Book Review: Little Secrets

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This is my book review of ‘Little Secrets‘ by novelist Jennifer Hillier. It is a psychological thriller about grief, betrayal, and the dangerous lengths a person will go to protect what remains of their life.

Marin Machado seemingly has the perfect life. She owns a thriving business running upscale hair salons. She’s married to her college sweetheart, Derek. That all falls apart in an instant when their four-year-old son, Sebastian, is abducted during an outing at Pike Place Market.

Then one day, close to Christmas, they’re in a crowded place. She’s distracted for just a moment. And that’s all the time it took to lose sight of her precious little boy. Sebastian was kidnapped by someone dressed as Santa Claus.

The authorities seem to have no clue as to what happened to her son.

Months go by. Marin hires a private investigator when they can see that the FBI has pretty much moved on to other cases. She cannot bear the thought that someone isn’t actively looking for her Sebastian.

Derek is busy with his business and a young girlfriend, whom Marin learns about. She is seething with fury. Her private investigator is aware of this development, and Marin finds the young girl on social media.

With her world falling apart, and one suicide attempt already behind her, Marin finds the will to go on.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading this book. As I love to read thrillers, which are like a puzzle to be pieced together. This book fits the bill nicely.

The main character vacillated between fear of what might have happened to her boy, hoping he is still alive. She doesn’t have much faith in the authorities, as they seem to have given up on their search for the kidnapped boy.

Marin also feels guilt, for she was distracted, and this led to her son being taken from her. Mothers would never forgive themselves for that lapse. For the parents of a kidnapped child, time is not their friend. As each day passes, the possibility of finding their child alive dwindles quickly.

This book kept me guessing till the very end. I felt dread for the parents, especially the mother. The father had sort of emotionally checked out with the focus on the young girlfriend, and this made me despise him.

‘Little Secrets’ is a USA Today bestseller and has been praised for its gripping pacing and psychological depth.

About The Author:

Jennifer Hillier imagines the worst about people and then writes about it. This takes a certain type of person who can imagine horrible things and then live through writing about them.

She’s the bestselling author of ‘Things We Do in the Dark’ (ITW Thriller Award winner, 2023). Earlier novels include the national bestseller ‘Jar of Hearts’ (ITW Thriller Award winner, 2019), ‘Wonderland’, ‘The Butcher’, ‘Freak’, and ‘Creep’.

Her novels have been published in twenty-four languages so far. Born and raised in the Toronto area, she currently lives in Oakville, Ontario, Canada with her family. Her newest thriller, ‘Heart of Glass’, will be published on August 25, 2026, by Minotaur Books.

Jennifer Hillier also has a newsletter. You can sign up for it here.