BLOG TOUR: One Last Secret - Adele Parks

One last client

A week at a beautiful chateau in the south of France – it should be a straightforward final job for Dora. She’s a smart, stunning and discreet escort and Daniel has paid for her services before. This time, all she has to do is convince the assembled guests that she is his girlfriend. Dora is used to playing roles and being whatever men want her to be. It’s all about putting on a front.

One last chance

It will be a last, luxurious look at how the other half lives, before Dora turns her back on the escort world and all its dangers. She has found someone she loves and trusts. With him, she can escape the life she’s trapped in. But when Dora arrives at the chateau, it quickly becomes obvious that nothing is what it seems…

One last secret

Dora finds herself face to face with a man she has never forgotten, the one man who really knows her. And as old secrets surface, it becomes terrifyingly apparent that one last secret could cost Dora her life…

From the Sunday Times Number One bestseller Adele Parks comes a blisteringly provocative novel about power, sex, money and revenge. 

What did I think?

OMG, Adele Parks, you devious little minx!  This book is filled to the brim with secrets and I devoured it in my quest to discover every single one of them.  Just when you think you have it all worked out, Adele Parks throws another curve ball to spin you in a completely different direction.  

Dora is a character with an unusual and unique voice; she is so blunt about everything, which shouldn't come as a surprise as her job as an escort doesn't require emotion.  It's actually really interesting to read about such an unusual character from her own perspective.  Of course, being an escort isn't something that little girls aspire to be but it is a necessary evil to pay the bills for a lot of women.

It took me a little while to warm to her as Dora is a very unemotional character, but I really liked her when I scratched beneath the surface.  I love how her personal and professional lives are so very different and it was lovely to read about her friendship with Evan, which comes under threat when she takes one last job as an escort.  A job that takes her to a luxurious chateau in France where nothing is as it seems.

I didn't manage to predict a single thing in this book.  Oh I had plenty of ideas and suspicions but I was completely wrong on all counts.  Reading books is one instance when I'm happy to be proved wrong as it shows how good the book is when you don't manage to predict any of it.  

One Last Secret is twisty, addictive and unpredictable.  I really enjoyed it and don't think I have read anything like it before; the main character is so unique and the twisty plot just keeps on delivering, even when you think all has been revealed there's still more to come. 

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

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Lies Lies Lies - Adele Parks

 

Daisy and Simon’s marriage is great, isn’t it?

After years together, the arrival of longed-for daughter Millie sealed everything in place. A happy little family of three.

And so what if Simon drinks a bit too much sometimes – Daisy’s used to it, she knows he’s letting off steam. Until one night at a party things spiral horribly out of control. And that happy little family of three will never be the same again.

In Lies Lies Lies, Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks explores the darkest corners of a relationship in freefall in a mesmerising tale of marriage and secrets.

What did I think?

Oh my goodness!  What a ride!  If Lies Lies Lies was a fairground ride it would be a fast-paced rollercoaster, a twisty helter-skelter and a jaw-dropping ghost train all rolled into one.  I raced through it so quickly I felt like I had to stop for breath at the end; it is literally breathtaking!

It is such a difficult book to review as I don't want to give anything away about the highly addictive and stunning plot so I'll just mention a little bit about the characters.  Simon is an alcoholic and whilst I found the prologue about his childhood very amusing, there's nothing funny about him single-handedly destroying his life.  Simon's wife Daisy has seen his drinking get progressively worse and it's about to rip her family apart.

When something major happens about a third of the way through the book I thought I'd missed something but I didn't want to stop reading to check as my eyes were the size of saucers and wouldn't tear themselves away from the page.  It was only when I read that particular passage again on finishing the book that I realised Adele Parks is more wily than a fox.

Not just a brilliant psychological thriller, Lies Lies Lies is also a stark reminder about the dangers of alcohol.  I know most of us like a drink, myself included, but when an enjoyment becomes an addiction it's really important to confront it rather than make excuses or sweep it under the carpet until it becomes too late.

Lies Lies Lies is more gripping than a strip of velcro, twisting and turning like an excitable snake as all the lies and secrets are revealed.  An absolutely brilliant piece of fiction and one I won't forget about in a hurry.  Very highly recommended.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through NetGalley; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon