CHILLING suspense while building tension to the events leading up to both tragedies, a decade apart.
Some highly charged themes are addressed: rape, sexual assault, white privilege, murder, racism, and class.
A spellbinding tale of lies and deceit that unfolds piece by devastating piece.
AUDIOBOOK: I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook. The narrators, Hillary Huber (my fav), and Josephine Huang delivered an outstanding performance for all the voices.
My first book by Thompson and look forward to reading more. For fans of authors: Michele Campbell, Wendy Walker, and Kimberly Belle.
A special thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio #ForgeBooks for an advanced digital and audiobook copy to listen to, read, enjoy, and review.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars ✨✨✨✨
Pub Date: July 12, 2022
July 2022 Must-Read Books
The links that tie them together:
An upscale DC private school
Beach Week | Dewey Beach
The rich and privileged suburbs
Two deaths. Both girls.
Best friends of mother Liza (Nikki) and daughter Zoe (Emery)
Twenty-five years apart.
A close circle of friends who will do anything to protect the lies they have buried and their dirty little (big) secrets. A fitting title!
Where nothing is as it appears.
Liza Gold is a newly divorced mom who is on her way to a girl's weekend trip when she discovers her daughter, Zoe is caught up in a tragedy that is all too familiar to her own haunted past. Liza works at the elite prep school where her daughter, Zoe, and her friend, Emery attend. Liza also attended the same school.
Does Liza really know her close friends?
Twenty-five years ago, Liza Gold and her friends celebrated their high school graduation at Beach Week at a party on the beach, which ended in the death of their friend, Nikki.
Liza will never forget that night haunted by the tragedy. The death was ruled as drowning/suicide. However, what really happened that night?
Fast-forward to the present, and now Liza's daughter Zoe is also headed for Beach Week with her friends, and it ends in a tragedy at the same beach. Her best friend is now dead.
Zoe and Liza are not on the best of terms with typical teenager stuff and being newly divorced. Zoe had a secret friend that was older, and Liza did not know about her. That friend just drowned murder or suicide.
When history repeats itself, Liza and Zoe must work together to put the pieces together and try and determine what really happened. Is there a murderer among them?
How far will the killer go to keep their secrets? They could be hiding in plain sight. The only sure thing is that someone is lying and the truth won't stay buried for long.
Multiple plot twists keep the reader guessing all the way to the stunning conclusion, and the link between the mother/daughter friends comes as one of the novel's bigger surprises.
Flashing back and forth from 1994 to the present day, the author cleverly keeps readers in CHILLING suspense while building tension to the events leading up to both tragedies, a decade apart.
Some highly charged themes are addressed: rape, sexual assault, white privilege, murder, racism, and class.
A spellbinding tale of lies and deceit that unfolds piece by devastating piece.
AUDIOBOOK: I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook. The narrators, Hillary Huber (my fav), and Josephine Huang delivered an outstanding performance for all the voices.
My first book by Thompson and look forward to reading more. For fans of authors: Michele Campbell, Wendy Walker, and Kimberly Belle.
A special thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio #ForgeBooks for an advanced digital and audiobook copy to listen to, read, enjoy, and review.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars ✨✨✨✨
Pub Date: July 12, 2022
July 2022 Must-Read Books
November 30, 2022
A mother and daughter who both experience the same tragedy twenty-five years apart. Two dead women who might have been murdered. And a world of privilege, lies, and secrets that will silence any hint of scandal.
For someone who went to an East coast private school, I had a hard time finding much reality in this writing. This book takes the private school world to the extreme stereotypes that I simply could not recognize. It was came across as how someone imagines a prestigious private school experience would be like which this was not. Additionally, I was surprised when I discovered that this was not a YA book as it definitely reads like one. It was an incredibly slow burn that I simply could not get into. Ultimately, I could not finish it. Rating of 1 star (DNF).
For someone who went to an East coast private school, I had a hard time finding much reality in this writing. This book takes the private school world to the extreme stereotypes that I simply could not recognize. It was came across as how someone imagines a prestigious private school experience would be like which this was not. Additionally, I was surprised when I discovered that this was not a YA book as it definitely reads like one. It was an incredibly slow burn that I simply could not get into. Ultimately, I could not finish it. Rating of 1 star (DNF).
September 5, 2022
Very much enjoyed this book!
Nice and well-paced dual timelines, which blend together nicely for the resolution.
Well-explored topics of wealth and entitlement vs ethics and true care in relationships.
I found that this book was probably an accurate depiction of the role that privilege plays in teens' and adults' lives. Maybe a little too black and white, but still.
I cannot fault this book at all, a solid 4 stars from me and I will definitely be looking out for more books from Aggie Blum Thompson (a new author for me!).
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!
Nice and well-paced dual timelines, which blend together nicely for the resolution.
Well-explored topics of wealth and entitlement vs ethics and true care in relationships.
I found that this book was probably an accurate depiction of the role that privilege plays in teens' and adults' lives. Maybe a little too black and white, but still.
I cannot fault this book at all, a solid 4 stars from me and I will definitely be looking out for more books from Aggie Blum Thompson (a new author for me!).
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!
August 14, 2022
I Don’t Forgive You by Aggie Blum Thompson was one of my favorite books last year and goes without saying that I was super excited to get a chance to read her next release All Our Dirty Secrets.
Much can be said about this book, there is a mystery in the present, and there is another cold case mystery of the past that is running in a parallel line but in effect, All Our Dirty Secrets talks about friendships and the pressure of private school education. The author carefully explores the relationships at the beginning of the story, we see the friendships between the adults that have been forged over for years, the best friends with whom you can forget everything else, and the be the individual whom they know inside out. There is also the friendship of the teenagers which is again analyzed against the backdrop of a private school education system where the financial and social differences can make or break one’s self-worth.
All The Dirty Secrets begins slowly, setting up the characters, giving us a glimpse of the dynamics between the friends and their children and a dual timeline story unfolds with the events that lead up to the death of Nikki. Aggie Blum Thomspon had offered a wild ride in her debut but in this one, the pacing is much more steady and the mystery becomes a race to the finish from the middle part of the book. The twists and turns in the story that Liza and her daughter Zoe uncover causes one shocking revelation after another keeping the reader on tenterhook towards the end. Though not really the jaw-dropping surprise that I had expected at the climax and kind of predictable plot, be assured that Aggie Blum Thomson knows how to grab the reader’s attention, and All The Dirty Secrets has more than one dirty secret to be unearthed..
Many thanks to Net Galley, Forge Books, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Book Bub, ##Medium.com, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.
Much can be said about this book, there is a mystery in the present, and there is another cold case mystery of the past that is running in a parallel line but in effect, All Our Dirty Secrets talks about friendships and the pressure of private school education. The author carefully explores the relationships at the beginning of the story, we see the friendships between the adults that have been forged over for years, the best friends with whom you can forget everything else, and the be the individual whom they know inside out. There is also the friendship of the teenagers which is again analyzed against the backdrop of a private school education system where the financial and social differences can make or break one’s self-worth.
All The Dirty Secrets begins slowly, setting up the characters, giving us a glimpse of the dynamics between the friends and their children and a dual timeline story unfolds with the events that lead up to the death of Nikki. Aggie Blum Thomspon had offered a wild ride in her debut but in this one, the pacing is much more steady and the mystery becomes a race to the finish from the middle part of the book. The twists and turns in the story that Liza and her daughter Zoe uncover causes one shocking revelation after another keeping the reader on tenterhook towards the end. Though not really the jaw-dropping surprise that I had expected at the climax and kind of predictable plot, be assured that Aggie Blum Thomson knows how to grab the reader’s attention, and All The Dirty Secrets has more than one dirty secret to be unearthed..
Many thanks to Net Galley, Forge Books, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Book Bub, ##Medium.com, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.
January 28, 2022
DC and its suburbs are the perfect setting for chilling mysteries, and All the Dirty Secrets is full of them. For newly divorced mom, Liza Gold, her teen daughter Zoe’s Beach Week experience hauntingly echoes her own two decades earlier. Two deaths, two decades apart, and the common thread is the upscale DC private school they attend, and a circle of close friends who may not be what they appear. There may be a murderer in their midst. All the Dirty Secrets will have you racing to the end. This tale was so chillingly real it could have been ripped from the headlines. I loved it!
June 25, 2022
This is a story of betrayal and privilege among DC’s elite. It’s a melting pot of characters but the privilege seems to remain with the white political class.
Washington Prep is an elite private school attended by the parents of this story in the 90’s and now their children. Liz, our main character, is 46 and now works at the school as a journalist and has a whiny teen daughter named Zoe attending. Zoe is our other narrator.
We have two different timelines. The present and 1994. In the present, a schoolmate and friend of Zoe’s left a party to meet someone and was found dead by Zoe hours later. In 1994, Liz and her friend group had a similar tragedy. Their friend Nikki vanished while swimming in the ocean, her body never recovered. She is presumed dead.
Both of these occur during something the kids there refer to as Beach Week. It’s an annual tradition and I don’t understand it but apparently at that time of year they go party near the beach. Don’t look at me, I’m from TN lol anyway Liz has a feeling these beach deaths are connected in some way but no one is wanting to talk. They “clam” up, if you will. I’m so sorry.
The first half moves pretty slowly. There’s a lot of character building, some of which pays off at the end, some of which could have been left out. I didn’t necessarily love all of the racial angles attempted, because it just felt like repeatedly pointing something out that was never central to anything story-wise and seemed unnatural to be thrown in so often.
I read this author’s debut a few months ago so I’ve been eagerly anticipating this and while it was really good and the twisty drama finally paid off in the end, I wasn’t quite as impressed as I’d hoped to be by it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio/Forge! I received the audio and ebook to listen, read and review in advance of release for an honest review. The narration was great!
Washington Prep is an elite private school attended by the parents of this story in the 90’s and now their children. Liz, our main character, is 46 and now works at the school as a journalist and has a whiny teen daughter named Zoe attending. Zoe is our other narrator.
We have two different timelines. The present and 1994. In the present, a schoolmate and friend of Zoe’s left a party to meet someone and was found dead by Zoe hours later. In 1994, Liz and her friend group had a similar tragedy. Their friend Nikki vanished while swimming in the ocean, her body never recovered. She is presumed dead.
Both of these occur during something the kids there refer to as Beach Week. It’s an annual tradition and I don’t understand it but apparently at that time of year they go party near the beach. Don’t look at me, I’m from TN lol anyway Liz has a feeling these beach deaths are connected in some way but no one is wanting to talk. They “clam” up, if you will. I’m so sorry.
The first half moves pretty slowly. There’s a lot of character building, some of which pays off at the end, some of which could have been left out. I didn’t necessarily love all of the racial angles attempted, because it just felt like repeatedly pointing something out that was never central to anything story-wise and seemed unnatural to be thrown in so often.
I read this author’s debut a few months ago so I’ve been eagerly anticipating this and while it was really good and the twisty drama finally paid off in the end, I wasn’t quite as impressed as I’d hoped to be by it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio/Forge! I received the audio and ebook to listen, read and review in advance of release for an honest review. The narration was great!
February 14, 2022
Liza Gold was having a great time with her friends at a high school graduation party at the beach. But everything changed when one of her friends did not return from the ocean. Fast forward 25 years and Liza is recently divorced and trying hard to maintain a relationship with her teenage daughter, Zoe. Then the unthinkable happens! Another death at beach week of a young woman who happens to be Zoe’s best friend! Are the deaths somehow linked?
It is easy to lose yourself in this excellent book by Aggie Blum Thompson! Told in multiple points of view and alternating timelines it was so engrossing that I literally didn’t put it down until I was done. The author leads you in lots of different directions, as you try to solve the mystery. Highly entertaining and unforgettable, I would highly recommend this one! FIVE STARS!
TW - Rape
Many thanks to Forge Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
It is easy to lose yourself in this excellent book by Aggie Blum Thompson! Told in multiple points of view and alternating timelines it was so engrossing that I literally didn’t put it down until I was done. The author leads you in lots of different directions, as you try to solve the mystery. Highly entertaining and unforgettable, I would highly recommend this one! FIVE STARS!
TW - Rape
Many thanks to Forge Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
July 1, 2022
Wowza!!!! This book is amazing! It has everything a thriller lover could ask for….. LOTS of secrets, coverups, murder mystery, and an summer beach setting. I love how half of the book is set in Dewey Beach and jumps back and forth between the 1990 to present day. Every time I thought I had it figured out and I was so wrong! Such a twisty suspenseful book!
I listened to this as an audiobook and I was addicted! Every chance I got, I was listening! The narrators were spot on with they voices for the characters.
This addictive, compelling, and extremely thrilling book has placed Aggie Blum Thompson on my list for must buy authors. I will buying her previous book, I Don’t Forget You, because I need more amazing reads!
***** Many thanks to Macmillan- Tor/Forge, Macmillan Audio, Aggie Blum Thompson, and NetGalley for the gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.
4.5 stars, rounding up on Goodreads
I listened to this as an audiobook and I was addicted! Every chance I got, I was listening! The narrators were spot on with they voices for the characters.
This addictive, compelling, and extremely thrilling book has placed Aggie Blum Thompson on my list for must buy authors. I will buying her previous book, I Don’t Forget You, because I need more amazing reads!
***** Many thanks to Macmillan- Tor/Forge, Macmillan Audio, Aggie Blum Thompson, and NetGalley for the gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.
4.5 stars, rounding up on Goodreads
August 15, 2022
3.5 stars
Friends, long buried secrets and an unsolved mystery made this book an engaging and eye-popping read. Although I found the pacing off for the first half and kept waiting for something to happen, the second half really picked up and was jam packed with twists and explosive reveals. The audiobook was terrific. A lively performance that drew me in. If readers are in the mood for an unpredictable mystery thriller, check this one out.
Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Friends, long buried secrets and an unsolved mystery made this book an engaging and eye-popping read. Although I found the pacing off for the first half and kept waiting for something to happen, the second half really picked up and was jam packed with twists and explosive reveals. The audiobook was terrific. A lively performance that drew me in. If readers are in the mood for an unpredictable mystery thriller, check this one out.
Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2022
As soon as I saw this centered on an elite private school I was already interested and then add in a dual timeline with a past mystery and I was sold. Told in both past and present and mainly from Liza and her daughter Zoe’s viewpoints I was engaged by this, both in the past and the present timelines. The author managed to craft a compelling mystery as well as add in some timely issues that are seen in the news today. The pacing was solid with most of the action happening in the last quarter of the book and while some things were predictable I still found the journey to get to the end to be both enjoyable and pretty gripping.
May 30, 2022
I’m going to start out by skipping straight to the punch. All the Dirty Secrets is nothing short of a five star read.
This book completely consumed me while reading. It was all I could think about. Now given the fact that this was a holiday weekend and I was forced to socialize….. I found myself chatting with friends about Liza, Shelby, Whitney, Nikki, Todd and Archer as if they were real people.
All The Dirty Secrets is told between dual timelines and multiple points of view . I loved the 1994 chapters that flashed back to a very tragic night .
This book hit on every topic circulating now, racism, politics and gender neutral characters . This is a multi dimensional book with layered characters.
To say this book is one of my favorites thus far would be an understatement . The nostalgia I felt reminiscing about my own “prom weekend” was real .
I want just so much more from this author and I believe Aggie Blum Thompson, just became an auto buy author for me .
This book completely consumed me while reading. It was all I could think about. Now given the fact that this was a holiday weekend and I was forced to socialize….. I found myself chatting with friends about Liza, Shelby, Whitney, Nikki, Todd and Archer as if they were real people.
All The Dirty Secrets is told between dual timelines and multiple points of view . I loved the 1994 chapters that flashed back to a very tragic night .
This book hit on every topic circulating now, racism, politics and gender neutral characters . This is a multi dimensional book with layered characters.
To say this book is one of my favorites thus far would be an understatement . The nostalgia I felt reminiscing about my own “prom weekend” was real .
I want just so much more from this author and I believe Aggie Blum Thompson, just became an auto buy author for me .
February 5, 2022
This book! I was planning to read this over a few days as I don’t have as much time for reading these days as I’d like, but that didn’t happen. One sitting. Done.
Two deaths twenty-eight years apart at beach week under eerily similar circumstances leave Eliza at the center of a mystery that could be putting her teenage daughter in danger. As she peels apart the details of both nights, it becomes increasingly clear that her lifelong circle of friends is not exactly as tight as she always believed.
Told from multiple POVs and different timelines (present day and 1990s), Thompson effortlessly carries the reader on a journey that is so authentic to time and place, you’ll forget you’re not a part of the story. While there are some dark themes, as in most mystery/thrillers, they are handled with such tact and care and will undoubtedly make this book an endlessly discussible book club choice.
Propulsive, engaging, and atmospheric, All the Dirty Secrets puts Thompson on my list of must-read thriller authors. You won’t regret picking this one up, but you won’t be able to put it down until you reach the end.
Two deaths twenty-eight years apart at beach week under eerily similar circumstances leave Eliza at the center of a mystery that could be putting her teenage daughter in danger. As she peels apart the details of both nights, it becomes increasingly clear that her lifelong circle of friends is not exactly as tight as she always believed.
Told from multiple POVs and different timelines (present day and 1990s), Thompson effortlessly carries the reader on a journey that is so authentic to time and place, you’ll forget you’re not a part of the story. While there are some dark themes, as in most mystery/thrillers, they are handled with such tact and care and will undoubtedly make this book an endlessly discussible book club choice.
Propulsive, engaging, and atmospheric, All the Dirty Secrets puts Thompson on my list of must-read thriller authors. You won’t regret picking this one up, but you won’t be able to put it down until you reach the end.
February 18, 2022
Aggie Blum Thompson has done it again! I loved I DON'T FORGIVE YOU, and I was eagerly awaiting ALL THE DIRTY SECRETS. Now, I can't wait for Thompson's third novel! The dual timeline in the book--present day and 1994--helps bring the reader deeper into the story of Liza and her circle of friends. Twenty-eight years ago, one of Liza's friends, Nikki, died during Beach Week, and now, Liza's daughter's friend meets a similar fate. Both Liza and her daughter, Zoe, are brave, smart, independent woman who want to get to the bottom of what's happened. But what Liza soon realizes is that her circle of friends is not who she thought they were. This book has it all: fully fleshed out characters, plenty of secrets, and a slow reveal. Well done!
September 9, 2022
DNF @ 70% I got kind of bored with this one. Wasn't invested in the characters at all and found it slow moving. Might try to finish at a later point.
Update: gave it a second chance and did enjoy the dual timeline, layered and thought-provoking story. The author does a great job exploring the ways sexual consent both have and haven't changed and the how men can get away with horrible behavior. It took me a while to get into this one but I'm glad I stuck it out, things wrapped up nicely by the end.
Update: gave it a second chance and did enjoy the dual timeline, layered and thought-provoking story. The author does a great job exploring the ways sexual consent both have and haven't changed and the how men can get away with horrible behavior. It took me a while to get into this one but I'm glad I stuck it out, things wrapped up nicely by the end.
December 5, 2023
With All the Dirty Secrets, new to me author Aggie Blum Thompson presents a novel that is so masterfully crafted with twisty suspense, it feels like something that comes from the mind of Alfred Hitchcock. Combined with the excellent narration by Hillary Huber and Josephine Huang, the reader is presented with a novel that is both written and narrated in such a way that I was unable to figure out what was happening while keeping me on pins and needles anticipating the big reveal.
Additionally, the story occurs both in the present and thirty years in the past and both time periods blend together so smoothly, the reader barely notices the shift. Understanding the background of all of the characters took a little bit of time as well as who was responsible for the two deaths.
If I had a problem with any part of the story, it was mainly centered around Zoe and her attitude towards her mother. I understood she’s a teenager and just found the dead body of her best friend but knowing that her mother went through something similar with her own best friend should have brought them closer together. Instead, Zoe acted like a petulant brat and I felt bad for Liza, who feels like she is losing her daughter and there isn’t anything she can do about it.
Understanding how the two deaths are connected in addition to the mountain sized pile of secrets everyone is keeping really ripped the rug out from under me. I really liked Liza and for the most part found her behavior and choices reasonable and understandable given the situations she finds herself.
My Final Verdict: This book illuminates brightly the problems that can and do occur when terrible things happen and are then covered up and people you thought you knew are keeping massive secrets. No amount of time passing will ever diminish the truth from eventually coming out and it packed quite a punch when it did. I highly recommend this book to fans of twisty thrillers, mysteries and novels of suspense. I think Alfred Hitchcock would approve.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of All the Dirty Secrets from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Additionally, the story occurs both in the present and thirty years in the past and both time periods blend together so smoothly, the reader barely notices the shift. Understanding the background of all of the characters took a little bit of time as well as who was responsible for the two deaths.
If I had a problem with any part of the story, it was mainly centered around Zoe and her attitude towards her mother. I understood she’s a teenager and just found the dead body of her best friend but knowing that her mother went through something similar with her own best friend should have brought them closer together. Instead, Zoe acted like a petulant brat and I felt bad for Liza, who feels like she is losing her daughter and there isn’t anything she can do about it.
Understanding how the two deaths are connected in addition to the mountain sized pile of secrets everyone is keeping really ripped the rug out from under me. I really liked Liza and for the most part found her behavior and choices reasonable and understandable given the situations she finds herself.
My Final Verdict: This book illuminates brightly the problems that can and do occur when terrible things happen and are then covered up and people you thought you knew are keeping massive secrets. No amount of time passing will ever diminish the truth from eventually coming out and it packed quite a punch when it did. I highly recommend this book to fans of twisty thrillers, mysteries and novels of suspense. I think Alfred Hitchcock would approve.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of All the Dirty Secrets from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2022
Hi all 🫶 this is a great book and all my followers should read (unless you’re not loyal). hope to see this book on your goodreads soon 😄
June 24, 2022
I enjoyed this thriller. This is the kind of book that makes you wonder what deep down secrets your friends are hiding! This one keeps you on edge wondering who the enemy really is.....
July 11, 2022
All The Dirty Secrets
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (Rounded to 5 ⭐️)
Genre: Thriller Mystery
Format: Audiobook
Date Published: 7/12/22
Author: Aggie Blum Thompson
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrators: Hillary Huber and Josephine Huang
Goodreads Rating: 4.30
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: One warm summer night 25 years ago, Liza Gold and her friends celebrated their high school graduation with a party on the beach, only, one of them never came back out of the ocean. The tragedy haunted Liza Gold for years. Now, Liza is a recently divorced working mom struggling to connect with her standoffish teenager daughter Zoe when history repeats itself. Another young woman has drowned at Beach Week, and this time the victim is Zoe’s secret best friend. Liza begins to suspect that the two deaths are somehow related, which causes her to face hard truths and take an unflinching look at the people she’s called her closest friends for the past two decades. She must discover what really happened to both women before it’s too late. How far would you go to protect your secrets?
My Thoughts: This book is WOW. I did the audible version and it was fantastic. We all know that a narrator can make or break an audiobook. The story is narrated by Liza, her daughter, Zoe, and various people from 1994. The 1994 is sprinkled just at the right times. I thought I predicted the “killer” but I was wrong a few times. The characters are very well developed with depth, mystery, emotional, and challenging relationships. The author’s writing style is complex, mysterious, multi-faceted, and just brilliant. The secrets and betrayal is high in this novel, written brilliantly and flawlessly. I throughly enjoyed this book. It publishes tomorrow, I would highly recommend purchasing!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (Rounded to 5 ⭐️)
Genre: Thriller Mystery
Format: Audiobook
Date Published: 7/12/22
Author: Aggie Blum Thompson
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrators: Hillary Huber and Josephine Huang
Goodreads Rating: 4.30
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: One warm summer night 25 years ago, Liza Gold and her friends celebrated their high school graduation with a party on the beach, only, one of them never came back out of the ocean. The tragedy haunted Liza Gold for years. Now, Liza is a recently divorced working mom struggling to connect with her standoffish teenager daughter Zoe when history repeats itself. Another young woman has drowned at Beach Week, and this time the victim is Zoe’s secret best friend. Liza begins to suspect that the two deaths are somehow related, which causes her to face hard truths and take an unflinching look at the people she’s called her closest friends for the past two decades. She must discover what really happened to both women before it’s too late. How far would you go to protect your secrets?
My Thoughts: This book is WOW. I did the audible version and it was fantastic. We all know that a narrator can make or break an audiobook. The story is narrated by Liza, her daughter, Zoe, and various people from 1994. The 1994 is sprinkled just at the right times. I thought I predicted the “killer” but I was wrong a few times. The characters are very well developed with depth, mystery, emotional, and challenging relationships. The author’s writing style is complex, mysterious, multi-faceted, and just brilliant. The secrets and betrayal is high in this novel, written brilliantly and flawlessly. I throughly enjoyed this book. It publishes tomorrow, I would highly recommend purchasing!
April 26, 2022
A mystery thriller combo based on the culture and community around an elite private school.
As an alum, Liza Gold is perfectly qualified to provide PR for her daughter's DC private school. Liza is recently divorced, and was lucky to land this job working as a PR person under the leadership of her high school friend Archer. The job allows her to keep tabs on her daughter Zoe.
Only a sophomore, Zoe sneaks off to the Senior Beach Week and is present when her best friend dies in a drowning accident. This tragedy eerily mirrors a death during Liza's own senior week with her friends and she cannot stop thinking about her friend who died that night.
Liza is consumed with the memories and as her daughter is drawn deeper into controversy until she decides the stories could be connected. The resulting mysteries and secrets that are revealed will take your breath away! If you like school based mysteries, flashback thrillers and friendships gone wrong, then this is the story for you! #AlltheDirtySecrets #Tor #MacMillan #netgalley #netgalleyreads
As an alum, Liza Gold is perfectly qualified to provide PR for her daughter's DC private school. Liza is recently divorced, and was lucky to land this job working as a PR person under the leadership of her high school friend Archer. The job allows her to keep tabs on her daughter Zoe.
Only a sophomore, Zoe sneaks off to the Senior Beach Week and is present when her best friend dies in a drowning accident. This tragedy eerily mirrors a death during Liza's own senior week with her friends and she cannot stop thinking about her friend who died that night.
Liza is consumed with the memories and as her daughter is drawn deeper into controversy until she decides the stories could be connected. The resulting mysteries and secrets that are revealed will take your breath away! If you like school based mysteries, flashback thrillers and friendships gone wrong, then this is the story for you! #AlltheDirtySecrets #Tor #MacMillan #netgalley #netgalleyreads
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