The Darkest Secret: A Novel

The Darkest Secret: A Novel

“If there has been a better mystery-suspense story written in this decade, I can’t think of it . . . transcend[s] the genre.” —Stephen King “A cruel and cunning mystery . . . Plot-twisting, mind-altering and monstrously funny.” — The New York Times Book Review The latest gripping psychological thriller from Edgar Award winner Alex Marwood When a child goes missing at an opulent house party, it makes international news. But what really happened behind those closed doors?   Twelve years ago, Mila Jackson’s three-year-old half-sister Coco disappeared during their father’s fiftieth birthday celebration, leaving behind her identical twin Ruby as the only witness. The girls’ father, Sean, was wealthy and influential, as were the friends gathered at their seaside vacation home for the weekend’s debauchery. The case ignited a media frenzy and forever changed the lives of everyone involved.   Now, Sean Jackson is dead, and the people who were present that terrible night must gather once more for a funeral that will reveal that the secrets of the past can never stay hidden. Perfectly paced all the way through its devastating conclusion, The Darkest Secret  is one that fans of Gillian Flynn and Liane Moriarty won’t be able to put down. “If there has been a better mystery-suspense story written in this decade, I can’t think of it . . . transcend[s] the genre.” —Stephen King “[A] cruel and cunning mystery. . . . Plot-twisting, mind-altering and monstrously funny.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review “Perhaps the most heartfelt praise I can give the English novelist Alex Marwood’s unsettling new thriller  The Darkest Secret  is to report that it kept me up way, way past my bedtime . . . one astonishment follows another . . . [with a] cool eye . . . [Marwood] does a remarkable job of blending her sophisticated humor, her mordant view of the rich and the heartbreak of a missing child.” —Patrick Anderson, The Washington Post “This third novel from one of psychological suspense’s best writers confirms Marwood’s first hat trick with its chilling tale of a long unsolved child disappearance and the years-later death of the child’s wealthy, philandering father, striking at the heart of the area where familial and other relations meet personal self-interest.” — The Boston Globe (Best Books of 2016) “ The Darkest Secret is no whodunit. In crafting what might be called a cutting ‘whodidn'tdoit,’ British novelist Alex Marwood takes aim at an entire social class for its self-directed, destructive ways.” —The Chicago Tribune “Compelling. . . . Marwood delivers a gripping cautionary tale about how one person's dominating personality can infect those around him. . . . Marwood’s keen sense of suspense and observations of human fragility lead The Darkest Secret to a stunning finale.” — Yahoo “Brilliant.” — The Atlantic “Cutting expertly from past to present among a cast of deliriously unpleasant characters, Marwood’s devilishly plotted tale arrives at an unexpectedly moving, human climax before its utterly devastating epilogue. . . . As much a black comedy of contemporary bad manners as psychological thriller,  The Darkest Secret  is a triumph and a treat.” — The Irish Times “A tense, poignant and ingeniously crafted mystery about a missing child, toxic relationships and family secrets.” — The Guardian  (“If you only buy one” crime novel, summer 2016) “Unsettling . . . cleverly plotted and gripping.” — Sunday Mirror  “A riveting read. Alex Marwood [is] the killer thriller writer. . . . Rarely have I found a book so unputdownable.” — Sunday Independent   “Jackson, an identical twin, is just three years old when she goes missing. But, as the plot begins to thicken, it reveals  a far more complex story than simply one of abduction by an unknown person. . . . The mystery does not give up its secrets easily. . . . compellingly told.” — Daily Mail “Tightly woven, precisely detailed, and consistently involving . . . truly engrossing . . . exactly what a mystery novel should be: suspenseful, comprehensive, fast-paced, upsetting, and fulfilling. Marwood proves once again why she’s become so celebrated so quickly, as she packs her sophisticated yet gritty storytelling with characters that you’ll grow to hate and/or pity. . . . Without a doubt, The Darkest Secret will stay with you for a while.” — Pop Matters “A book you will feel you have to finish as soon as you start reading it. A thriller with twists and turns that keep you fascinated right to the very end.” — The Mature Times   “She won an Edgar Award for her word of mouth bestseller  The Wicked Girls  and a Macavity Award for  The Killer Next Door.  Now Marwood intrigues with another tastily twisty thriller.” — The Evening Telegraph “It's a cliché, but I really could hardly put down this excellent new thriller by Brit Alex Marwood. [A] twist- and passion-filled mystery.” — The Cleveland Plain Dealer “The reader’s hear