The Secrets We Keep

I think it was the plotline outlined on the back cover that intrigued me and made me buy this book: man goes missing and years later a left luggage ticket in his name turns up. What could the left luggage be?Ultimately, the handling of this element of the story was much like the rest of it - a damp squib. It was written with undeniable energy and wit, but there was a tendency to build up dramatic situations only to have them peter out, or just drop them as if we didn't need to know what happened [...]

Pure Jonathan Harvey. Comic genius weaving his web and drawing you in to the lives of the hip and trendy turned conventional family. Laughed out loud at the humour, which is unheard of for me! Worth a read, if you are just wanting some comic escape from today's troubles.

My second Jonathan Harvey book and this one did not disappoint. Much like the first book, I just couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was happening and where the story was headed. My one criticism was Cally. I found her chapters a bit boring. I wasn't sure what she actually brought to the story, but it came together in the end! The end. Ahhhhh!!!!! I'm not sure how I feel about it right now but my gut tells me that it was right. Go and read.

Danny and Natalie were a hip couple that ran the hottest nightclub in Manchester. Then Danny walked out one day and never came back. The police found his car near a cliff known for suicides but no body was ever found. Natalie, teenage daughter Cally and 20 year old son Owen are devastated. Five years later, Natalie has lost the club and has moved with her daughter to a much less posh house in a cul-de-sac. Owen's life is teetering on the brink of infidelity to his partner Matty and Cally is rebe [...]

I've read enough to know I won't finish it I hate the teenage daughter if she were mine I'd have told her to get lost long ago.

I love this author and the latest book didn't disappoint. I like the narration coming from each character and it makes the book impossible to put down. Dark themes but the usual humour included too.

Different but interesting theme Language foul but I suppose relevant to the day

Part One consists of alternating chapters, written from the points of view of Natalie and her children; Owen, 21 and Cally, 16. The first part of the book is all set in the present day; five years after Natalie's husband Danny (and Owen and Cally's dad) went out for a pint of milk and 'disappeared'. I really enjoyed reading the three characters' perspectives on the events going on in their lives and their 'voices' were distinctive. At first I thought that Cally's teenage slang and attitude were [...]

A bit more serious than the earlier books, not to say there aren't a few smiles to be had here. The teenage girl is amusing, all hashtags and LOLs, and it doesn't come across as utterly false like other writers who have tried it.This is the story of a family with secrets, picking up their life after a tabloid furore when the dad vanished, car/clothes found at Beachy Head. In a bid to move on the wife has sold up the country pile for a more modest cul de sac, downsizing. The gay son has his own s [...]

Not much to fault with this book. I loved how it flipped between characters and there were plenty of "OMG" moments which I love! The only issue is the way he has written Cally. What teenage girl actually talks like this?? Can't wait to read some more by Jonathan Harvey!

For the most part, entertaining and good humoured. I was amused by the character of Cally in particular although, as others have commented, she could be irritating. For me, the first half of the book works best. As things go on, the tone becomes darker, more cynical and less amusing. In the end, only Natalie - really the centre of the story - remains likeable. Mr Harvey seems to try a little too hard to be unpredictable and certainly succeeds but, to me, the book's ending was disappointing and a [...]

Part one was like a usual detective type story but I found it quite slow going. Part two got much darker and more interesting as you learn more about Dannys background. On the whole I quite enjoyed the book with the exception of the teenage perspective, it created a vivid mental picture of a 16 year old girl but was quite annoying. A few loose ends not tied up but I often like books where you decide for yourself what happened next.

The whole book seems to centre around a left luggage ticket found in a jacket pocket after Danny goes missing five years against. What we do find out is someone has picked up the suitcase, but we don't find out what was in the suitcase or why Mim picked it up.Although I Liked this, there was a point when I felt I was wading through treacle although it did get better, but was a little far fetched at the end.I've read better Jonathan Harvey books.

I actually quite liked this book. I didn't expect to but I did. Yes, the chapters narrated by the daughter were damned annoying to read but isn't that actually what many teenagers sound like now (maybe I did when I was young :)). For me it was the turn of events in the middle of the book that pulled this back to a 4-star book. I thought Danny's revelations were really interesting and the final chapters were weirdly poignant, even really quite sad.All in all a good read.

This is our current book group choice and not something I would have read otherwise. The premise was intriguing and I enjoyed the narrative being divided between the characters. However, my initial enthusiasm waned as I failed to engage with any of the characters. Some of the chapters narrated by teenage Cally are truly funny, but as a whole the book becomes rather predictable. I was expecting to hear rather more about Natalie's new neighbours.

I really enjoyed this book. As with Jonathan Harvey's other books there are some dark themes explored, some very topical at present, but there is also a lot of humour throughout. I liked the narration of this book, as each chapter is told from a different characters perspective. The reason I didn't give five stars for this book is I thought there were a lot of loose ends, that needed tying up, and for me lacked the emotion of the Confusion of Karen Carpenter.

I don't really enjoy this book. Narrated by characters' povs is interesting though. Natalie is likeable character, the rest was not. This book is seem centred by the ticket and the luggage but never to be found what's inside it or why it was picked up by Miriam. Danny past life is interesting but was written in a boring way I put down the book so many times. The only thing that keeps me reading is to find out whats inside the luggage and why Danny chose to walk out of his family. Disappointing.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was difficult to put down, because I really wanted to find out what had happened to Danny. The characters are well written, and like I usually do, I really liked how each chapter has a different POV. Despite the dark themes, I was pleasantly surprised to find humour in this book as well. It was great to read Danny's POV in the second part, and for me, the story stayed unpredicatble until the very last chapter.

My first Jonathan Harvey novel which I picked because I'm a massive Corrie fan. At first I thought I wouldn't be able to finish it because of Cally's parts, but I quite enjoyed the story. The characters were well-written and interesting. I flew through the book and it got better towards the end. I would definitely read more of his books.

I actually really enjoyed this book. Calmly reminded me of how my friends and I must have been at that annoying ages and it really did make me chuckle. It's a different kind of story to what I've read before and thought it was great. Love the transition of characters each chapter. The ending has, however, made me want to know more about what happened next!

This was a "summer" book and definitely a beach read if that's your type of holiday. It showed an interesting set of relationships within a family which was dysfunctional from the start. Sins of the fathers and all that. An easy read but wouldn't go out and buy his others straight off Would know that I could pick up one of his books for a sheer escapist weekend

Really hilarious. It draws you in for the first half if the book, searching for the lost husband. Then suddenly we seem to find him and the end just isn't what you expect. It's kind of a bit 'oh Is that it?' Disappointing ending but I quite liked the book as a whole. Maybe it's because it feels like a lot of the issues don't get resolved.

I'm a big fan of Jonathan Harvey, and this book just increased my opinion of him. There are two very distinctive parts to this book, which are both very well written, and there are four very distinctive voices to the telling of this story. What I will say is that the ending is definitely not what I would have predicted.

I was really enjoying this, racing through it. And then it ended. very abruptly. I was disappointed! The structure is really interesting and works brilliantly, but there are too many loose ends for my liking

Really enjoyed this book. Liked the style of reading, liked the way it was written from different people's narrative. Appreciated the fact that it did not have a cheesy ending. Would now like to read other books by the same author.

I felt this book wasn't as good as The girl who just appeared. I found I was skimming through Cally's chapters as she was such an irritating character. I won't let this put me off reading his other books.

Characters are boring. Calls the daughter is a nightmare, she is meant to be annoying but I had to skip her parts they were so bad. Mainly read through Danny's chapters to find out what happened and turned out it wasn't even good. Would not read this author again!

A bit disappointed in this book. The best part was the middle when the Father figure came into it.The end was not the crescendo I was hoping for

3½/5

Not my favourite of his stories. It was the usual fare, just not as satisfying. Some frustrating and annoying bits and pieces to the story.